[RichK]

Struggling to get hold of a guide for the Annecy area covering La Balme & Ablon.

Any knowledge of where I may get it FAST!

Its called "33 Falaises de la région d'Annecy"2010

- a search on the net comes up with nowt other than out of stocks

Opinions on the crags in the area welcomed......

[SA Chris]

Unless there is more than one crag with the same name, Balme is in the Vallee de l'Arvre guide, which I know you can get in Decathlon in Sallanches and a small sport shop in Cluses. Unless you mean La Balme de Thuy, which is in the Escalade Massif Bornes Aravis Guide? Looks like this website sells it http://www.topostation.com/fr/topos/topos-escalade.html

Ablon is in that guide you mentioned, this website http://www.escalade-74.com/ lists stockists;

Annecy :
Librairie Decitre
Espace montagne
Freestone
La Librairie
Maison de la presse
Librairie Presse Plus
Rêve de Cîmes

Annemasse :
Décathlon

Argonay :
Freestone


Chamonix :
Sanglard sports
Snell sports

Epagny :
Décathlon
Intersport

Faverges :
Maison de la presse

Le Fayet :
Décathlon Quechua

La Roche-sur-Foron :
Librairie L'Usage du Monde

Saint-Jorioz :
Maison de la presse

Sallanches :
Au Vieux Campeur
Livres en tête
Mont-Blanc plage sports

Thônes :
Librairie des Aravis
Versant nord

Thonon-Les-Bains :
Au Vieux Campeur

Ville-la-Grand :
Twinner

The Arvre guide is well worth getting, some great looking crags in there, from single pitch "ecole" stuff to big multipitch stuff.

[Paul B]

The jingo-wobbly guide says:

Libraire, Thones
and Le Ferme-Refuge (d'Ablon)

I'd be interested to hear your thoughts on the place as it was one of the few on the list that I failed to visit.

[beng101]

There are many crags called "la balme de ...". If you mean la balme de yennes, it is not in the topo you mention, but in the topo "Escalades autour du lac du Bourget". You can also find a topo online, e.g.

http://planetgrimpe.com/Topo/BalmedeYenne.pdf

It is a little warm there now; the same goes for Ablon until it comes into the shade around 2 p.m.

[RichK]

Thanks for that, it is La Balme de Yenne I was thinking of.

http://www.ukclimbing.com/logbook/crag.php?id=10618

More here; http://www.kirkleesclimbing.co.uk/archive/annecy.html

  looks a bit hardcore, not the summer holiday o/sight venue I had in mind.

What are folks opinions on Val Durance, Alfroide, Briancon area for quality, mid 7 endurance pitches.

I've heard the rock quality is a bit gash?
 

[SA Chris]

Ive climbed a bit further south in that valley, around Argentiere and Freissiniere and some of the crags were OK / quite nice, but some were pretty average, horribly chipped and sikaed.

What exactly are you looking for? Are you in France at the moment? Looking for mid 7 stuff that will stay cool in warm weather?

[RichK]

Ive climbed a bit further south in that valley, around Argentiere and Freissiniere and some of the crags were OK / quite nice, but some were pretty average, horribly chipped and sikaed.

What exactly are you looking for? Are you in France at the moment? Looking for mid 7 stuff that will stay cool in warm weather?

 , Mid 7 stuff, cool & "new to us"  i.e. not Bauchet, Tarn, St Leger Nth Wall, Gorge du loup etc. Heading out at weekend.

[SA Chris]

Pretty sure the L'Arvre Guide is in available in the UK, I think Outside stocks it, so you could go have a look? Not climbed at many of the crags, but I think quite a few tick the boxes. Sadly mine is out on loan to a mate who is in Les Gets at the moment, but that escalade 77 website gives good summaries for the crags in the guides for the region.

[Serpico]

Thanks for that, it is La Balme de Yenne I was thinking of.

http://www.ukclimbing.com/logbook/crag.php?id=10618

More here; http://www.kirkleesclimbing.co.uk/archive/annecy.html

  looks a bit hardcore, not the summer holiday o/sight venue I had in mind.

 

Plenty of 7's to go at onsight at la Balme, there's also a secteur at the left end of the crag with half a dozen 6's to warm up on. I've been the last 2yrs in July/August - 2009 was good conditions, last year was quite warm and humid, and bits of the crag were seeping.
The topo is your best bet - the guide book is awful and typically French - all the crag topos are arty watercolours with none of the features marked.

[RichK]

Serps, SA Chris - Good heads up on the  guide, I'll print the topo.

  presume the Crag can be seen from the road

http://www.ukclimbing.com/logbook/crag.php?id=10618

& the approach is fairly obvious?

[slackline]

  presume the Crag can be seen from the road

http://www.ukclimbing.com/logbook/crag.php?id=10618

If it can be seen from the road then try Google's Streetview to see if they've covered that area and if so whether you can see the crag from the road.

[Serpico]

If it can be seen from the road then try Google's Streetview to see if they've covered that area and if so whether you can see the crag from the road.

[RichK]

 

[Norton Sharley]

Agree with SA Chris re Briancon area.  I have a haut-val Durance (French) guide to all sports crags around Briancon if you want to borrow it?

[RichK]

Just back from France & thought I'd update this for future reference.

Great Beta Serps etc......Topo on thread is fine.

Unfortunately it was 35 degs when we were there so far from ideal.

We lasted 5 days then went to Ceuse.

The warm up sector on left (not on topo) was ideal 6b-6c.

Good O/S's would be La Colonnette, Banana split, the "no name" 7a+/b in-between which is awesome. In fact they're all awesome! The 7b on the left of the crag is nails - far from easy o/s. Further right (left of the grotte) there are a dozen or so 7a-7b+'s that are all good. Loads of soaring 7c/8a's on immaculate rock laced with good tufa slots, knee bar's and jugs. Generally very easy to read.

Orange Mechanique 7c+ ish is mega as is Cathedrale.

We planned to come back & finish these but got too wrapped up in Ceuse.

Crag in shade most/all of day bar early eve when it gets a smattering of sun.

As it was hot/humid eve conditions seemed best despite a little sun. In cooler times perfect all day. Think Kilnsey, not quite as steep but much bigger pitches.

All in all -  cliff. I'll go again.