Baume Rousse as a group of three

Now that we have been joined by Paul we are now a group of three. Paul has come from the UK to receive coaching for a week with Adrian so he is now joining us in our escapades.

To start Paul off on his first day we selected Baume Rousse as it offers a good range of climbs and styles of climb so that he can get used to the rock and climb the type of climbs that suite him. So we spent the better part of the morning getting him warmed up to the rock on a 5+ and a 6a. We was more than strong enough to climb them but needed some time and help to get over the mental aspects of it. His hardest red point to date has be 6b+ but I recon he gets a 6c or more on this trip. He looks good just needs to believe he can hold on to that stuff.

Since we were in the neighbourhood I decided to jump on a 6a+ and 6b slab routes called "Etoile des Neiges" and "Soleil Levant". I managed to move up them with relative easy and Adrian snapped a few photos of me on route as there was a good vantage point that you can get above the climbers from.

We hiked up from sector Facile and moved to sector Central Competition. Paul got on a 6b that called "La Caraille" which Adrian and I had climbed before. He made his way up after a pause on a ledge and worked through some jiters he completed the on-sight. I seconded the climb and then climbed through to do "La Racaille" a 7a that was the first junior mens qualification route for the competition that was held here in 1995. The lines is beautiful, is starts straight up this golden limestone over hanging at 20 degress. Your pulling on huge holds for the first 8 meters then you hit a head wall where you must traverse right a few meters on good hand holds but small foot holds. Once you step right using and undercling you are in a huaco and the climb is back to jugs and more vertical climbing. Not a real test for technical climbing its more of a power endurance crux.

I only made 3rd bolt before I got stuck being unable to figure out what to do with my feet on the stupendously overhanging rock. After sitting back on the rope for a look around I figure out where my feet should go and took another run at it. This time I made it in to the crux sequence before once more losing sight of where my feet go and fell off. It took too more runs to resolved the foot situation but once I did I climbed through to the top. The foot work clearly underscores my challenges with overhanging rock. I need to sort that out if I'm going to get on hard climbs in the future. The only way I can see to resolve the foot work is to get more experience. I guess I'll be making another attempt at this 7a.

After letting Paul have some fun on the top rope I set up on "La Racaille" we came back down to the ground and packed up our things and moved to sector Right Competition. There Adrian and I wrapped up the day on "2002 L'Epicier De L'Espace" a 6b that had bolted on holds. Yes folks, there are gym holds on the rock out here. I'll take a picture next time I'm in the sector. The climb not that ascetic because of the plastic but it is a really nice route.

I almost forgot not only was there fun on the rock but some in the air as well. The French Airforce had a Mirage 2000 flying maneuvers through the mountains behind us earlier in the day. It was like something out of top gun, we were even height with the fighter as is rocketed by.

The day wrapped up with a beautiful sunsets of gold and red in the distant mountains. I see that the sun is shining on the friends back home. I hope you all got out on Sunday!

I hope climbing isn't put off to much by this but I seem to have cut my finger nails a touch short and now chalk has gotten up under then and caused the skin under two of my nails to separate from the nail. Ouch! they sting so much now. I've had this happen before but not quite sure if there is any way to avoid it. Seems to be something I might have to just deal with.

I hope you all well and life is shining on you. Hugs!

Back to Baume Rousse

Another day at Baume Rousse was the order of the menu today. All I could think about was the 9 routes I did yesterday. I was pretty stiff and I'm noticing I'm not eating enough. I could really feel the calorie deficiency. I made up for it tonight by consuming a massive plate of pasta and two plates of salad plus half a baggette.

Ok, enough about the dinner plans so off we went to Baume Rousse. We chose this crag because it means we have ot pass through Buis-Les-Barronies and we hoped there would be the outdoor market which was supposed to happen every Tuesday or so we though. We arrive in town to discover no market but we did find the really good Baker from Montreal and a French special food; paine chocolate. So naturally at the high recommendations from my friend Jenny we bought two and filled our bellies with the delicious chocolate bread on our way to the crag.

