Siurana, Ceüse, Ecrins, Chamonix, and Zermatt

I am planning a trip through Western Europe, hitting some of the major crags and some easy alpine climbs. The trip will start in Spain, cut through Southern France, and then up to the Alps. Six weeks from end of May to beginning July. The major goals for the trip are the Trois Monts route on Mont Blanc and the Aiguille Dibona. But really we want to check out the scene, get on some routes, and get inspired. We can lead low 11s sport and easy trad. A lot of glacier and snow experience from the WA Cascades.

I'm looking for any general beta on great climbs in these five areas. I've scoured the MP archives and the internet and pulled together an itinerary, but thought I'd ask.

I also have a couple specific questions:
(1) We'll be driving from Southern France to Chamonix. It looks like we can pay a premium for automatic cars... looks like at least $10 per day more. None of us is confident in driving manual. Is this gonna be a huge pain? Should I try to learn now?
(2) Is it possible to get to Siurana from Barcelona via public transit or is that a terrible idea?
(3) It feels weird, but I'm guessing there's no need for a mountaineering tent right? Chamonix/Zermatt style alpine climbs are all huts or long days.

Thanks!

1) I don't think that it is a huge pain. I learned driving on a manual car, and it took me less than 1 hour to get comfortabel with it.

3) Yeah, you don't need a tent, there are more than enough huts in the alps.

Though driving a manual isn't that difficult I wouldn't recommend the first time you drive one is over there. Find someone that will teach you now. Learn how to use the e-brake for starting on hills so you don't roll too far backwards and into someone.

I'd say unless you choose some obscure route you'll be fine without a tent. The hut system is pretty amazing! But you might need reservations during that time.

Try camptocanp.org for more routes. It's like our MP.

1) Get a manual, I go to Italy so much that I basically had to force my self to learn there on the fly.....though in Italy getting an automatic is much more expensive, cause its only the high-end cars. My advice is try and learn now, its fun anyway.

2) Definitely recommend against public transport there, it'll end up taking you 3 times as long to get climbing which can be frustrating. To actually get to the crag you'd have to end up finding a taxi somewhere which may or may not be realistic.

3) Huts all over the place

If you find yourself anywhere near northern Italy in early July I'll be in the Orco Valley climbing for a few days.

Have fun!

2) I respectfully disagree with the above post. Last week I caught a bus from Barcelona to Cornudella de Montsant (with a transfer in Tarragona). Cornudella is just a few KM from the town of Siurana, ~4km via trail or 9km via the road. I walked on the road for a few minutes and was picked up by a friendly local. Once you are in Siurana (highly recommend 'Camping Siurana') it is easy to walk to the crags. You won't have to walk more than 30 minutes to get to more world class climbing than you can handle in a full season, let alone a couple of weeks.

The bus company is called 'Plana'. Here is a link to the schedule: turismepriorat.org/files/do…

You can't reserve tickets in advance, just show up at 36 Paseo de Gracia in Barcelona at 3:45pm and buy a ticket from the bus drive (17.50 euros each way).

Hit me up if you need more info! It took me a lot of digging to figure all of this out so I'd be happy to save you the trouble. Siurana is amazing!

1) I think it depends on whether you're going to take the toll roads. My experience driving from Barcelona through southern france without using the toll roads was pretty much 9 hours of roundabouts. I think driving one way I surpassed my lifetime quota of roundabouts. If you go that way you will end up doing a lot of shifting, but taking the toll roads is going to cut into your manual car rental savings. Generally though driving is very relaxed, so unless you're planning on driving into and out of cities being a bit of a bad driver isn't going to get you in trouble.

2) My first thought is don't go to Siurana. It's going to be hot at the end of may, and Siurana has few shady crags. You can get there without a car, it's not terrible, but rental cars are also really cheap. Getting a car will make your trip substantially better. Margalef has some nice shady spots, Rodellar is great (though a bit limited in 5.11s), Tres Ponts, Collegats, and Montserrat will all probably be better at the end of May. Of those I've done Rodellar, Margalef, and Montserrat without a car, but if you're only there for a short trip I think having car wastes a lot less time and you'll be able to see a lot more.

3) Huts in chamonix are nice and accessible, but may be crowded. I think the Trois Monts usually starts from the consmiques hut? It's great hut, but if you're there in July you should consider making a reservation in advance.

...and the Aiguille Dibona. But really we want to check out the scene, get on some routes, and get inspired. We can lead low 11s sport and easy trad.

1) We'll be driving from Southern France to Chamonix. It looks like we can pay a premium for automatic cars... looks like at least $10 per day more. None of us is confident in driving manual. Is this gonna be a huge pain? Should I try to learn now?
(2) Is it possible to get to Siurana from Barcelona via public transit or is that a terrible idea?
(3) It feels weird, but I'm guessing there's no need for a mountaineering tent right? Chamonix/Zermatt style alpine climbs are all huts or long days. Thanks!


Edit: I think there's a bolted route or two on the big face on Aiguille Dibona...but...a couple that require gear and might be not "easy". The gnome route that starts way around the right and winds up on the back, then to the summit, is great fun and although sparsely bolted, the grade is easy. Spectacular summit.

Do you fly in and out of Barcelona? Or? Where are you renting a car? Some countries are much cheaper, but, be careful of strings attached. Also, take photo's of any damage when you rent and clear anything with the car rental folks prior to driving out.

