[Paul B]

We're off to Calanques later on this week and I've had the notion that a day trip to the Verdon (as its only 1h 30 or so away) seemed like a good idea (that's if the kind people of Marseilles don't steal my car or its contents, or me).

Up until now the weather has looked pretty decent and the idea didn't seem too stupid but over the next week there appears to be rain with only a few clear days (Thurs mainly):

http://www.yr.no/place/France/Provence-Alpes-C%C3%B4te_d%E2%80%99Azur/La_Palud-sur-Verdon/long.html

Can anyone offer some insight into whether or not it'll be a gopping waterfall? The likelihood is we'd be after 'la Demande' and I'd rather not climb the exit chimneys in some epic condition (as chances are it'll already be dark by the time I get there).

Thanks in advance.

[slackline]

It rained twice when I was there last year, one afternoon we had spectacular thunder storms at the end of the day and in the evening, everything was bone dry the next day.

The other day it rained on and off throughout the day (which fortunately conincided with rest ), but the routes we did the next day were fine and didn't suffer from any seepage.


Look forward to an epic tale 

[Paul B]

similarly when we were there last any rain hit the rock and just seemed to dissappear but its (a lot?) earlier in the season so I'd love some more beta otherwise I risk losing a perfectly good day elsewhere...

[fatdoc]

We're off to Calanques later on this week and I've had the notion that a day trip to the Verdon (as its only 1h 30 or so away) seemed like a good idea (that's if the kind people of Marseilles don't steal my car or its contents, or me).

Up until now the weather has looked pretty decent and the idea didn't seem too stupid but over the next week there appears to be rain with only a few clear days (Thurs mainly):

http://www.yr.no/place/France/Provence-Alpes-C%C3%B4te_d%E2%80%99Azur/La_Palud-sur-Verdon/long.html

Can anyone offer some insight into whether or not it'll be a gopping waterfall? The likelihood is we'd be after 'la Demande' and I'd rather not climb the exit chimneys in some epic condition (as chances are it'll already be dark by the time I get there).

Thanks in advance.

er... la demande.... please read my epic on here.. I think it's on the .... so you nearly carked it thread... or suchlike.

[SA Chris]

I think la Demande is a reasonably main drainage line; would be dry after a thunderstorm or downpour, but if it's a full day or so of rain I reckon the top 2 pitch would take a day or so to dry, especially the lower corner. Plenty of alternatives though, or are you dead set on the big tick? Take a small torch of some sort for navigating the tunnels to get to the start of the route.

[Paul B]

er... la demande.... please read my epic on here.. I think it's on the .... so you nearly carked it thread... or suchlike.

white peaches etc.

I think la Demande is a reasonably main drainage line; would be dry after a thunderstorm or downpour, but if it's a full day or so of rain I reckon the top 2 pitch would take a day or so to dry, especially the lower corner. Plenty of alternatives though, or are you dead set on the big tick? Take a small torch of some sort for navigating the tunnels to get to the start of the route.

We were there a little while back and did some of the other classics. However, I didn't manage to convince Nat that La Big One was a great idea (it was her first multi-pitch destination after all, and her first ab...). With the scope for the rest of the year being 'big' it seemed like a good idea and hopefully some of the longer routes at Calanques will leave us with semi-slick ropework (and surely all of this trad is setting me up to have a half sensible head?).

Any rack beta would be useful as well.

[SA Chris]

I was going fairly well at the time, and we took some medium firends and small wires along. I placed one friend on the penultimate pitch, did two moves and then reached down and removed it. Mate led tha last pitch and I think he placed two small / medium wires. However, if you don't mind a bit of runouts (none are really dangerous) you could easily do it without.

And abbing will really eat into your time, and pushes up the chances of fuckups. Best drive to the bottom, walk in through tunnels and once you top out hitch a lift to fetch car. With rope and rack on you will get picked up in no time. Take a small pack with sandals / trainers and water in.

[Paul B]

yeah, we'd planned to walk in. I guess we'll see.

[rehab21]

Can anyone offer some insight into whether or not it'll be a gopping waterfall? The likelihood is we'd be after 'la Demande' and I'd rather not climb the exit chimneys in some epic condition (as chances are it'll already be dark by the time I get there).

