In the Mediterranean area, climbing in summer implies two options: you can climb in alpine areas, trying to compensate for temperatures with altitude, or you can travel far away, looking for lower temperatures and less humidity. In many cases the real challenge is not just to find a crag or a bouldering area where you can climb with decent conditions, but combining the need for a family holiday with the desire to touch a lot of new rock.
Lauren Batcheck, photographer Matt Burbach | SCARPA
In this sense "top climbers" often show us the way: for them to find the ideal conditions for climbing is fundamental to succeed in their projects. Months on a permanent basis in Céüse, exploratory trips to Flatanger, an honorary residence near Magic Wood: the European summer destinations have become familiar to everyone. Let’s discover them more closely, maybe considering those options that give us "something more" to our holidays than just some days of pure climbing.
We have therefore selected five summer sports climbing destinations and five bouldering areas, including here and there some destinations far away for those who are not afraid of long trips.
Rocklands, meta imperdibile per ogni boulderista
Five sport climbing destinations
Ten Sleep Canyon in Wyoming, a marvelous sport climbing destination in USA
France | Cèüse
Like it or not, Céūse is a salvation for European climbers who cannot afford intercontinental climbing flights for reasons of cost or time. But it would be a bit unreliable to say that all climbers can not wait to test themselves on these routes: the fame that precedes the name of Céüse often involves some reticence especially from those who would like to combine a few days of climbing with a "holiday mood".
The typical day in Céüse works more or less like this: wake up and breakfast calmly, that is to say "really calmly", then relax in the camping, approach the crag in the early afternoon and climb between the early afternoon - when you can still warm up despite the heat of August - and evening, when you can try some decent attempts on your projects by taking advantage of the sun that. passes behind the cliff. Try again until you have energy left and come back to camping with the headlamp.
If you are one of those people who likes to get up and go climbing, returning to the base just in time for an aperitif (more or less like in Spain in winter), you may not be comfortable with this rhythm. The surroundings of Céüse - namely the town of Gap - are not particularly famous for the nightlife: the rest days are often spent in the idleness of the campsite, also to avoid the pressing heat of the lower valley.
By the way we have never heard about anyone considering a logistical option that is not the comfortable campsite below the cliff: it is one of the very few places where you can avoid taking the car for whole days (we advise you to go up with as many supplies as possible). The path to the cliff that starts directly from the campsite is a luxury that only those who have been in very crowded places with indecipherable paid parking lots everywhere - like the Zillertall just to name one - can really understand.
In short, Céüse may be perceived as a five-star destination if climbing is at the top of the "to-do list" of your holidays, or a little lacking in alternative if you would like to combine days on the rock with other activities. As they say in the best travel agencies: "talk about it with your family".
The unmistakable bar of Ceuse stands out against the clear blue sky of France
France | Verdon
Like all the most classic family destinations, Verdon brings together many different needs in a location that looks just amazing. Unlike a destination typically enjoyed only by climbers, just like Céuse, Verdon welcomes hikers, paragliders, kayakers but also kids and people of all ages who want to relax enjoying breathtaking views. It goes without saying that this implies an inevitable consequence, especially in August: the congestion of bars, campsites and roads.
If, however, you want to escape from the general chaos of August, climbing in Verdon will give you some breath thanks to smaller crags that are not beaten by hikers and that are definitely quieter than the dreaded Tour of the Gorges. In fact, beyond the multi-pitch routes that go up from the river to the belvederes, and for which you will need a good period of "aclimatisation", there are many littler crags with single pitches, some of which north facing or anyway well livable in summer.
Verdon is rarely lived as an "absolute" destination by climbers: more often it is a stage of a tour that touches different areas of France or North West Italy. At a reasonable distance, about three and a half hours by car, there is also the whole summer area of Briançon with cliffs, long routes, alpine bouldering areas and endless walks. Here, especially in the area of Ailefroide, you can always find good vibes and a climate that is so dry that even the hottest temperatures become manageable.
