Is there anywhere fi ner than a day on British trad: damp cracks, drizzle, howling wind and hungry midgies? Yes, thinks ace adventure climber Hazel Findlay.
Tafrout, Morocco Good rock, warm climate and endless opportunity for routes between VS and E3. The approaches are usually quite tame and the rock quality good but there’s still ample room for adventure with non-obvious lines, gear trickery and a mountain feel.
Squamish, Canada Ridiculously good granite. Ridiculously accessible. Classics of all grades, from single pitch to 20 pitches. A baby Yosemite with no park rangers.
Table Mountain, South Africa Drive 20 minutes, take a cable car to the top and you can be at the base of your route from downtown Cape Town in 40 minutes. The rock is bullet-hard quartzite with beautiful sculpted holds and horizontal breaks.
The Envers des Aiguilles, Chamonix Why go to 3,000 metres when you can go to 2,000? Running water, less crevasses and good rock.
Arapiles, Australia The best place to learn how to trad climb, full stop. The rock eats up gear like nowhere else and never crumbles. Heaven, mate.
Lofoten, Norway OK, I haven’t been but I really do want to. It looks absolutely beautiful and full to the brim with bomber granite. But I’ll stock up on beer before I go.
The Ecrins, France A great place for the family: a beautiful valley with boulders, sport climbing, trad cragging and more committing routes at a higher altitude. Unfortunately, no lifts like Chamonix.
Cadarese, Italy If it’s single-pitch trad on amazing rock you’re after, or you’re trying to get your hand(s) into crack climbing, this is your place. Great pizza and ice cream too.
The High Sierra, USA Alpine rock climbing at its tamest, and best. Such high-quality climbing – from easy scrambles and ridge traverses, to big days of 5.12 technical granite crack climbing – topped off with great weather and reasonably casual walk-ins.
“Spice girl" Hazel Findlay is one of the best female trad climbers in the world and a member of the new BMC Ambassador Team. www.hazelfi
ndlayclimbing.com
P Arapiles: Australian adventure paradise.
SUMMIT#73 | SPRING 2014 | 27
Get some sun on your nuts
PHOTO: SIMON CARTER.
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88 |
Page 89 |
Page 90 |
Page 91 |
Page 92 |
Page 93 |
Page 94 |
Page 95 |
Page 96 |
Page 97 |
Page 98 |
Page 99 |
Page 100