With François and Alicia, I return to the Calanques for two days of multi-pitch climbing around En-Vau, Castelvieil and the Candelle, high above the sea.
It’s a tradition: at least one trip to the Calanques every year! Breathing in the scents of the Mediterranean scrub, climbing to the sound of lapping water and gulls above a turquoise inlet, having a chat with the giant pines tucked into the cliffs… This place has a charm all of its own!
Day 1 — En-Vau and the multi-pitch routes of Castelvieil
François and Alicia are really keen to discover the Calanques. For a first visit, I can’t imagine missing En-Vau! Two morning showers give us a few doubts about the weather… But we keep going and weave our way between the raindrops.
By the time we’ve admired the view and geared up, a light breeze has completely dried the rock. Looking good! We start with the Pilier Gauche de la Passerelle, a lovely local classic leading up to the Castelvieil plateau. François and Alicia discover their guide’s speciality: linking pitches into long, sweeping 50-metre leads! Two pitches and the pillar is behind us!
We walk around the peninsula to have a look at the Arch, then abseil down to sea level to climb Rêve de Pierre. We’re lucky: there’s little wind today, and little swell, so we can get right down to the water…
Rêve de Pierre starts with a wonderful expanse of pocketed white limestone just above the sea. Bliss. A long, varied pitch then brings us back to the Ramond ledge. From there, we finish up the Pilier de l’Erreur, another very classy bit of climbing.
We abseil back down to our bags at the foot of the Pilier de la Passerelle. Time has flown: it’s 6 pm and we’re hungry! The sandwiches don’t last long.
On the way back, we treat ourselves to Super Sirène, a lovely route that feels tough for its stated grade… As is often the case with the Calanques classics!
Day 2 — Gutemberg and the Centrale on the Candelle
The wind has picked up today, and so have the waves. Our hopes of a sea-level traverse are blown away! But we’ll find somewhere else to satisfy our climbing needs.
We head to the Candelle to link two routes. First, Gutemberg: four excellent pitches, each with a different style. Not a single one to skip.
A short walk brings us to the foot of the Centrale. There’s a reason this route is such a classic: the climbing is superb. Demanding, too, with grades that do nothing to flatter a climber’s ego! With the fatigue from 550 metres of climbing over the weekend, we have to put up a bit of a fight to reach the top!
A lovely finish on the summit of the Candelle, in the sunshine!
Practical Info / Route Topo
Day 1 — Multi-pitch climbing between En-Vau and Castelvieil
- With François and Alicia, we climb the Pilier Gauche de la Passerelle, followed by Rêve de Pierre and a finish up the Pilier de l’Erreur. After a late lunch, we round off the day with Super Sirène.
Day 2 — Two classics on the Candelle
- Wind and swell put an end to our plans for a sea-level traverse. We link Gutemberg and the Centrale, then enjoy the sunshine on the summit of the Candelle.
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