Seb Bouin on the epic DNA in Gorges du Verdon, photo by Christian Adam, Black Diamond
Austria | Zillertal
We named the Zillertal, so let’s talk about it: this valley is in fact a very popular summer destination among European climbers. Its strengths are the variety of climbing disciplines that you can practice within a few kilometers (bouldering, sport climbing, long and trad routes), the beauty of the landscapes and its adaptability to a family dimension. And no, we didn’t include the weather.
It is true that in our collective imagination in Austria always shines a clear sky with a crispy wind, but the reality is the typical unstable weather that brings sudden thunderstorm in the most humid afternoons. If you organize yourself in order to climb in the morning, and if you also encounter an undisturbed high pressure window, you can absolutely see magnificent places, climb on excellent rock and enjoy beautiful spas, bretzel and parks.
Surely you will have to arm yourself with patience and good organization: as we said the Zillertal is a very busy valley, whose protection passes through alternating direction tunnels (often leading to long queues), limited access to some areas (like Sundergrund, in case you want to do a bit of bouldering), where those arriving first in the morning will find a place to leave the car, while everyone else will be forced to change the plans for the day. As regards fro the accomodation you will have plenty of options, but we sincerely advise you to take a look at the weather if you are considering a tent holiday.
La zona verdeggiante di Sundergrund
Germany | Frankenjura
We could say the same of Frankenjura in Germany: the ideal season to climb around Nurnberg is theoretically in spring and autumn, but many climbers with a "standard job" can't rely on two weeks of holiday in late Spetembers or October. So they have no choice but hoping in miracolous conditions in summer. By the way climbing here in August is absolutely possible with a spirit of adaptation and not too many pretensions: of course you will leave with an extra dose of magnesite available and will look for the sectors more immersed in the vegetation of all.
Perhaps because of the size of the area it covers, in Frankenjura climbers are more distributed between the various sectors, parking is never complete and in campsites you almost always find a place without having to book well in advance. The typical forests of this region offer walks and opportunities for recreation in nature for the little ones and the Nordic-style towns are a cluster of small unmissable pastry shops, bakeries and Gasthof that will make the whole family happy.
Needless to say, here you will find some masterpieces of climbing history such as Action Directe, which deserve to be admired even just "out of curiosity": they can often be reached with a short and pleasant walk through the trees. The days of rest will flow quickly between lakes, characteristic villages, nature excursions and parks surrounded by greenery; and if the Atlantic disturbances seem to want to ruin your holiday, you can always go to one of the most mythical climbing gyms ever: Café Kraft in Nuremberg, a short hour’s drive from Pottenstein.
Frankenjura, foto di Markus Spiske
United States| Wyoming - Ten Sleep Canyon
We are in the middle of summer, this is true, but we are in such a dry climate and with an exposure so "propitious" that, despite the heat, you will find good conditions from spring to autumn. The season "officially starts" when the abundant winter snowfalls melt to leave free access to the road that leads into the canyon of Ten Sleep. Of course, a trip to Wyoming is much more than a climbing trip.
We are in an area with a lot of scattered Ghost Towns, where the landscape reminds us in every corner of the book covers of Steinbeck and where the difference with the most crowded areas that we will probably include in the trip, such as the Yellowstone Park for example, is evident. Here climbers are the protagonists of a summer repopulation of the town of Ten Sleep, where everything reminds us of the best American western films and which has no more than 300 inhabitants during the rest of the year.
Climbing takes place on a limestone of excellent quality and a total of more than eight hundred routes, with plenty of choice on easy and intermediate grades. The walls are almost always vertical or slightly overhanging and they require technical climbing with excellent reading skills of the rock and use of the feet. If you’re planning a different kind of trip, we recommend taking a look at the many American climbing sites in the area. Absolutely obligatory to sleep in the ranches in western style and... pay attention to rattlesnakes!
