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m2j1s
Apr 4, 2007, 1:46 PM
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Registered: Jun 8, 2006
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I'm going to switzerland for about a month this summer, and I was wondering where the best places to go are for single pitch, sport or trad climbs around/under the 5.10 range. Any good guide book would also be helpful. I will be all around the country so location doesnt matter.
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dirtbagger
Apr 5, 2007, 11:15 AM
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Registered: Feb 18, 2005
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G'day there
Well Switzerland is just covered in single pitch crags, called "Klettergarten" in german! There heaps of guides, but the ones which feature 5.10 and below climbs would be the "Plaisir" guides for Switzerland. Basically sport climbing crags, split between east, west, southern and Jura (limestone) areas.
website where you can order them is www.filidor.ch
All in german though, with italian / french translations!
if you would like particular sweet spots/ or other beta PM me
cheers
dirtbagger
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m2j1s
Apr 5, 2007, 12:44 PM
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thank you, i looked at that website (which I most definetly cant read) and found a few plasir books, which one would you recomend? or would it be best to buy 2 of them? and since I dont speak german, would I have a hard time understanding the guide books (or would it be pretty easy to find someone to translate) thanks
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pro_alien
Apr 5, 2007, 1:20 PM
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Registered: May 20, 2006
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East and West are probably most interesting in Summer. South may be too hot, and there is a more up-to-date Tessin guide by SAC.
If in doubt you can always use on-line translators, german wikipedia etc.
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dirtbagger
Apr 6, 2007, 8:55 AM
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Registered: Feb 18, 2005
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there are standard symbols/icons used! Once you figure them out, its pretty easy o read the guide!
99% unfortunately of all climbing here in Switzerland is bolted sport climbs! So you just need a 60m rope, 15 QDs! That will do, for anything really in Switzerland, even some of the more hairy alpine routes! Although I would suggest to do those with somebody local! Climbing in Apline setting has its own issues/dangers!
With regards to the question, which guide you wanna buy! Well it depends on what time of climbing you wanna do! Central (Gotthard Massive) is all granit, gneiss, and other metamorphosed schists! Western part (eg french part of CH) is 99% limestone (also tends to be very polished)! Then there is a bit more granit and limestone, & metamorphics in the Valais! Some nice alpine routes around there as well.
The eastern part of Switzerland is mainly cooked sea-floor, (ophiolites) hence kinda ok-isch but not as nice as the granite. Although Bergell/Engadine (near St Moritz) also has some lovely grano-diorite related rocks! Geologically Switzerland is kinda messed up, all bit crumpled and pushed up (thats why you get the Alps!)!
So depending on the rock type you like climbing, there is your choice. Also how / where do you want to stay? tent/hotel/ Alpine huts?? Transport is the easiest! You can basically get a public transport to anywhere in Switzerland (usually with timed connections!). check out www.sbb.ch
Alpine huts are cool! Say for instance Salbit area, has fantastic granit routes, a nice hut (where you can buy cold beers at the end of the day's worth of climbing) and is relative cheap to stay! Worth becoming a member of the SAC (Swiss Alpine Club) to get the discounts!
Otherwise (wild camping is actually illegal in many cantons) but if your way above the tree line, and out of sight and just bivving, I have not had any problems so far!
Anyway, as I said, give some ideas of your plans and I can give you better feedback!
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uasunflower
Apr 6, 2007, 12:43 PM
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Registered: Aug 11, 2003
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all that said, i would go to switzerland mainly for multipitch and alpine stuff i.e. Gastlosen or Rosenlaui, but that's me...
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m2j1s
Apr 6, 2007, 10:59 PM
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Registered: Jun 8, 2006
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well i would have to agree, the only issue is that i'm going with my sister who is a beginner climber and so I wouldnt want to get stuck in any sticky situations on multi pitch climbs with someone who's hardly ever climbed before. otherwise I'd love to climb anything and everything
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uasunflower
Apr 10, 2007, 11:41 AM
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Registered: Aug 11, 2003
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isn't it fun having 2 threads and having to say the same thing over and over in both...i guess it helps the postcount 
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