[AJM]

Hey guys,

After a few ideas - got a week or so in Buoux coming up, and whilst I've got some stuff I know I already want to try (Dresden, No Mans Land and Diamants in particular) I was interested in recommendations for a good 7b+ for if inspiration and time and ability coincide  :
- preferably reasonable for the grade, "reasonable" as in "lower half or fair" rather than "kidding yourself if you reckon it's more than 7a+" (I've not been back to places enough over the winter to complete any yet but have recently been getting 7b+s to the stage of being able to start redpoints the next day I'm on them, so basically what i mean is that some speciality sandbag would probably need too long for the time available)
- probably more vertical or a bit over rather than something enormously steep and powerful or super thin and slabby would suit my strengths but I'd consider having a look at most things
- most importantly, preferably near sectors of 6s, there's 3 of us on the trip and one of them is likely to be after low-mid 6s, so whilst I've heard good things about stuff higher up (Devers Pervers is it way up above TCF etc?) that's not going to be feasible for this time.

Thanks for any help!

Andy

[mrjonathanr]

Songe Sucre 7a nr Autoroute is good,  Kookaburra and Cool Raoul good  7a s at Plage. Always wanted to do Cadeau, but big fall potential on crux (8-10m?) - maybe not suitable unless rebolted?

Cage aux Orchidees used to get 7b, great route, v. technical, crimpy, test of good footwork. That might be your one, but v frustrating if footwork's scrappy/it's hot.

There was also a  7b+ right of must-do 7a s Courage Fuyons and Rose des Sables (Os Court?). I liked it, tho crux is off a drilled mono, it's a very good mono, not especially finger-ripping as it goes in at 45' for 2cm so pretty solid.

There's a million 6s to climb, lots and lots, just keep wandering around, it's onsight paradise.

[andy popp]

I really enjoyed Parties Carrees on Autoroute. Fits the vertical/slightly-over mould.

[mrjonathanr]

So did I, great route, tho I shredded a tendon on the crux, took months, didn't enjoy that bit.

Didn't mention it for that reason, though might be safer as a crimp not a pinky mono?

[Bonjoy]

Stranger than Paradise is fantastic from what I remember. It’s just right of No Man’s Land.

[abarro81]

Looking at my logbook I only seem to have done 1 7b+ there - Cadeau Epoisonné, on la plage. Very good route in a great position, don't remember any epic fall potential mentioned by mrjonathanr, but I didn't fall off so might have just not noticed  . I don't remember many 6s up there though...
Os Court is nails. Maybe I was missing something, but that trip I onsighted up to 7c at buoux, flashed 7c+s at lourmarin/venasque and had to haul up a clipstick on that one to get past the crux.... The 7b+ near tcf is supposed to be nails and very painful - so probably avoid that one.

[AJM]

Thanks guys - plenty to work with. The one R of No Mans Land is one I'd looked at because the wall itself all looks brilliant and it's near Styx with all those easier routes, so good to hear that's worth a look. Cadeau - I think there's some suitable stuff at ground level in the sectors round there so maybe a goer, although as with Os Court some mixed messages coming through . Hadn't looked at the other one, Partie Carree, but I'll add it to my list.

Cheers guys!

A

[mrjonathanr]

I expect cadeau's been rebolted: the bolt before the crux used to be a good few metres beneath it, I doubt abarro would have failed to notice if that were still that case. Devers pervers/pepere are good under Plage and to the left of them a little way before Joe Weider's is a 6b+ which goes through a 20' roof on massive jugs and jams, I'd recommend too.

[Jaspersharpe]

That's La Jonction. Great route but I don't remember any jamming!

Yeah Cadeau Empoisonne used to have a big runout before the crux but I've read somewhere that it now has a bolt near the hard move (which is a shame really as it was fun watching people take that massive lob into space). I also recall that it was one of the only soft touch 7b+s there as it got the grade partly because of the fear factor.

There's another 7b+ on La Plage, at the right hand side. Can't remember what it's called but it's also good.

Speaking of Joe Wieder's there's a 7b+ just next to that called Fireworks which is pretty steady. Boulder problem start followed by easy middle section and then a tricky roof at the top. Worth doing and all the routes (6a - 7a+) on the wall to the right are *** so that's be a good area for your team.

Barrows thought Os Court was hard because he's a stamina lout and although he now climbs 8c he was obviously weak as piss at the time. If you're strong then it's steady but it's not really fitting to your criteria being steep and basically a one/two move boulder problem.

Haven't been on Stranger Than Paradise but all reports are that it's amazing. Harlem Desir that goes through the No Man's Land traverse is a fantastic 7c and Pacemaker to the left is soft for 7c if you're ok on monos and other tiny shit. On Styx wall some of the lower grade stuff is nails (watch out for the slabs on the RH side, I think one of the 6b or 6b+s is actually 8a) but some is amazing and one of the best 7bs at the crag is Le Hasard Fait Bien Les Choses which I had an epic on age 14 or 15.

Most grades are pretty tough although I see some stuff has been upgraded depending on which guide / site you look at. When I was last there No Man's Land was 7a+ and Fissure Serge standard 7c+ no wonder everything felt so fucking hard.

Have fun. I love Buoux.

[AJM]

Cheers for the tips guys. Had a great time but mainly running round trying to onsight loads of stuff kid in candy shop style, so I didn't actually find time to get on this stuff - it forms the basis of the ticklist for next time though! Actually managed none of my 3 original aimed routes - didn't get on the other 2 and bottled Dresden on the thin moves after bolt 3 - but did stuff like Rose de Sables, Camambert Fergusson, La Jonction (great fun!), Concierge est dans l'escalier and things and had great fun.

My friend tried Stranger than Paradise which looked to have some mono burling with hopeless feet low down - looks like most on 8a.nu have ticked the right hand start whose name escapes me up the grey stuff rather than the yellow/grey boundary to avoid that bit. Nevertheless, the top looks awesome so some variation of that, No Mans Land, the stuff on Plage and exploring the left hand side of the crag are all objectives for the next visit!

Thanks again,

Andy

[Bonjoy]

Yes it was the righthand start to StP that I meant. Forgot all about the grim looking official start to be honest. The best climbing is higher up from what I remember.

[andy popp]

So you never got on Diamants? Brilliant route and straight down the line grade wise from what I remember.

[AJM]

So you never got on Diamants? Brilliant route and straight down the line grade wise from what I remember.

No - too much stuff too little time. We spent a day at Venasque for a bit of variety, and bailed to Orgon Canal one ah when it was damp and wet in Apt, so those ate up some of our days, and there was just so much stuff to do! Next time though.....

[hongkongstuey]

So you never got on Diamants? Brilliant route and straight down the line grade wise from what I remember.

I got on that the other week as someone had told me it was established by Laurent (who lived in HK until earlier this year and had rediscovered a love for climbing after a few years away from the sport) - some very good climbing but the bolting felt rather sparse in places, especially low down.  A somewhat thin slab at the top too

I'd say it was quite stiff for a F7a but then i'd say that about most of the 7a's we did at Buoux... (although TCF and Rose both seemed about right)