Lauren Batcheck a Ten Sleep Canyon, photographer Matt Burbach SCARPA
Bouldering areas
For many boulderers summer season leads to a unique solution for Europe: alpine bouldering. Unlike most of the climbing walls that have a well-defined exposure, usually boulders have more climbing faces and it is difficult to define their seasonality according to their orientation. Better to play it safe and proceed using other criteria such as the altitude at which they find or their complete immersion in the vegetation that ensures shade and fresh air. Or you can change continents to look for winter when it’s summer here.
I massi delle Rocky Mountains National Park innevati anche ad agosto
South Africa | Rocklands
It is the number one destination for anyone who wants to do bouldering in August and not only for the good conditions you can find in South Africa: Rocklands is Rocklands, an expanse of boulders as far as the eye can see, a rock that seems to have been created for fun climbing, often overhanging, with generous holds. If you’ve thought at least once in your life, "what good is it to me to train double dynos if I can just climb on slabs?", you shoulde definitely go to Rocklands and experience the excitement of super dynos on real rock.
The never ending success of Rocklands is also due to the fact that it entertains everyone, without level filters: the "easy" steps are just as beautiful as the most famous and recurring ones in the videos, the roofs have good holds and jugs that allow you to get used to these inclinations without too much difficulty, and the rock is at times more fragile and at times very solid. What you do not expect on a trip to South Africa is that even here the rain can get to mess up your plans: our suggestion is to climb to the limit as long as the skin allows and have some rest days when unstable weather comes.
The weather you can find here in August has remarkable temperature variations, which lead you to put on the duvet when you leave the house in the morning and then climb in short sleeves all day long. The disturbances can also be strong, so don't forget to birng with you good rain or windproof jackets, a lot of confidence in the weather and organizational plans that can adapt without too much inconvenience to changes over a single day.
Rocklands is in continuous development and ferment and we suggest you to ask the "super locals", that is to say the small number of climbers who can afford to spend here all the summer months, the news about new developed sectors and old closed sectors, accessess with restrictions, permits and paid parking. Yeah, that’s right, paid parking.
Rocklands bouldering
United States | Rocky Mountains National Park
If you want to make a real climbing travel, one of the best options is the Rocky Mountains Park in Colorado. In many ways it is the opposite of Rocklands: the logistics are quite complicated, boulders are far from parking lots - and they are often very far from each other - and the vastness of the area leads climbers to distribute themselves so much that you will take a while to look and meet some other boulderer to ask for information.
The starting point" is "THE" city where everyone would like to live, Boulder, a concentration of mountain enthusiasts and breathtaking views will make you fall instantly in love with this area. Here is the famous gym "The Spot" where you can rent extra crash pads for your days on the rock. Depending on the bouldering areas where you want to climb, you will have to leave your car in the huge parking spaces indicated in the guides, and then take advantage of the shuttles that will help you to reach the highest entrance possible. Once you reach of the path that takes you among the boulders, you will almost always have at least an hour of walking to face: the context is so beautiful that you will not realize the time that passes.
The climbing in the Rocky Mountains is, compared to Rocklands, more similar to the one you can find in our Alps with crimps, slight overhangs, edges and even some flares. The difficulties are often very severe: your first days here can be devastating at times. Although the weather is generally dry, we recommend to always pay close attention to the weather forecasts, which can quickly change - if it's hot and humid - and lead to impressive thunderstorms: considering that you will be more than an hour from the car, always count on having enought time to go back down to the car park before you find yourself with a black sky over your head.
Rocky Mountains National Park
Switzerland | Magic Wood
For all the european boulderers who prefer to stay "near home", Magic Wood is the destination that in recent years has had an increasing success, going from being a "slightly wild" location to a destination that counts a camping (with toilets and hot water), a hostel managed by climbers, and a little climbing shop. For many reasons Magic Wood is still a "peculiar" location that is appreciated in particular by those who come here for a full immersion of climbing, performance and low cost life - in many cases students-, and a little less by those who want to live a "real holiday" with more comforts and options to spend the rest day with all the family.
