Best climbing in the world ?

Please help me decide where to go for my summer holidays! I plan to take 4 weeks from late July to late August, to escape the Cairo heat and get some clean air. So I want somewhere that's suitable at that time of year, not too hot. Looking for an area with lots of good climbing at the 5+ to 6b (French) or 5.8 to easy 5.10 (American) sort of grade. Will consider any kind of climbing, from Alpine to single-pitch sport climbs........but with a preference for multipitch climbs on good rock in beautiful surroundings with no heinous approaches or descents ! En principe, anywhere in the world. Some of the obvious places which I've considered : - Tuolumne Meadows : went there last year (it was great) - Swiss Alps (or other bits of Alps) : it's great but I'm worried about the weather (rain for weeks on end...) - Squamish : sounds good except for the noisy road...and I'm worried about mosquitoes. Are there any/many ? (If there's any within a mile, they'll find me.) - Wilton Quarries : er ?

Well, can anyone advise me ? All ideas and info gratefully received......but please, please e-mail me (as well as posting if you like) as our egyptian service provider doesn't have newsgroups and i can only get them through Deja, which is cumbersome. TIA Kate

SCOTLAND!

Regards

John http://highlandersacf.tripod.com

Alan

Let me assure you that a summer spent at Wilton Quarries is a summer you would never forget!

Don't bother with Toulomne and the Alps, go to Bolton and you've got Wilton, Brownstones, Anglezarke and Hoghton all within easy reach.

Yours,

An ex-Wilton devotee, still not quite reformed, but the medication seems to be working.

can't speak much of Tuolumne or the Alps (though having just got back from Southern France, I can say it would be an incredible sport climbing trip, though maybe too hot in summer).

As for Squamish:

August/September is generally the best time of year, you will probably get a couple days of rain each month but not much more.

lots of climbing in all grades, generally slabs & cracks right around squamish, and sport climbing further north. a good mix of trad/sport cragging & multipitch trad & aid routes.

traffic noise does exist at many of the crags, this is the downside to the 5-15 minute approaches on most climbs. If you are willing to hike 20-45 minutes you can get away from it quite easily. The North Walls, Squaw, backside of the chief, Valley of Shaddai among other areas are quite quiet.

I have never noticed the mosquitos at squamish, though further north at Cal-Cheak my partners got chased away by the black flies. August/September is probably better than june/july though, as it will by drier.

If you are interested in Alpine, there is a ton of alpine climbing in ever direction from squamish. just be prepared to learn a healthy respect for coastal bush in the valleys.

if you want any more info, let me know. also, I have a bunch of SQuamish info on my web site: www3.telus.net/mbuckle

good luck wherever you go,

can't speak much of Tuolumne or the Alps (though having just got back from Southern France, I can say it would be an incredible sport climbing trip, though maybe too hot in summer).

As for Squamish:

August/September is generally the best time of year, you will probably get a couple days of rain each month but not much more.

lots of climbing in all grades, generally slabs & cracks right around squamish, and sport climbing further north. a good mix of trad/sport cragging & multipitch trad & aid routes.

traffic noise does exist at many of the crags, this is the downside to the 5-15 minute approaches on most climbs. If you are willing to hike 20-45 minutes you can get away from it quite easily. The North Walls, Squaw, backside of the chief, Valley of Shaddai among other areas are quite quiet.

I have never noticed the mosquitos at squamish, though further north at Cal-Cheak my partners got chased away by the black flies. August/September is probably better than june/july though, as it will by drier.

If you are interested in Alpine, there is a ton of alpine climbing in ever direction from squamish. just be prepared to learn a healthy respect for coastal bush in the valleys.

if you want any more info, let me know. also, I have a bunch of SQuamish info on my web site: www3.telus.net/mbuckle

good luck wherever you go,

Good to hear from you again, how are you? Have you considered Cornwall? Plenty of fresh air, straight off the Atlantic. You ought to be able to get in at the Count House. (See the CC website for details http://www.climbers-club.co.uk/index.htm )

All the best,

Actually, that's a good point, according to the latest 'summit', Les Ainsworth has negotiated access to Hoghton durring June and July next year. Got to be worth a visit if you're in the area.

The Dolomites. High, loaded with climbing history and not crowded. The Verdon (may be a bit hot). Avoid Chamonix (expensive and crowded). Colorado ?

Even to visit Wilton One for an ascent of Fist Finish eh, Mark?

Phil

Given the choice I would recommend the Bandiagara escarpment in Mali. Squamish has got a bad mozzy problem whatever they say and the really decent routes are way over 5.10, Joshua Tree (Ca.), Red Rocks (Nv.) and Jordan (all really good) will be too hot, France and Spain will be heaving as will Tuolumne, Wilton is very nice but lacks a little something.

Mali is huge and deserted. There's no guide book, you pick the line you fancy, you finish climbing around 11 because you started at 5 am, you drink millet beer and talk about Bob Marley and Patrice Lumumba, and you chat to the Dogons who are about are far removed from our little group here as you are ever likely to get. It's primitive but unforgettable. And as long as you steer clear of the Niger river (30 miles from the escarpment) there are no mozzies.

And I bet none of your mates have been there.

Have you considered Australia. There is so much climbing to be done within close proximity of most capital cities, or you can travel and get to a lot of multipitch climbing on varied rock. A lot of the climbing is Trad, but there is still a lot of Sport Climbing to be done. You could climb most of the year in some parts of Australia. I am in Townsville North Queensland and I travel 20 mins to get 100m pitch climbing but elsewher in Australia There are longer routes. Thats just my opinion