|
crackmd
Aug 1, 2008, 11:37 PM
Post #1 of 23
(12439 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Mar 24, 2002
Posts: 444
|
If the meaning of the title of this thread eludes you then stop reading now.
My wife an I are trying to plan our "dream vacation". We are both avid climbers (sport and trad, no preference). We also are connoisseurs of fine wines. We are interested in finding a locale where we can combine these interests. France, Italy and Spain come to mind, but we are open to other ideas.
I am interested to learn how the famous climbing areas in Europe correspond geographically to the famous wine producing regions. A fantastic limestone crag in Burgundy or Alsace would seem too good to be true.
We are at a point in our lives where we are no longer looking for the "dirtbag" experience if that's not already apparently obvious. Access to nice accommodations would be a must for us.
Any advice is greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance.
|
|
|
|
|
kimbill
Aug 2, 2008, 2:32 AM
Post #2 of 23
(12384 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Dec 4, 2006
Posts: 23
|
There might be a good general correspondence between wine and climbing, as grapes like soils derived from limestone. That's certainly true in France. Many climbing sites are near or even in the middle of vineyards. A few (of many) examples:
There is excellent climbing right in the middle of the best Burgundy wine region. Going south from Dijon, there are crags at Fixin, Brochon, Cormot and Remigny (near Chagny). All sites have well equipped sport routes, primarily single pitch, in all grades. There is a guidebook to the whole region published by Jingo Wobbly. Check Amazon or Amazon UK.
Further south in France, the Dentelles de Montmirail offer hundreds of equipped single and multipitch routes overlooking the wine village of Gigondas (not far from Avignon).
Near Aix en Provence is the Montagne Sainte Victoire, made famous in Cezanne's paintings. It marks the beginning of the Côteaux d'Aix en Provence wine region. It is also a major (cool weather) climbing site with sport and trad routes of all kinds, long and short, easy and hard.
You should have no trouble finding comfortable accommodation near any of these or other French climbing sites. Outside of July and August you probably wouldn't need to worry much about reserving rooms in advance. The Office de Tourisme of the town nearest the climbing site can provide you with a detailed list of hotel or B & B possibilities.
You will need to rent a car as many sites are not conveniently accessible on public transport. You will also need to be prepared for high prices, at least as long as the US dollar is so weak.
|
|
|
|
|
crackmd
Aug 2, 2008, 12:55 PM
Post #3 of 23
(12298 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Mar 24, 2002
Posts: 444
|
Thanks kimbill for the response.
The crags that you mentioned around Burgundy, can you tell me more about them. Are they "destination" crags? It's difficult to tell from RC.com database.
What about the famous crags like Ceuse and the Verdon Gorge? Are they close to any of the notable winegrowing regions? I'd also be quite interested in any info on Spain and Italy as it relates to my question.
|
|
|
|
|
kimbill
Aug 2, 2008, 3:35 PM
Post #4 of 23
(12259 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Dec 4, 2006
Posts: 23
|
You can find more information about French climbing sites through COSIROC.org. Look for the "Index of described crags" in the left sidebar, then look up sites alphabetically. All the information is in French first, then scroll down for English.
Whether the Burgundy crags are worth a trip in themselves depends on what kind of climbing you like, and how much wine you drink. The sites mentioned in our previous post are not the most famous in the region, just the ones in the vineyards. There are endless single-pitch sport routes at all levels in the area.
Ceuse is outside of Gap in the Hautes Alpes department. There is not so much viticulture in that area, though there is a Vin de Pays des Hautes Alpes. It's not a famous wine. Ceuse is a beautiful site, but you have to be a very strong climber to enjoy it. Do you warm up in the 5.11s?
We haven't climbed at Verdon. It's not in an area famous for wine, but the climbing is legendary. You might also look at climbing sites in the department of the Var near Toulon, or the Vaucluse, or the Bouches du Rhone. There is a lifetime's worth of climbing and all the wine you could drink.
People have told us that Finale Liguria climbing area in Italy is worth a trip. We haven't been, but we think that it must be a wine region too.
|
|
|
|
|
mcolombo
Aug 2, 2008, 3:40 PM
Post #5 of 23
(12256 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Jun 23, 2003
Posts: 40
|
Lake Garda -Arco -Valpoliceli -Bardolino
|
|
|
|
|
jmvc
Aug 2, 2008, 10:39 PM
Post #6 of 23
(12204 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Sep 10, 2007
Posts: 647
|
Well, the title did elude me, being a beer man myself, but the penedes region in Spain produces a lot of wine and cava, and is within a one hour drive of many crags, including Montserrat.
|
|
|
|
|
dynosore
Aug 3, 2008, 12:01 AM
Post #7 of 23
(12189 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Jul 29, 2004
Posts: 1768
|
What about Argentina/Chile? Just a thought....
