The Roches de Basseville at Surgy, above the Yonne and the Nivernais canal, with the Saussois classics a few kilometres away.
Just outside Clamecy in the Nièvre, the Roches de Basseville overlook the Yonne and the Nivernais canal. This limestone crag, which climbers simply call Surgy, offers routes up to about forty metres, on slabs and vertical walls with crimps and cracks, from grade 4 to 8.
Facing south to east, the crag can be climbed almost all year round and the approach takes only a few minutes. The busy left-hand school area is a little polished. Take care with children: the base of the routes can be dangerous and an unprotected caving shaft lies near the entrance.
The Surgy guidebook is available in the OneTopo app, with every route drawn on a photo and available offline.
Surgy is one of the few crags reachable from Paris by train and bike: Clamecy station is 18 min away by bike, Coulanges-sur-Yonne 24 min. Le Saussois and the Rochers du Parc can also be reached by bike from Châtel-Censoir or Mailly-la-Ville stations.
All crags reachable by bike and train from Paris on Vélogrimpe.fr →OneTopo doesn't cover the valley's other crags yet. To climb there, here are the reference printed guidebooks.
FFME Yonne committee · 2021 edition · 160 pages
Le Saussois, the Rocher du Renard and the Rochers du Parc, around Merry-sur-Yonne, about fifteen kilometres from Surgy.
Sold at Au Vieux Campeur among others (around €19).
FFME Nièvre committee · 2023 · 224 pages
Surgy (Roches de Basseville), the Narvau gorges, Rocher du Chien, Rocher du Montal and the Moulins d'Yonne.
From the FFME Nièvre committee and local clubs.
David Atchison-Jones · 2021
A selective guide to the main crags of Burgundy and Auvergne, including those of the Yonne valley.
In mountain and climbing bookshops.
In the commune of Surgy, near Clamecy (Nièvre), above the Yonne and the Nivernais canal. The site is also called Roches de Basseville.
Almost all year round thanks to its south to east aspect. In midsummer, pick the coolest hours of the day.
The Saussois massif (Saussois, Rochers du Parc, Rocher du Renard) around Merry-sur-Yonne, and the Nièvre crags described in the “Grimper dans la Nièvre” guidebook: Narvau gorges, Rocher du Chien, Rocher du Montal, Moulins d'Yonne.
The digital Surgy guidebook is in the OneTopo app and works offline; most of every sale goes to the people who bolt the sites. In print, Surgy is covered in “Grimper dans la Nièvre” by the FFME Nièvre committee.
Download OneTopo, unlock the guidebook and find every route, photo and line, even without signal.
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