Gréolières - Drilling, Projecting&Sending!

Last past weeks, the action took place in the small cliff named Gréolières, right above the famous Gorges du Loup! Just love this place : Perfect verdon like rock, short powerful hard routes right next to less hard super technical ones, sun all the day in winter and shadows in the evening in warmer seasons, tons of obvious untouched lines that are just waiting to be exploited... in other words, another French reviera jewel!

Last we team enjoying the sun under the two masterpieces from Cedric LoPiccolo :
Zumozol, 8c and Free camping is not a crime, 8b+/c

The first weeks back from Spain, the weather has been a total disaster out here. Everything was wet so I started using my new drill and adding new routes in Gréolières! It's such a nice process to give life to these eyes catching lines : To go in them, find the holds, place the bolts, clean, try, find the betas, start giving real runs in it, and finally send it... Takes a lot more time and energy that just going out climbing like usual, but the feeling of accomplishment is definitely way higher! LOVE IT!!!

Up to now, I've added one route in the central cave named Dépucelage minéral, one project in the left cave, and two on the left of the obvious new cave on the left of the old sectors! And for sure there will be much more to come in the future!!!! Stay tuned for the updated guide to come...

Nico caught trying to stick clip the anchor of Les plaies mobiles...

These past two we, the weather has finally turned back to a cold and sunny one, the cliff has finally dried a bit and the projects fallen! Michel my roommate finally did his slab project. So nice to see him motivated and therefore making progress! Petr also finally did his project, Cornichon explosif (8a), after falling two times in the last move. The same last move that has kept Blaise also two times from sending, and Nathan too!!! John the English who recently moved to Nice, and Charlie from the Grenoble team did it as well... vertical crimpy 8a routes are not enough of a challenge for them! The other classic has been Le poinçonneur délira (8a+), rapidly climbed by John, Charlie and Nathan. The biggest send comes from Quentin Chastagnier who crushed the beautiful Free camping is not a crime (8b+/c) in the we... good job man! We managed to film him, so the video should come out here soon... Personally, I did the first route I've equipped, Dépucelage minéral, after adding one bolt to the original version which was a bit over-exposed, especially since I couldn't clip the last bolt due to the intensity of the route! After that I've placed another one on the top, hoping that like this it will motivate people to try : It's now clean, well protected and the proposed grade is 8b! A short video will also soon be posted... Stay connected!!!

(Pic by Petr) Me giving another try in the powerful Zumozol,
sucks that the crux sequence start never wants to dry up!

Now, I just hope that the good weather will last long enough for Zumozol to dry completely... but if not, that not a big deal, there are still so many others old projects, plus the new ones I've added, to climb! Love being full of projects, keeps the motivation high!!!!!