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Magic Woods in the rain? (Read 5580 times)

andyh

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Magic Woods in the rain?
May 10, 2010, 10:10:50 am
I've just moved to Swizzy and scored a week of work, so was planning on heading to Magic Woods tomorrow.

However, it's due to piss it down across the whole country all week. Has anyone been there in bad weather and still found stuff to climb, or are there better Swiss places to go to find ever-dry problems?

Cheers

BenF

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#1 Re: Magic Woods in the rain?
May 10, 2010, 12:27:43 pm
I have lost plenty of days due to rain in Magic I'm afraid, more than at any other venue I can think of (except the UK obviously).  There are a few faces that stay dry for a bit but persistent rain will soak it.  Added to this, the valley seems to get any rain that's passing and being in a dense wood the rock can take a day or two to dry even when it stops raining. 

Sorry if that sounds pessimistic, but on the positive side...  I have managed to climb at Murgtal when its been raining up at Magic.  Murgtal is maybe an hour or so from Magic, back towards Zurich and is a nice little spot with some quicker drying blocks as well as more in the trees.  There's also Chironico over in Ticino which dries out quicker and gets a bit less rain than the more alpine Magic Wood.  Actually I prefer Chironico full stop; more variety, more problems, easier to get around the blocks etc.  It's also right next to Cresciano but that was well wet each time I've tried to climb there!

Good luck, but I'm sure it won't rain flat out for the week.

Doylo

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#2 Re: Magic Woods in the rain?
May 10, 2010, 12:33:35 pm
In terms of problems that stay dryish you could try the Bruno block, Roof of Darkness and the Sofasurfer block, all pretty hard problems though.

andyh

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#3 Re: Magic Woods in the rain?
May 10, 2010, 12:46:52 pm
There's also Chironico over in Ticino which dries out quicker and gets a bit less rain than the more alpine Magic Wood. 

Cheers, I'd thought about that as an alternative but the weather meant to be even worse down there this week. Guess I may just have to take a few train trips to see where's dryest.

Don't suppose you know of any decent camp sites near to Chironico?

JonI

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#4 Re: Magic Woods in the rain?
May 10, 2010, 06:34:57 pm
where about in Switzerland are you staying?  If you're near Lausanne/Geneva you could try St. George, which has some raven tor style bouldering and is pretty much always dry this time of year.  It's one of the places that Fred and Francois Nicole cut their teeth on back in the day, and I suppose what's good enough for them... 
Although having said that I wouldn't travel more than an hour or so to get there.  Like most of Switzerland it is very easy to get there by public transport as well.

andyh

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#5 Re: Magic Woods in the rain?
May 10, 2010, 09:18:55 pm
where about in Switzerland are you staying? 

I'm in Neuchatel which is about an hour from Lausanne on the train. Had hoped to get away somewhere for a few days though rather than going to and fro on the train. Currently thinkin Murgtal as it looks like it could be a good place to hang out even if it's chucking it down.

nodder

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#6 Re: Magic Woods in the rain?
May 10, 2010, 09:34:39 pm
This place saved us when it was raining in Cresciano,http://www.boulderberg.com/

the local guy there also has a facebook page they would know more I am sure http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=35726301764

It was a quite cool place for drinking and general carnage too...

andyh

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#7 Re: Magic Woods in the rain?
May 10, 2010, 11:36:09 pm
This place saved us when it was raining in Cresciano,http://www.boulderberg.com/

It was a quite cool place for drinking and general carnage too...


Climbing and general carnage? I'm in!    :beer2:

philo

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#8 Re: Magic Woods in the rain?
May 11, 2010, 12:23:45 am
as others have mentioned its only really a few blocs that stay dry.  Sofasurfer bloc is pretty cool tho.  We got depressed after 5 days of solid rain and fucked off back to font where it was 35°.  Still a good decision!

 

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