Together with my parents I went rock climbing in France during Easter holidays. Before we left I sent a mail to my friend Julia Chanourdie from France to ask her if it was possible to climb in La Chambotte in this season. This is a great climbing area not so far from where she lives. She answered me that we could maybe climb together and the family Chanourdie invited us at their home!
Julia, Anak, Lucie (Julia’s sister), Lise (Julia’s mother)
The beautiful view on the lake
Sunday April 1st
We went climbing with the family Chanourdie in La Chambotte, with its beautiful view on the lake. I climbed together with Julia and she showed me the nice routes! First we warmed up in two 7a’s and later on we climbed ‘Babouin’. The first part is a 7c and when you climb further it is an 8a. The Chanourdies helped me and I could climb the first part flash. I fell in the second part. Julia also showed me a beautiful 8b named Tartine. She and her father helped me to work it out. Julia also climbed very strong and worked out a really hard 8c. Thank you Julia that we could climb together!!
Julia in Babouin 8a
Working out Tartine 8b
Monday April 2nd
I could climb Babouin in La Chambotte. I found it really hard! I also worked out Tartine 8b again.
La Chambotte Babouin 8a
Babouin 8a
Tuesday April 3th
We had a rest day and went to visit the family of Chloé Graftiaux in Chambéry.
Marie and me
Wednesday April 4th
Rainy day. We went climbing in La Balme. This is a great climbing area where you can climb when it rains. It is only 2 minutes walking and there is a big cave with lots of tufas. I climbed a 7a and I worked out a famous 7b+ named Cathédrale. I found it very hard and I could climb it in the first attempt.
La Balme Cathédrale 7b+
The cave in La Balme
Thursday April 5th
We drove to La Chambotte again and I did three attempts in Tartine. I fell two times on a very hard move halfway and the third time a little bit further.
Tartine 8b
My father
Friday April 6th
We decided to climb another day in La Chambotte. I did 2 attempts in Tartine and I could hold the hold where I fell on yesterday. Afterwards I did another attempt and I fell a few moves further. In total I did 7 attempts and I always went a little bit further. Every time I learned something new or I found another method. The last attempt I fell almost at the top, 2 moves away from the belay. I was really tired and I was a bit disappointed, but I liked the route!
A beautiful lizard we saw at the crag
La Chambotte
Saturday April 7th
We had a restday and in the afternoon it started to rain again. We washed our clothes in a laundry and we drove to St. Léger du Ventoux. When we arrived we saw that the parking where you can camp free was full of people! It was the weekend of Easter and there were a lot of climbers.
Sunday April 8th
On the parking of the climbing area we met a group of climbers from Belgium including my friend Celine Cuypers. She went climbing together with us. We went to the sector FFMeuh. It was great that I could help my friend by explaining the moves of ‘FFMeuh’ (7c+) to her. She worked out the route and she topped in in her 1st attempt!! Congratulations! She climbed really strong despite of the cold and the hard wind. I worked out an 8b/8b+ named ‘Le mur des cyclopes’. It was really cold!
Celine Cuypers FFMeuh 7c+
Monday April 9th
We went again to the sector FFMeuh. I did an attempt in the 8b/8b+ and I passed the hard start and I could climb up to the crux at the top of the route. In the crux I could do the first really hard move and then I placed my foot on a foothold that did not look solid. I thought: “Maybe this foothold can brake.” And indeed it broke when I placed my foot on it so I fell. I was allready really tired and I was thankfull that I could climb so high. On my second attempt I passed the hard start again and this time I climbed through the crux and topped out. Thanks to all the climbers who cheered me on! I was really happy and thankfull!
Le mur des cyclopes 8b/8b+
Tuesday April 10th
This day we had a restday again. We bought food and we went to a great place near the river the ‘Toulourenc’.
Wednesday April 11th
My mother became ill and my father and I went to the sector ‘Face sud’ because it was supposed to rain in the afternoon. English climbers explained me the moves of the 8a/8a+ ‘Slip bouse’. I worked it out and I found it really hard. I could top out in the first attempt. Afterwards I worked out the 8a ‘Hilti Blues’ with the help of friendly climbers from Germany. There were really difficult moves and I also found it very hard. I also could top out in the first attempt.
Saint Léger du Ventoux Face sud
Thursday April 12th
We went again to the ‘Face sud’. They said that it would rain but the sun was shining and it was great weather for climbing! We met Rafa and Anne-Lyn and Muriël Sarkany. I tried to work out an 8c named ‘En voie dur Simone’ but this was too hard for me. The beginning was really difficult and overhanging with far moves and very small holds. After this I worked out the beginning of an 8a named ‘Quelques instants au bord du monde’ with the help of a French climber. Then I climbed the whole route.
Trying the 8c
Friday April 13th
We drove up North to visit our family who was on holidays for skiing. I could even ski a little bit (my first time outdoors). My aunt lives there and showed me how to ski.
Saturday April 14th
We drove back to La Chambotte because I wanted to try Tartine again. It was raining and misty but we went to the crag anyway hoping that Tartine was dry enough to climb but water was seeping through the rock and many holds where wet. Impossible to climb. I was a bit dissapointed but there will be a reason that I could not try the route this time.
It were great holidays and I am thankfull for everything I received!
The competition wall (Photo: Dmitry Sushpanova)