I'd say, at this time, unless you're pretty savvy on driving a manual car, get the auto for 10 more bucks a day. It'll be worth it. Way less stressful.

Over a month trip? That's a lot of lodging cost. Huts aren't cheap. If you budgeted for it, great, but, you can find cheaper options especially if you have a small tent. That would offset your car rental cost.

Switzerland is wicked spendy...especially starting in June. Just sayin'...

JSlack, Jorde, and Brian - thanks for the advice! Much appreciated.

We're flying into Barcelona. I think we'll do Spain carless and we're leaning towards going to Montserrat instead since it seems more accessible and less hot. The plan is actually to bus or train to the South of France and then rent a car from there to head to Ceüse and Chamonix.

I will be bringing a tent - it's either the more spacious backpacking tent or the cramped and uncomfortable MH Direkt 2 I have. Probably will bring the backpacking tent.

I feel fairly confident we can get up "Visite Obligatoire" on Aiguille Dibona, which is bolted (probably sparsely). Will be bringing an alpine rack though for this and other runout sport climbs. We'll have a couple weeks of cragging before to see how we measure up. Otherwise the gnome route it is.

Nate T.W. wrote:I feel fairly confident we can get up "Visite Obligatoire" on Aiguille Dibona, which is bolted (probably sparsely). Will be bringing an alpine rack though for this and other runout sport climbs. We'll have a couple weeks of cragging before to see how we measure up. Otherwise the gnome route it is.

Super. Its a stunning location for sure.

Be darn careful leaving a car anywhere in the south of France (etc!) with any belongings in it. Car break-ins are super common.

You might consider Presles for multi pitch too. Or Mont Aiguille. Not too far past Ceuse.

Fun!

I heard that AAC members can get a stamp from the UIAA to get discount at mountain huts in the Alps. It costs $75 on top of normal membership dues. Anyone have an opinion on whether the stamp is worth it?

Nate T.W. wrote:I heard that AAC members can get a stamp from the UIAA to get discount at mountain huts in the Alps. It costs $75 on top of normal membership dues. Anyone have an opinion on whether the stamp is worth it?

I got a discount a couple of times without a stamp by just showing my current AAC card.

The discount is substantial if you plan on spending a few nights. For instance, in France (from the CAF website):

Reciprocity also entitles you to a 50% reduction on the price per night in shelters and homes of more than 1500 m altitude Alpine Club of French for all members affiliated to clubs.


So, I'd do the math and see how many nights at which hut in which country and look into the price break. You wouldn't have to spend too many nights to have it pay for itself.

In Switzerland, if you booked space in the Hornlihutte (popular and expensive), the discount isn't that great. Only 10 CHF per night. Given the hut is 150 CHF per night, its not a big discount.

hoernlihuette.ch/reservatio…

Did I mention Switzerland is spendy? Ha ha...

I'm pretty sure any mountain club gets a discount not just the AAC. When I went over there I just gave them my Mountaineering Club of Alaska number and got the discount.

Brian in SLC wrote:Be darn careful leaving a car anywhere in the south of France (etc!) with any belongings in it. Car break-ins are super common.

How recent is your data about car break-ins?
Climber car break-ins happen lots of places, even USA. And two or three decades ago, there was a rash of them on southern France.

Wondering if the frequency is still substantially higher in that region than other places. I notice that one of the few things other American climbers seem to "know" about climbing near the coast of southeast France is car break-ins.

Anyway it's just fine with me if most Americans stay away from there. And just fine with me if the few who visit stick to the now polished routes recommended by Americans from thirty years ago.

kenr wrote: How recent is your data about car break-ins? Climber car break-ins happen lots of places, even USA.

Sure, and they're super common here, especially in the local canyons. And, when visiting climbers enquire about climbing here, a warning about them is prudent.

My "data" is recent (last few years) and first hand. I've seen the broken glass in the parking lots, broken windows in parked cars, and, had a friend who had their car broken into at a rest area outside Nice when they were sleeping in it (wallet and camera stolen).

One of the problems is that rental cars are an easy mark. Folks know the cars are rentals. And, some travelling climbers never take everything with them. Easy pickin's.

Google "car theft Provence France"...an enormous amount of material to consider.

france.usembassy.gov/travel…

moderntroubadours.blogspot.…

I wouldn't suggest anyone stay away...at all. Just be smart about leaving an unattended car.

Thanks for taking the time to give details.

I often climb several days a year along the French Mediterranean seacoast. And I do take serious precautions. And my car has not been broken into. And I did some wonderful sea-cliff climbing in the past few weeks.

So worth knowing that the precautions are worth taking.

About three years ago in Europe while out hiking (not climbing) I did get my car broken into (with window broken) and nothing of value inside it (they took a couple of oranges and a container of yogurt). But that was nowhere near the Sea.

Ken

Monserrat and Siurana are going to be similar temps. I like Monserrat more because it has longer climbs. I can do limestone anywhere and the conglomerate rock is just fun. If it is warm enough for shade, try to hit the northern side of Monserrat.

We drove from Barcelona to Chamonix also a few years ago. We used toll roads and would recommend it since even then it took some getting used to.

If you want cool sport climbing and it is not hot in Barcelona, head for Parc Natural del Garaf. It is a cool limestone climbing area on the Mediterranean. But Siurana is definitely the more popular destination and the most used.

Have fun and be safe.

Thanks Manny. Awesome trip report.

Anyone have the Rock Topo pdf for Montserrat? Their website is broken.