[sidewinder]

Going to Font for a week in March, staying in a gite and was thinking about maximising our stay by booking a formule one either in font or near Calais on the Saturday to let us climb on the Saturday and get the ferry on the Sunday.

However this leaves us with a bit of a problem of what to do with our worldly goods while climbing on the Saturday obviously leaving them in the car is a poor option in the area.  Anyone got any ideas other than hiring a heavy to guard the car?

Thanks

[lagerstarfish]

Ask the people who manage your gite if you can leave your neatly packed bags with them during the day

[tomtom]

Less sensible than Lagers option, but equally viable, is ensure one of your party drinks way way too much on the last night, so has to slump in the car recovering all day 

[lagerstarfish]

Less sensible than Lagers

not something that one hears very often

[Obi-Wan is lost...]

Don't take anything worth nicking, go to some esoteric area on Saturday with a short walk in or...
take a big dog

[fatdoc]

Going to Font for a week in March, staying in a gite and was thinking about maximising our stay by booking a formule one either in font or near Calais on the Saturday to let us climb on the Saturday and get the ferry on the Sunday.

However this leaves us with a bit of a problem of what to do with our worldly goods while climbing on the Saturday obviously leaving them in the car is a poor option in the area.  Anyone got any ideas other than hiring a heavy to guard the car?

Thanks

keep away from cuvier / cannon and take yr passports etc.. with you.

no worse than areas of the peak...

[sidewinder]

Leaving the bags in the gite is clearly the easiest option, however this is very owner dependent and as the last gite I stayed in charged us for using the bath mats they had put out on the floor of the bathroom I do not hold out much hope for the good will of French gite owners.

Good suggestion tomtom, it is only my gf and I so maybe I will try and work on her alcohol depency between now and then.

The esoteric area one is also a possibility although I am am probably too super wary to relax and do this.  Not had the best experience in font, certainly in my experience worse than the Peak, one trip found someone going through our bags at the crag and a car break in on another trip, luckily they caused no damage and their was only a bag of food in the boot (what kind of thief steals an avacado, dried pasta and some croissants?).  I therefore go for the parcel shelf off glovebox open approach.  Reccomendations for the most esoteric venue (this could be a thread in itself?).

[fatdoc]

last day?

easy red day??

merciers...


off track?

guichot.. (sp.)

[neil h]

beware guichot guys, there have been loads of kids hanging round there on bmx's, last weekend the little fuckers keyed my car, every panel, full re spray needed

[fried]

Get to Apremont early and park the car right in front of the café.

[grumpycrumpy]

Just wear ALL your clothes and possessions  until you get to your Gite ......

[SA Chris]

Kill everyone?

Alternatively wire up a bomb to the car, so that if anyone tries to break in the car blows up.

[Drewski Rootbitch]

You need a trunk monkey.

[sidewinder]

Good, so the current plan is to kill everyone, then leave my car in an esoteric area, that is not guichot, and have it guarded by a hungover monkeydog.

On a more serious note, does anyone have any dire warnings about the crimes levels at Buthiers or any other suggestions of safe(r) areas, we are thinking there might be good as the parking is next to the restaurant and visible from much of the bouldering.

[SA Chris]

I personally think parking at busy car parks is safer than parking at quiet out of the way ones. A constant coming and going of folk is more likely to deter potential thieves. If it's a Saturday most of the popular places will be busy. Get there early and park in the most obvious spot.

[sidewinder]

I wonder how much the ladies of Cuvier charge for car minding....

[Stef]

Gite owners shall always allow you to drop your bags, even grab the key for when you are back in the afternoon.
I actually do it even on the last day when leaving.
Too many car windows broken.
And guys, remember that if you have any worries with your owners, you have to report it to the Reservation Office. That's what a label stands for, and if there is a black sheep in the group, it has to be removed.

[Paul B]

Gite de France are wonderful though aren't they? follow the booking completely in English, pay your deposit then get sent a french email telling you what to do, another with a french contract, and a third; in French.

[sidewinder]

Gite owners shall always allow you to drop your bags, even grab the key for when you are back in the afternoon.

I hope so, that is obviously the best idea, I went with a gite from the Gites de France Essone site this time.

I always find the system wierd, though so far efficient, it seems odd that you can book a gite and be so far removed from a person.  Previously booked, gite 263 on the seine et marne site, near Barbizon.  Didn't think much of it until, on following the directions you arrive at a locked automatic gate to a drive, going off into a wood with no house in sight.  At that point the worry as to whether the gite existed was pretty high!  Luckily it did though the owner spoke no english.

[yorkshireman]

if the main carpark at cuvier is busy(it will be on a saturday) its likely to be safer than leaving your car at one of the more wooded areas.ive never had problems at cuvier leaving all my kit on display

[Paul B]

if the main carpark at cuvier is busy(it will be on a saturday) its likely to be safer than leaving your car at one of the more wooded areas.ive never had problems at cuvier leaving all my kit on display

I think you've been lucky.

[lagerstarfish]

if the main carpark at cuvier is busy(it will be on a saturday) its likely to be safer than leaving your car at one of the more wooded areas.ive never had problems at cuvier leaving all my kit on display

I think you've been lucky.

here speaks an expert on the subject of luck

 

[SA Chris]

if the main carpark at cuvier is busy(it will be on a saturday) its likely to be safer than leaving your car at one of the more wooded areas.

As I said a few posts ago. Park right next to the snack van. On the East side of the road. The one on the west side is a lot more dodgy.

[rodma]

if the main carpark at cuvier is busy(it will be on a saturday) its likely to be safer than leaving your car at one of the more wooded areas.

As I said a few posts ago. Park right next to the snack van. On the East side of the road. The one on the west side is a lot more dodgy.

Wot snack van 

[SA Chris]

Or is it an ice cream van? Not looked closely. Some sort of comestible supply vehicle anyhoo. Only been to Cuvier twice in the last 5 years, and it's been there both times. Guess it's not always there though