The Verdon Gorge is located in Southern France in the region of Alpes de Haute Provence. Impressive in size and considered by many to be one of the most beautiful river canyons in Europe, the bright turquoise of the Verdon river shimmers against the massive limestone walls that tower either side of it.
The Gorges du Verdon limestone is well known for its quality and challenge, however it is also the perfect training ground for beginner climbers to master the techniques of multi-pitch climbing. The gorge offers amazing bolted and traditional multi-pitch climbing routes - you'll find everything from perfect cracks to overhanging walls and technical face climbs. With over 1000 routes in the area, you never have to climb the same one twice!
The massive choice and variety of routes makes this area popular with beginners and experienced climbers alike; some routes are accessed on foot via tunnels that lead into the bottom of the gorge, whereas you'll abseil into others from above.
Verdon Gorge is the perfect destination offering good quality climbing and great cuisine in the amazing environment and climate of the Haute Provence. This is an unmissable trip for any climber.
The Gorges du Verdon course is designed for beginners in multi-pitch climbing. If you enjoy sport climbing - either on your local crag or in an indoor climbing wall - and wish to move on to more adventurous and longer climbs, this course is for you.
We expect you to have some experience in rock climbing and to know the basic rope work techniques (how to tie your knot, how to safely belay your lead climber, how to rappel). However, this course includes a refresher day where we will focus on all these techniques and practsie them to perfection.
During this course you will be required to climb French 5+ on lead rope and 6A-6A+ on top rope. If you are unsure of your suitability for this trip please feel free to contact us for advice.
The course is based and run from the Chalet de la Maline, a rural gite with excellent access to the gorge. Accommodation is on a shared basis 4-6 beds to a room, breakfasts and dinners included.
Please note that this accommodation is subject to availability. There are possible additional costs for another gite if the Chalet de la Maline is not available, this will be confirmed with you at time of booking.
1890€
Price per person for a group of minimum 2 persons
| 2017 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Start Date | End Date | Spaces | |||
| Sep 11 | Sep 15 | 2 | |||
| Sep 25 | Sep 29 | 2 | |||
5 days of guiding and instruction by a UIAGM qualified mountain guide.
6 nights accommodation at Chalet de la Maline, with breakfast and dinner.
Ropes, safety equipment, etc will be provided when needed by your guide.
Our team is based at the foot of the Aiguillle du Midi cable car and will be happy to help you with any questions you may have before, during or after your trip to Chamonix.
Please see the "Equipment" tab to find out what you will need. Anything that you do not already have can be rented here in Chamonix, if there is anything you need then please contact us and we will be happy to organise it for you.
For private customised guiding, please contact us directly to confirm your perdoanlised kit list.
We strongly recommend that you take our Search and Rescue mountain insurance - we can organise this for you on request.
The price does not include lunch or snacks. You can bring your own food and we can stop for a picnic, or there may be the option to buy lunch at a mountain hut. Please make sure that you are carrying sufficient water and snacks as we will be in the mountains for a number of hours.
Today you will meet your guide and the rest of the group and enjoy dinner together at the Chalet de la Maline.
The course will start with a refresher day where we will go climbing single pitch routes.
We will practice all the essential rope techniques and check the use of different belay devices.
This is the perfect opportunity to warm-up your muscles and to get used to climbing this type of rock.
Today we will climb a short multi-pitch route (about 4 pitches) to put our rope work skills into practice.
We can either go climbing at one of the sport climbing are or have a swim in the river in the afternoon.
Most of the big routes are accessible by an abseil from the top of the canyon and this is what we will do today!
Dropping into the gorge with a long rappel from the Dent d’art Belvedere, we'll then climb 7-8 pitches of up to 6A+ (200m).
Today we'll walk down the impressive Arete du Belvedere trail to climb one of the most popular routes in the Gorges du Verdon, the Arete du Belvedere. This is a long and varied route of 6A+ (250m).
A 200m rappel on a single fixed rope will bring us to the to the Escales sector of the Verdon gorge, an impressive 400m crag with a multitude of climbing routes to choose from.
We'll climb the Afin Que Nul Ne Meure route, 5 pitches of varied fun climbing over 150m (6A+).
You'll have one last breakfast with the other members of your group before leaving.
Warm hat
Sun hat
Hiking boots
Climbing shoes
Harness
Screwgate carabiner
60 - 120 cm tape sling
Belay device
Climbing helmet
35 - 45 litres rucksack
Sunglasses
Water bottle (1 litre minimum)
Sun cream high protection (for lips and face)
Headlamp with fresh batteries
Sleeping bag liner
The closest airport is Nice or Marseille. Then it is best to hire a car and drive to Verdon. Let us know if you are booking as an individual, we can get you in touch with the other participants to share a car. Alternatively, we can ask the Chalet owners to come and pick you up (extra surcharge).
