UKC

Hi all,

We're going to the Picos de Europa (Spain) for a caving expedition in a few weeks, and we're spending the week prior driving down through France, so we're currently planning which climbing locations to visit.

I'd love to go back to Font having spent a month there some years back, but I have been told that leaving things in vans is quite risky these days.

If we were just bouldering and therefore taking pads, shoes, camera etc out of the van every day I wouldn't be worried, but we'll have all our caving gear, laptops, camping gear etc left in there! ££££

What are people's experience with this, positive/negative?

We don't mind going to some of the less "honeypot" areas if required.

Thanks

Just not worth the risk IMHO. 

I've had no recent experience but over the past 20/30 years have been on trips where other climbers' cars/vans have been broken into and contents stolen. Being so close to Paris it's long been a relatively high risk area from gangs who prey on both the car parks and lone vehicles parked up near the rocks and campsites. I was speaking to a French policeman a few years back who told me that a car park the size of that at JA Martin could be cleared very quickly by these professional gangs who would arrive in a van (number plates concealed or false), park near the exit with engine running and then smash the windscreens/windows of parked cars, sweep the contents into plastic bin bags, throw them into their van and be gone all in under 2 minutes. They didn't care about the noise made by smashing glass or car alarms and would be long gone by the time any climbers on the rocks reacted.

Having been on trips with people who have be robbed in this way, and at night when in their tents, I am always nervous about leaving the car, and always keep valuables with me.

If I was in your situation I think we would designate at least one of our party to sit reading a book near the vehicle, and take it in turns to do shifts. We certainly did this about 10 -15  years ago when there was a bad spate of break ins. 

Loosing gear can turn out to be the least of your worries if you have adequate insurance. Just imagine, as happened to a mate of mine, waking up on the morning of your departure after a few days at Font to find your windscreen and windows smashed in, it's pouring with rain and you've got a ferry to catch

There will only be me and my girlfriend, and while I'd certainly be happy having a few days blissfully bouldering while she read books and gets the tea on, I'm not sure how well that would go down!

Insurance may cover the cost of lost kit, but unless replaced within a day or two it would scupper the 2 week caving expedition derailing the main holiday.

You two are adding to my fears...hm

Looks like we'll be doing some scrambling in the Pyrenees instead.

I'd actually say you should seek out the honeypot areas. The car park at 95.2 is super busy with people arriving and departing throughout the day so less likely to be targeted, compared to a van parked up on it's own where no one else is.

There are many stories of people who have been broken into while there but most people will never have any problems. The breakins often come in waves as the offenders go in and out of jail.

You can reduce your risks by avoiding the worst locations for breakins such as the Cuvier car park. You can climb most things at Petit Bois without ever losing sight of your vehicle. If the café is open at Apremont, you can park within sight of the café as long as you arrive early enough which should be safe. Choose places that are busy enough that your car will never be out of the public's eye and it should be OK.

Other than that, keep things out of sight and make your van look as unlikely a target as possible and you will probably be fine but it depends on your own acceptance of risk.

Much of Spain is at least as bad as Font for breakins.

Don't get me wrong, there is pretty much broken glass in every font car park. But the place is heaving in summer. So go busy places and don't leave the van there alone outside the busy period (which is pretty much every hour of daylight). Or in a random corner of the carpark. The carparks will have people milling through them all day. That said if we are talking grands and grands worth of kit of be tempted to just not take it at all (obviously not an option with the caving gear) Spain will be as bad surely (not been the Pico's to be fair but I gather it will be just as busy). 

Not sure why nobody has yet suggested the obvious option. Camp at Musardiere and walk to the crags.

Problem solved

This^^^^^

grab one of the pitches near reception. 15 minutes walk to Gorge aux Chats

We are in Font at the moment, the guy next to us on the campsite had a side window smashed in his car today  only took his daughters books and crayons.

Thanks for the responses, incedentally I spent a month in and out of the Musardiere site in a bivvy bag and wild camping and staying in friendly people's holiday gites hitchhiking round about, ah to be 19 again... And it's not that long ago...

We might chance a day or afternoon somewhere in passing, but I've ticked everything I can at 95.2 and close areas so will push for somewhere else.

Noted about Cuvier, the fact that you don't need a bouldering mat due to the layers of discarded condoms speaks volumes about the area.

Cheers.