(This post was edited by dynosore on Aug 3, 2008, 12:01 AM)
|
|
|
|
|
crackmd
Aug 3, 2008, 12:09 AM
Post #8 of 23
(12177 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Mar 24, 2002
Posts: 444
|
I'm Interested! Tell me what you know.
|
|
|
|
|
the_leech
Aug 3, 2008, 1:37 AM
Post #9 of 23
(12154 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Feb 8, 2007
Posts: 392
|
I don't think we should encourage climbing pedophiles.
It's just wrong.
|
|
|
|
|
sbaclimber
Aug 3, 2008, 9:40 AM
Post #10 of 23
(12108 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Jan 22, 2004
Posts: 3118
|
The Elbsandsteingebirge (Saechsische Schweiz) in Germany are along the Elbe River, right behind the vineyards
The Elbe region is probably the second largest wine region in Germany, so plenty to climb, plenty to drink, and plenty of good accommodation.
(and the Czech Republic is right next door, so plenty of good Pilsner beer too!)
Edit, I just remembered that this has been posted in Sport Climbing. The Elbsandsteingebirge is not really a sport climbing area. There are plenty of routes (most 5.10ish upwards) with only bolts for protection, but I would call few, if any, of them "sport" routes.
(This post was edited by sbaclimber on Aug 3, 2008, 10:28 AM)
|
|
|
|
|
crackmd
Aug 3, 2008, 2:27 PM
Post #11 of 23
(12049 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Mar 24, 2002
Posts: 444
|
I was torn about which forum to post this in. I chose sportclimbing because most climbing in Europe falls into this category.
The Elbe sounds intriguing. I am a big fan of German Rieslings but have a lot to learn about them. Where can I learn more about this region?
|
|
|
|
|
macblaze
Aug 3, 2008, 5:31 PM
Post #12 of 23
(12019 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Jun 23, 2005
Posts: 807
|
The Canal du Nivernais.
Runs along side two (world class?) beautiful crags: La roche Saussois (near Chatel Censoir) and <damn I forgot the name> (near Clamecy). You are cruising through the heart of Burgundy with great local wines in every fricking corner store... sigh...
I just got back. We were on a family vacation so I only took my shoes and bouldered but it was awesome. We visited a bunch of "caves" (the wine kind) and hiked through vineyards, did some climbing and stayed in our own "luxury" canal boat...
10 days of bliss...
|
|
|
|
|
sbaclimber
Aug 3, 2008, 5:56 PM
Post #13 of 23
(12011 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Jan 22, 2004
Posts: 3118
|
crackmd wrote: I am a big fan of German Rieslings but have a lot to learn about them. Where can I learn more about this region?
This site is probably a good starting point though: http://cms.elbland.de/.../en/ch_home/ch_wein/
|
|
|
|
|
roy_hinkley_jr
Aug 3, 2008, 7:17 PM
Post #14 of 23
(11993 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Sep 8, 2005
Posts: 652
|
Little known fact: Joe Iurto (sp?), the editor of Urban Climber, is a sommelier. He gave up the wine world for climbing. Might be worth your while to shoot him an email for suggestions.
|
|
|
|
|
kimbill
Aug 3, 2008, 7:24 PM
Post #15 of 23
(11990 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Dec 4, 2006
Posts: 23
|
The other site on the Nivernais canal, near Clamecy, is called Surgy. Le Saussois and Surgy are not too far from the town of Chablis (40 km), but you don't see the vineyards from the crags.
|
|
|
|
|
qwert
Aug 3, 2008, 7:49 PM
Post #16 of 23
(11980 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Mar 24, 2004
Posts: 2394
|
Finale Ligurie: Havent tried the vines there, but there are some vineyards. The climbing is considered very good, but i didnt like it to much (way to soft stone). Since the whole coast is used a lot for tourism ist should be quite easy to find non-dirtbag accomodation in all kinds of price ranges. but be carefull, italian beach "resorts" are a very special thing.