Thanks in advance.

I'd do ULA if I were you. 320m of 6b brilliance.

[Paul B]

[The cliffs of the Verdon Gorges, with Ula/La Demande area in the middle, 3 kb]Trad Rack Required, 9 Piches, 280M, lots of jamming with some off-width. Tape Up!

You're alright.

[rehab21]

Don't worry about the jams, they're like velvet, and there is a short 2 or 3 move off-width section. Compared to La Demande the benefits are many: more sustained, better line, better rock, wierd face masks en route. Once you're established in the jardin, you can see the crack soaring 280m above you to yhr exit..

Gear-wise, just take a rack of nuts and a couple of med/large cams.

Sorry about the random recommendation, but La Demande is classic because it's the easiest way from the bottom to the top. ULA is a genuinely fantastic route.

[SpanishJuan]

can't comment on the verdon, but Chateauvert has a Grand Face that has a great choice of routes that tend to stay dry after rain. + its kind of on the way from the Calanques towards the verdon.
don't know if thats of any use

[Paul B]

Don't worry about the jams, they're like velvet, and there is a short 2 or 3 move off-width section. Compared to La Demande the benefits are many: more sustained, better line, better rock, wierd face masks en route. Once you're established in the jardin, you can see the crack soaring 280m above you to yhr exit..

It does sound 'cracking' (sorry), but the general idea IS to find the easiest way from bottom to top in this case. The main object of this holiday (after a nice golden tan, pastries and little beers of course) is to get the ropework slick and us, moving a bit faster as a pair.

Plus, the easier it is the MORE chance I have of my finer half taking more of the leads/not getting freaked out.

can't comment on the verdon, but Chateauvert has a Grand Face that has a great choice of routes that tend to stay dry after rain.

Thanks but it was a bit more of a specific aim. Chateuavert is also a bit of a sun trap too.

[fatdoc]

top of la demande was the site of my epic in years gone by... dont let Nat read the closet yoy've come to carking it thread....

[lagerstarfish]

My first day of climbing in Verdon involved lots of rain and a lot of climbing. Late April I think.

I'd met up with Julie Brugger at Buoux (I knew her husband/partner so no risk of any amorous shit to mess things up) and we decided that we'd make a cracking team for alpine rock routes - both pretty fast on multi pitch stuff, rope management and maths. Me: strongish, good reach, good visual memory for route finding/ab points. Her: short, strong, determined, awesome at crack climbing and had a car.

So, we stopped off at the gorge on our way to bigger things. We arrived at the Belvedere after a night of rain and chucked ourselves down the ab route to bottom of Pilier des Ecureuils. Did that route fine as a warm up (dry rock - relevance to thread) . Back down to the Jardin des Ecureuils for some harder pitches.

A couple of pitches up (my lead 3rdish bolt out) one of those storms started.

I tried to keep climbing (pockets and good rock well within my abilities) but the cold rain stopped my fingers from working. I lowered back to the hanging stance (minimal foot ledge) and was forced to hug to keep warm due to wearing only running shorts and a vest (Big Ron style). I used to be funny about physical contact as a kid and being only 19 at the time I still wasn't at ease with it when sober. That was nothing compared to the discomfort of Julie YELLING in her American accent "AU SECOURES! AU SECOURES!" right next to my ear.

Some climbers at the top of the crag tied a couple of ropes together and lowered the end to us and hauled us up to the top - a dozen people hand over handing gets a person up pretty fast.

By the time we had got our harnesses off, dried off a bit and put on the clothes that we should have taken with us, people were abbing in and climbing routes on rapidly drying rock.

What I'm saying is - it dries fine at that time of year.

Also, Pilier des Ecureuils may be harder than La Demande grade wise, but is a simpler proposition  and I think it dries quicker. Ab in on 2 ropes, climb out on 1. One of you have the other rope on your back and the other person have a bag with wind proof tops and maybe another layer in.

Mind you, this was over 20 years ago and I haven't been since global warming started messing up the weather...

[SA Chris]

I'd met up with Julie Brugger at Buoux (I knew her husband/partner)

Which one, AdK?