Anyone who has beeen cimbing in Magic Wood "for a few years" (that is, more than ten) has seen the Edelweiss structure changning and evolving from a classic Swiss Brauerei with beers and local specialties at stellar prices to a real "climbing house" when it has been run by Bodhi Climbing. In addition to having hostel-style rooms and different solutions for each budget, it is a real "refuge" for rainy or rest days, where you can sit down for a coffee, taste a slice of homemade cake, read climbing magazines and relax on cozy sofas. It is a one hundred percent authentic place run by climbers for climbers.
Climbing at Magic Wood needs no introduction, the videos of the strongest climbers in the world have been seen worldwide, bringing in fact many international boulderers visiting these parts. You will meet here strong climbers of all nationalities, famous names and phenomena not yet known: a holiday at Magic Wood is always a nice boost for your motivation to give your best.
Magic Wood
New Zeland| Castle Hill
Castle Hill is probably the furthest destination from us for bouldering, the one that requires intercontinental flights and a logistical organization in advance. But it has that quality that boulderers with the holidays in August like so much, and that is to be in the middle of winter when we fall away from the heat. If among the many positive sides of Rocklands we also have the absence of jet lags that makes us "ready to climb" as soon as we get off the plane, a trip to Castle Hill can take you that few days to figure out what time of day you are.
That said, the scenery of the most famous areas is amazing and we do not need an opinion of the locals to realize how much is a largely undervalued area. If it never risks being a crowded destination like any "medium area" of Ticino, besides the distance we can imagine other factors that discourage climbers, such as the beating sun from which you can not shelter in any way (there are almost no trees) and a discreetly slippery rock.
In some ways it kind of reminds you of the slippery feeling of some very famous Buttermilks passages in Bishop, and the difficulty we all have in trying to load the weight onto the sun-reflecting crimps can be destabilizing at least in the beginning. And here you will not find boulders with generous grades, or better... the first feeling you will have is probably not to have any chances on grades that you climb wthout too many problems at home.
The beauty of Castle Hill is in its landscape, the remoteness from everything vaguely familiar and the immensity of the valleys that surround you. Of course, if you decide to take a holiday here you will want to combine bouldering with exploring other areas of the country, which will make your trip definitely more complete and unforgettable. Many very up-to-date sites will bring you in detail both the bouldering areas and everything you can do in the surrounding area and represent an excellent starting point for metetrsi in contact with local climbers and gyms. Some of these sites are Castle Hill Basin and Little Grunts.
Castle Hill blocks, photo by Andre Bernhardt
Canada | Squamish
Squamish is a real dream for many climbers, "the" mecca of bouldering (and climbing in general) for Canadians, which is always a bit too far and expensive for many European climbers. Despite this, the crazy nature that surrounds it and its predisposition to practice any sport you can think of makes it a must for anyone who loves the outdoors.
The fauna is what we are used to seeing only in the most evocative images of Instagram among eagles, bears, raccoons, rattlesnakes and so on; the rock is granite, so the one most widely appreciated for bouldering. The boulders, often imposing, have incredible structures with roofs, edges and edges that will delight boulderers who like physical style. The dense and fresh vegetation that protects them from the sun and the improbable temperatures we are used to in August will make you forget you came here in the middle of summer.
The guide, constantly updated, now lists more than 3500 problems of bouldering, among which obviously you will not struggle to find the most congenial for you. The area, as we can imagine, is immense and is divided into many sectors even far from each other; from the most panoramic with views of the waterfalls to sectors with a significant concentration of passages, from the immense area of the Grand Wall to the most remote Paradise Valley, The truth is that here are boulders to try for a lifetime. To get a first idea of how the main areas are located, we refer you to the site Squamish Bouldering.
Landon Parenteau
