Summer Euro-Trip

[ClimbHigh253]

Hey everybody,

Im planning a trip to Europe(1st time) this summer and hope to get lots of climbing in. Ill try to keep this short and sweet although I have so many questions/ concerns. Here's an overview of my somewhat 'planned' trip.

 

First, this trip is very flexible. I have major cities I want to see but nothing is set in stone. I want it as 'in the moment' as possible.

 

Duration: June 16- August?(bought a one-way and have no reson to be back at any specific time.)

 

Cities- Rome, Florence, Venice, Vienna, Prague, Berlin, Amsterdam, Brussels, London, Paris, Chamonix!, Monaco, Barcelona, Madrid

 

Unfortunately I wont be able to take very much climbing gear but have the means to buy/ rent any gear that I need over there.

ANY information on climbing areas(crag, boulder,gyms,alpine, etc.)climbing partners, attractions, contacts, guides, gear rental, places to stay, things to eat, etc. would be very very helpful and appreciated.

 

Simply, if you have any tips or information on anything in Europe, please let me know. HUGE Thanks.

 

 

[mattp]

???

 

Great food and art are everywhere, good climbs can be had at a slightly less extensive set of destinations, and you have not said what you are interested in. Are you hitting all those cities you listed? If so, you won't have time for climbing.

 

For traditional rock climbing (yes, I know it is "sport"), I'd recommend the Verdon Gorge. The Mt. Blanc Range is not to be missed for snow and icy stuff, and the Dolomites for "alpine" rock. But seaside? Boulders? What is your flavor? Are you looking for a great family-run hut? A really good guide for a particular peak? Historical or cutting edge climbs?

[ClimbHigh253]

Im planning to visit all those cities and climb on my non-travelling days.Im planning to spend at least 3 days in each city so it wont strictly be a climbing trip but I want to incorporate it into my plans as much as possible.

As for the type of climbing, in the Alps(Mt. Blanc Range) I would love to do some of the classic alpine routes. In the Dolomites I was thinking of some cragging, possibly even some longer hikes, and in Spain try some deep water soloing with whatever else I can get on.

I think the area where I would most like a guide would be in the Alps for the longer, alpine routes. Huts would be awesome to stay in but the ones I saw were a little pricey for what I had in mind.?

Thanks for the response. Im getting super psyched just thinking about it.

[EastCoastBastard]

I've just gotten back from Cham a few weeks ago, and the range is at the end of "the worst snowpack in 50 years". Many of the mixed routes we did were not long for this world. I would probably leave the technical ice gear at home in favor of doing some alpine rock routes.

The huts (some of them, like the Cosmiques) are really pricey, but you can camp just about anywhere.

 

hope that helps

 

Graham

[ClimbHigh253]

Thanks Graham thats great to know. Wish I could've gotten over there sooner.

[spionin]

like matt said, i think you're a little ambitious with the number of stops. just doing a quick calculation (14 cities x 3 days per city) is 42 days. and your travel times can get longer (and more expensive) than you suspect. so you're definitely looking at being there through august, if you are still considering all the destinations.

 

another thing is that just like here, you won't be able to easily get to some climbing areas without a car. one place i found to be somewhat accessible was calanques. i can't remember the bus route number, but you can catch a city bus to the university of the mediterranean campus from downtown marseille (near the fish market), and it drops you off literally at the trailhead. then again, there are lots of cliffs with different degrees of accessibility, some of which are accessed from other towns (cassis, etc). just an example.

 

 

maybe start with a big map of europe and mark your "cultural" destinations, and figure out how you're getting between them (train, bus, air). then look at the map here: http://www.climb-europe.com/areas.htm and see whether there are any climbing destinations that are nearby, or at least not off track. figure out what are your options for getting to those places (city bus, renting a car, posting a note in a local climbing shop about ride sharing?). it'll save you time and money. check out "rock climbing europe" falcon guide.

 

and keep in mind that some places will get really hot in july. are you planning to solo or hope to run into people who'll climb with you? some places get more traffic than others, and you might want to check into crowd situation before you take a few days to hitchhike into some cool off-the-track crag only to end up not being able to climb anything. good luck.

[fgw]

here's a handful of tr's from sh.t we've climbed in europe:

 

euro tr's

 

that Stuart Green Rock climbing Europe book is OK at best (but as far as I know the only "comprehensive" guide to the continent; no alpine, just a somewhat weird selection of crags). the only place it seemed to work well for us was in meteora in greece. kohler & memmel dolomites select book is great for that place. did not see a good guidebook in english for the stuff in spain. enjoy