Verdon is an area with a wide variety rock climbing including; short sport climbing routes for both the family and the fanatic, long routes which are both bolted and with traditional protection (Big Walls).
More invitingly, they are found in a wonderful environment where picturesque villages, which are reached along winding roads clinging to the mountainsides, give a distinct feeling of relaxation and a inspire you to climb/boulder.
The area offers a variety of accommodation, and some of the villages and campsites are within walking distance of both the crags and sandy beaches along the shores of the lake,
Lac de Ste-Croix.
The sports shop in the area is to be found in the village of La Palud, and it is the only shop selling clothes too. This means that the place, somewhat unexpectedly, has a air of a climbing eldorado - what other conclusions can you reach when you meet retired people wandering around with a walking stick and wearing a cap and climbing tights from Stone Monkey or Patagonia?
Most of the climbing is not family-friendly as most of the routes can only be reached by first abseiling to a belay or to grassy slopes on the

sides of the crags. Despite this there are some crags that have so much rock climbing to offer that even families can enjoy them, and the proximity of bathing places, hiking routes and pleasant villages can often be as important for a family as the range of climbs available.
Being a first-time- visitor to area where most of the climbing on offer is reached by abseiling can be difficult. How do you find your route when standing on the top of a crag looking down? In an attempt to make things easier, our TOPOS has an appendix with photos so that first-time-visitors can find their own way, partly from the pictures of the area and partly from pictures of "waymarkers" which the local climbing club have build or erected to make orienteering easier.
Verdon, west of Nice, is a large valley with

beautiful mountainsides through which the river Verdon winds.
The area is characterised by an impressive landscape shifting from steep limestone cliffs to grassy meadows, sandy beaches and with windy roads.
Not only climbers find their way here - "base jumpers", hikers, canoeists and the odd one or two who feel the desire to throw themselves off the Pont sur l´Artuby with a large rubber rope attached to themselves.
Verdon is big and the information you can download covers the parts that, locally, are considered among the best. Leave no valuables in the car!

verdon main page