Rockfax France: Ariège

The Ariège region of Southern France is the compact area where the Ariège River cuts through the Pyrenées on its way from Andorra to the coast. There is a lot of high quality climbing in the area with a superb variety of rock types to go at; from the soaring granite slabs of the Dent d’Orlu, to the steep limestone bulges of Génat. Limestone, granite and gneiss are on offer and routes vary in size from boulder problems to long epics of over 20 pitches. Despite its attractions, the area remained off the radar to the climbing world in general, and the lack of a comprehensive modern guide to the area was a large part of the reason for this. This publication has opened up this great area as a destination for travelling climbers.
Relative to other Rockfax France books, the area covered in France : Ariège is remarkably small in extent, being not much more than 60km east-to-west and 40km north-to-south. Despite its small compass, the area is extremely varied and this is reflected in the climbing available. There is limestone, granite and gneiss to go at, from roadside caves, to high mountain crags and all stops in between. The proximity of all the crags to each other also means that you can easily sample any of the crags in the book without having to spend hours in the car, and can also visit multiple venues in the same day. Foix to Ax-les-Thermes is roughly 40 minutes drive and that will take you close to most of the climbing covered.
The area has a long and intriguing history and offers plenty to do apart from the climbing, including mountain walking, caving, river rafting, skiing and checking out the many ancient castles. Factor in the year-round climbing, easy access from northern Europe and plenty of high-quality accommodation in the area and it is easy to see that the Ariège region has lots to offer.