Learning from the day before that it’s turning cold we picked a location right down on the valley floor today and it was excellent. I’ve not climbed at Yvorne before but I think I’ll be going back. It’s set up above the local vineyards about 20 minutes walk from the roadhead. It’s a great crag with 3 or 4 distinct sub-areas and it’s a real sun trap. I think in the height of summer it would be too warm but in this newly arrived autumn weather it’s just perfect getting the full benefit from the sun.

Tags: Climbing | Yvorne

I’d planned to meet Steve (Mountain River Adventures) at Pierre de Moëlle near Leysin for some rock climbing there but when I arrived it was pretty clear it was going to be too cold to be very much fun. I know the area a little but I wasn’t sure where would be substitute location with some shelter from the weather, an obvious choice was right back down on the Rhone valley floor but it seemed a long way to go back down. But I also know Roger Payne, IFMGA guide and local Leysin resident so I called him and found him at Geneva airport on route for an expedition in Sikkim, he suggested Les Plans just near Leysin which was ideal.

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Tags: Climbing | Leysin

I’d not really known this crag was in Vercorin, that seemed odd but it’s not in the local guidebooks and I’ve never heard anyone mention it. When we got there part of the reason became clear, for a start, it’s below the normal winter snow line so I’ve not skied past it and second, the track down to it is around TD which is  deterrent.

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Tags: Climbing | rock climbing | Vercorin