I was thinking of a new venue for a New Year trip and put it to the Rockfax forum. The answer
was that le Thaurac was 'like Stoney Middleton' and
I guessed this hinted at polished and scrappy climbing in an unaesthetic setting. Only slightly
deterred, I went anyway. Well, you can find some
glassy footholds at Thaurac and some parts are quarry-like and, yes, there is a main road running
through the gorge but there the parallel ends. Le Thaurac is set in one of more beautiful
areas of France, many of the climbs easily surpass any limestone route in Britain and, apart
from mid-summer, you can climb there throughout the year.
In an area of excellent mid-winter venues, Claret is of course the jewel but Thaurac is also
well worth a visit with its wider range of grades and with more faces at different aspects to
escape the continual blast of the Languedoc sun.
photo: Mur des Lamentation
The waters of the impermeable Cevennes hills to the north gather into the beautiful river Herault
at the buzzing little town of Ganges, from where it immediately cuts a small gorge through the
Thaurac plateau to reemerge at St Bauzille de Putois. It is in the gorge, and on the south
-facing hillsides above St Bauzille, that the climbing is to be found.
Photo: Rue de Lardon, F7b Photo by Jamie Dawson
The sunny midwinter crags, protected from the northerly tramontane, are on the hillside
looking south as the river pops out the gorge. The busiest winter area seems to be the
Secteur Grotte where
there are single and multiple pitch routes, generally F4s to 6s,and believe it or not
there's very pleasant belevedere just two minutes away
selling gorgeous lattes (it's the entrance to the show caves). So you're not surprised to
hear
tales of polish! Walk ten minutes up slope and the polish vanishes at
the pleasant Baume d'Ayme with its grey slabs. How lazy can climbers
be?
Swinging round to the west face, and into the gorge, the climbing becomes generally more
difficult and you have a choice between facets hidden high up re-entrants and or the adventurous multi-pitch
routes of the huge West Face, well above the road. It is on these facets, high above the gorge,
that much of the new stuff developed in the 1990s can be found. Big pitches, 30 to 50m, in the F7s
and 8s are available here at White Rastafarian, l'Aigle and other quiet hideouts.
Photo: On the Secteur Grotte on the south flanks of le Thaurac
The second most popular winter spot lies slightly further up the gorge where the Mur
des Lamentations follows
the curve of the river. Rising above an abandoned road, two tiers are easily accessible.
Less ambitious
climbers are catered for by the lower band where short well-bolted pitches from F4 to 6 make
for a picnic atmosphere, albeit a bit polished and a bit Stoney-like. But above, along an
easily accessed shelf, rises an excellent full-sized steep crimpy wall (with the odd tufa line thrown
in for good measure). Grades range from low F6s to F8a+, though mainly mid F6 to 7c. Lots of new
stuff here too, even more than is in
Jean-Luc's web-site amendments.
Photo: Mur des Lamentations
Photo below: Looking down into the gorge from Ganges.
Now Stoney may have its good points but personally I'd say a fortnight's climbing
on Peak Limestone would only be a reasonable swap for just one winter's day in the Herault.
Where is it?
Thirty minute up the Le Vigan/Ganges road out of Montpellier. Forty minutes from Nimes.
Ryanair to both Montpellier and Nimes.
Where to stay?
Gites abound around here; try the local branch of
Gites de France.
Plenty of summer campsites. Also, the
auberge a kilometre or so south of St Bauzille, Le Mas de Coulet, seems to get good
recommendations, caters for outdoor types, looks suitably rustic and is apparently reasonably priced.
Topo
Escalades au Thaurac by Fabien Roumanille and Jean-Luc Fabre (2002). You can get this at the
friendly (and very traditional) Bar Glacier in St Bauzille and also at the show caves.
Visit also jean-luc fabre's site
for updates. Check out Grimper magazine
No 34 Nov/Dec 98 for extra photos. The topos in Grimper can be
sampled.
Not to be missed. La Grotte des Demoiselles (the Fairies' Cave),
possibly the best show cave in Europe (despite the tacky cave bear);
excellent guide and a steady 14 degrees
Ganges, a lively small town (not a dead second-home sort of place). Excellent coffee in the
bar opposite the market.
For that special meal. Arrange to book at the auberge in the village at Brissac if you
are intrigued by experimental French cooking.
Canoes for that trip down the Herault.
Photo: The Colisseum at Nimes
Photo: The Camel inside La Grotte des Demoiselle
Other crags:
In winter, Claret for the serious stuff. The big south facing crag at Hortus also has some
modern sport climbing to contrast with its trad stuff. Other hot crags are St Bauzille
de Montmel further south and there are quiet, more local, crags such as the slabby
St Jean de Bueges. The north-facing Argentesse has mainly harder stuff for hotter times
of the year.