The objective today was to completely climb out the left side of the crag most of the remaining ones were easy. The system is to lead one climbing then lower off and top-rope any adjacent climbs. I climbed a 5b called "Murmuroa", it was fun then TRed "La Bavette Spatiale" a 6a one move wonder and finally "Couleur d'Embruns" a 6a+ which has this nice stemming problem. Then I let Adrain take over, he cranked out a tons of routes, some 10 routes in a row. Which cleared out the Facile (easy) wall.

We walked up to the Competition Gauche (left) wall and I jumped back on the sharp end of the rope and lead "Qualif a la place du Kalife" another 6a+ of very high quality. I give it two and half stars out of three. Nice climbing up slightly over hanging rock with good holds and excellent foot holds. I followed this up with a 6a+ called "Les Mille-et-unes Buis" which was pretty easy except for three awkward moves which give it the grade. I wouldn't recommend this climb. Adrain took over and climbed a few climbs as I was getting pretty tired for my third day on.

The animals came back out to play again, this time a beautiful big red squirrel was running around on the climbs at the top of the crag. I was amazing to see how agile it was and big, the thing was like those giant over fed tree rats we have in Stanley park. ;) I was on belay duty when it came out to say hello so I didn't get a picture. Sorry guys. But the animal story I'll cover later will appear on my crackbook pictures.

I hoped on probably the best route at the entire crag a 6b+ called "Gnocchi on heaven's door", it has superb climbing on some over hung sections with tuffas. Unforetunately I missed the flash because I was too tired from attempting a so called 6c boulder problem which gets you to the base of the climb but it was still amazing and I will definitely be up for getting on that one again. Perhaps when some of the tuffa's are more dry.

I finished the day with a fun 6a+ called "No Slibards Today", this was a really fun over hanging jug haul. Only reason this climbed didn't get an easier grade was it has a single awkward section where you have to step up and out onto a ledge with marginal holds.

So we packed up and headed home stopping once more to visit the Baker from Montreal to get some more paine chocolate. When we got home I got a little surprise; my first scorpion in the sink. Yes folks instead of spiders in the sink the get scorpions. So I snapped a picture and will post it as I mentioned earlier. Me, life goals, "Find Scorpion in sink". Tick! I'll definitely be checking my shoes when I put them back on at the crag from now on. Those thing give me the willies.

Tomorrow is a rest day so hopefully I have more time to contemplate things and I'll hopefully share them here. the picture in this post is of the single rose that is just outside our door. Seem spring is coming early here.

Be well. May light and love shine on you.

Return to Baume Rousse

Today we return to Baume Rousse for some more abuse. After dogging it for the first two days waking up at 10 AM I finally managed to shake the jetlag and wake up at 8 AM. That didn't mean we got rolling quick it just means I ACTUALLY woke up that early.

After a slow start we still managed to get to the crag and hour earlier than our previous times which was much needed since we were going to make this a big day as tomorrow is going to be a rest day.

We started by warming up on a climb call Milky Way was a two pitch climb or a single 35m 6b+ that was really easy up to crux at the top. Next we took a photo op for Adrian to get some shots of the crag.

Next I hopped on Rigni, Rignette et Rignoulou and Haschisch B both of which are 6b+. The were fun and got me warmed up to retrying the glorified boulder problem L'Ecole Net which was the 7a couldn't finish on Wednesday. Well on the bright side I was able to do the crux moves of L'Ecole Net but I was feeling too gased to 'scend. So I bailed off it and Adrian put the draws up on a 6c+ call Les Ailes du Vizir. I got on it and fell just after the crux. All these climbs were awesome and I would recommend them to anyone visiting the area.

I took a few shots from the top of Les Ailes du Vizir and that is the photo attached to this post. On the right side of the cave to the right of the tree is where Haschisch B starts and it goes right to the top.

Tomorrow is a rest day so I'm going to catch up on sleep and email.