We're just sitting in Bar Neva, the "Climbers' Bar" in Val Pennavaire / Oltre Finale, enjoying a well-earned pint (OK 400ml) and some excellent antipasti, and trying to think of a better "Climbers' Bar" anywhere outside the UK. We're stumped, so reaching out to the UKC Hive Mind...
Of course, that begs the question: "What makes a Climbers' Bar?" No definitive answer, but some of the characteristics of Bar Neva include:
- full of people in belay jackets / bright clothing (from numerous nationalities) drinking beer (or other post-climb rehydration) and reenacting moves from the day's routes.
- scuffed copies of the guidebook(s) with "Not to be taken away" in felt tip on the cover, and marked-up scrawling inside with recent additions, supplemented by photocopies of hand-drawn tops
Other contenders: Panjika in Leonidio, and Gasthof Eichler in Frankenjura. Looking forward to your suggestions! Cheers, Dom
Railay and Tonsai would take some beating if they are still anything like they were 12 years ago.
Another vote for;
Goscanos, Chulilla
Goma2, Cornudella de Montsant
And also ‘Kalandraka’ at Rodellar.
> Panjika in Leonidio, and Gasthof Eichler in Frankenjura
agree with those, also Fatolitis on Kalymnos
A definite vote for Bar Quartz in Orpierre. Close enough to the climbing that you dump your pack under the table, and *that* view!
Cheers, Andy
I had some good nights (and days) at Josito's in Geyikbayiri - some quality crags almost within the site and nice food and a decent selection of booze. Not cheap though - when I was there a few years ago it charged in Euro's at prices that were more UK / European than Turkish - and I can't imagine Brexit etc has helped recently.
Why outside UK? Why not include UK, except maybe for the minor fact, are there any?
And I feel that "pub frequented by climbers" is not quite the same thing.
Miguels pizza red river gorge
Certainly the only climbers bar I’ve ever been in where one of the staff jumped on the table and got her tits out in a really quite random thanksgiving celebration. And also involved various people jumping into or through a massive bonfire.
>...Why not include UK, except maybe for the minor fact, are there any?...
The nearest I've seen was the Heights bar in Llanberis as that used to have a little climbing wall off the back of the bar - not sure if it still does as looking at their website there's no pic of it now, but that still isn't exactly a "real" climbers' bar
I can only think of climbers' cafes, cavers' cafes, cyclists' cafes, and so forth
Dinko Buffet Paklenica
>
> - full of people in belay jackets / bright clothing (from numerous nationalities) drinking beer (or other post-climb rehydration) and reenacting moves from the day's routes.
>
The other big give away is if there's 3 or 4 of these people and they've got one 25cl glass of warm generic lager and they are making it last 3 hours.
E
> Railay and Tonsai would take some beating if they are still anything like they were 12 years ago.
Bars full of hairdressers and playing too much* Bob Marley. Litter. Not very good Thai food. Comfortably beaten by the losers cafe in The Apprentice.
* too much = any
The Pirate bar is pretty cool on Kaly too:
https://www.google.co.uk/maps/place/Pirates+Of+Kalymnos+-+Exotic+Ambelli/@3...
Plenty around with history and memorabilia like the Pen y Gwryd or Old Dungeon Ghyll. Sadly the Julie Tullis bar in the SE is no more.
The most overtly "full of climbers" bars I've been to abroad recently have been just about every bar in La Palud sur Verdon.
My local crag's got a great little climbers' bar: craft beer, greasy burgers, chunky chips...and a bouldering wall in the garden! Bar "H" at Schievenin in NE Italy.
Indeed it is. Lovely spot to chill of an evening
Give it a few years and we'll be able to add the Clachaig to the list
My fave bar is in the winter in Italy and you hardly ever hear people speaking in English.
Bar Licone in Cogne?
Never heard of it Kev 🤔
The pizza place in Chalten was pretty good and climbery about 15 years ago...
When I was last in Chalten, there was no Chalten. One hostel with a bar and the park rangers cabin. Camped by the river. Bliss.
There's a good climbers' bar in Coll de Nargó, Catalunya, alongside Patxi Usobiaga's training gym.
Refugio Frey? In the sun, by the lake..
Miguels Pizza is the one with most pull in my view compared to all the ones mentioned above
10 years ago the reply would clearly be Le Chamonix at Freyr but it unfortunately burnt down in 2013
> 10 years ago the reply would clearly be Le Chamonix at Freyr but it unfortunately burnt down in 2013
Yes, sadly missed 😢
Oh, yes, a good pick! A few good evenings in there - the beer menu was substantially longer than the food menu and the topoguide had a graded list of the beers - the only place I've ever managed to onsight 7c and 8a!!
Cheers (in every sense), Andy
Gasthof Zur Guten Einkehr in Franken, just up the hill from Rőtelfels (routes of all grades, short walk in, plentiful bolts, long routes). Excellent cheap beer and food, guidebooks, and camping/van parking with toilets and showers in the field behind the pub. Always plenty of climbers, but locals too. Our favourite spot.
while its not 'climbers bar' prices and you wont find any well-thumbed guidebooks, Big Mountain Bar in Chamonix is owned by climbers and the beer is brewed by climbers. It is possibly the best craft beer you will find in the alps!
*disclaimer - i used to work in the brewery so this is hardly impartial!
Good shout. Is it not owned by an ex Ukcer as well?
White frontier across the border make better beer though.
It is indeed
Thanks everyone for all the recommendations - making me thirsty just reading them. I can see a theme for a future road trip taking shape. Maybe we need some new UKC ticklist functionality
Cheers (hic!), Dom
Indeed, that page is also the only time I've ever onsighted 8a