Area & Style of Climbing
Buoux – Sport Climbing

Location
France, South West

Overview
An extensive and historically important area that is home to many famous routes. The climbing is on excellent grey pocketed limestone which means a lot of the routes require strong fingers – for this reason Buoux has been described as the France’s answer to the Frankenjura!

The picturesque surroundings of the Luberon Valley provide the ideal holiday setting. A river runs below and a beautiful ruined fort can be seen the other side of the valley, although climbing is not allowed near the fort.

Simon Downing on No Man's Land (F7b)


Best Time to Go & Conditions
The best conditions are generally found in spring (March – May) and autumn (September – November). It is possible to climb throughout the year, although in the summer it will be hot and the pockets may feel greasy. Avoid public holidays due to overcrowding, in particular Easter.

Getting There
If you can be flexible about when you travel, flights can be as little as £27 including taxes. The nearest airport to the climbing that has a budget operator is Nimes (about 90 minutes drive). This is a small airport but is well served by Ryanair.

From the airport, head East along the D99 towards the small town of Apt - the crag is about 15 minutes drive from here.


Accessibility
Having a vehicle is not essential, but it will make things easier. Getting to Apt is possible on public transport but would take much longer, and a car gives you the freedom to explore the other crags in the area easily. Once at the campsite in Apt the climbing is only a 15 minute drive away.

Accommodation & Provisions
The cheapest place to stay is the “Les Cedres” campground, in Apt. This is conveniently located a 2 minute walk from the town centre.

The price of camping is 2.50Euro per person per night plus 1.80Euro per tent.

The campsite is spacious and even has a small climbing wall and an excellent kitchen area, with fridge and freezer facilities. The showers and washrooms are also of a high standard.

Guide Book/s
Guide Book Title: Buoux / Price: €20.00 (available at campsite)
There are also some basic diagram topos on Crag X's website here.

UPDATE (Dec 2009): Buoux is featured in Rockfax: Haute Provence, purchase here.

Grade Spread and Recommended Routes
Over 450 routes from F4 to F8c, with a good selection of classics at every grade. The most popular routes are generally in the mid 6’s upwards. My recommendations would be Bloc Note (5c+), Roadhouse Blues (6a), T.C.F. (7a), Jolinouille (7a), No Man’s Land (7b), and Reve de papillon (8a).

General Tip/s
The small town of Apt is well endowed with shops, bars and restaurants. The historic cathedral is said to be good for a rest day. The Provence region has a reputation for its food and, as you might expect in France, there is a very good Patisserie!

Buoux is located conveniently for a number of other crags, so it would be easy to incorporate visits to St Leger, Lourmarin, Seynes or even the Verdon and Ceuse into your trip.

The nearest climbing shop is in Lourmarin (www.happyboulder.com), which is about 15 minutes drive and is well stocked with all the essentials. Avignon has more climbing shops, but this is further.

Unknown climber on Reve De Pates (F7c+)


To get some pre-visit psyche or just check the area out, Buoux is featured in the classic film “Buoux 8c” which stars Moon, Moffat and Dawes on some of the area’s harder routes. This has recently been re-released as part of the “80’s Birth of the Extreme” DVD and gives a feel for the style of climbing.

Whilst a 60m rope is OK a 70m rope and 15 quickdraws gives access to larger selection of routes.

Useful Links
Flights: www.Ryanair.com
Campsite: www.camping-les-cedres.fr
Gites: www.gites-de-france.com
Local Area Info: www.provenceweb.fr/e/vaucluse/buoux/buoux.htm

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