Pocket-Pulling Paradise

Châteauvert, that bastion of loveliness, the leafy warmth that draws us back. We have a soft spot for the area due to the abundance of overhanging routes, even in the low grades. Especially in the low grades; a plethora of big jugs in steep rock on many lower graded routes makes for super-fun, swing-tastic climbing. The holds are polished - development began in the '60's - but the positive pocketiness and a tonne of chalk make up for the slipperiness.

Our first stay began with a 7 o'clock start and a nudie run into the *freezing* stream that flows through the centre of the gorge. Aprés, lots of jumping around like crazy (people?) to warm up. Following breakfast, and a bitch of an untangling session as our shiny new rope descended into an unfathomable mess, we went to tackle Pleine Lune (7a+), a nest-egg that Sam laid down last year. He smashed it second go after placing the quickdraws, proving that a year without climbing routes is no impediment. Amber tried a couple of 6a's which were varyingly sent with ease or ignominiously abandoned through terror of laybacking.

Visit numero deux was again beautifully sunny (of course); we climbed six outrageously lovely, strong, juggy routes in some kind of record of efficiency for us, and got our harnesses horribly sweaty in the boiling afternoon sun (a theme developing here, perhaps?). It was so hot that we drank all our water, so we tried the stream but it tasted like suncream.

Sam at the top of the short and powerful Pleine Lune, stoked to have settled a score (or hatched the nest-egg?) - rated one of the {Top 50} sport climbs in the Côte d'Azur on Rockfax©.

Halfway up the pocketed awesomeness of Jasmine in sector Alex, SO MUCH FUN!!!

On our third and final jolly we were accompanied by Lea, Alex and Roman, all typically strong, laidback French climbers. Big-boy-balls at the ready, we climbed on the Grand Face, a shaded amphitheater of long, long, long, long, pumpy, pumpy, pumpy... Yeah, the climbing here is very sustained, you have to fight for it, particularly if you are bouldering orientated (or for the less terminologically geeky, we were bloody knackered after the first 5m). We learnt the French word for lead 'dogging', that is 'saucisson', and used this plenty - Amber is fast becoming an expert in this art. She dogged up two 38m powerhouses, Arielle (6b) and another newer route, Habitus (6b+), and was supremely chuffed. Sam flashed these, and then followed the others up the 28m super-jugasaurus Les Frontiers du Neant (7a) on the first go. 

Awesome finish and hugely inspiring to climb with the others. Have to finish this post here, 'cus Sam guffed. Ciao.