Lago di Garda: Some very nice wines, and a fantastic landscape, as well as nice climbng, but very crowded at the popular crags. but many choices. More alpine stuff or via ferrate, or just go surfing.
Pfalz, Germany: recently the pfalz has produced some very good wines, and the climbing there is world class. however the wine yards are on the edge of the pfälzer wald towards the rhine graben, wheres the crags are more in the middle of the forrest. Climbing is a mixture of trad and sport, on sandstone (no chalk under i think 7a allowed)
Languedoc/ south east of france: the area around Perpignan, near the spanish border. lots of nice wine, and some good crags too. also it is possible to hike/ climb on snowcovered 3000m peaks in the pirenees and then hike down and take the car to spend the evening at the beach of the mediterean sea.
Ticino/ Tessin Switzerland: southern, italian speaking part of switzerland. vineyards on the feet of big mountains. if you go to Locarno you can have everything, from nice, expensive restaurants on the seashore, to sport and multipitch climbing in the maggia valley.
and much more destinations ...
May i suggest a roundtrip, if you have the time? get a book about european vine regions and climbing regions, and see where they overlap. Or just go to the climbing spots, and widen your focus to stuff like beer and stuff to eat.
qwert
|
|
|
|
|
jt512
Aug 3, 2008, 9:35 PM
Post #17 of 23
(11956 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Apr 12, 2001
Posts: 21904
|
Consider the Riverside Quarry. You can stock up on 2-buck Chuck at the Riverside Trader Joe's, and stay at the Motel 6 on the 60 Fwy.
Jay
|
|
|
|
|
kiwiprincess
Aug 3, 2008, 11:07 PM
Post #18 of 23
(11943 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Oct 26, 2007
Posts: 307
|
The New Zealand central Otago(45deg) Pinot Noir is very nice.
Cromwell/gibbston are the main area's and only 1 hr tops from either Queenstown or Wanaka which have Schist sport climbing. Perhaps not a top 10 world climbing destination but Pretty good.
|
|
|
|
|
crackmd
Aug 4, 2008, 12:00 AM
Post #19 of 23
(11928 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Mar 24, 2002
Posts: 444
|
Hey Jay
I can't tell you how much I miss the awesome climbing at the Quarry since I left California. We have great climbing here in Flagstaff, but there is only one quarry. Don't know how down I am with the Motel 6 idea though. Hope things are well with you.
Mike
|
|
|
|
|
crackmd
Aug 4, 2008, 12:04 AM
Post #20 of 23
(11925 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Mar 24, 2002
Posts: 444
|
I like the sound of the Languedoc idea. Is there any good limestone in that area or within reasonable distance? Sounds like a beautiful area with mountains, beach, wine and whatever else. I'm getting some great info from this thread. Thanks to all who have and are yet to respond.
|
|
|
|
|
kimbill
Aug 4, 2008, 12:50 AM
Post #21 of 23
(11906 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Dec 4, 2006
Posts: 23
|
Near Perpignan (just above the Spanish border) you can find good limestone crags at Vingrau and Tautavel in the Corbieres / Cotes du Rousssillon wine region. The Tautavel site is in a watery canyon, so you can cool off quickly on a hot day. There's an achaeological site/museum if you're interested in early human occupation of Europe. Vingrau is nearby, and you go through the vineyards to get to the routes. Some of the classic routes are a bit polished.
Near Narbonne is a nice site for vines and beach (at Gruissan) called La Clape. There are routes with different orientations so that you can find shade.
We've heard of, but haven't tried, climbing on the Spanish side of the Pyrenees. Maybe someone can give some information?
|
|
|
|
|
k.l.k
Aug 4, 2008, 3:10 PM
Post #22 of 23
(11833 views)
Shortcut
Registered: May 9, 2007
Posts: 1190
|
The Dolomites-- South Tirol (Alto adige) is one of the premiere wine regions of Europe and not much visited by Americans. Best food and wine in the Alps. Kalterersee everything, and the Grauvernatsch is my all time favorite fresh table wine. Plenty of sport climbing/bouldering for bad weather or low aerobic days. Better weather than Chamonix or anywhere north of the Brenner.
|
|
|
|
|
hafilax
Aug 22, 2008, 7:14 PM
Post #23 of 23
(11121 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Dec 12, 2007
Posts: 3025
|
In Canada we have the Skaha Bluffs in the Okanagan Valley which is home to many wineries. Probably doesn't fit the bill of this dream vacation but may be worth considering at some other time.
|
|
|
|
|
|
