[Paul B]

Due to various things the next chance Nat and I will have to get away will be mid Oct for roughly 3 weeks. I'd always had it in my mind that this trip would be Buoux and I could finally stop being lazy and get on something hard.

However, my good lady will have just finished her professional review (for better or for worse) and I'm having a harder time than usual selling Buoux as the best idea for a trip (she'd prefer to visit her folks in Florida it would seem  ). I think what isn't helping is her main memory of Buoux being the bolting on the LHS of styx wall (when we were last there the newly re-opened stuff wasn't so) and that realistically this would be a redpointing trip and could end up being more stressful than she can be bothered with (plus with the amount of time currently being spent preparing for this thing she keeps telling me she won't be going well when we get away), thus grade spread 'could' be an issue.

Obviously at this time of year there are a lot of options but I'm really struggling to see past my first choice so I thought I'd look to UKB for answers. I'm fairly flexible (but also quite picky when it comes to quality) on everything but price, due to it being 3 weeks driving/camping works out far cheaper (and more flexible) than any other option (our last trip was a bit of a disappointment).

It can be single pitch, multi-pitch even trad.

[benpritch]

Did you visit the Frankenjura already? I think it is my favourite venue for sport climbing and October is an ideal time to go i think. More crags than you can shake a stick at and plenty of grade spread.

Lovely place too, very cheap groceries, eating out etc, really pleasant campsite and great cakes, dumplings and beer (no good for me but I looked longingly as everyone else consumed them).

Downsides, long drive, sporty bolting (i never felt unduly stressed by this though) erm that's it really.

[Paul B]

Did you visit the Frankenjura already? I think it is my favourite venue for sport climbing and October is an ideal time to go i think. More crags than you can shake a stick at and plenty of grade spread.

Yes, I think we spent around 3-4 weeks there. It has been discussed but I imagined that it was a less certain bet for good weather (I'm more fussed about this than good conditions given the last trip which mostly consisted of a wet tent)?

Lovely place too, very cheap groceries, eating out etc, really pleasant campsite and great cakes, dumplings and beer

Agreed, its great as whole package.

[SA Chris]

Could you afford the Florida flights? A few days in Florida chilling out, then a short flight (or long drive?) up to Red or New River Gorge for some "fall" cranking on the Sandstone?

[tomtom]

Sardinia?

[Paul B]

Could you afford the Florida flights? A few days in Florida chilling out, then a short flight (or long drive?) up to Red or New River Gorge for some "fall" cranking on the Sandstone?

Possibly but I don't want to.

[jwi]

Siurana?

El Pati has a nice spread of great routes from 7a to 9b.

[Paul B]

Siurana?

Thanks, but I didn't really like it (mainly as it was crammed with Brits), I found Montsant and Margalef to be better.

[Bonjoy]

Slovenia, Basque Region? Haven't been to either but those are theoretical next on my list of places to go at that time of year. The latter has the added appeal of having good bouldering as well as good sport climbing, plus you can get there by ferry.

[SA Chris]

Could you afford the Florida flights? A few days in Florida chilling out, then a short flight (or long drive?) up to Red or New River Gorge for some "fall" cranking on the Sandstone?

Possibly but I don't want to.

Thus ending my career as a Relate counsellor.

[Paul B]

Slovenia, Basque Region? Haven't been to either but those are theoretical next on my list of places to go at that time of year. The latter has the added appeal of having good bouldering as well as good sport climbing, plus you can get there by ferry.

Any specific crags (I have to admit that I lack bouldering psych atm, I think its a side effect of holidays on BIG stuff)? Others have suggested (many of which I know very little about):

Cantabria
Vercors
Aiglun (single and multi pitch)
Ombleze
Corsica Granite
Elbsandstein 
Slovenia
Rodellar - is this a gamble with it staying dry? I struggled here so was keen for a re-match
(Kalymnos) - looks relatively expensive for 3 weeks
(Sardinia)  -  see above

[jwi]

The only Basque crag I've been to is in Valdegovia.  Nice hot-weather venue with some good routes, don't really rate it as a "destination" though.

Elbsandstein is ace - one of best places I've been to, but three weeks of it....

[Paul B]

Elbsandstein is ace - one of best places I've been to, but three weeks of it....

We went to Labske and two days was enough to leave me fairly terrified, I ain't no hero 

[Bonjoy]

The Basque bouldering is Santa Gadia (guidebook in shop at Works). There's a lot of sport crags but I researched it ages ago so can't recall much. Obviously there is that massive cave place, I forget the name.

