Another long weekend comes again. This time we decide to join a group from CAF (club alpine français) on a non-official trip to Buis les Baronnies, another very famous climbing area (site of the 1995 championship or chepa quoi). We depart early Friday (11) morning, join the other at the gîte and head out to the wall which is only 10 minutes away by car from the gîte.
We arrive at the foot of the wall after a small approach (15-20 minutes?). We separate into groups and start attacking the routes. They are about 100 to choose from, and on the easy range about 15-20 I would say. On the good side, they are slightly overrated but on the bad side sometimes the bolts are a little spaced out. While getting ready to rope up for a climb I bumped into some Grenoble friends like Fabien, and then later Dominique at the Bar (standard post-debriefing place), and later Manu on the apprach trail... I like this place...At the return to the Gîte we have a nice Apero at 8pm where we learn amazing things like the age of Jerôme! and then a nice large pasta dinner...
The next day (12) the weather degrades into drizzle rain. We do a hike in the morning. In the afternoon, they were still some who were itchy to climb... we drive around and check another smaller climbing area, but it is too wet to climb there. Then, "We" decide to go back to Buis les Baronnies, actually there were some people from our group who went there in the morning even under the rain. Eventhough the routes were damp, they were still climbable, in my case, it was actually the 6a Xinibition my favorite climb of the weekend done in damp conditions.
The evening arrived and the uncertainty about Sunday's weather and the call from Crêpes at Evelyn's place (which feels like Cheers) makes Grenoble our following destination. We arrive just in time, the salty ones where very good (thanks again) and then I "had to" pull up for the team to finish the chocolate... Helas, always making sacrifices for the team... I am such a team player :) ... I also meet Adel, Fred and Honor. Sunday on the way back from Grenoble, we go climbing at St Egrève which has an amazingly short approach (20-40 seconds depending where you park). It also has a good easy slabs...
Thus I had a great weekend, were I met a bunch of people and had a great time climbing.
Link to HP's photos
