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Climbing, climbing rocks is an activity that may seem impressive and yet accessible to everyone!
In this short text, I will tell you how I discovered climbing and why I came to settle in Ariège, this beautiful Pyrenean department.
I spent my childhood not far from the Pyrenees mountains, near the Aspe and Ossau valley.
When I was little, I often went hiking with my parents, and as soon as we came across a piece of rock, I had to climb on it. My father showed me some basic climbing skills, and we loved going down streams by jumping from rock to rock. I think that all those moments spent in the mountains stimulated my desire to really learn to climb.
I decided to join a climbing and mountain club. There, I met one of my future best friends, who was a climbing instructor, and who passed on his passion for climbing to me!
So, he taught me all the techniques to climb "in lead" and become independent. We would train two to three times a week in the climbing gym or on the cliffs nearby.
We regularly went away for weekends to discover new climbing spots, new rocks each with their own atmosphere and very beautiful landscapes, especially in Spain which was not very far from my home.
After a few years of practice, I decided to get my state diploma to become an instructor in my turn.
I had heard about Ariège through my encounters, its nature and its wild side and the many shaded cliffs, I was told that it was the 5th French department in terms of the number of climbing routes! A beautiful playground in short!
There is something for everyone!
- "Bouldering", a sort of large rocks (less than 4m high), which can be found in 2 sectors (Laramade in Vicdessos and Orlu in the Ax valleys).
- "Couennes", which are cliffs of a rope length (generally less than 30m high). They are everywhere! The great classics are: Calamès (near Tarascon sur Ariège), all the spots in the Vicdessos valley (and there are a lot of them), but also in the Ax valleys etc...
- And "grandes voies", cliffs with several rope lengths that can measure from 50m to more than 1000m high in our area. The two places renowned for their beauty and style are the Quiés de Sinsat and the Dent d’Orlu.
I quickly met a whole group of friends who were thirsty for climbing and who spent most of their lives climbing! An ideal that seemed pretty good to me!
Now, as a professional, I am passing on my passion. Settling in the Tarascon region, halfway between the different sites, allows me to easily help you discover the joys of verticality!
If you come with your family, we will go and discover the boulder. Easier to learn the gestures and balance necessary to be comfortable, the other advantage is that you can try the different passages as many times as you want. In addition, it is easy to secure the climber thanks to "crash pads" (reception mattresses) and a good "parade" (techniques to accompany the fall of the climber). So young and old can share a good moment of climbing on these big rocks scattered under the cool of the forest!
The school cliff, is the ideal place to familiarize yourself with the height and the necessary safety techniques. You can come with friends and we will learn how to use the equipment (harness, rope, carabiners, belayer, etc.) so that everyone feels comfortable. It is possible to climb at different levels, beginner or athlete who has already practiced, the pleasure is shared as a team! What a joy to become one with the rock and climb, to succeed in finding the balance, the right movement that will allow us to climb to the top of the wall!
The big route is a step towards mountaineering, the goal is to climb high cliffs of several hundred meters! Reserved for people who already have climbing experience, this practice remains accessible to all climbers who want to climb summits! To do this we will have to learn rope techniques, where the climber becomes the belayer and the belayer becomes the climber at each relay. Here, the feeling of height is increased tenfold, in Ariège it is possible to learn the big route on the cliffs of Calamès and Roche Ronde (about 150m high)! A great adventure in perspective!
As you can see, climbing is an activity accessible to everyone! You just have to take the plunge!
For more information or personalized requests, contact me directly at 06 65 16 89 82 or register at the Speleo-Canyon-Ariege reservation center.
See you soon in Ariège!
Stéphane Degouge
English (UK) 
Français