5+1 crag what you should visit in 2020
Bouldering is an awesome way to enjoy the great outdoors, not to mention a hardcore total-body workout. So grab a pair of rock climbing shoes, crash pad, chalk bag and plan a trip to one of these gorgeous places to go rock climbing. Here is some place where you should visit in this year. You can find the detailed topos with quality photos and GPS coordinates of all the following crags in TopoGuru app.
Algund
Algund is located just west of Merano and sits in the ""Apple Orhirds"" that fill the valley at the base of the Austria and Italy boulder. Most of the boulders are woody but it is partly shady so climbers can find routes in summer too, you can escape from heat during late spring and early fall. You can boulder in the winter too if the snowfall is not too heavy. You can find several guest houses in the nearby villages. There is a very comfortable and fully equipped camping called Via Claudia Augusta. The guests can use the public pool also.
Chironico Bouldering
Chironico is one of the best and most popular boulder crags in Europe. In the Topo Guru database you can find the photo-based topos of the whole crag with more than 1500 boulders in 23 sectors. Typical alpine gneiss boulder area: the characteristics of the boulders are often crimpy and overhanging, but you can also find all other types of boulders also: slabs, aretes and vertical walls. The rock type here in this part of the Alpes is often called granite, but the most precise phrase is gneiss. Gneiss and granite are similar, but not the same. The rock texture is rough here: it means good friction and rapidly abrading fingers. Landing is mostly good and easy, so it’s possible to climb alone, you can find a lot of boulders while your buddies are projecting somewhere else.
Cresciano Bouldering
Typical alpine gneiss boulder area, but you can find a lot of open-handed, rounded shapes. The characteristics of the boulders are often crimpy overhanging, but you can also find all other types of boulders also: slabs, aretes and vertical walls. The rock type here in this part of the Alpes is often called granite, but the most precise phrase is gneiss. Gneiss and granite are similar, but not the same. The rock texture is rough here: it means good friction and rapidly abrading fingers. Landing is mostly good and easy, so it’s possible to climb alone, you can find a lot of boulders while your buddies are projecting somewhere else. From the car parking area the first boulders are within twenty-minutes walk and even the most far away sectors can be reached in 30 minutes.
Fontainebleau
Fontainebleau, a region of rocky gorges 60km south-east of Paris that’s widely considered the best destination for bouldering in the world. The rock is high quality fine-grained sandstone, with its advantages and disadvantages. It sticks when it is cold but you can find very good boulders in summer at hot conditions, and it is a typical family friendly sight. Best-known specific is the famous Font slopers but we have to mention arétes, the best mantles of the world, slabs, high balls, overhangs, roofs, cracks. On the typical local slabs 7c sport climbers can easily fall on a 5b boulder. Landing is almost good at everywhere, the ground is flat and sandy, you can climb with one pad. Because Fontainebleau is so popular, chalk can cause problems so use it sparingly and clean off the grips when you are finished (with a soft brush).
Varazze
it is a really good option to climb in winter season. The town itself is located at the seaside between Finale Ligure and Genoa. You can easily reach the boulder crag in the surrounding mountains by car (15-20 minutes ride), 400-600 meters above the sea level. The rock type in Varazze is something special, not so common type, it is called metamorphic rock. Compact rock with very good friction because of the hard-grained surface. You have to be careful with dynamic moves to protect your skin, if you would like to climb several days in a row. Maybe the hard-grained andesite is the closest rock type. Locals say that the climbing season starts at the end of September and lasts until May. Because the closeness of the sea, the crag is ideal for climbing in winter time also when the sun is shining across the sparse trees.
+1 Zillertal
The Zillertal valley sits in a beautiful part of the Austrian Alps which has long been a favourite destination for outdoor enthusiasts. The area offers prime skiing in the winter months and has a long history of rock and mountain climbing. It is the biggest austrian crag, but it’s also in the biggest ones in Europe. In this situation a climbing app can be one of your biggest friend if you don’t want to spend your time with searching your boulder sector. It is a real summer boulder crag, as it is a perfect skiing area at winter time. There are 3 main areas, all of which are very accessible and pretty extensive. One thing to note is that there is a toll charge of 7.50 Euro to access the road to Zillergrund, Sundergrund and some of the smaller crags in that area. Zillergrund: This is the biggest of the Zillertal areas and the setting is reminiscent of Magic Wood. Sundergrund: Sundergrund is a sun trap with limited shade, so when it is hot you would be advised to head for the woods Ginzling: Another wooded location, Ginzling has the advantage of being less steep and easier to navigate on the whole than Zillergrund. Ginzling does have a number of excellent problems, but there didn’t seem to be the amount or density of appealing blocks here compared to Zillergrund or Sundergrund. If you need more information please visit our climbing guide and try us. Topoguru is available in App Store and Google Play.