SURFING IN SUANCES

Monday. Surfing. Taking a wave, which is almost rolling over, just on the spot where you are floating (timing) is the first difficulty. Second difficulty is then making enough speed (paddling with your arms and feet) and jump on the surfboard (you feel the velocity). Third difficulty is then riding the wave (not falling off your surfboard) at a spectacular speed. I don’t even mention all the tricks you can do, if previous things are working ;-)

Tuesday. Surfing. Still trying to catch a wave, I take one wave pretty good. Derzou’s surfing progression is much faster as mine, he takes a couple of nice waves. My problem is the first difficulty (see above) and therefore you have to paddle deeper in the ocean where the waves are developing (we have bought an evaluative surfboard, comes after the beginner surfboard, which needs more speed to be stable).

Wednesday. Rest day. Menú del Día for lunch at La Duna (near the dunes). Only 12 euro each and you get entree, meal, dessert, a bottle of water (1L) and a bottle of wine (1L).

Thursday. Today it’s cloudy, but bad weather doesn’t hesitate Derzou to go surfing, I rather go when the sun is out. In the afternoon the sun is shining, time to go!

Friday. The police send us away in the morning (we are still sleeping). Why? Because we leveled the camper to sleep straight, which from the outside indicates that you are camping and that’s not allowed. So if you don’t look Gipsy, it’s OK.
Later we drive to an Aldi in Torrelavega to buy food.
To surf longer (because you don’t get cold) we both buy a surf suite. Now we can practice more, sun or no sun. In the evening Derzou test his suite and makes good progression.

Saterday. Raining and a lot of wind, no surfing (red flag at ‘Los Locos’ beach).

TARRAGONA

Wednesday. In the morning around 7:30 AM we drive to Sisteron to buy a rope (Beal Joker 9.1 mm 100m for 150 euro) in the mountain shop ‘The Blue Light’. Then hit the road to Tarragona (stopover to Rodellar, Spain), Platja Savinosa.

Thursday. Naked men on the beach, later more nudes. Is this a nudist beach? Around 10 AM we are politely asked to leave ;-) (nudes come in the morning followed by the red cross and the mainstream beachgoers).

Friday. We decide to go surfing at Suances (Santander), same height but the North Atlantic Ocean (other side of Spain), instead of Rodellar. Suances is a well-known surf spot, good for learning (we followed surfing lessons there in 2010) and Derzou has family living there.
It’s time for a climbing break, mainly because it’s too warm for climbing.

Saturday. We surprise the family with our unsuspected visit.

Sunday. Surfing. From now on we have our own surfboard (one board for us both).

Friday. Easy climbing day. At the end of the day Derzou tries the route Carte blanche, 8A.

Saturday. Rest day, sunbading, reading,…

Sunday. Breakfast for five euro each at the Gîte d’étape, the homemade jams are very delicious.

Monday. Filling our food supply (Lidl ;-)).

Tuesday. We decide to go to Rodellar, Spain (two weeks earlier then planned). Tomorrow we drive to Sisteron to buy a rope (they are cheap) and then to Rodellar.

Routes we have climbed in Céüse during our stay:

Routes tried but not completed:

Sunday. The fourth time we walk up, to go climbing. A British couple has bad luck, their climbing gear is stolen. During arrival on our climbing gear hiding place (near the wall close to the route Biographie), our rope bag is open and my climbing shoes and harness is out of the bag. Later we find out that a British couple their climbing gear is stolen, they put it on the same place like we did. Luckily for us their equipment is less used and so a better deal. They had a new rope, two new harnesses and 19 new quickdraws. In f…ck France climbers steel from climbers (you hear this all the time when people go climbing in France).

Derzou is climbing the route La femme blanche (8a+), a classic route first climbed by Patrick Edlinger (this means, as encountered, not to much protection), while suddenly a storm approaches, you can see the clouds and raindrops. Time to take shelte at the overhanging wall. It’s not rain but hail balls falling down! On the next try, Derzou’s leg is stuck behind the rope when falling and comes down with his head first (the first time in more than twenty years of climbing) and hurts his right arm.

Monday. Rest day. Derzou’s arm is already better (not to bad). We meet Paolo (I), lives in Belgium with Sophie (B), with friends from Italy (Diego, Julia & Christina). For dinner we all go to the Chèvrerie, but they’re already closed. The nearby gîte is fully booked, so it’s dinner at Pablo’s van. I’ve to miss the food party because I don’t feel so well.

 
 

Tuesday. Derzou makes bread and pasta (tagliatelle). For lunch we eat tagliatelle with fresh tomato sauce, garlic and olive oil mmm.

Wednesday. Derzou climbs the route Vieille canaille (7B) and tries again La femme blanche.
The climbing days are very short, because the wall is in the shade from 4 PM and you have to walk down 40 minutes (and I don’t like to do it in the dark).

Thursday. Rest day. This morning a note behind the wiper (see photo). Thanks Paolo ;-) (enjoy the moments as a father soon).

Monday. Rest Day. Derzou feels not well.

Tuesday. Rest day. Derzou feels much better today. Klaas is going to Chamonix with Tim to do some alpine climbing.

Wednesday. It’s 30 degrees, after 3 PM the wall is in the shade. With the typical dry wind of Céüse it’s perfect climbing during summer. Derzou climbs La javanaise, 7A and tries Esperanza, 7A+. Derzou says it’s the first time he experienced that you have to look so much in advance at the foot holes while climbing, otherwise you just don’t see any footrests.

Thursday. Rest day.

Friday. Derzou climbs Angel dust, 7A+ and tries Jaune devant, 7B+ and Lapinerie, 7B. I try both the 7A+ and 7B, top rope. We meet Samuel from the climbing gym ‘Hungaria’ in Leuven.

Saturday. We buy the Céüse guide book (10 euro) in ‘Vertige’ a climbing shop in Gap. Later we go to the Lidl and visit the ‘Lac de Serre Ponçon’ for a swim. It’s very warm during the day. We meet a Belgium family, from Kortrijk, at the lake.