[Oldmanmatt]

Myself and Mal bagged the record fast accent of "La Demande" (Late 80's), till that B****r Moffat soled it a few weeks later in the season. It is an absolute classic, I'd have to refer to the trip diary now to recall the exact time, but it was less than 5 hours. We walked in for that one, leaving the car park at around 06:00. Walking in leaves you more relaxed for the start. It was late April and damp wasn't a problem even with a few wet days and thunder storms ( I vaguely recall we took a day off to let it dry before the off). Only down side, we moved so fast I was so tired I used the point of aid on the crux (I hang my head in shame, and it was iffy that they would let us enter the time in the book thanks to my moment of weakness) ; and on one of the higher pitches we were attacked by ants (although it did get us moving again...). Twenty odd years later, it's still one of my all time favorites; a very big tick all in all. Prob a little polished by now though....

[Oldmanmatt]

Oh yeah, we walked back to the campsite, low season, no lifts and in those days no mobiles. Ahh BTD!

[roddersm]

Prob a little polished by now though....

I climbed it a few years ago (2007?)  and I don't recall it being particularly polished.

There were bolts on it in places too, which my climbing partner, who had climbed it in the 80's, said weren't there before. I can't remember if the bolts were just at the belays though but I think some of the pitches had a few bolts. 

I recall we used a small rack(wires and a couple of friends) and there might have been some in situ gear on some of the crux pitches.

I remember it being pretty easy, VS/HVSish, bar the two crux pitches, which felt at least trad E2 at the time (actually I thought the offwidth E3 ).  I think it took us a while to find the start of the route and we climbed the last 2 pitches in the dark. My girlfriend picked us up at the top of the route and I was never so happy to see a can of coke in my life !

[Oldmanmatt]

Definately recall bolts at belays. Fairly sure there were a good many bolts along the way and we had a minimal rack. No friends, tooo expensive for mere mortals (and too big and clunky (new) in the 80's). Oh yeah and the walk back was bare foot, coz I wasn't gonna trash my Sportivas.........

[lagerstarfish]

I'd met up with Julie Brugger at Buoux (I knew her husband/partner)

Which one, AdK?

Yes.

How'd you like my indirect name drop there? Pretty smooth, huh?

We weren't best mates or anything, we just borrowed each others ropes and gear for daft projects.

[mrjonathanr]

You should consider Gwendal. E4 obligatoire, the 7b crux pitch is a short steep groove/bolt ladder for aiding past. Incredible route though, multiple 3*** E3 and E4 pitches.

[Oldmanmatt]

On the subject of La Demande epics........... A few days later, some friends got be-nighted 2 pitches down from the top. We turned up with the van to collect them as the sun set, only to hear faint cries for help. Couldn't see them in the gloom and they were hidden under the top bulge anyway. Took us an age to find the top. Spent a long, long time trying to swing a head torch to the guy on lead. Had to use three ropes (torch in the middle, ends either side of the bulge). Finally got Dunc tied on and he climbed up (there were only two of us so we couldn't just pull him up). Complicated by Ian following a rope length behind. Turned out, Dunc had climbed passed the belay point in the gloom, run out of gear and found it too dark to down climb to a safe point. He'd been clinging there for about an hour when we turned up, many meters above his last bit of gear, thought he was going to die just trying to tie on! It had been high 20's when they set out and they were dressed for summer so by 10pm on an april night they were frozen. MORAL: be prepared, it's a long one.............

[Paul B]

You should consider Gwendal. E4 obligatoire, the 7b crux pitch is a short steep groove/bolt ladder for aiding past. Incredible route though, multiple 3*** E3 and E4 pitches.

love to, and Marches de Temps but another time perhaps.

Still currently trying to weigh it up as we seem to have ticked most of the shady stuff in Calanques and the Verdon forecasts look 'tres' wet, with, perhaps, one day 'ok-ish' at the end of the week.

[Oldmanmatt]

I'd scrub it and save it for another day, Verdon is worth a trip of its' own................ Enjoy the sun, if you want shitty, wet slimey climbing, try Ireland in JANUARY or anywhere in Cornwall in a South West Gale ....