Gorges du Tarn

Georges de Tarn is one of the most important French sport climbing venues. It is set in a beautiful location and is home to more than 400 routes, most of which are of great quality. The whole area is full of beautiful fast flowing rivers, rocks and pine forests. Tarn isn't popular only for climbing- it is a favorite summer destination also for those who like kayaking, rafting and canyoning as well.  It is situated close to Millau (about 1 hour drive) in Southeast France - an area where you find good climbing of all styles everywhere you look. 

A great advantage of Gorges de Tarn as a climbing area is its wide range of lengths, styles and difficulties. It is a huge area with great potential for setting up new routes as only a small part of the gorge has been equipped so far. The rock there is limestone, often overhanging and full of pockets and crimps. Climbing there usually requires more stamina than power but there are sectors such as Gullich which offer short and power problems too. Climbing in Tarn is very varied and you will find climbs of all lengths there but the local specialty are the incredible pumpy stamina climbs such as those you find in a popular Tennessee sector. These are 50 to 70 m climbs mainly of the 7th grade which guarantee great fun. Another thing Tarn is famous for is its spaced bolting which adds a bit of special atmosphere to climbing there. It is safe but definitely needs more courage then what you are normally used to from other sport crags. There aren't many easier climbs than 6b or 6c but from 7a upward the place provides many top quality lines. 

A couple of years ago Tarn got 'famous' for its bad equipment with old bolts in a soft rock which unfortunately caused few bad accidents. As a result the whole area has been completely rebolted thanks to financial help from the local town hall. It is now equipped with good and solid bolts. 

The best time to visit is Spring and Autumn, Summers get too hot and Winters too cold. Nevertheless the crags get both sun and shade during the day which gives you a chance to get organized according to the weather. Even rain is not such a big problem in Tarn as there are some sectors which stay dry in the rain and the rest generally dries out faster than many other nearby areas. So Tarn is a good option during bad weather!

As it is a tourist venue there is a big choice of accommodation in the area. It has campsites (in the villages Le Rozier, Les Vignes etc.), small guest houses (in French usually called gites) and even free camping area.