[neilpearsons]

We're about a day's cycle ride from Le Ceou in the Dordogne, has anyone been there? Is it worth a couple of days there? It would mean a slight detour from our route to Nice but if it's good climbing we'll try it. Any advice welcome. We loved Les Eaux Claires.

[richieb]

Hi Neil,
I went there for a couple of days a few years ago, on the way back from the Pyrenees. We stayed at the campsite under the crag. I remember having a good time but all we were looking for really was bolts and sunshine. Certainly enough for a couple of days but I suspect by modern standards most folk would think it was pretty average. I remember some old school traddy white rock sections and I think at least one cave sector with some juggy orange rock routes. 
Nice location and views from what I can remember.
Hope that helps!   

[neilpearsons]

That helps enormously, many thanks for taking the time to reply. We were pretty set on going and only a very negative reply would have put us off, but you've convinced us to head over there. I won't hold it against you if I climb like a bag of spanners.
Cheers.

[tedj234]

Hi Neil,

Mother in law has a house nearby so I've been there a couple of times. I think it's pretty good, it's certainly not Ceuse but there are some good 6&7s on Le Grand Falaise and some harder stuff in Le Cathedral cave sector. Et Mourir de Plaisir is a good (soft) 8a to try. You'll definitely have a decent couple of days there.

The bouldering at St Rome just outside Carsac is worth a look too if you're in the area.

[neilpearsons]

Brilliant, thanks for the beta.

[SamT]

I have a very old topo guide I can scan and post up if you want.

[neilpearsons]

That would be great thanks Sam

[SamT]

I'll do it tonight when I get in from work 

Its from the early 90s mind.

They'll possibly sell a more up to date one at the campsite.

[neilpearsons]

That's fine, if only my climbing ability was from the early '90s! We're in Sarlat now so we'll pootle along to check it out tomorrow.

[SamT]

   

[SamT]

[SamT]

[neilpearsons]

Jesus, that must have taken you ages! All downloaded and ready to go.
Many thanks, I'll report back.
Cheers,
Neil

[SamT]

No worries .. didn't take that long just snapping it on my phone and using tapatalk to upload.

Guess these should be in the old skool pics thread. .. white leggings bought from Dorothy perkins and tie dyed at home!  Twin ropes an' all .. proper brits abroad.

[neilpearsons]

Hey Sam, we've just arrived at the crag, I don't think it's changed at all since you were last here, I even found your leggings in the bushes - was it a bit run-out out? (*Holds shitty breaches at arms length)

[SamT]

 


Hope its OK.  I cant really remember much about the climbing, I was relatively in-experienced at the time.  (I have a sneaking suspicion I thought we were going to Ceuse at the time  )

[SA Chris]

I have a sneaking suspicion I thought we were going to Ceuse at the time  )

I remember first thinking that when I read about it!

[neilpearsons]

 I'd like to thank SamT, Tedj234 and RichieB for the replies, encouragement and info. Le Ceou was excellent for us, loads of easy routes, well bolted and right above the campsite, all set in a beautiful quiet valley. It was quite chilly at night and foggy in the morning, getting down to zero degrees one morning. But by the afternoon it was well warm on the crag, a bit of pasty white Buxton flesh was revealed at some point. We stayed 4 nights and it's been the best part of an already excellent adventure, and your advice was partly responsible for that, so thank you very much. Gill was sceptical when I told her I'd posted but I knew UkB would come good.
We're now in Cahors on our way to St Antonin.
If anyone is interested in seeing a short film of our adventure so far (no climbing I'm afraid) it's on facebook. Cheers, Neil.

[SamT]

No worries.  This is all bringing back memories. The girl in the pic above, her parents had a place in Catus, near Cahor which we were visiting at the time, thus the trip to Ceou. Nice quiet part of the world. Hope you enjoy the rest of your adventure!!

[Duma]

I love ukb. Well done Sam et al.

[SamT]

Interested to know neil - was there a new guide available at the campsite, or is my old one still 'current'.  Also, were the bolts original 90's or has it all been re-bolted since.  IIRC, they were glue in ones like the buoux ones, rather than expansion bolts.

[tedj234]

There's a newish Perigord guide by Matthieu Mercier which has a fairly comprehensive Le Ceou section, not sure if crag guide has been updated or not though.

[lagerstarfish]

I went to a week long party at a big house in St Denis Catus at the end of the '80s

didn't do any climbing, but liked the area