Area & Style of Climbing
Venasque – Sport Climbing

Location
France, South

Overview
Lesser known than some of the other areas in the region, Venasque is a good choice for those who are looking for somewhere a bit quieter than the usual hotspots but with routes that are just as good. The climbing style varies from very long, steep stamina pitches on flat edges to shorter, more boulder routes. This all takes place on an unusual type of limestone that seems to have a significant sandstone content.

The area itself is beautiful, and typical of rural France. The 4th century village of Venasque is small and picturesque, and classified as a “Monument Historique” as it was built on the remains of a Roman temple.

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; even in the summer it should be possible to find some shade due to the fact that many buttresses are shaded by trees and face various directions.

Getting There
The climbing lies about a ten minute drive South East of Carpentras, on the D4. Carpentras is around a 1hr 15 min drive from Nimes (head North East on the E15 towards Orange) or around 2 hours drive from Grenoble.






Once you pass the small village of Venasque on your left, there is a small car park a little further along next to the obvious crag. Buttresses are scattered throughout the valley but this is a good place to start, and get your bearings.

Accessibility
Having a vehicle is not essential, but it will make things easier. Getting to Carpentras is possible on public transport and hitching from here should be ok, although I’ve not tried! (It’s only about 13km). Once in Venasque the climbing is all within walking distance.

Accommodation & Provisions
The best place to stock up on supplies is probably Carpentras, which is a fairly large town with shops and 3 supermarkets.

Gites and Hotels/restaurants are available in the Village of Venasque itself, and there are campsites in the Carpentras area.


Guide Book/s
Title: Avignon Soleil (English Guidebook containing many areas in the Southern French region)
Price: £19.95 (click image to purchase)

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


Grade Spread and Recommended Routes
Venasque is best for the 7 grade climber but there are also several good routes in the 6 and 8 grade bands. My recommendations would be Petite Marie (6c+), Petite Man (6b) Aller Plus Raut (7b+), and Misanthropies thérapeutiques (7b).



General Tip/s
The area is good for both onsighting and redpointing. Some of the routes we did were pure stamina climbs so if you are fit when you arrive then you are likely to have a good trip – if not you will no doubt get fit while you are there! On the other hand, for those who like their routes more bouldery, we were told about some of the shorter routes having Font 7C sections on them.


For those who do not have a guidebook, the names and grades of most routes are painted on the rock. The area is also popular with locals and during our visit there was no shortage of people who could help identifying routes.

It would be wise to combine a visit to Venasque with some of the many other crags in the region, as most of the classic southern French crags are within striking distance.

Useful Links
Flights: www.ryanair.com
Campsite: http://www.camping-les-cedres.fr
Gites: http://www.gites-de-france.com

Guide books: Avignon Soleil Climbing, Rockfax Haute Provence