Fairly Long, Moderately Hard and Mostly Free

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duncan

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After the Comici in July I’m compiling my bucket list of similar routes to keep me syked during the next few months of bouldering walls and occasional day-trips to Swanage.

Inclusion criteria are great climbs of ~8 pitches or longer with minimal death potential. I'm not keen on freezing in a storm or being hit by lumps of rock or ice and crevassed approaches void my BMC insurance (plug for sponsors). BHAGs could stretch as far as E6 trad. and 7b-ish sport. Routes should be mostly free, a little sneaky cheating is acceptable.

I have in mind things like the Rabada-Navarro on Naranjo de Bulnes or The Scenic Cruise. Routes that might make it into a less Franco-centric version of the Parois du Legend books: Europe and the Rest of the World (16 in total so far, since you ask). Don Quixote is on the list (a bit of glacier on the descent but no need for axe, crampons or crevasse stuff) but Elixier d’Astaroth is not (weather and crevasses).
 
Can't recommend Naranjo highly enough, it fits the bill perfectly - not only Rabada-Navarro but also Murciana (7a/A0 or 7c+/8a). If not the Capucin then how about West Face of the Blatiere? Brown/Whillans is one of the best routes I've ever done: period. Of the harder stuff Fidel Fiasco was class. The front slab on the Peigne is also very good, though obvious and probably too popular.
 
andy popp said:
Can't recommend Naranjo highly enough, it fits the bill perfectly - not only Rabada-Navarro but also Murciana (7a/A0 or 7c+/8a). If not the Capucin then how about West Face of the Blatiere? Brown/Whillans is one of the best routes I've ever done: period. Of the harder stuff Fidel Fiasco was class. The front slab on the Peigne is also very good, though obvious and probably too popular.
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I 2nd all of these suggestions!
 
duncan said:
Don Quixote is on the list
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A bit easy for the standards you're talking about, surely? Vinatzer-Messner perhaps?

If sport routes can qualify, Wassersymphonie in the Berchtesgaden Alps is supposed to be a classic, little known outside the German speaking world. 15 ptiches total, crux 6c+, half a dozen pitches around 6b. (Disclaimer: my experience of this route consists of having read the guidebook and looked at it from the road. It is firmly on my "some day but not yet" list. Along with the V-M)
 
Grand Wall and Freeway in Squamish. Storpillaren, Lofoten, Norway.

Have done the first - amazing but maybe a bit easy for you. Have done the "lite" version of the second - the full fat version would be right up your street! E5 (ish) and AWESOME!

Would love to do the last!
 
That link gives an interesting list
duncan said:
Rest of the World
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You into a USA road trip? Loads of long trad (or semi-bolted long routes) with no snow, lots of different rock types, and often minmal walk in! Probably all a bit obvious but:
Rostrum (Yosemite), Moonlight Buttress (Zion), Levitation 29 (Red Rocks), Fine Jade (Moab - only ~4 pitches), Naked Edge at Eldorado.
Stuff that might involve a bit of snow but nothing serious: Positive Vibrations/Sun Spot (Incredible Hulk, East Side), them famous lines on The Diamond (yellow wall?)...
 
Thanks all, some great suggestions already. Several people have apologised for including "easy" stuff. Don't! I bet the VI+ on Don Quixote feels plenty hard enough after the 18 pitches to get there.

andy popp said:
Can't recommend Naranjo highly enough, it fits the bill perfectly - not only Rabada-Navarro but also Murciana (7a/A0 or 7c+/8a).
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Andy, I was hoping you'd reply. Naranjo has been in my sights since some pals did the first Brit. ascent of the R-N in 1978. Tentatively next summer... Any idea how much aid the the Murciana needs at 7a?

shark said:
Pat Littlejohn's original E4 route on Kjerrag,
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Good idea, it's an amazing place, but I had a very bad experience with a BASE jumper wiping-out at Kjerrag and it would probably be too painful to go back there. Other Norway suggestions are emphatically encouraged.
<edit> Storpillaren added to the list!

shark said:
and Rainbow Bridge.
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I was interested to read your blog on DWS. I've never partaken and I'm pretty confident I'd be terrified. I really should address this.
 
duncan said:
andy popp said:
Can't recommend Naranjo highly enough, it fits the bill perfectly - not only Rabada-Navarro but also Murciana (7a/A0 or 7c+/8a).
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Andy, I was hoping you'd reply. Naranjo has been in my sights since some pals did the first Brit. ascent of the R-N in 1978. Tentatively next summer... Any idea how much aid the the Murciana needs at 7a?
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It really is a remarkable piece of stone. Its a along time ago but perhaps 40ft of bolt ladder (actually a slightly spooky golo ladder when Nick and I did it, hopefully its been beefed up now). The 7a is a complete guess to be honest. Didn't do the R-N, but did do the excellent Amistad Con El Diable (about E2 I think) on the superb East Face, everything here looks brill but not quite give you the length you're looking for.
 