We were in Rodellar for the whole of Oct 07. Didn't rain once. I was told that October is usually the best month of the year but in bad years it has been known to crap out. That said there is no shortage of alternatives within striking distance if the worst came to the worst.

[Paul B]

Obviously there is that massive cave place, I forget the name.

Baltzola?

Rodellar pretty much crapped out as we arrived last time (late Oct) which is what's making me a bit reluctant.

[Paul B]

Has anyone been to Oliana? I haven't been but I was warned that the quality was lacking in Nats range?

[jwi]

No, but I've been to Tres Ponts 20 km up the road towards Andorra (one of the best sectors I've seen, but maybe too cold in October, and also too small for three weeks).  I asked about easier route at Oliana and was told that it was not all about hard routes, there are even a few excellent 8as and 8a+s ...

[Paul B]

I rated Tres Ponts (it suited me) but yes, not enough for 3 weeks really.

...it was not all about hard routes, there are even a few excellent 8as and 8a+s ...

 

[TobyD]

Has anyone been to Oliana? I haven't been but I was warned that the quality was lacking in Nats range?

I have not, but Stu, Jules and Ruth Smit have all been IIRC.

I have not climbed in Cantabria, but went there surfing a few years ago in September. It rained quite a lot. The surf and seafood are good though!

Ariege?
Scicily?
Finale?
St Leger? (& area, eg Russan etc etc)
Les Vosges du Nord?

I'm going to Riglos first week in Oct.

[Bonjoy]

Rodellar pretty much crapped out as we arrived last time (late Oct) which is what's making me a bit reluctant.

Exactly. Had you arrived at the start of the month you would have had a mostly dry October there. Any scope for setting off late Sept?

[duncan]

Ariege?
Scicily?

Nice places (especially Scilly - lots of interesting cultural stuff for non-climbing days) but neither has really top quality climbing in my opinion.  But I really rate Siurana, so feel free to ignore this. 

I'm going to Riglos first week in Oct.

Excellent for 4-5 days but probably not much longer unless you fancy some of the more adventurous off-piste stuff.

I'd have thought, with your own transport, it would be very possible to combine some time at Buoux with some less intense crags in the same area.  Similarly, you could do a mini-tour of NE Spain.

[Paul B]

Any scope for setting off late Sept?

No, its dictated by the date of Nats review.

Excellent for 4-5 days but probably not much longer unless you fancy some of the more adventurous off-piste stuff.

I've already been to Riglos for a week this year, a few days last year and once on our trip. I'm still keen to go back for a few more routes at some point but not now.

I'd have thought, with your own transport, it would be very possible to combine some time at Buoux with some less intense crags in the same area.  Similarly, you could do a mini-tour of NE Spain.

Completely, but the idea with Buoux was that I could get stuck into something hard which would likely take the 3 weeks.

[Stu Littlefair]

i've got the basque guide kicking around so you can have a look if you like. Not sure Nat could spend 3 wks at Baltzola.

Oliana is a poor choice imho - the easy routes are not good, and tend to be on poor rock.

[Paul B]

i've got the basque guide kicking around so you can have a look if you like. Not sure Nat could spend 3 wks at Baltzola.

Me neither, steepness really isn't her strong point.

Oliana is a poor choice imho - the easy routes are not good, and tend to be on poor rock.

Oliana

[TobyD]

Mica Pec?

I'm going to Riglos first week in Oct.

Excellent for 4-5 days but probably not much longer unless you fancy some of the more adventurous off-piste stuff.

possibly, depending on how much i like it. Not that far from Terradetts / Rodellar either though.

[Paul B]

It looks like some strategic placing of the Buoux guide and photos of routes where you can see more than one bolt and I'm starting to turn things around.

Whether or not it ends up being the RPing trip I'd fancied (plus, I'll likely get shot down in flames, last time I was there I was four months into a road trip and it didn't feel easy!) or something broken up by a few bits and bobs here and there I don't know. Rocher du Midi and the Vercors region look good for a big route on the drive up or down.

[Paul B]

looks like the camping at Bonnieux (Buoux) closes as we'd like to arrive, any bright ideas? Rather not have to afford a Gite or something similar (for 3 weeks!).

[tomtom]

Is Rocher du Midi that huge thing that looks like the hull of a boat rising up from the valley floor? If so I stopped there to try some routes c.15 yrs ago and got spanked. Really spanked. As in 2m off the ground was the highest I got.. Alpine grades too.. Of course it may all be different now - and I may be talking about a completely different place!