kirklees climbing
PYRENEES
This page provides information on crags in the
French side of the Pyrenees, from the Atlantic coast to the Mediterranean.
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- L'Alzine, Perpignan.
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Open valley site approached along river bank; easy to begin with then scrubby slopes to crag.
Some flat areas at the base of the crag. Grades 5 - 8; Winter and mid-season.
Guidebook: Grimper magazine No 41 September/October 1999
- La Deveze, Perpignan.
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Interesting small but steep crag on hill top looking out south across vineyards
to the Pyrenees. Grades 6 - 7. Pleasant medium walk with good base; some tree
shade. Winter and mid-season. Guidebook: Grimper magazine No 41
September/October 1999
- La Tirouniere, Perpignan.
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Secret tufa crag in wooded glade. Very easy access. Flat base. Grades 6 - 8. Winter and mid-season. Nearby
castles in which to play The Pope's Men v The Heretics. Guidebook: Topo in Cordee: La revue de topos du Sud-Oest No 3 October-December 2000 (available in newsagents across the Eastern Pyrenees).
- Sibada,Haute Ariege, Eastern Pyrenees.
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A small but surprisingly interesting crag full of Grade 6s and 7s.
A fairly short approach up a wooded slope, with some scree. The base is safe but is an uninteresting narrow zone between trees and rock.
Mid-season or summer mornings. Nice granite (hydro) river to bathe in, farther up the valley.
Major cave-art at nearby Niaux for the more discerning child plus the local equivalent of DinosaurWorld for the rest. Guidebook: Escalades en Ariege/Genat-Sibada-Baychon, JD Achard 1998.
- Baychon, Haute Ariege, Eastern Pyrenees.
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Small crags on fairly open hillside; one has steep juggy Grade 6s, the other than nasty, short, chipped, often-undergraded 7s and 8s.
Moderate length approach up shrubby hillside; safe enough bases. See Sibada for local pleasures. Mid-season crag.
Guidebook: Escalades en Ariege/Genat-Sibada-Baychon, JD Achard 1998.
- Genat, Haute Ariege, Eastern Pyrenees.
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Huge roof-country overlooking pretty upland valley with cowbells. Massive pitches (up to 40m) in the Upper 7s to Upper 8s plus pleasant grey slabs (Grade 6s)in the wings.
Short easy walk in. There are flat areas but also large areas of sloping slabs down which small children would roll to end up in gorse bushes below. Mid-season crag.
See Sibada for local pleasures. Guidebook: Escalades en Ariege/Genat-Sibada-Baychon, JD Achard 1998.
- Carol, Ariege, Eastern Pyrenees.
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A long low ridge-crest crag, facing back towards the main Pyrenees.
Short,steep 'n' ard though oddly attractive; grades 5 to 8a (mainly 6s and 7s). Watch out for the chittering creature which lives in one of the cracks (but I'm not telling you which route). A short easy walk has one bad step (out of the car park!).
Mid-season crag though the base is well sheltered by pine forest. Flat and safe area. Guidebook: Le Plantaurel, JD Achard 2000.
- Roquefixade, Ariege, Eastern Pyrenees.
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Mid-season crag situated above bridleway and below Cathar castle.
Great position but crag has an 'old' feel to it. Mainly grades 6s and 7s. Base is OK but feels vunerable to stone fall and Coke bottles; great walk up to deserted castle though. Guidebook: Le Plantaurel, JD Achard 2000.
- Saint-Pe d'Ardet,Mid Pyrenees.
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Major crag with Grades 4 to well into the 8s. Faces south but overhangs and trees make shade at various times of the day. Can seep considerably.
Mid-season. Short easy walk to the crag (5 seconds for the Petite Falaise)and the base is generally very flat and safe; can feel a bit gloomy though.
The selling point is the free and (natural-looking) plan d'eau/swimming lake/picnic meadow, only 5 minutes walk away. Friendly cheap camping a la ferme, over the col at Genos. Guidebook: Escalade en Pyrenees Centrales, 1997.
- Ore, Mid Pyrenees.
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Small but nice woodland crag; mainly Grades 6 and 7, with some tufa. Short easy walk to the crag and the base is 'reasonable' although small children might roll off into the bushes.
Mid-season, some shade in the morning but stunningly hot in summer.Guidebook: Escalade en Pyrenees Centrales, 1997.
- Troubat, Mid Pyrenees.
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Major crag, developed for competitions, on open SW-facing hillside with gorgeous views.
Grades; mainly 6s to 8s, and the best are the harder ones. Fairly short but steep approach, with some scree. Base is reasonably safe with sloping meadow below but the goat-poo in unbelievable quantities has ruined the best baby-zone.
Mid season crag; baking in summer unless one is up very early.
Guidebook: Escalade en Pyrenees Centrales, 1997. Sudfrankreich Band 5, T Marschner 1991.
- Cierp-Gaud, Mid Pyrenees.
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A gneiss version of Borrowdale, with bolts, dropped by the roadside. Several tiers, mainly Grades 4 to 6. Some bouldering. The lower tier is one minute from the roadside and has a pleasant base where woodland meets meadow. Mid-season and, as there's shade, possibly summer.
Very appropriate for families (though beware clumsy climbers on higher tiers, oh, and groups... of which there seems to be plenty.
Guidebook: Escalade en Pyrenees Centrales, 1997.
- Les Gorge de la Save, Mid Pyrenees.
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A small wooded gorge with a large brook running through it. Short routes on a pocketed limestone whose polish would be the envy of Stony Middleton.
Mainly Grades 3 to 6, with some rather underdesirable harder ones.
Many bolts are old, often there are no lower-offs (though trees are in-situ)and the descent routes are mud-slides; again, could be the Peak District.
One minute access (apart from the buttresses on the 'wrong' side of the river)and the base is flat and safe though toddlers will inevitably crawl towards the river which is only twenty feet away; though not especially deep, small children need keeping on a lead.
The shade makes climbing possible in summer. Guidebook: Escalade en Pyrenees Centrales, 1997; Sudfrankreich Band 5, T Marschner 1991.
- Aiguebelle, Western Pyrenees.
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Crags near summit of pretty hill looking west towards the final Pyreneen heights before the Atlantic.
A pleasant moderate walk to the lower crag, the Grand Lierre, leads across pasture but the crag feels recently excavated and base safe, but claustrophobic, in a narrow cleft of felled trees.
Steep climbing, some tufa; mainly stiff Grade 7s.
The upper crags, grey slabs with mainly Grades 5 and 6, are reached by a long mountaineering forest scramble, dangling from tree roots, to reach somewhat congested shelves; an older child schooled in such hardships might cope but would not find it a pleasure.
Guidebook: Arguibelle, C Piechaud and J-M Larricq 2000.
Additional information is welcome