Rewind: Chateauvert, August 2009

The idea was to spend the weekend in Marseille, doing some multi-pitch climbing in Les Calanques. We camped on Friday, and after a very cozy dinner by the camping gaz (with some wine ;) we went straight to bed.

We woke up very early in the morning, unmounted the tents in the dark, and quickly drove to our destination crag. What? Before sunrise? what's wrong with you guys? It had to be that way, because the authorities close the road in the morning (6am if I recall well), to avoid tourists and protect the region (or so they say).

We were complete zombies, yet we realised it was not going to be a good day. The wind started blowing very strongly, and the radio gave us the worst piece of news: the authorities had forbidden climbing for the whole weekend. We looked at each other and thought.. screw them, we're already here!

But then, after the mandatory dose of coffee, we assessed the situation again, and we decided it was not worth it. Not only for the potential fine, which were ready to pay, but also for the real danger and chances of falling. They were right, that wind was indeed very bitchy. So there we were, Iñaki, Christiane and myself, sitting by the beach, having breakfast as the sun rose. That was it, a weekend completely wasted, the whole trip for nothing.

After the initial disappointment and already on our way back, we decided to stop in Chateauvert. Even though it wasn't multi-pitch, we would at least climb a bit. As it turned out, our alternative plan ended up being an amazing climbing session! We really made the most of our day :-)

If you guys are closeby, Chateauvert is a must. There is a nice cheap camping area in Correns, not far from the rocks. On the other side of the crag, in the middle of the fields, an Australian couple, very nice people, have a pizza van / restaurant. I don't know whether it is the post-climbing effect, but the pizzas tasted delicious to me. The rock is unique, some routes have holes that remind me of those of Swiss cheese, and there are challenges for all levels. If it gets too hot, there's a river by the crag, so you can always go for a quick refreshing swim.

Looking forward to going to Chateauvert again!

Dear climbing wall

Thanks for being there in the cold dark winters, or whenever the rain makes it impossible to go outdoors. Don't take it personally, I am not choosing real crags over you, I just like you in different ways :-)

It would be nice if next season you could be a bit more sensitive with our skin. If you are, I promise I will bring you plenty of newcomers. Please keep switching your makeup every so often, we like to see you in new colors! The tough challenges you propose are quite good for improving our strength, stamina and contorsion capabilities. Gradually, these moves come out naturally whilst we're on the rock.

Today was our last day at the climbing wall in Garbejaire. The guys from COV are on vacation during August, so the facilities will be closed until September. Many thanks for all the great afternoons and see you soon!

What are your motivations?

Motivation is a key factor for progressing and being able to send harder routes.

There are some people that enjoy the simple fact of being outdoors, surrounded by trees, and spending time with their friends whilst doing a physical activity. In modern times, being able to escape technology and getting back in touch with nature and fresh air for a few hours is already a very satisfying reason to practice rock climbing.

So, if you are comfortable with your climbing skills and just want to enjoy the activity itself, there are plenty of crags out there waiting for you to discover them ;-)

On top of that, rock climbing can be a very challenging and engaging activity. There are all kinds of routes, at all levels, and a broad variety of climbing styles. Each route hides a unique sequence of movements, in essence, a puzzle waiting to be solved. The higher the level, the harder and more demanding the puzzles become. When you really get into the discipline, all these challenges become very engaging.

If you feel you have been stuck on the same level for too long, no matter if you climb 4, 6a or 7c and you don't see yourself making it through to the next level, think about this:

What are your motivations for climbing?
Do you really want to progress?
Are you unconsciously getting comfortable within your level?

If you truly want to improve and you try hard enough, sooner or later you will see the progress. In the meantime, remember, being out there is already worth it!

Hello world!

I have created this blog in order to register all my climbing activities, thoughts, findings and milestones. I hope this little contribution to the rock climbing community will help climbers (including me) to find the necessary tips, motivation and mindset to evolve in this exciting sport.

A few words about myself? I am currently living in the South East of France, a region where I discovered and have been enjoying rock climbing for nearly 3 years now. Before that, I would have never imagined that I would be capable of climbing and that I would become so passionate about it. You guys should give it a try!