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Europe climbing trip

Larissa

1-Apr-2014
12:28:25 PM

Hi. I got big plans for a European climbing adventure. Don't got a partner though. I'm currently climbing in the bluies as much as possible with a short trip to araps booked mid April to may. Europe wouldnt be happening until around july so if u think you'd be keen give me a shout and we can start doing some climbing around here and go from there.

Thanks,

Larissa

Mike Bee

1-Apr-2014
2:40:46 PM

What kind of grades and types of climbing are you interested in?

dalai

1-Apr-2014
4:28:02 PM

Many areas in Europe - not having a climbing partner traveling with you is not a limitation. Wasn't one day where I couldn't climb due to not finding someone to climb with...

martym

2-Apr-2014
10:48:39 AM

On 1/04/2014 dalai wrote:
>Many areas in Europe - not having a climbing partner traveling with you
>is not a limitation. Wasn't one day where I couldn't climb due to not finding
>someone to climb with...

Though I never had to find a partner - we met & teamed up with many people over our trips around Europe...
Every time someone says Europe I say Paklenica - Croatia. You'll find a partner for sure.
Same for Orpierre; Chamonix is a bit more spread out but if you stay at one of the campgrounds you're likely to meet some climbers (you might even get a cheap trip up the Mont); same with Verdon & Finale (might be too hot though) & of course there's Font!
Mont Serrat seemed pretty social; Cinque Torre at the Dolomites - you might get lucky...
Lake Bohinj in Slovenia has a crag next to the pub; as do many of the spots around the Czech Republic - though I wouldn't travel half way around the world to see it... the beer's good & cheap though!

So yeah - you won't be lost for partners if you're flexible & friendly.

Dr Box

2-Apr-2014
12:00:41 PM

While Europe is on the conversation.
Anyone climbed in Switzerland? Would rolling in solo be an option?

I'll also be that side of the globe June July.
Cheers

Larissa

2-Apr-2014
5:00:13 PM

Thanks for all the beta guys. Mike, climbing any type if its a good climb :). I climb trad and sport but would love to spend a big chunk of time around chamonix and the likes and try some alpine climbing, although haven't had much experience in that area to date.

martym

2-Apr-2014
10:09:46 PM

On 2/04/2014 Larissa wrote:
>Thanks for all the beta guys. Mike, climbing any type if its a good climb
>:). I climb trad and sport but would love to spend a big chunk of time
>around chamonix and the likes and try some alpine climbing, although haven't
>had much experience in that area to date.

You'll be able to find heaps of climbers at Les Gaillands in Cham...
Here's a topo for a relatively easy multipitch nearby (2hr uphill walk to the base) First 8 pitches are amazing, second section not as good - kinda waterfall rubble. Grid bolted for your climbing pleasure.

One Day Hero

2-Apr-2014
10:48:58 PM

On 2/04/2014 martym wrote:
>Every time someone says Europe I say Paklenica - Croatia. You'll find
>a partner for sure.
>Same for Orpierre
>Mont Serrat seemed pretty social; Cinque Torre at the Dolomites - you
>might get lucky...
>Lake Bohinj in Slovenia has a crag next to the pub; as do many of the
>spots around the Czech Republic - though I wouldn't travel half way around
>the world to see it... the beer's good & cheap though!

Sigh. I'm probably going to sound like a bit of a snob here, but martym has made a list of uninspiring b-grade shit which I wouldn't bother flying round the world for. Cinque torre, seriously? It's the suss-weather dick around option for the doli's. Sure, I climbed there on drizzly days, and it was ok. However, fuch going round the world for it......would you drive to araps and only climb at dec crag? Cinque torre is the dec crag of the doli's.

Imagine coming to oz for a big tour and going to kangaroo point, dam cliffs, mt kiera, mortein wall, the rock, the you yangs, mitre rock, and Joe Goding's stupid sport crags in the gramps. Sure, it is an australian climbing trip of sorts, but I wouldn't want any part of it.

Seriously, find a good partner, sort out a car or van, and make a pact to not waste your trip on mediocre bullshit. Find out as much info as you can about potential crags. For example, gorge du tarn has a bunch of 3 star long pumpy routes which kick off at about 26. At 26+ it's a 3 star crag for sure, at 22-24 maybe 1 or 2 stars, at 20 and below 0 stars! Also, if you want to climb some alpine routes, I hope you're getting out in the grose as training. And a trip to the bungles will help to work out whether or not you actually like alpine climbing (a lot of people like the idea of alpine climbing but not the reality)

good luck

brendan

2-Apr-2014
11:23:55 PM

I'm happy to hear some one has climbed this route, we walked up to the base and found it soaking wet, my partner didn't like the look of it either, was a bit mossy from memory. Les gailands is ok if the weather is bad up high, but if your in chamonix go up and climb on brevent or somewhere on the Mont Blanc massif!

