Cleaning boulders and climbing outside at Miegebat

This Pentecost weekend, we were at Miegebat with Beta Bloc and Les D-Blokes for two slightly special days.

The idea was simple: clean up some outdoor boulders in the Ossau Valley, climb outside and spend time together.

And honestly, this kind of weekend feels good.

When you mostly climb indoors for a good part of the year, you sometimes forget what an outdoor spot really represents. Boulders do not maintain themselves. Moss comes back, leaves pile up, some landings almost disappear completely under the forest.

So seeing several people arrive with brushes, crash pads and simply the desire to take care of the spot was really cool.

Miegebat, in the woods

Miegebat has a very different atmosphere from Pont de Camps. The boulders are scattered through the woods, with moss everywhere, trees filtering the light and stones that almost appear at the last moment as you move through the sector.

The rock changes a lot depending on the lines. Sometimes it is very grippy. Sometimes it becomes much smoother, more demanding. You go from a clear sloper to a move where you genuinely wonder how it can possibly hold.

And inevitably, between attempts, people talk beta.

“More to the left.”

“No, your foot is too low.”

“Wait, I will spot you.”

The kind of sentences you hear all day outside.

Restoring the boulders

A big part of the weekend was also dedicated to cleaning outdoor boulders.

Removing dead branches. Cleaning some holds. Clearing landings. Removing moss where it was coming back too much. Even taking out dead trees completely when they were really blocking passages or landing zones.

Said like that, it sounds simple. But in reality, it changes the experience enormously when you come climbing outside afterwards.

I find something quite satisfying in taking part in that. You do not just come to “consume” the spot, climb and leave. You also help a little to keep it alive, usable and pleasant for the next people.

And it gives the weekend a different atmosphere. People talk a lot. They laugh. Some climb while others clean a line further away. Things are moving everywhere in the woods.

A real outdoor atmosphere.

Time slipping away

What I like most about outdoor climbing is that the days go by quickly without you really looking at the time.

You try once.

Then again.

You sit for five minutes on a crash pad to breathe.

You watch someone try a complicated move for twenty minutes.

And eventually, the light is already changing in the trees. You see it arrive on a boulder that is finally going to dry, and there it is, perfect.

On Sunday and Monday, there was that mix of climbing, breaks and conversations that makes outdoor days really cool. Well, on Monday, after the storm the day before, we struggled more with the wet moss. We cleared a lot of boulders rather than really climbing.

But that was part of the weekend.

No need to overdo it. No need for a huge event. Just motivated people, crash pads in the forest and boulders in the middle of the Pyrenees.

The luck of having this here

I think we sometimes forget how lucky we are to have places like this in the Ossau Valley.

Being able to go climbing outside just a few minutes by car, finding yourself among the trees with rock all around, is still a real luxury.

On the way back, with crash pads full of dirt and fingers properly destroyed, there was mostly the feeling of having had a good weekend.

Simply.

And honestly, that is probably what we are all looking for a little when we go climbing outside.

For the photos, I also wanted to have fun with a small test. I used a lens made in Germany between 1949 and 1960, mounted on my Sony A7R IV. An old 35mm I bought mostly for pleasure, to find a slightly vintage rendering, not necessarily ultra sharp, not necessarily perfect.

And honestly, I think it fits this kind of photography and event rather well. There is a slightly less clinical side, softer, sometimes a little imperfect, that goes well with the moss, the woods, the crash pads on the ground and the relaxed atmosphere of the weekend. The sharper photos were made with another camera.

In short, if this kind of moment speaks to you, do not hesitate to join us next time. Follow Beta Bloc on Instagram, and also Les D-Blokes, to hear about future events and come take part in these good moments outside.

I will leave you with a few photographs from the weekend. If you want to share them, do not forget to mention me @mathieuodin.