October 11, 2019 | TRIPS
VERDON GORGE CLIMBING TRIP
A short tale about a climbing trip to the iconic Verdon Gorge.
A short tale about a climbing trip to the iconic Verdon Gorge.
It was my second time visiting this little paradise in the south of France, and still it felt a bit intimidating and exposed. There is nothing easy about the Verdon Gorge. It was hard to get lodging at a decent prize in town, so we ended up booking a mobile home in Castellane, about 25/30 min drive to the Parking of La Carelle. And we made it. We only had three climbing days ahead of us, so we had to use them wisely.
For th first day we decided it was best to choose some ¨easy¨, routes. The guys I am travelling with have little experience on multipitch route, and let alone handling all the exposure at Verdon. So We went for some routes at the Belvedere de la Carelle. We splitted in two teams and got ready to rap down.
Climbing in Verdon implies full commitment. You choose a route, you rap down and pull the rope, and then you have ti be able to climb up. If you do your homework, you have look around for alternative exits. and also have the topos for an easier route, in cas you can´t make it up the route you have choosen.
First day went down and it was great. We climbed fun routes and enjoyed a nice day in the sun.
Next day we went for a slighty harder route. Hellfest, 7a, 260mts. It was a blast. ONe of the better routes i´ve climbed here so far. Sustained climbing on amazing rock and very well protected. It was much fun.
Third day we went for a route i´ve been wanting to climb for some time. L´Encastete. 7a+, 280mts. we climbed the first two pitches and got shut down by some rain. So we ended up bailing. The first two where something amazing. I will come back to climb this route to the top.
A selection of the best spots to climb during winter in Siurana.
LEARN MOREWhat are the names of the best climbers in the world? Alex Lowe, considered one of the greatest mountaineers in history, who tragically died in September 1999 due to an avalanche on Shisha Pangma (8,027 meters), said: "The best climber in the world is the one who has the most fun."
LEARN MOREYou can contact us via email at [email protected] or by phone to (+34) 645 432 307, or by filling up the contact form in the following link.
First of all, I want to thank Santi - our rock climbing guide - for an excellent teaching!!⚡️
He was consistent, attentive to our strengths and weaknesses, inspiring confidence and really professional (technically and psychologically)!
I finally overcome my fear of lead rope climbing which followed me for a long long time… A friend of mine had his first time real rock climbing and now he already knows both types (lead and top) of climbing and belaying!🤯
And it hasn't felt like a boring studying with a tired of all this annoying tourists instructor. Santi was behaving not just as a mentor, but also as a friend of us🤝🏻
Hope to climb together one day again✨🏔️
Great experience!!! Santi is a professional guide, he has a lot of experience and explains very well, patient. The course was very complete and great as a new experience,..
(Translated by Google) Brutal fear management course! Highly recommended to have strategies to deal with it! Some cracks Santi and Sol!!
(Original) Brutal el curso de gestión del miedo! Muy recomendable para tener estrategias para afrontarlo! Unos cracks Santi y Sol!!
(Translated by Google) Super good experience with a super monitor, Santi, with a lot of patience, a lot of attention and good vibes. Highly recommended.
(Original) Súper buena experiencia con un súper monitor, Santi, con mucha paciencia, mucha atención y buen rollo. Muy recomendable.
I had a great experience today climbing with Giordano in Garraf! Just driving to the location was beautiful and the views once you reached the top were spectacular! I felt very safe with my instructor and he balanced making sure I had fun with safety, which you could tell was his priority. He was so encouraging throughout my climbs and made me feel good about what capabilities I had. I will be looking into taking a course with southclimb now and would recommend them to others. Santi was exceptional with communication on WhatsApp and made the entire process very smooth and simple. Thank you!
(Translated by Google) A great morning of climbing with Mariano for Siurana. Small groups of people, which allows you to hang out and feel safe at all times. Highly recommended!
(Original) Un matí genial d’escalada amb el Mariano per Siurana. Grups reduïts de gent, cosa que permet apendre i sentir-te segura en tot moment. Molt recomenable!
(Translated by Google) It's been great! Looking forward to doing another course! Incredible treatment and training received! Very happy !!
(Original) Ha estado genial! Con muchas ganas de hacer otro curso ! Trato y formacion recibida increibles! Muy contento !!
(Translated by Google) A great experience with a better professional !!! 100% recommended.
(Original) Una gran experiencia con un mejor profesional!!! 100% recomendado.
I joined the 2days-course of Sport Climbing in Siurana and Arboli. Very comprehensive learning - at the end you will be able to rock climb in complete autonomy. Super recommended!
Excellent day, great spots for climbing, safe and clear instructions. The views were incredible over the valley.
