le beaver

So we got to St. Leger. We hiked up to the crag to check it out and it was amazing but we were taking a rest day. So we went swimming in the river then drove upstream and found a sweet free campsite by the river. we were setting up camp and this SUPER sketchy dude comes out of the woods and stumbles by looking in our car and stuff. He kind of freaked us out. just as it was getting dark we hear him coming back. At least that's what we thought. So we started getting tweaked thinking about how no one knows where in France we are and this guy was a definite creeper. We decide it's worth the piece of mind to leave. So we're breaking down the tent and hear something coming down the mountain....closer, and closer. And just as I'm trying to slam the trunk down this 'guy' is getting really close and the trunk won't shut and we freak out and jump in the Twingo and peel tire out of there. Elissa is holding a tent stake in her hand: "I was ready with this tent stake" she says.

So we go to a proper campsite called 'le beaver'. On the shower door is this picture. We don't speak french so we had to try to decipher the meaning.

St. Leger was amazing but smoking hot. Kind of like the New in the summer. we climbed in the shade but it didn't matter. It took me 3 tries to put down a nice 7c. Back to Le beaver for the evening. The next day we packed up and took off again. Today was the day of the mono. Malaucene is a beautiful little crag that gets morning shade. We climbed an amazing 7b+ that was littered with monos. Elissa says: "Junk in the trunk does not help when you're hanging off one finger."

Here she is blowing the excess chalk off her hand.

This was one of the nicest climbs I've been on. Probably the best limestone I've climbed on including Ceuse.

The sun came around and we drove on to Venasque. Wow. This is my all time favorite cliff. Very similar to the Red's table of colors wall but smoother. Less harsh on the skin. I climbed an amazing 7c+ with monos, pockets, crimps. Once you left the ground you never matched or stopped to shake. Really perfect movement. I could spend my whole trip there if it weren't for the HEAT. It felt just like climbing at the Red in July. Heinous. I was so upset I wanted to cry a few times. It is very frustrating to be a few miles from Buoux. Just a few miles from the 3 routes on my life list. Reve 8a, Chouca 8a+, and Le Rose 8b, and having no chance of climbing them. So sad about this. It is just too hot. So we split and drove back to Ceuse. In Gap now and looking forward to Ceuse tomorrow.

And I forgot to mention. today was our rest day so we checked out a town with historic significance called Orange. In France that is pronounced Aarrangsh. Sounds like they're talking with marbles in their mouth. Kind of like trying to figure out Kurt Cobain lyrics. We went to the most well preserved Roman Theatre in Europe. Apparently the Romans used to 'own' France and much of Europe. I guess that's why they call it an 'empire'. I am brushing up on my history. This place was really cool. And very old.