39 year old Laura Pugin from Doubs first came to Normandy 12 years ago. She fell in love with the Eure area and that’s where, 3 years ago, she discovered climbing. It was an instant hit. Let’s find out more.
A latecomer to climbing
Laura, a school teacher in Val-de-Reuil, discovered her passion for climbing in Normandy, which reminds her of the mountain sports she enjoyed in Haute-Savoie. “It means I can reconnect with something I love. It may not be the mountain, but the cliffs are good enough for me,” says the adopted Norman who also spent time in New Zealand.
Her partner introduced her to climbing during lockdown three years ago. Her chance encounter with climbing in Normandy wasn’t smooth sailing at the beginning, but Laura’s got the hang of it now; she now climbs at least twice a week with her club.
“You tend to learn to do it indoors. Rock climbing is another side to the sport, but you have to get to grips with the techniques on a climbing wall before you take it outdoors.”
Climbing? You need to enjoy it and be prepared to take risks because after a while, the more you progress, the harder it gets. You have to let go of your holds if you want to move on and accept that you're going to lose your grip…
An all-round versatile sport
Climbing in Normandy is a real all-round sport with all kinds of challenges and formats. Whether it be bouldering on climbing walls at the halls in Alizay and Poses or rock climbing on the Seine riverbanks, each session is an opportunity to push your limits. “You don’t climb alone, you need to do it with someone else for peace of mind. A lot of it is safety and mutual trust,” says Laura.
The sport is as popular among men as it is among women and a great way to meet people from all walks of life, so you can climb the social ladder too! “I’ve met a lot of people through climbing. Some of them are now my close friends. It’s a very social sport.”
Being a keen climber also gave her the chance to get involved in volunteering as secretary at Résine et Silex, a club with almost 240 members.
“We’re all scared of falling to some degree but we complete several stages to improve. We challenge ourselves to go up and climb routes with higher climbing grades.
A climbing grade is how difficult a route is based on its type, commitment, technical features and how much physical effort it requires.
Top Climbing Locations in Normandy: From Cliffs to Indoor Centres
It may not be obvious, but Normandy is the perfect place for climbing.
“It’s a very geographically rich region near Rouen, Paris and the coast. There are cliffs, dunes and lots of nature with the Seine,” says Laura, who was pleased to see how diverse Normandy’s nature sites are with the likes of Mortain and Clécy in Suisse normande.
There are lots of climbing centres for when the weather’s bad, so beginners and experts can hone their skills.
“When you start out, you can learn all the basic techniques within a trimester and get the yellow card so you can go climbing on your own,” says Laura, who introduced her kids to the sport.
As well as climbing, the Norman at heart goes running, trail running, does triathlons and commutes by bike. Normandy’s climate may have put a bit of a dampener on things at the start, but its culture made up for the lack of mountains. “I love going to the theatres, cinemas and media centres. The region is bursting with cultural venues.”
Laura’s favourite places:
- The cliffs by the Seine
- Alizays and Poses climbing centres
- Mortain and Clécy sites in Suisse Normande
Thematics
