[gardinrm]

I decided to check out the Blocs do Diable in the Dordogne today. I am with family and this looked like a lovely place to avoid the heat and do some relaxed climbing next to the river. When we arrived, a 10 metre walk revealed some lovely blocs nestled on the banks beside the gentle Dromme river: ideal!

However, after warming up on some intense pockety limestone (I was having a great time getting spanked by some 5s and 6as) my dad and I were approached by a man who said he was the proprietor of the area and that we weren't allowed to climb here. Having just bought the guide to the area, I was quite surprised and showed it to him. He said he knew about the guide but that he had never given permission for climbing to be developed. He claimed it was something to with fiscal responsibility for the area; it felt like a poor reason. Some children had been jumping from the rocks into the river, and I think he was worried/annoyed about that. Nevertheless, it was a real let down.

Does anyone know anything more about access in France? I've travelled quite a lot here, but I've never encountered this sort of thing unless it is to do with hunting. I have a feeling he can't really impose this restriction but didn't really know enough to ask (also, broken French doesn't make that sort of thing easy).

[a13c]

That sucks mate. Sorry you got scuppered, I always thought access in France was easier than at home? When I went last year there was no indication it was privately owned.
I wonder if that means the routes are out of bounds aswell?

[gardinrm]

He said he was unhappy with the route climbing too. I wonder if people just ignore him and keep climbing. The routes in particular are quite well known (and looked very cool) so I think people will still keep coming. It all just left a sour taste in the mouth.

[jwi]

Did not find anything useful on the usual sites, but a very active climber from Bordeaux wrote this on facebook (June 9)

INFO! Le Site des Forges du diable ( bourdeilles ) les voies ainsi que les blocs sont dorénavant interdits à la pratique de l'escalade jusqu'à ce qu'un accord soit trouvé avec les propriétaires ! Les acteurs locaux planchent pour trouver une solution, d'ici là, ce n'est malheureusement plus la peine d'y faire le déplacement !

≈

INFO! The Forges du Diable site is now are now closed for climbing, both routes and boulders, until an agreement is reached with the landowners! The local climbing community is working to find a solution, but until then it is unfortunately no longer possible to go there!

[gardinrm]

Thanks. Hopefully they receive an agreement. It was a lovely spot, particularly in the middle of summer.

[a13c]

Yeah, fingers crossed. I was looking forward to getting back there. I think ukc had another couple of areas locally, if you try then any of them please let us know what they're like.
When I put my video on YouTube I had a few messages with a local guy who put links to some other areas in the comments.

[gardinrm]

It seemed to me that there were tonnes of little crags and blocs all along that river. Just quite overgrown.