Muenchener said:
If sport routes can qualify, Wassersymphonie in the Berchtesgaden Alps is supposed to be a classic, little known outside the German speaking world. 15 ptiches total, crux 6c+, half a dozen pitches around 6b. (Disclaimer: my experience of this route consists of having read the guidebook and looked at it from the road. It is firmly on my "some day but not yet" list. Along with the V-M)
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Sport-routes are definitely 'in', this looks very good, and not one of the usual suspects.

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metal arms said:
Would something like Oceano Irrazionale on the Asteroidi, Mello fit the bill?

http://www.planetfear.com/articles/Oceano_Irrazionale_510.html
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It would fit the bill very well indeed. I know nothing about the Mello, any other suggestions? It sounds like it could be a (non-climbing) family-friendly venue which would be a bonus.
 
duncan said:
I know nothing about the Mello, any other suggestions? It sounds like it could be a (non-climbing) family-friendly venue which would be a bonus.
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Lots of good stuff there. I've only been the once and mainly done stuff a bit easier than that such as Luna Nascente (about E2 and great fun) and the West Face of Pico Luigi Amadeus (which is a big old walk in but great fun at E2ish/14ish pitches). This had some harder stuff on it as well. Well worth taking a look at Solo Granito (http://www.cordee.co.uk/CCE334.php) if you're passing a shop that stocks it... It seems to be pretty comprehensive for the area.

The stuff in the Mello valley itself are pretty accessible and would suit a family holiday (N.B. I have no kids!) but some of the bigger things in the valleys off it may require a bit of logistics.

P.S. Brilliant thread!
 
metal arms said:
The stuff in the Mello valley itself are pretty accessible and would suit a family holiday (N.B. I have no kids!) but some of the bigger things in the valleys off it may require a bit of logistics.
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I'd agree on the accessibility but not on the rest, its a beautiful place but there's not a lot to keep a family and kids entertained (ps I also have no kids either) unless they just want to wander about. I thought Solo Granito was great until I had to use it. I found much more comprehensive hand drawn topos online via google which actually showed when pitches downclimb.
 
Kids schmids... I thought they entertained themselves!

True about the usability of the guide, but I thought it was great for building the psyche!
 
interested in sport routes too?

if so i'd seriously consider wendenstocke.

amazing destination, vertical céuse-like climbing on bombproof limestone in an alpine setting.

it has a reputation of a tough place for a few reasons that i'd state below but if you are sensible enough to keep a reasonable margin grade-wise, pick the right routes and know when to retreat instead of going for the top at all costs, it is not overly dangerous.

and there's shitloads of quality stuff close by.

what to be careful about :
-runouts. Guidebooks usually give you a mandatory grade. Well let's say you pick a 6c mandatory grade in the wenden...it means that falling on a 6b pitch is very likely to cause you an injury, How serious depends on the route. And don't hope to be able to put in lots of additional protections, the nature of the rock makes for very few placements and most of them are poor (flared pockets)

-walk-down. It can be dangerous if you are very tired, it is mostly a steep hike but in some points it is very exposed and in case of a fall you won't stop.

-weather. All the lose rock is concentrated on ledges at the top of the cliffs. If it rains hard (and it does, often in the late afternoon after a sunny day...) and on the wrong spot in the wall, those cobbles might try to hit you. It also makes the walk-down too slippery and unsecure, which means that in case of weather turning bad you need to make a quick decision, abseil as fast as you can, and get shelter under some overhanging section at the base of the wall.

-grades. believe the hard pitches of your route, not the easier ones. sandbags...

-rescue access. Hard, sometimes virtually impossible. In case of shit, you'd better be able to handle the situation by yourself.


virtually all routes are supposed to be five stars, i've only been on voie du frère and nachtexpress and was very impressed, especially by the second.
A few routes are said to be more forgiving than the rest : patent ochsner, millenium, sonnenkonig, voie du frere (which only has a tricky 1st pitch requiring the ability to find the exact spot where a #3 camalot will fit securely)
 
Good thread.

I've heard good reports about the Naranjo. Verdon is an excellent option if you want somewhere easy to get to, zero walk-ins and the option of doing a mix of long multi-pitch routes and short sports routes.
 

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