Non limestone Euro sport climbing? (Read 10917 times)

Krank · December 30, 2008, 11:51:54 pm

I am after a destination for some bolt clipping next year but would like to get away from limestone. I have got trips to Siurana and Ceuse planned but would like somewhere a bit different. Any rock type would do as long as there are plenty of routes in the 6's and 7's of reasonable quality. Cheers

n_man · December 31, 2008, 09:14:49 am

Val Di Melo?

JohnM · December 31, 2008, 10:58:08 am

Ailefroide has got superb granite sport climbing. It has good single pitch stuff from slabs to overhanging and roof climbs, to 15 pitch bolted multipitches. It also has some adventure style sport climb as well such as Cascade Bleu where you traverse across two waterfalls! In Spain there is the granite area of La Prediza near Madrid which also has a selection of single pitch and multipitch sport climbs. In the south of Spain there is a coastal sport climbing venue near Tarifa which a coarse grained sandstone much like grit. Probably not worth a special visit though. I would definitely recommend a visit to Ailefroide though it is absolutely stunning!

Krank · December 31, 2008, 12:18:25 pm

nice one fellas

whispering nic · January 01, 2009, 10:53:26 pm

Valle de Chaudefour near Clermont Ferrand and surrounding area has some good Rhyolitey type stuff (google dent de la rancune for the best crag of the area.

Plenty of Mica Schist and Gneiss within easy striking distance of Chamonix.

Buoux is pretty unusual as limestone goes.

The border between Czech and Germany near the Elbe river has a huge amount of sandstone climbing. The bolts are fairly well spaced(

) but some of the Czech crags are getting friendlier. Make sure you understand the local ethics if you do go...

Scotland has sport routes on Schist, Gneiss, Conglomerate, Metamorphosed sandstone, and a few more. Don't underestimate the weather or the midges though!

Krank · January 02, 2009, 12:09:29 am

cheers for the info. I really want to climb on some bolted sandstone, but having watched the sharp end i am now scarred of the Czechs and there crazy knotted madness. My mate is set on some granite so i think we might try Ailefroide, a bit of gneiss does sound appealing though. thanks again.

account_inactive · January 02, 2009, 10:37:31 am

Try here
http://www.climbing.lu/index.php?page=berdorf

It's like a massive Font that has been bolted. Berdorf is not huge but probably enough for a week. The Dutch and Luxembourgers need a pass to climb, although I think we got away with having BMC membership

Krank · January 02, 2009, 11:09:21 am

That is spot on Dylan, exactly what im after. Nice one.

Jaspersharpe · January 02, 2009, 11:11:14 am

Savassona looks amazing for sandstone bolt clipping stuff.....

http://www.flickr.com/photos/jandiro/tags/savassona/

http://ukbouldering.com/board/index.php/topic,4660.msg132180.html#msg132180

http://ukbouldering.com/board/index.php/topic,4660.msg144581.html#msg144581

Krank · January 05, 2009, 12:54:23 pm

Cheers Jasper, looks tasty

T_B · January 05, 2009, 01:43:02 pm

I've heard good things about both Berdorf and also Freyr (Belgium).

I've been to the Czech on two separate trips - Decin, which is in the north and right on the border with Germany, is much more mellow than Ardspach/Teplice. The routes have proper bolts in them and some are definitely 'sport routes', though they tend to be runout in places - probably no more than you get at Ceuse/Tarn.

Krank · January 05, 2009, 03:30:31 pm

Cheers T_B i will check out Freyr, Berdorf is top of the list at the moment it looks mega.

SA Chris · January 05, 2009, 03:46:39 pm

Freyr is not non-limestone. Could be combined with Berdorf though.

webbo · January 06, 2009, 08:28:18 am

i've got an old grimpeur mag at home which has shows bolted sandstone in the alsace and mosel valleys plus it has pics of stuff round strasborg.if i could read french i might be of more help.

SA Chris · January 06, 2009, 08:33:27 am

There was also an article on that area in an old OTE.

groovedog · January 06, 2009, 09:05:17 am

I really enjoyed ailfrode, loads to do there. We were there in August very warm in the day, but cold at night. Before April after Oct might be too cold, but i'm not sure. Theres loads of other crags around there... I can dig out the guide if you need names of crag. Mount Dauphin (i think correct name) was conclomerate up the road from ailefrode also many other really varied crags in that valley around Briancon. Have a look on UKC they'll be in the database there.

Also Riglos, Sport climbing I think??? Massive multipitch conclomerate spires. Never been but meant to be amazing.

butters · January 06, 2009, 09:29:59 am

Quote from: groovedog on January 06, 2009, 09:05:17 am

Also Riglos, Sport climbing I think??? Massive multipitch conclomerate spires. Never been but meant to be amazing.

That's the name of the place - always wanted to go there after reading an old Grimer article a few years back - seem to remember there being a comparison between the structure of the conglomerate and a bag of potatoes IIRC.

bluebrad

Ged · January 08, 2009, 11:51:59 am

Try Corsica. I reckon it's one of the most amazing places I've visited, and the granite sport climbing is brilliant. The Restonica valley near Corte is a good place to start, awesome weird blobby steep stuff through to cracks and everything else. Did an amazing 7c that involved a butterfly jam into a weird knee bar shuffle and some serious chimneying. I nearly puked afterwards and had the scars on my shoulders and back for a month afterwards. Nearly did a stunning 8a finger crack, that was right next to the road. Loads of easy stuff too. Col di Bavella is also good, but you need a trad rack to make the most. Such a stunning place to hang around though. Camper van recomended as campsites are pricey.

Joepicalli · January 08, 2009, 01:18:58 pm

I would thoroughly recommend The Esterels about 1hr from Nice. Red Porphory well bolted ;oads of 6's & 7's

Krank · January 08, 2009, 01:44:52 pm

Cheers all, this lot should keep me happy for my next few trips. Keep em comin

highrepute · January 13, 2009, 12:29:51 am

I went here in the summer

http://www.coronn.com/TOPOS/spain/montserrat/montserrat_photo.html

Extremely picturesque, also quite cool as it is high up. We were there in July and heat was just about manageable. The climbing is very different to any sports climbing i'd experienced before. It's all slab climbing, ideal if you've broken both arms, actually quite scary because falling involves a foot slipping and short slide down the rock. The rock is a conglomerate with large bits, hard to describe... like grit but with more pebbles and the pebbles are the size of your fist.

Bubba · January 13, 2009, 12:56:11 am

Quote from: highrepute on January 13, 2009, 12:29:51 am

It's all slab climbing

Mainly slabs, but lots of non-slab stuff there too

This gallery has some topos

SA Chris · January 13, 2009, 08:37:50 am

Looks less pebbly than I had imagined it, compared to other conglomerate I've climbed on.

Krank · January 13, 2009, 09:11:36 am

Cheers fella's. what is the state of the bolting? i thought i read somewhere that it was a little poor, i could be wrong though they look ok in the pictures. I dont mind well spaced bolts, i prefer it, but i like bolts that dont come out

Stu Littlefair · January 13, 2009, 12:12:16 pm

Montserrat is a huge area (two thick guidebooks cover it, but not completely), so it's a bit nonsensical to describe it as pebbly, or not pebbly, or well bolted, or slabby, or whatever. There are even a couple of sectors which are coated with limestone on the surface, like Montsant or Margalef.

My second hand info on the sectors with topos on that website is that they are south facing, well bolted and with a range of angles and more pocket than pebble pulling. Suffice it to say that Montserrat probably has the crag you're looking for on it somewhere, provided the crag you are looking for is not massively overhanging, and is made of conglomerate.