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’ve ever found yourself clinging to a rock wall with sweaty hands, shaky muscles, and a racing heart, you’ve probably asked yourself: why on earth am I doing this? What is it about rock climbing that draws us in? What’s the point of all this effort to scale rocks and mountains?
LEARN MOREDiscover climbing in Montserrat near Barcelona. Multi-pitch routes, unique rock formations and guided climbing courses with SouthClimb.
LEARN MOREYou can contact us via email at [email protected] or by phone to (+34) 645 432 307, or by filling up the contact form in the following link.
Excellent day, great spots for climbing, safe and clear instructions. The views were incredible over the valley.
(Translated by Google) We have really enjoyed the experience and we have finished with the basic notions well learned. Santi is a good professional, he teaches very well and has been very kind at all times. We will be back!
(Original) Hemos disfrutado mucho de la experiencia y hemos acabado con las nociones básicas bien aprendidas. Santi es un buen profesional, enseña muy bien y ha sido muy amable en todo momento. Volveremos!
(Translated by Google) cool experience
(Original)Experiencia genial
(Translated by Google) Super happy with the climbing course!! It was just what we were looking for
(Original) Super contentos con el curso de escalada!! Era justo lo que buscábamos
(Translated by Google) Highly recommended course, especially for those who are new to climbing. Technician Yoel a 10!
(Original) Curso muy recomendable, sobretodo para aquellos que se inician en la escalada. El técnico Yoel un 10!
(Translated by Google) An unforgettable experience. Santi is unique when it comes to sharing his GREAT knowledge in the world of climbing. In addition, he fully adjusted the session to suit our needs, knowing at every moment when we could give a little more of ourselves. Thank you so much for a great day!
(Original) Una experiencia inolvidable. Santi es único a la hora de compartir su GRAN conocimiento en el mundo de la escalada. Además ajustó la sesión totalmente a la medida de nuestras necesidades, sabiendo a cada momento cuando podíamos dar un poco más de nosotros. Mil gracias por un día genial!
(Translated by Google) Fantastic course on fear management in climbing. Magnificent professionals have offered us a very useful and unforgettable experience.
(Original) Fantástico curso de gestión del miedo en la escalada. Los profesionales magníficos, nos han ofrecido una experiencia muy útil e inolvidable.
(Translated by Google) Very good experience. Montserrat is beautiful, ideal for all levels. Santi explained it to us superbly, with a lot of patience and humor. Highly recommended
(Original) Molt bona experiència. Montserrat és preciós, ideal per tots els nivells. El Santi ens ho ha explicat superbé, amb momta paciència i humor. Molt recomanable
(Translated by Google) Super experience! We have spent a fantastic morning and very comfortable with Santi. Without having any experience it has been very profitable and fun, we have loved it. Great Santi, thank you very much!! A pleasure to have shared this moment with you! Just great!! Highly recommended!!
(Original) Súper experiencia! Hemos pasado una mañana fantástica y muy a gusto con Santi. Sin tener nada de experiencia ha sido muy provechoso y divertido, nos ha encantado. Gran Santi, muchas gracias!! Un placer haber compartido este momento contigo! Simplemente Genial!! Muy recomendable!!
Santi cared about my overall experience in Spain as much as providing me a great climbing experience. Since I am an experienced climber, Santi encouraged me to climb hard at the same time as keeping safety top of mind. You cannot ask for a better guide.
