Author: ludowic

We just got back from three days of climbing on the beautiful Aravis limestone with Muriel, a Swiss climber who wanted to climb a few routes near Annecy. With a level of 5c-6a as a second, the idea was to choose routes that would allow her to gain confidence in lead climbing. On Monday we went to Le Grand Bornand, more precisely to the cliffs of Jalouvre which offer a nice assortment of routes in the 5th degree. We spent the morning reviewing the rope maneuvers necessary for climbing multi-pitch routes. In the afternoon, we climbed the "Lord Anglais" route, a 6-pitch route, 200m, max 5c side. An ibex that survived the -shameful- slaughter of last autumn (see here), naturally a little resentful towards the human species, having blocked our access to the previous route. The climbing was pleasant with varied styles, the last length, more difficult required a few passages in A0 to stay in the level. The rain caught us just after the abseils... Phew! On Tuesday, a visit to Le Sappey (30min from Annecy) was a must, the weather window seemed to be confirmed. A bucolic but sporty approach in the slippery mountain pastures allowed us to arrive well warmed up for the Sappeyrlipopette route with a variant in Entre deux Nants (6 pitches, 5C max). The first pitch was a bit wet but Muriel quickly took the lead. The rock is full of grooves, a local specialty where climbing in opposition, not usual in limestone slabs, takes on its full meaning. The rain in the last pitches added a bit of difficulty but we were able to reach the summit. A sometimes steep path allowed us to quickly descend to the start. On Wednesday, Speculum, a 5b route on the little-used cliff of La Rosière was