[duncan]

duncan, family, and climbing and non-climbing friends are planning to spend a week in Provence next April.  We'll be TGVing to Avignon or Aix, renting a car, and staying in a Gite somewhere. 

"Somewhere" needs to satisfy the requirements of the climbers and non-climbers  of the party.  Non-climbers require pretty countryside or villages, good walking, interesting (historical) places to visit, pain-au-chocolat... the usual stuff.  Climbers require single-pitch easy to mid-7s sport routes, preferably old-school technical, vertical and fingery.  I've previously been to Ceuse, Verdon and Buis-les-Baronnies, the latter two before the last ice-age. 

Buoux is top of the list, not least because I missed the whole 80s French sport-climbing scene     A future, climbers-only, trip to Verdon is at the tentative planning stage, so not there. 

What's Apt and area like for non-climbers?  Any specific recommendations of places to stay (4 adults, 2 toddlers)?

Where else should I consider? 

[slackline]

Did this journey myself earlier this year as we were heading to Verdon but due to poor weather forecast spent two days climbing at Buoux which was brilliant.

One thing I'd change is not getting the TGV train to Aix as the time we arrived (after travelling from Sheffield leaving around 07:00) meant that the car-hire centre at Aix TGV station was closed (think it shuts around 20:00).  If we'd got off at Avingnon the car-hire places stay open later (from what I looked up retrospectively, plus you get off the TGV a bit earlier).

Buoux should tick all your boxes climbing wise, not sure about non-climbing activities, but I'd imagine there is plenty.

[Jaspersharpe]

We always used to stay in Bonnieux instead of Apt. I don't know if it's still as nice but it was always a beautiful little village with some great bars, little shops and restaurants. The campsite there was way nicer than the one at Apt and we also rented a really cool gite there one year. Only a short drive to Buoux.

[slackline]

We stayed in Bonnieux too, its still very picturesque and idyllic (but I've no idea what it used to be like)...


Bonnieux by slack---line, on Flickr

Campsite was good and it took about 20minutes max to drive to Buoux.

[Paul B]

We always used to stay in Bonnieux instead of Apt. I don't know if it's still as nice...

Its still great, one of the best reasonably priced campsites I've been on.

Buoux is incredible. Your skin will be screaming in no time. I'm pretty sure there is some castle type thing opposite for the non climbers to look at. Isn't the food also meant to be good at the place under "The rose" etc.? Its got a pool as well, plus it sells the most recent edition of the guide.

[duncan]

Thanks all.  Bonnieux looks just the kind of place I had in mind. 

Buoux pocket pulling may be a bit harsh on the sensitive duncan physique?

Possibly.  Although shoulders and elbows are the weakest points which are less traumatized by pocketeering, he said hopefully...

Any other areas I should be considering?

[Jaspersharpe]

Isn't the food also meant to be good at the place under "The rose" etc.? Its got a pool as well, plus it sells the most recent edition of the guide.

The Auberge des Seguins. Never ate there but apparently so. You always used to be able to use the swimming pool there if you bought a drink from the bar.

Best restaurant in Bonnieux was always Le Fournil and from Tripadvisor it looks as if it's still very good. Had some amazing meals there.

The scenery around there is beautiful so I'm sure non climbers will enjoy it too. Bonnieux has a weekly market and there are some art galleries and the fort / church thing for the kids to scramble about on. Plenty of other villages and towns to go exploring from there too.

To be honest, for a week I wouldn't bother climbing anywhere other than Buoux. It's like about 6 crags in one as the rock varies so much and although it's famous for pocket pulling there's a bit of everything. There are hundreds of *** routes there so you'll not run out of things to do.

[mrjonathanr]

Bonnieux vs Apt - another vote for Bonnieux. As it was where Peter Mayle set up camp maybe you could cash-in with a bandwaggon title too. Now what could you call it...?

The fort in Buoux is worth a visit, if only for views of the crag. Les Seguins has a great reputation for food, with visitors from Marseille arriving regularly for Sunday lunch. (Can't vouch for the salads though  - I used to make them at one point).

The rubble on the opp side to the crag is supposed to contain catacombs (and human remains) providing evidence of the valley's habitation for over 5,000 years now, though the guy who discovered stuff down there is supposed to have come to a sticky end. Johnny nearly did one day years ago when he had to spend a long afternoon up a tree avoiding a wild piglet (female boars are very aggressive if they have young, be careful). For real. The valley is also on the old salt trading road from Spain east into europe - thousands of years old I'm told. And I think the shafts in the crag are pretty recent: designed to house people in times of trouble, just climb up and pull the ladder up too. Maybe Huguenot, not really sure.

The walk to Sivergues (past Les Seguins) is nice. There's an 8a+ on a wall in the clearing to the left about halfway along, and there's some bouldering around there too, but the moss has probably reclaimed it by now. There's hidden raodside bouldering just above Apt btw, but drilled to buggery 'La Locomotive'.

The Marquis de Sade's ancestral home is at Lacoste near Bonnieux. All the old records have him being accused/represented/indicted by the nearest lawyers - the notaire in Apt. Steamy stuff if anyone in your party is historically minded. And there's cave houses near Robion, and great walks into the Luberon Massif on the Grande Route near that village (hint: some unbelievable cliffs near there, you'll have to discover them for yourself).

It's a magical place, and Samuel Becket even refers to it in Waiting for Godot when the 'Merdecluse' gets a mention (he was in the resistance there before returning to Paris after the war). Have fun.