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Rod's Euro 2010 - Trip Report 25-Sep-2010 At 9:03:34 PM rod

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Verdon 2 of 2

Next day we called in on Sandra and Jean-Marc at his Bio Camping Verdon. They went picking veggies, we went climbing but set an RDV for dinner. Bernard and I headed for ViriLimite intending an easier day out...

Saut d'Homme: 6a, 6a+, 6a+, 5c
Minet Gominet: 5c, 6b+, 6b, 5c or 6b

Rapped in easy enough but the wall we were intent on climbing looked pretty stiff. I took the first pitch of Saut d'Homme and pretty quickly realised it was going to be an interesting afternoon of test flights - I peeled about a metre away from the penultimate bolt and took a 15m ride, at least being that far away from the bolts you get a soft landing. The bad news was that I had to climb it all again. Bernard flashed it on second but kept commenting on how far apart the bolts were. Off he went on pitch 2, peeled less than 5m later, commented on what a horror show it was, then aided his way right onto Minets Gominets! I flashed the 6b+ on second, SO much easier than the first pitch of Saut d'Homme. Pitch 3 Minets Gominets - fantastic flake/pockets with a little steep section finishing with a big change in rock to more fluted systems. Pitch 4 was a non-event. I felt pretty good climbing wise so pulled a fast one on Bernard by getting him to belay me whilst I took revenge on the last pitch of Dolce Vita. Got it done, went to dinner and a little sampling of the local herbs.

Grande Eycharme Droit: Les Caquous A0 6a+, 6b, 6b, 6b+, 6c, 6c+, 6a+, 6b. Jean-Marc and Sandra borrowed a static so we could all do the 250m rap in one go, very airy. I just enjoyed the view thinking we were climbing a wall to climbers left of the rap, turned out we went almost straight up where we rapped. Bold, vertical to overhanging most of the way and nice and physical. We skipped the first one to avoid the aiding. Otherwise, all pitches stand out. The second 6b, the 6b+ on semi-flutes and the first 6c on gouttes d'eau were all brilliant, the 6c+ was pretty good too and the last 6b had a very physical short roof. Top day out, a quality Verdon corner system. We finished with beers on a terrace, followed by beers at Philou's followed by another visit to the Creperie.

Grande Echarme: unknown name, its not in the topo having been put up recently 6a/+, 6b, 6a+, 6b/c. Pockets and stratified, down low in the gorge. Right up my alley this one and though I had to fight for a couple of 'em I finally onsighted it just before the rain started. All 5 star quality pitches.

Me rapping

Joking around whilst Sandra suffered on a vertical slab, not really her style :)

Sandra amidst the first pitch hostilities

Me in the same pitch setting up for a French Blow

After that it was a long drive home. I added a 10 second spicy section by nearly losing the tail after a rally passing move into a wet, tight, bumpy corner in the mountain section on the North side of Ceuse. Nearly swiped the barriers but kept cool until the tail drift started to ease then used the lack of traction to put it sideways through the next corner. Bernard was impressed by the benefits of my mis-spent youth in the wilds of SW Oz...he even managed to stay awake and talk in quite an animated state until we reached the freeway :)