La Demande

‘La Demande’ (6a, 320m) – Gorges du Verdon, France

The ultimate grunt fest, the French Epinephrine.

Mention the Verdon to any seasoned climber and you will likely witness a slight twinge followed by an elusive smile. In a sport where sending 9as is becoming less of a big deal, there exists a place boasting 8as that have yet to go free – the Verdon. It’s not that they are sandbagged, they are just so incredibly sustained and demand a few degrees of confidence beyond your typical sport climbing venue that they remain unsent. The routes are long, sustained and most are attained only after abseiling into an overhanging limestone abyss into the gorge, where you better be damn sure you can climb out. The Verdon is often referred to as the European Yosemite and after a recent opportunity to compare and contrast the two; with a week in the Verdon followed by an abbreviated week in Yosemite, I am inclined to agree. Looking down from one of the sadomasochistic pitches of the Rostrum, a week after having cried pathetically on a climb well below my pay grade in the Verdon, I appreciate the comparison. Besides the obvious differences, Yosemite is granite and the Verdon is limestone – they both offer a surplus of classic lines looming above a valley bisected by a river. The climbing is stiff and not for the faint of heart, you are either ALL IN or you better hope you can GET OUT.

My trip to the Verdon mirrored what I imagine a fraternity hazing to be like. Our first day, we abseiled into the Luna Bong area. The first person clipping the draws to make it to the next anchor the second then got to down-clean on abseil. The morning turned into a ‘what can go wrong, will go wrong’ morning and after a suitable amount of stuck ropes, jugging stuck ropes, and rain we pawed our way up the rap route, the area’s namesake, Luna Bong.

Best Time to Climb:
Late June to early September, depends on weather. August is the most consistent time. Thunderstorms and afternoon rain are common, plan accordingly.

Gear:

Note – The route can be done with a single 50m rope. As all belays are fixed, descent/retreat would be possible at any point with two 50m lines, though retreat looks to be an adventure of its own due to the traversing nature of the route and rock eating cracks and chimneys composing the route.

Approach:
Park at Couloir Sampson and travel through the old hydroelectric project tunnels (usually wet, bring a head lamp if you wish to destroy some good, disorienting fun). A few hundred yards after the fixed cables across some slippery slabs depart the hiking trail as it heads gently back down towards the river for a faint climbers trail on the right. Head up this until it meets the base of the cliff at a broken buttress, the only non-overhanging feature in a sea of giant overhangs.

Descent:
The parking lot, not the one you started at, is a few hundred meters up the ridge from where you top out. This is great so long as you pre-coordinate with friends either getting down to couloir Sampson in the morning, or arrange to have friends waiting to take you back to your car at the end of the day. We recommend making friends at the local Brasserrie in La Palud town center after grabbing a pizza across the way. Alternatively, bring your cell and call ‘Taxi Verdon’ at +33 06-68-18-13-13. If all else fails or if feeling really ambitious, trudge the 10 kilometers or so back to your car.

Accommodations:
La Palud sur Verdon is the base camp for climbers, offering numerous campgrounds and gîtes (similar to hostels).

Camping:

Camping Municipal, route de Castellane, +33 04-92-77-38-13.
Bourbon, route de Moustiers Sainte Marie, +33 04-92-77-38-17.

Gîtes & Refuges:

Le Chalet Le Refuge, les bondils (8 kms), +33 04-92-83-68-45.
Le Wapiti, le village, +33 04-92-77-30-02.
L’arc En Ciel, place de l’église, +33 04-92-77-32-28
L’étable, route des Crêtes, +33 04-92-77-30-63.
Gite Rural Du Serre, les Michels, +33 04-92-83-61-90

Guide Books:

France: Côte d’Azur, by Chris Craggs
Rock Climbing Europe, by Stewart M. Green