Best country to visit for a good mix of everything?

• Hey all! I will be graduating from college next May and I am already looking forward to booking some tickets and getting out of the country for a little while. I wanted to ask some like minded people about their favorite places they have been in June/July around the world. I'd love a good mix of climbing, beer drinking, good food, snorkeling, hiking, and really any sort of good time! 

• Australia. We have the best grading system in the world. Not negotiable. Awesome trad, hectic sport, mad sandstone, scenic terrain.

If i wanted to max out good climbing, beer, hiking, and food, I'd go to Italy, esp. Dolomites - not sure about snorkeling but sure you could find some near the coast

Mark P. wrote: If i wanted to max out good climbing, beer, hiking, and food, I'd go to Italy, esp. Dolomites - not sure about snorkeling but sure you could find some near the coast

Yup, Best of all worlds Look up Finale Ligure

What kind of climbing are you looking for? I'd go with Spain or SE Asia (Thailand/Laos).  Two very different, but great experiences. 

jason.cre wrote: What kind of climbing are you looking for? I'd go with Spain or SE Asia (Thailand/Laos).  Two very different, but great experiences. 

Thailand/Laos in JUNE/JULY? Not a good idea! (hot rainy season)

I'd go with New Zealand or Australia.

Or France... Chamonix, Verdon, etc.

or Dolomites in Italy.

Suburban Roadside wrote:

Yup, Best of all worlds Look up Finale Ligure

I love Finale but might be a bit hot in June and July. but you can always a) climb in the shade b) start earlier c) bring more chalk

Mark P. wrote:

I love Finale but might be a bit hot in June and July. but you can always a) climb in the shade b) start earlier c) bring more chalk

never let your internal clock re-set. Get out before dawn climb for 4 hours, have breakfast for 3 hours, kill time with chores& culture  . ,

Snorkeling?, Whats that running off the cliffs that attracts all those fish?                                                                                                                                                                                           Swimming/ the siesta . . .

Then  espresso s, & 'Muffaletta s before a return to the rock to get sunset silhouettes.

 it has been that way  for decades. 

the draw back is that it has been that way for decades. The rock shows it. I was thinking that coming from Idaho, it has enough western fun & funk to be very chill for A young American. 

Northern Italia, great climbing, incredible hiking and cheap/ quick flights to Sardegna, Corsica or Mallorca for the water sports...not to mention more amazing climbing.  

Mark P. wrote: If i wanted to max out good climbing, beer, hiking, and food, I'd go to Italy, esp. Dolomites - not sure about snorkeling but sure you could find some near the coast

June/July I´d make it France, the beer (and wine) about equal with Italy, the food better and the inland sport climbing better. Then go to the Dolomites! I´m not going to say come to the Frankenjura because I live there and don´t want Americans coming to drink our beer, eat our food and complain about the bolting!

I´d actually fly to Germany and do the Frankenjura then down to the Dolomites, across to Orco then into Switzerland for Grimsel, down to somewhere like Genoa then along the coast to France and head inland.

Thanks for the replies guys! I've been checking out Italy and the dolomites and I'm super interested, but worries that it might break the bank.. is there a way to do it on a smaller budget??

Sam Root wrote: Thanks for the replies guys! I've been checking out Italy and the dolomites and I'm super interested, but worries that it might break the bank.. is there a way to do it on a smaller budget??

Dolomites can be significantly more expensive than other areas (this is true for much of northern Italy).  I would recommend the Val di Mello area....much better rock, cheaper, closer to Malpensa airport.

There is a place I stayed one time in the Dolomiti that was relatively cheap, near Pozza di Fassa....I believe it's Camping Vidor, they have little cabins or tent sites, etc 

Sam Root wrote: Thanks for the replies guys! I've been checking out Italy and the dolomites and I'm super interested, but worries that it might break the bank.. is there a way to do it on a smaller budget??

Walk everywhere (or steal a bike), feed out of dustbins and sleep under trees? We don´t know what your lifestyle is, how long your trip is and how big your budget is to start with.

If you want to drink beer,  it is very expensive in both Italy and France while wine is very cheap .if you want to drink beer Germany or Czech Republic or a better deal Czech Republic actually has some really good climbing and I haven’t been there but I believe it’s considerably cheaper than the rest of Europe. Understanding the language however to be extremely challenging

Earth   

The Dolomites are beautiful but you need a car to get around and June is rainy.  I spent a couple of weeks one summer in Arco, which is nearby, which has tons of routes and is near Lago di Garda, which has nice swimming and is well known for its windsurfing.  Cheap camping in Arco across the road from one of the crags and bouldering.  I rented a bike and was able to navigate everywhere that way.  You could meet folks there (I did) but more reliable if you go with someone.  

Finale Ligure is great.  I’ve visited but didnt get a chance to climb sadly.  Check out the Calanques, near Marseille.  Never been to Kalymnos, but it looks great.  Great climbing, cheap accommodations and you can rent a scooter to get around.  Beaches obviously as well.  Croatia also looks really nice, and inexpensive too.

That’s apretty Eurocentric list obviously.  Thailand is great (though I was there pre development) but really muggy in June.  Having said that,
lots of people climb there in summer and obviously cope.  

june m wrote: If you want to drink beer,  it is very expensive in both Italy and France while wine is very cheap .if you want to drink beer Germany or Czech Republic or a better deal Czech Republic actually has some really good climbing and I haven’t been there but I believe it’s considerably cheaper than the rest of Europe. Understanding the language however to be extremely challenging

Yes, Czech is cheaper than Germany, and the beer is better IMHO. However, cheaper is relative, and it is about as spendy as Italy. Unless you like sandstone horror shows with a very archaic ethic, Czech climbing is extremely mediocre. Most Czechs climb in Germany, Austria and Italy, which are all easy drives. 

the schmuck wrote:

Yes, Czech is cheaper than Germany, and the beer is better IMHO. However, cheaper is relative, and it is about as spendy as Italy. Unless you like sandstone horror shows with a very archaic ethic, Czech climbing is extremely mediocre. Most Czechs climb in Germany, Austria and Italy, which are all easy drives. 

By “archaic” you mean the whole “knots for pro” thing, I presume.  Def a good way to save $ on your rack...

Hamish Malin wrote:

By “archaic” you mean the whole “knots for pro” thing, I presume.  Def a good way to save $ on your rack...

Yes, although it is more permissive than across the border on the German sandstone. Ie. modern bolts, chalk okay at most (not all) crags, and you are allowed to climb the bluffs, not just the towers. 

US is pretty darn good, but Europe is a country, right?

Niko David wrote: I wanted to visit some exotic country and I chose Georgia. I spent two weeks riding a bicycle in the country, eating weird but amazing food and learning some difficult and oddly sounding phrases in Georgian (can't remember any though). It's better to visit it in summer, it's really beautiful here. Here's an article about places to see in Georgia, also it's a site of One way tour, I used their services when I decided to go there.

While this sounds oddly like an ad for "spend your summer in Georgia" campaign, I have, by a funny co-incidence, just come back from spending two weeks in Georgia. 

Sport climbing there is in it's infancy, but there is active development happening right now. This site has some info about climbing in Georgia, and contact info to find out more.
wonderful alpine climbing and mountaneering options. (Anyone heard of Ushba? you know, the company named after a mountain... in Georgia) Also great skiing...

For just plain tourism is is also awesome, and quite cheap, for people with USDs. Great food, and lots of options for wine tasting, if you are into it.

Edited to add a picture. Not my photo — a friend shared without attribution.  The mountain in the background is Shkhara. Ushba would be farther left in the same mountain range.