Picture yourself high up a golden granite spire, looking out over a glistening sea of snow and ice, the crevasse patterns clearly visible from your viewpoint. An occasional Chouca (Raven) flies by and a cumulus cloud drifts lazily across the sky as you climb pitch after pitch upward.
You may choose to get into the heart of the range and climb alpine rock routes that necessitate glacier approaches (using mountaineering boots, crampons, and an ice axe to get there) before you slip on your rock shoes. Or you may want to go light and climb some of the plethora of alpine rock non-glaciated routes with simple trail approaches.
Summer is the time for most Alpine rock climbs. Mid-June through mid-September is the perfect time to find yourself high in the Alps with tremendous glacier and big mountain views around you. Fall and spring are the best times to hone your skills limestone cragging in southern France or elsewhere in the Mediterranean. Why not take a rock-climbing vacation in Greece or on a Mediterranean island like Sardinia?
