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Ceuse 6c - 7b+ (Read 7400 times)

Luke Owens

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Ceuse 6c - 7b+
July 27, 2015, 07:06:28 pm
Heading to Ceuse in September, been a couple of years ago and climbed mostly in the 6's at the time. Keen to check out some low 7's this time and if I'm going well maybe something hard (for me).

I'm useless on steep stuff so vert/very slightly overhanging routes would be preferred. My favorite style is very long wall climb type stuff.

From memory I think these looked cool when I was there and was wondering what people's thoughts were on:

Zagreb - 6c (obvious classic I didn't do last time)
Gelati Dominiti - 7a
Angel Dust - 7a+
Petite Illusion - 7a+
Retour en Afrique - 7a+
Dietetic Line - 7b

If I'm going well the these looked ace:

Cent Patates - 7b+
San Johns Pecos - 7b+
Changement de Look - 7b+

Any recommendations would be great. Also a warning of anything I'd get shut down on would be appreciated!

Cheers!

Doylo

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#1 Re: Ceuse 6c - 7b+
July 27, 2015, 07:18:23 pm
La Javanaise 7a, Melody Nelson 7a+ and Angel Dust 7a+ are 3 amazing wall climbs next to each other on Demi Lune.

cjsheps

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#2 Re: Ceuse 6c - 7b+
July 27, 2015, 07:19:26 pm
Cascade: Kecket Blues 7b is sustained, flowy and a lot better than Super Mickey.

Berlin: Le Moustik Enrage 7a - quality, if a sandbag.
Petite Illusion 7a+ - apparently the extension is incredible too.
Blocage Violent 7b+ - hard for the grade but probably my favourite route in Ceuse. Stunning.
Cent Patates 7b/+ - techy and involving. Go for the flash Luke!
Bleau Comme l'Enfer 6c+

Demi-Lune: Angel Dust 7a+, and the 7a's and 7a+'s beside it are all brilliant.
Pourquoi Pas 7a+ - my favourite 7a+ in Ceuse.
Le Couer Des Hommes 7a+
Au Sud De Nulle Part 7b - used to be 7b+, but soft 7b. Well onsightable.

Un Pont Sur l'Infini: 6c-7b heaven. Basically, they're all good so do them all. In particular, do:
Retour au Afrique 7a+
2001 l'Odysee 7b
Aller en Chine 7b - long, soft and onsightable.

Have a great trip man. You know how good it is, so I don't don't need to preach about it's quality. I will anyway though - Ceuse is the shit!

cjsheps

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#3 Re: Ceuse 6c - 7b+
July 27, 2015, 07:21:34 pm
Also, l'Inesperance (3 pitches, 7a) on the Grande Face is unforgettable.
Changement is hard but apparently really good.
At 7b+, there's:
Bibendum (past Un Pont)
Corps Etranger (Cascade. Burly and great)
Queue de Rat (Berlin. Save some in the tank to clip those chains!)

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#4 Re: Ceuse 6c - 7b+
July 28, 2015, 07:46:54 am
+1 to most of cjsheps' suggestions, but Bibendum, 2001 l'Odysee, Corps Etranger, Keket Blues and Blocage, to a degree, are far and away from being wall climbs! Changement du Look is the best 7b+ I can think of which fits the bill (slightly overhanging though).

St Johns (or Georges?) Picos (whichever one is at the RH side of Berlin) also fits the bill, but the crux is a bit overhanging and at the top, and it's not as good as Changement IMO.

There's a couple other 7b+s at Demi Lune - Jaune Devant and Koumac Patom - but I can't remember much about them.

Pretty much all the 6s on the RH side of Berlin are good.

I thought it was hard for the grade, but Beaux Movements sur fond Bleau (7a+) is pretty good.

To add to cj's must do's at un pont:
La Galere 7a
Reine des Pomnes 6c+
Un Pont... 7a
There's a 6c ish in the middle somewhere going through a bunch of grooves which is ace

Grade Face - Loads here (though I can't remember names), mostly gently-moderately overhanging but some of the less steep ones IIRC:
L'ete Ceusien 7a or 7a+
There's a 7a+ further right, past the ones starting off the rope ladder, which goes up some cracks which is pretty good.
A 7b further right - something Desert (or dessert) I think.

Avoids:
All the routes going over the roofs at un pont weren't very nice IMO (other than Gelati Dolomiti, which has a shit start then is great).
2001 l'Odysee - it's alright climbing on the 2nd half after a ledge, but someone fell off the upper part recently and screwed their ankle on the ledge. Not sure if it was a product of bad belaying. Worth bearing in mind in any case.
Thorgal sector (and cascade)- there's some niceish stuff at Thorgal which fits the bill, but I wouldn't force yourself to get up early for them unless you fancy a change. The 6c-7bs at Cascade aren't very good, other than Woman 7a+.

SA Chris

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#5 Re: Ceuse 6c - 7b+
July 28, 2015, 09:49:17 am
The 6c-7bs at Cascade aren't very good, other than Woman 7a+.

And I suspect highly polished by now. I enjoyed Medicine Douche and Ananada, but were polished when I did them in 1996.

duncan

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#6 Re: Ceuse 6c - 7b+
July 28, 2015, 10:18:47 am
Also, l'Inesperance (3 pitches, 7a) on the Grande Face is unforgettable.

This is a fantastic route.

Natilik (trad.) is also great fun and would make a good easy day out. The roof pitch is quite extraordinary. It's great to top-out at Ceuse, the Alpine meadow up there is idyllic.



