October 11, 2019 | TRIPS
VERDON GORGE CLIMBING TRIP
A short tale about a climbing trip to the iconic Verdon Gorge.
A short tale about a climbing trip to the iconic Verdon Gorge.
It was my second time visiting this little paradise in the south of France, and still it felt a bit intimidating and exposed. There is nothing easy about the Verdon Gorge. It was hard to get lodging at a decent prize in town, so we ended up booking a mobile home in Castellane, about 25/30 min drive to the Parking of La Carelle. And we made it. We only had three climbing days ahead of us, so we had to use them wisely.
For th first day we decided it was best to choose some ¨easy¨, routes. The guys I am travelling with have little experience on multipitch route, and let alone handling all the exposure at Verdon. So We went for some routes at the Belvedere de la Carelle. We splitted in two teams and got ready to rap down.
Climbing in Verdon implies full commitment. You choose a route, you rap down and pull the rope, and then you have ti be able to climb up. If you do your homework, you have look around for alternative exits. and also have the topos for an easier route, in cas you can´t make it up the route you have choosen.
First day went down and it was great. We climbed fun routes and enjoyed a nice day in the sun.
Next day we went for a slighty harder route. Hellfest, 7a, 260mts. It was a blast. ONe of the better routes i´ve climbed here so far. Sustained climbing on amazing rock and very well protected. It was much fun.
Third day we went for a route i´ve been wanting to climb for some time. L´Encastete. 7a+, 280mts. we climbed the first two pitches and got shut down by some rain. So we ended up bailing. The first two where something amazing. I will come back to climb this route to the top.
If you are a nature and adventure enthusiast, Montserrat awaits you with open arms.
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Great experience!!! Santi is a professional guide, he has a lot of experience and explains very well, patient. The course was very complete and great as a new experience,..
(Translated by Google) With Santi and SouthClimb, you don't just learn how to do figure eights, how to do the gri-gri, how to be the first... You also learn what it means to be a good climber and especially accompanied by a beautiful person. Lots of love and looking forward to seeing you again soon!! // With Santi and SouthClimb you don't just learn to tie knots, use the gri-gri or go first... You learn what it means to be a good climber and above all accompanied by a beautiful person. Much love and waiting for the reunion soon!!
(Original) Amb el Santi i amb SouthClimb no només aprens a fer vuits, a fer anar el gri-gri, a fer de primer... Si no que aprens el que és ser un bon escalador i sobretot acompanyat d'una persona preciosa. Molt d'amor i amb ganes de retrobar-nos ben aviat!! // Con Santi y con SouthClimb no solo aprendes a hacer nudos, a usar el gri-gri o a ir de primero... Si no que aprendes el que es ser un buen escalador y sobre todo acompañado de una persona preciosa. Mucho amor y esperando el re-encuentro pronto!!
(Translated by Google) Totally recommended for everyone. Undoubtedly the best way to learn all the theory and technique starting from scratch, safely. Santi you are a crack!! Thank you for sharing your knowledge and entering a new world to discover 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼
(Original) Totalmente recomendable para todo el mundo. Sin duda la mejor forma de aprender toda la teoría y técnica partiendo de cero, de forma segura. Santi eres un crack!! Gracias por compartir tus conocimientos y adentrarme en un nuevo mundo por descubrir 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼
(Translated by Google) Wonderful experience at the hands of Santi. What better person to learn climbing, from his experience and professionalism. I would repeat with him without thinking about it, everything is great. Attentive, friendly and excellent treatment. a 10
(Original) Experiencia maravillosa de la mano de Santi. Que mejor persona para aprender escalada, de su experiencia y profesionalidad. Repitiria con el sin pensármelo, Genial todo. Atento, simpático y un excelente el trato. Un 10
Best Guide Ever! Seriously- we had such a fun day with Santi in Montserrat. My 3 friends from Switzerland were visiting and we all had such blast! I can truly recommend to book a tour with South Climb. Professional, fun and tons of positive energy 🙏 Thank you for everything.
Had an amazing time learning to multi-pitch with Santi and Mariano in Montserrat. They were patient with us and taught us everything we need. We ended the day by climbing El Gorro Frigo (5 pitches).
Santi is an amazing teacher. It is very clear that he has a lot of experience and you can ask him anything about climbing amongst other things. Santi is also super friendly and easy to get along with. I would absolutely recommend the lead-climbing course I did here. It felt very professional and complete and I think it is one of the best ones you can get. Another note; Santi made awesome pictures of us :-), thank you so much for everything!
(Translated by Google) We enjoyed, learned and experienced great days thanks to Santi. 100% recommended!
(Original) Hem gaudit, après i viscut jornades genials gràcies a en Santi. 100% recomanable!
(Translated by Google) My 12 year old son and I (50) did the rock baptism. I have no climbing experience. It was great. Santi very attentive and friendly at all times. It gave us a lot of security. It adapts perfectly to the level of each one and encourages you to improve yourself. Without a doubt, totally recommended! Thank you very much for everything Santa!
(Original) Hicimos el bautizo en roca mi hijo de 12 años y yo (50). Yo sin ninguna experiencia en escalada. Fue genial. Santi muy atento y simpático en todo momento. Nos dio mucha seguridad. Se adapta perfectamente al nivel de cada uno y anima a superarte. Sin duda alguna totalmente recomendable! Muchas gracias por todo Sant!
The Via Ferrata was amazing.
* Personal guidance
* High quality pictures
* Very good price
* Guide is good company
* Route has beautiful scenery, very exciting and Santi knows it completely
You do need to bring your own shoes, which may be expected but wasn't mentioned on the website.
