Climbing in Beez

Published on 2011-9-28 by Michael Stanton

Beez climbing

September 28, 2011

Yves and I got off work early to climb at the Liedekerke crag in the Beez climbing area. Belgium has surprisingly good climbing! Here is what we did:

• La Gouden Carolus (4+) - Yves led this as a warm up. Nice route, big holds, long too.
• Les Huit Points Du 26 Mai (5b+) - One fantastic 70 meter pitch, going up a face to crux moves, passed with a few nice hand jams in a crack. I rested just before the crux. I belayed at a tree on top of the crag, which was confusing because I'd been expecting to find an anchor. Yves came up and we laughed about the adventure. 2 rappels reached the ground.
• La Liedekerke - The real classic of this crag. The first pitch, rated 3+ in the book, was mostly avoided on the right by climbing on Les Bronzes (4+), providing excellent climbing despite a fair amount of vegetation. Pitch two (5a) contained memorable crack climbing with (as one commenter put it nicely on belclimb.net) "alpine feeling." I belayed Yves up from the top of the crag, a great sunset view with tugboats plying the waterway. 2 rappels to the base.
• Schils (5b+) - A climb with hard moves at the start, an easier section, then crux moves in a gray crack shortly before the end. We just did the 35 meter first pitch, but apparently it's possible to continue to the top of the crag. Really enjoyable! I had trouble clipping the bolt during the crux so I actually fired through then clipped delicately at my feet afterwards. Then Yves and I both top-roped the route as it grew fully dark. Bats whirled around the crag.

Thanks Yves for a great time!