On 2/04/2014 martym wrote:

>
>You'll be able to find heaps of climbers at Les Gaillands in Cham...
>Here's a topo for a relatively easy multipitch nearby (2hr uphill walk
>to the base) First 8 pitches are amazing, second section not as good -
>kinda waterfall rubble. Grid bolted for your climbing pleasure.
>

brendan

2-Apr-2014
11:34:13 PM

In chamonix we stayed at the ski station chalet (€12 in 2011) and the lady was very kind. let us store out bags there when we where in the hills too. There was a few climbers staying here, the campgrounds are popular with climbers too, The guides bureau in town has a book for people looking for partners, try UKclimbing.com too

freesolo

3-Apr-2014
5:26:54 AM

sent you a PM

martym

4-Apr-2014
2:57:52 PM

On 2/04/2014 One Day Hero wrote:
>On 2/04/2014 martym wrote:
>>Every time someone says Europe I say Paklenica - Croatia. You'll find
>>a partner for sure.
>>Same for Orpierre
>>Mont Serrat seemed pretty social; Cinque Torre at the Dolomites - you
>>might get lucky...
>>Lake Bohinj in Slovenia has a crag next to the pub; as do many of the
>>spots around the Czech Republic - though I wouldn't travel half way around
>>the world to see it... the beer's good & cheap though!
>
>Sigh. I'm probably going to sound like a bit of a snob here, but martym
>has made a list of uninspiring b-grade shit which I wouldn't bother flying
>round the world for. Cinque torre, seriously? It's the suss-weather dick
>around option for the doli's. Sure, I climbed there on drizzly days, and
>it was ok. However, fuch going round the world for it......would you drive
>to araps and only climb at dec crag? Cinque torre is the dec crag of the
>doli's.

No, I've listed a bunch of crags I have visited that I think you might find a partner at. From there Larissa can find partners to go climb all these grade 26 gems you speak of.

And if you put Mont Serrat, Verdon & Paklenica on your list of "uninspiring b-grade shit" then yeah, you're a snob. I won't say what else I think of your posts.

One Day Hero

4-Apr-2014
4:22:04 PM

On 4/04/2014 martym wrote:
>No, I've listed a bunch of crags I have visited that I think you might
>find a partner at. From there Larissa can find partners to go climb all
>these grade 26 gems you speak of.

Obviously you're missing my point. I'm suggesting that going on a tour of all these shit crags (just on the chance that you might bump into someone who'll then take you climbing at a good crag) sounds like a terrible plan. I'm also suggesting that if you don't climb in the mid 20's, famous places like Gorge du Tarn and Ceuse are probably not going to be that great for you. This info is often missed as people are bombarded with "best sport crag in the world" hype.
>
>And if you put Mont Serrat, Verdon & Paklenica on your list of "uninspiring
>b-grade shit" then yeah, you're a snob. I won't say what else I think of
>your posts.

I've heard that Paklenica is ok, not amazing. Mont Serrat and Verdon certainly sound fantastic, however, most people I know who've been to Verdon were absolutely smashed by the heat and spent more time swimming than climbing. I wouldn't go near the sunny crags in the south of France until late in the year.

The good Dr

4-Apr-2014
5:21:01 PM

On 4/04/2014 One Day Hero wrote:

>
>I've heard that Paklenica is ok, not amazing. Mont Serrat and Verdon certainly
>sound fantastic, however, most people I know who've been to Verdon were
>absolutely smashed by the heat and spent more time swimming than climbing.
>I wouldn't go near the sunny crags in the south of France until late in
>the year.

Montserrat is brilliant and climbing on the conglomerate is very interesting where you can have a different type of rock for each hand and foot with wildly different properties. You have to be very aware of this when climbing as the difference between the embedded granite and quartz can be staggering. It is also a good place to meet climbers.

Verdon is truly awesome as well. Maybe these climbers were all badly afflicted with Nati disease.

martym

4-Apr-2014
9:47:04 PM

On 4/04/2014 One Day Hero wrote:
>I've heard that Paklenica is ok, not amazing. Mont Serrat and Verdon certainly
>sound fantastic, however, most people I know who've been to Verdon were
>absolutely smashed by the heat and spent more time swimming than climbing.
>I wouldn't go near the sunny crags in the south of France until late in
>the year.
We named our daughter after the mountain in Paklenica. But I only climb early 20s.

Croatia gets quite hot in summer, but we climbed every day without too much complaining, it's not Australia...
The only crag in Europe i found too hot to climb was Finale Ligure.
It rained more than it boiled in Verdon - late July - so any sign of the sun and we climbed till 10pm. It's also a gorge - so one side's sunny while the other is in shade. Same with Paklenica.

I've also not outlined a "tour" ticklist - just responded to someone's earlier point about being able to find climbing partners. For example, I don't think you'd easily find a partner in Frankenjura, much of the dolomites is too spread out(Cinque Torre is across from the cable car - so it's super popular)... There's hardly anywhere in Europe that resembles the Pines.

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