Traveling to France - all advice helps

Hey there fellow Socal climbers, I'm headed to France for a climbing trip for most of September, I haven't been able to do much planning yet because I've been busy graduating! Woohoo! 

I'm trying to piece everything together but the basic plan is Paris (fontainebleau), Ceuse OR Verdon Gorge, Chamonix, then back to Paris. I'm traveling with my girlfriend who's a little more geared toward sport climbing - but we aren't mega-crushers. Looking for climbs in the 5.10-.5.11+ range and I know there is a lot of amazing sport climbing with grades far over my head. Any tips on housing/hostiles, travel (we plan on renting a car in Paris), specific climbing areas, personal experiences both good and bad, literally anything! Also, if there is a thread similar to this I am unaware of that you all are, then redirecting me there would be hugely helpful too. If you're in the LA (Pasadena) area I'd be happy to get you a beer or cup of coffee and pick your brain. 

Best,

Reese Butler

Consider Buoux near by camping and low key. You can find hostels everywhere. Some have "private rooms" which are great for couples.

When in Cham I have stayed here: http://www.latapia.com

https://www.mountainproject.com/v/106658284?search=1&type=area&method=resultsPage&query=gorges%20du%20tarn

Gorges du tarn has a ton of fantastic limestone. Similar to ceuse and the gorge du verdon. Single pitch up to 100' long. I have the guidebook if you want to borrow it. its about 40euros i believe. Stayed really close to the river in a small mobile home with a full kitchen and gas range. On the cheappp.

You should get kenr to chime in. He seems to know a lot of modern crags.

This area looks like fun-

https://rockclimberstrainingmanual.com/2017/05/30/climbing-in-france-venasque/

Buoux is probably pretty polished. Twenty years ago we stayed in Apt and would walk or hitch hike back and forth to the crag. Magical times.

May be hot in September.

Thanks so much for all the advice! This is a great start. A private room would be great for us, Allen. Tristan, it would be awesome if I could check out that guide book, sounds killer. Thanks for the advice Mark and Guy, keep it coming every little thing helps!!!

Best,

Reese

Be flexible. I have made 4 climbing trips to France and every time we had to drive around to different crags to avoid rain. Last year, my Ceuse trip ended up being spent 2/3 at Volx and Peillon instead (big caves). There is enormous availability of climbing all over France but some is hard to find without help from locals. 

The Tarn has great routes in the range you're looking for. Sandbags at Ceuse. Be prepared to climb through cruxes to earn your next bolt. L'Ardeche has some good climbing too but a bit spread out. Claret is a classic crag and highly recommended.

Still haven't made it to Verdon unfortunately but it is a dream of mine to go there.

Alex

I'm going for two weeks in September and have been researching as well.  I bought a guide book for Calanques (sic?).  The climbs over the Mediterranean look incredible!  Looked into Chamonix and La Grave and found mostly alpine or high altitude rock with longer approaches, but I might have missed something there.  I was looking more for culture and climbing rather than remoteness.  We are going to Verdon Gorge as well.  That looks insanely awesome!

As local, but focused on multipitches, i suggest south east area, but avoiding cham to maximize the chances of goodweather.

For limestone:

First position:: verdon

Second: calanques

Third : Briançon area 'tete d'aval & cerces

For granit: 

Briançon area (slaby)

Mercantour (2 hours from Nice)

You have better to rent a car in Marseille or Nice for the whole area.

Take with you only QD and a light rack but a 100 m rope, look on RB&B, the touristic season is ending.

And enjoy

(i agree concerning parisians)

Thanks so much!

(I am in Chamonix right now.)

French people tend to be pretty cool, the whole thing about them being rude is a stereotype. Just be cool and most will probably be the same. Keep a smile on you face.

People seem to be getting better with English in general over the years. Just don't speak too fast or use complex idioms. (I don't understand why, but I've seen a good number of people trying to use complex idioms in conversations with people who barely speak the language.) Remember that you are the visitor in their home, and they are being nice enough to make an effort to communicate with you. 

For climbing, ask around for beta. Chamonix has a lot of climbers (but mostly non climbers) who are willing to share. Climbers in Cham come from all over Europe, so prepare to get a crash course in Spanish, Italian, and German alongside your French. Don't come off as an arrogant prick when people ask you what you climb, most likely there is some total badass sitting at the table. Invite people to climb with you back in the USA. Definitely don't wear your harness around town. Make your phone's background a grade conversion chart. If you are cool and can make friends easily, finding climbing partners is super easy.  

Other things to do in Chamonix: Go to Snell Sports and have an geargasm. Eat at Poco Loco (post-climb) and have their specialty burger. Find a table outside at a place that has Brasserie Du Mont Blanc beer on tap, it's the best beer in the world according to some beer governing body. Grab a pastry and a quiche at Patisserie Richard, they are my favorite and the cheapest around town. 

As for the cities, I was just in Paris last week for a few days with my gf - it was my 4th or 5th time. On our way to Chamonix we stopped in Lyon for a few days. Both of us found Lyon to be a much more fun place than Paris, aside from the obvious sight seeing to be had.

Enjoy!! 

I have been climbing in France a few times. I thought Verdon was a blast. Rapping in to do multi pitches and leaving water and tasty sandwiches at belays to eat on the way back up is a nice novelty. 

I found Ceuse to have to higher quality routes in to 12 and up range. Not as much in the 10/11 range. And it's a big hill. My gf and I would bring a bottle of wine for the walk down.

Paris is like anywhere else. If you are looking for rudeness you will find it. I often found the opposite. Lastly, Font is why bouldering became a thing. Its just great at any grade. 

Have fun!

If you plan on spending some time in Fontainebleau, I'd advise against staying in/near Paris and driving everyday, traffic along the A6, N104 and so on is maddening, especially on weekdays around 8-9am and 4-7pm (really). Rent a car then come over and stay at a gîte or a campsite (some will lend/rent you a crashpad like Fontaineblhostel in La Chapelle-la-Reine, Gîte Arbonne in Arbonne-la-Forêt (this one is run by climbers)...). Don't go to Cuvier like everyone else does unless you like polish and crowds. You can pick a guidebook at the S'cape shop in Fontainebleau town, at the tabac/bookstore in Barbizon (from where you can walk to the gorges d'Apremont, which you should), at the Vieux Campeur in Paris (there's about thirty Vieux Campeur shops though, I think it's the one at 2 rue de Latran).

If you're climbing midweek you're much, much more likely to come across Brits, Dutch and Germans so communication won't be an issue :) If you happen upon French people ask them "parlez-vous anglais ?" (par ley voo ang ley), and if they say no... Well, try sign language!

Les Calanques are sweet. Lots of incredible bolted climbs in your grade range. My gf and I got an Airbnb in Mazargues last March, which is sort of a suburb of Marseille, and it was pretty great. We were both under 25 at the time, so rental cars were very expensive. Fortunately you can get to Morgiou and Sormiou pretty easily on pubic transit + walking.

The cheapest methods of getting across France, especially if you're under 25, are coach buses and BlaBlaCar.  We took FlixBus from Lyon to Marseille for €18 round trip. BlaBlaCar (a ride-sharing website) could have been cheaper, but only if you find someone going where you want to go.

Lyon is more fun and way cheaper than Paris, and has a sweet climbing gym (Mur de Lyon) for rain days. Eat at a bouchon, but not if you want to climb hard the next day.