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Crag & Route Beta

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VIC Arapiles	(General)	(General)	(General)	[ Arapiles Guide \| Arapiles Images ]

Topic Date User

Urgent: Sport climbs at Mt. Arapiles? 30-Jan-2008 At 2:49:31 PM dreamingof8a

Message

>Howdy Dreamingof8a - would you be able to point me in the direction for good info on the >areas you mentioned: "Tarn, Ceuse, & Jonte" as I've got a trip planned there for September >and am trying to work out where to spend my time.
>
>I saw a great article in the New Zealand Alpine Club Journal on The Gorge De Tarn which >has really inspired me to go. I was also planning to spend some tine in Ceuse, the Verdon, >Font, Morocco and a few cliffs in Germany.
>
>Would you have any suggestions as to other crags that are a "must visit" (I am happy on >either trad or sport FYI up to about 23).

Hi Joe,

well, my personal favorites are

- Gorge de la Jonte (near Tarn/millau)
Excellent rock (actually arapilies reminded me of that area), stunning scenery imho, nice exposed climbs up to 150m (bolted, mixed and full trad). Quite hard grades.
I love this area since it offers everything.

- Claret (about 1hr north of Montpellier)
Steep to very steep sport climbing, roofs, some easier vertical lines. Hardly polishes at all. Height up to 35m, mostly around 25m. Grades start at 5c (only two routes), then a couple of routes up to 6b/21, again some more <23, most routes above 24. Not for summer but good in winter when sunny and perfecr for spring/autumn because south-facing.

- Gorge du Tarn (near Millau)
Well, all sorts of sport climbs, again mostly above 6a/18?. Obviously most of the big lines are above 24 but there are some excellent climbs 20-23 and the bolts (! :-) ) make it easy to try harder stuff. And some people say it's undergraded anyway. I think it has to do with the endurance character of most routes - no real hard move but lots of them!

- Presles (near Valence)
Two single pitch sport cliffs and loads of 200m+ multi pitches, sport, trad, mixed. Did my favourite multi pitch there, 12 pitches 20-22.

Haven't been to Ceuse yet but I personally think that all the good routes must be grade 23 and harder. AFAIK below 23 there are mainly slabs with good views on the "real" ceuse experience.

As for guides, they can all be obtained locally, especially Claret and the two Gorges are the nicest Guides I've ever seen, all made by the same guy.

As for photos, visit my old webpage http://meinekleine.heim.at, especially

http://meinekleine.heim.at/Klettern_in_Claret_und_Beaume_Rousse/index.html
http://meinekleine.heim.at/Gorge_du_Tarn/index.html
http://meinekleine.heim.at/Klettern_-__Presles__und__Gorge_d_Ombl_ze_/index.html
http://meinekleine.heim.at/Klettern_-__Gorge_du_Tarn_/index.html

If you're in Switzerland and have a day spare (and 20 swiss francs = 20 AU$ roughly) there's a funny wall: 5 pitches, 160m, 5b-6a+ which would be <20 I think.

Photos here
http://meinekleine.heim.at/Staumauer_Luzzone/index.html