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Bouldering in Europe

SLacey

12-Jul-2009
2:13:00 AM

Hi all,

My brother and I are going backpacking around Italy, Switzerland, Spain and France for a couple of months from September-November later this year and are hoping to do some bouldering in between sightseeing and drinking. We are hoping to get to Ticino in Switzerland, Albarracin in Spain and Fontainebleau in France and I was wondering if anyone who has done some bouldering over there can give us some advice on accomodation, transportation etc. Plus if anyone knows some good spots to go bouldering in Italy that would be great as well!

BoulderBaby

12-Jul-2009
5:18:11 AM

There is an awesome place in Fontainebleau walking distant to some of the most popular crags. It's not really walkable to get to the campsite. You do need a car, as there isn't a bus or anything that goes out there.

The good thing is that there are ALWAYS people at the campsite who are going off bouldering.

contactgav

12-Jul-2009
8:50:11 AM

when i stayed in font, one of themany times, i stayed at hotel de la gare in the town.
next to the train station is a little old lady who rents out push bikes.
we did this for 3 weeks and got to all the nearby crags.
cuvier, rempart, franchard, isatis etc.

that is a good cheap way to do it.
the hotel is very very minimal, but better than sleeping rough in a tent that time of year.

Paulie

12-Jul-2009
4:43:14 PM

We stayed in Fontainbleau (the town) at a campground but we had a car so it was ideal. Holy crap balls tho, Font has some of the most amazing bouldering I've ever seen in my life, you get so bloody strong (head too) climbing there, such classic lines too...bloody great fun.

contactgav

12-Jul-2009
6:02:56 PM

if this is the campsite just north of Cuvier, better check if it is still there.
last i heard was that camping wasn't allowed anymore or the campsite had actually gone.

when i say campsite, it is a very loose term. just an open area with one tap. which often freezes in winter.
i remember one morning running my MSR stove under it to thaw it out.

dalai

12-Jul-2009
9:39:24 PM

The Bas Cuvier bivy site was closed from memory since at least 96. There is another free bivy still available further south I think but the details escape me...

Camping La Musardiere Campground near Milly La Foret is walking distance from Trois Pignons so once you are at the campground (I hitched from the Fontainbleau station) you can get to a reasonable collection of areas and into Milly La Foret for supplies.

rod

12-Jul-2009
9:47:43 PM

add this to your intended destinations http://abloc.org/

Raph

13-Jul-2009
1:37:02 PM

Hey Slacey,

If you are in Italy switzerland, and spain, You rather to go bouldering in a place called ANNOT in France this is really close to the Italian border so you don't have to go to the north to climb in Fontainbleau. It's roughly 1h drive at the north of Nice in the beautiful mountains. This spot is awesome the campground is really nice 2€/d, the boulders are in sandstone as fontainbleau. Thera are lots of boulders (hard, easy....) with a really good climb quality, you get more chance to have a nice weather than Bleau. There is a train every da

http://maps.google.com/maps?client=firefox-a&rls=org.mozilla:fr:official&channel=s&hl=fr&q=annot&lr=&um=1&ie=UTF-8&sa=N&tab=wl

rod

13-Jul-2009
5:49:46 PM

The link I supplied provides all the info you need on Annot.

SLacey

15-Jul-2009
10:37:36 AM

Thanks guys the info has been really helpful, I've got a better idea of where I'm gonna stay and how I'm gonna get around in Fontainebleau now. Thanks for the info on Annot Raph and rod I've been checking out the photos and it looks awesome, I'm definitely going to have to squeeze in a few days there.

There are 10 messages in this topic.