SA Chris

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#7 Re: Ceuse 6c - 7b+
July 28, 2015, 10:22:09 am
the Alpine meadow up there is idyllic.

It is. Only ever approached it using the via ferrata ladder though.

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#8 Re: Ceuse 6c - 7b+
July 28, 2015, 10:28:20 am
....which is about E4 2a....

Luke Owens

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#9 Re: Ceuse 6c - 7b+
July 28, 2015, 12:44:39 pm
Cheers guys, top knowledge! Looks like Un Pont Sur l'Infini sector and part of the Berlin sector will suite me most then!

Anyone done "Dietetic Line"? My mate tried onsighting it when we were there and said it was awesome.

Anything else in the 6's that are good warm ups? Think there was something called Equinox that was about 6c that I heard was good too.

We're going in the middle of September, what's the sun/shade situation like that time of year? Does the some come off Berlin and the right hand sectors about 3pm? I'm guessing it's a bit quiter then too? Last time I went in August it was rammed.

What's the via ferrata like? Reckon the missus will be alright on it? She only climbs 6a and top ropes everything.

Cheers

ChrisC

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#10 Re: Ceuse 6c - 7b+
July 28, 2015, 01:57:20 pm
Dietic line is very good, slowly builds to a crux at the top. Steeper than some of the others on that sector but not 'steep'. One if the better ones on that wall I thought.

Not sure when you last went up the via Ferrara, it used to be overhanging but it's been moved in to the corner on the left and I'd very easy now. Your other half could easily 2nd it if you wanted to be safe...

Luke Owens

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#11 Re: Ceuse 6c - 7b+
September 07, 2015, 06:56:04 pm
Does anyone know if you have to book a spot in advance for Les Guérins? Cheers

Bonjoy

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#12 Re: Ceuse 6c - 7b+
September 07, 2015, 07:17:33 pm
We turned up without pre booking a few weeks ago and it wasn't a prob. Doubt the site will be full outside of french hols.
Another vote here for stuff on Grande Face. It's a bit quieter than other sectors but is really good. The two 7a\+ starting up the rope ladder are good fun. Avoid the 7b Blue Method it's desperate and rather grim.

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#13 Re: Ceuse 6c - 7b+
September 07, 2015, 07:37:10 pm
We're going in the middle of September, what's the sun/shade situation like that time of year? Does the some come off Berlin and the right hand sectors about 3pm?

When I went at that time the sun didn't go over til quite late, half 5 or 6 maybe - pretty hot in the sun and then cold when it went away.

ChrisC

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#14 Re: Ceuse 6c - 7b+
September 07, 2015, 07:47:05 pm
I called in late September once, in the middle of a heat wave.  It was as you describe, no shade even under Biographie, blisteringly hot and then dark shortly after the shade arrived.

Best time I've been is June. It's quieter and relatively cool with long days.

lagerstarfish

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#15 Re: Ceuse 6c - 7b+
September 07, 2015, 09:18:28 pm
over 20 years since I did it, but I enjoyed Beau Mouvement sur Fond Bleu hard 7a+ or something

nice looking blue streak

not me



me, possibly that route

NSFW  :

Luke Owens

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#16 Re: Ceuse 6c - 7b+
September 08, 2015, 09:46:40 am
We turned up without pre booking a few weeks ago and it wasn't a prob. Doubt the site will be full outside of french hols.
Another vote here for stuff on Grande Face. It's a bit quieter than other sectors but is really good. The two 7a\+ starting up the rope ladder are good fun. Avoid the 7b Blue Method it's desperate and rather grim.

Cheers, is there anywhere to get a topo/descriptions of the routes on the Grande Face? I only have the rockfax for Haute Provence which I don't think has much/any of it in.

Last time I went was in August 2012 and it was just too busy, queues everywhere. With the limited sun/shade time in September I'm still sure I'll get more done than last time.

A guy I know went this time last year, said it was much better, he and his belayer had Demi Lune to themselves!

Bonjoy

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#17 Re: Ceuse 6c - 7b+
September 08, 2015, 10:43:18 am
There is a good local guide available at the campsite for something like 15 euro, it has photo topos of all sectors. BTW Grande Face is the first sector to come into shade so may well be your best bet if hot.

bendavison

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#18 Re: Ceuse 6c - 7b+
September 08, 2015, 11:22:50 am

over 20 years since I did it, but I enjoyed Beau Mouvement sur Fond Bleu hard 7a+

me, possibly that route

NSFW  :

Pretty sure that's porquoi pas, the 7a to the left. Also very good!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

abarro81

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#19 Re: Ceuse 6c - 7b+
September 08, 2015, 11:28:58 am
Ben's right I think, I remember that little starting tufa.
For others reading this for info, whilst I've not been in September if I were to recommend a month to go it would be June.

ghisino

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#20 Re: Ceuse 6c - 7b+
September 12, 2015, 09:11:32 pm
i was there a few days ago.

temperatures were ok to enjoy routes well below our limit in the sun, then have one real warm uo in the early shade and one or two serious goes later. just a tad colder than august or june i'd say.

routes: make sure you do one short multipitch in grande face. inésperance has the most brilliant 6c+ pitch at the crag, natilik has the most hilarious 5c+ roof pitch in the world (but it requires a small rack up to camalot size 3 or 4 and some "limestone offwidth" skills. double a couple of the bigger sizes or bring big hexes)

 

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