[Fiend]

Plundering the collective bowels of UKB knowledge again... Am free for a trip 2-10th April and once again keen to explore somewhere that isn't Costa De Typical Euro Lime. Usual requirements of reasonable guidebook, access, gentle walk-ins, and cheap accomodation apply. Again preferably mostly single pitch, sport or trad or runout death bolts, can mix in bouldering too, Granite Sandstone or stuff...

Currently considering Zillertal which sounds nice and a friend is keen on it: http://www.planetmountain.com/english/rock/crags/falesia.html?idfalesia=102

And also that Alscace place from the other thread:
http://www.planetmountain.com/english/rock/crags/falesia.html?idfalesia=102

What about Pedriza? Or Pfalz or similar sandstone? I'm presuming the temps could be favourable, but what about rainfall?

Cheers for any advice/suggestions.

[Paul B]

Currently considering Zillertal which sounds nice and a friend is keen on it:

Zillertal (and Otztal especially Neiderthai) are great. The climbing can be a little frustrating as routes tend to be quite cruxy and be a bit of a pain for onsighting. Having said that the crags are nice, its picturesque, composting loo's at most climbing areas (i.e. no spanish syndrome).
The bolting is friendly.
Walk-ins are easy.
Area's such as Ewige Jagrunde can be very popular. Neiderthai was much quieter
Guidebooks; I don't own the bouldering guide. There are two others, one yellow one black, the latter is what I bought and its good although the maps are style over substance. The grades are also a bit generous. The yellow is more realistic but its selective and ugly.
Other experiences include the Ginzling tunnel and how many minutes you dare jump the lights by. I'd recommend letting local Calibra's go first in this game of chicken. And special cake endorsed by Bernd 'over-caffeinated sugary drink company' Zangerl as well. Shandy seems socially acceptable and is sold as 'Radler'.

If you're off here I can throw up some route recommendations pretty easily.

Pfalz

The Pfalz will be a very different experience to the above. It seems to have a couple of sport style crags (with spaced bolting) which are quite steep and gymnastic in style and then area's that are much more trad feeling (often the rock at these wasn't as good).
The surrounding area isn't 'that' great and overall (even knowing you as bit of a deviant) I'd recommend Zill/Otztal first.

[Fiend]

Cheers Mr B. I don't mind going somewhere with a trad feel nor a death-runout feel. But Zill does sound interesting.

What's the weather likely to be like at any of the above?? Precipitation rather than temps...

[Fiend]

Anyone got any weather beta please??

[slackline]

Some here 

Beyond that more specific details of which area and what time of the year would allow one to look up weather trends for said area/time.

[Paul B]

Anyone got any weather beta please??

I asked a mate who went out to Zillertal/Otztal at a similar point last year; it rained.

[Fiend]

Beyond that more specific details of which area

Zillertal / Alsace / Pedriza / Pfalz

and what time of the year would allow one to look up weather trends for said area/time.

2-10th April.

Cheers Paul. Not ideal news.

[Muenchener]

Reasonably comprehensive online topos for Ötztal on climber's paradise.

Valley floor level in Tirol by late March is generally mild and snow-free, and this year since Christmas has been quiet mild with two big periods of thaw (must be disastrous for the ski areas). But in two months anything can happen - a few years ago in Muenchen we had the biggest single day's snowfall in a century at the end of March.

I'm not aware of any good sites for medium term weather outlooks. Best site by far for short term weather for the Eatern Alps, if you can read any German, is the Austrian Radio mountain weather report - very reliable in my experience.

[Fiend]

Cheers Munchkin.

Am seriously considering Pedriza having got the the guide - anyone know precipitation probabilities for there??

[IanP]

Cheers Munchkin.

Am seriously considering Pedriza having got the the guide - anyone know precipitation probabilities for there??

You could try the the Spanish met office site

http://www.aemet.es/es/elclima/datosclimatologicos/valoresclimatologicos

which has good average climate info include total precipitation and no of days with precipitation.

[magpie]

Is it the Pedriza near(ish) my folks place?

They always go over in March, usually the beginning, sometimes a bit later on.  Some years they are sending back pictures of themselves on the beach in swimming costumes and going on about how warm it is, last year we spent a week under the duvet on the couch cause it was cold and wet and miserable.  As far as I know April is similar to March in respects of weather, a bit hit and miss, some years it's great other years it's the wettest part of the year.

I reckon it might be worth the risk, the weather is definitely starting to get better by that time of year.  In fact, aren't S&A heading over at about that time, I saw on FB this morning they had a trip planned so maybe check with them how they expect the weather to be?

How can you be going away again though, you've been away about 14 times this year already?! 

[SA Chris]

They are heading for the coast, Malaga way. Weather is a different around Madrid; higher and cooler and I think it is on the plain

[magpie]

Ah, I see, I just assumed they were going out to her folks place.

You know what they say about the plain in Spain.

[DaveC]

Annot in Provence (up in the mountains behind Nice) might be good in April - I was there in May a couple of times and it was sensational then! It's an amazing area of sandstone boulders & crags in the middle of an endless sea of limestone! Good cragging and great bouldering as I remember it. You can actually get there entirely by train - TGV to Nice then catch the narrow gauge local line all the way to Annot.

Oh yes, it's a really lovely town even without the climbing.
http://www.beyond.fr/villages/annot-provence-france.html

[SA Chris]

Ah, I see, I just assumed they were going out to her folks place.

They are, it's near Malaga.

[magpie]

It's nearer Alicante / Benidorm then, rather than Malaga which is a good bit further south, they're not far from where my folks are. 

[SA Chris]

My head is up my arse, you are right. Either way climate is pretty different to Madrid

[magpie]

I'll let you off.    You make a good point about the weather too, we've had really different weather just going between crags around there never mind trying to guess at a whole other area. 

I still reckon it might be a pretty safe bet at the start of April.

[Fiend]

Yes Pie Your folks' place is near Murcia / Alicante. Beast's folks' place is near Murcia / Alicante. Pedriza is near Madrid, which is not near Murcia / Alicante.

Cheers Ian, will investigate.

Cheers Dave will investigate that too. In fact it's on the current shortlist of Pedriza, Annot, and Zillertal. I need to get more guides really. The Ped one has got me well syked.

[magpie]

I think I got a different place when I first Googled: .

That one is under an hour from Alicante, but I assume that's not the one you mean.

[SA Chris]

It actually La Pedriza

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/La_Pedriza just N of Madreeed.

[magpie]

Yeah, I found that one shortly after I started yacking on about the other one.

[SA Chris]

Looks like a lovely area too. And Madrid is apparently a nice city, never been.

(wanders off to look at flights).

[Paul B]

http://www.dpmclimbing.com/climbing-videos/watch/spanish-bouldering-la-pedriza

Its in the e-bloc guide (I think) but its basically just a page showing tonnes of boulders on a hill, from my memory those we spoke to, offered mixed views.