With Gab and Aurel, I swap the snowy Alps for three days of climbing on Sainte-Victoire and in the Calanques, preparing for summer mountaineering trips.
Well, there you go — the seasons have lost the plot! The wintry weather forecast for the Alps this weekend throws a spanner in the works for Gab, Aurel and me… There’s very little we can reasonably consider doing in the mountains.
Still, we’re already off to a better start than last year, when I had to hand Gab and Aurel over to my mate Sylvain because little Siméo had decided to make his grand entrance!
Here in France, we have the ultimate weapon against wintry weather: the South! So we head for Sainte-Victoire and the Calanques, excellent places to prepare for future mountaineering trips.
Day 1 — Climbing in mountaineering boots on Sainte-Victoire
For our first day, we meet at Sainte-Victoire. The idea is to climb in mountaineering boots as much as possible. The gusts of mistral buffeting us on the ridge certainly help set the scene…
We link Les Moussaillons with the natural continuation of the ridge leading straight to the Croix de Provence. It’s a lovely line, with some fine climbing that already feels quite interesting in big boots! Good preparation for the mountains.
We shelter from the wind for a while at the Priory. It feels good to step out of the wind tunnel! We descend by the black-marked trail to practise our mountain footwork, with a little lesson in friction along the way.
The day ends with us wandering around Aix-en-Provence, slightly dazed, looking for something to fill our stomachs…
Day 2 — Multi-pitch routes at Crêt Saint-Michel
For our second day, we head to the Calanques! We’re looking for multi-pitch climbing sheltered from the wind. Crêt Saint-Michel, above the calanque of Morgiou, fits the bill nicely. The view isn’t bad either…
We start with La Chaloupée, a lovely four-pitch route on excellent limestone. The grade 5 sections don’t climb themselves — we have to put in a little effort!
Gab enjoys a little nap at the top to recharge the batteries. Then we head down for another route.
A brief shower has us waiting under a rock. About a kilometre away, the calanque of Sormiou is being drenched by a curtain of rain. We’re right on its edge. We hesitate over starting another multi-pitch route… In the end, the rain doesn’t seem to be coming our way, so off we go!
A winning gamble: we only catch a few drops. The first pitch of the Dièdre Jaune does finish off Aurel’s arms, though. He decides to head down, leaving Gab and me to finish the route!
Day 3 — La Calanque and Sirène Liautard at En-Vau
For our last day, we head to the beautiful and much-celebrated calanque of En-Vau. The mistral is howling at the Gardiole car park, so we set off in down jackets!
We reach En-Vau in the quiet of the morning. Not a soul around! It feels very different from the Gardiole. We stash our 28 layers of clothing and set off up La Calanque, a wonderful route above the turquoise water… A treat!
We top out on the Castelvieil peninsula, a wild corner of the Calanques, then return to our belongings near the beach at En-Vau.
The atmosphere has changed completely! Sunday beachgoers are arriving by the dozen. The air smells of sun cream, and we wouldn’t be surprised to see someone appear from nowhere selling sugared peanuts and doughnuts…
We leave everyone to their roasting session and return to our acrobatics on Sirène Liautard, a magnificent limestone spire.
Once again, the climbing is remarkably steep and elegant for the advertised grade of 4c–5a… Although, on the second pitch, a move above the belay feels considerably harder. After checking, it turns out to be 6a!
We spend a good half-hour waiting on the route while the two rope teams ahead of us, both led by a single guide, finish the final pitch.
True, we haven’t put on our crampons. But climbing in a T-shirt at En-Vau, with turquoise water below, isn’t the worst punishment either! See you in August — in the mountains this time, I hope!
Practical Info / Route Topo
Day 1 — Mountaineering preparation on Sainte-Victoire
- With Gab and Aurel, we link Les Moussaillons and the ridge leading to the Croix de Provence, climbing in mountaineering boots whenever possible. We descend by the black-marked trail to practise our mountain footwork too.
Day 2 — La Chaloupée and the Dièdre Jaune
- Sheltered from the wind at Crêt Saint-Michel, we climb La Chaloupée. After a break and some uncertainty about the weather, we start the Dièdre Jaune. Gab and I finish the route after Aurel heads down.
Day 3 — Multi-pitch climbing above En-Vau
- We climb La Calanque to the Castelvieil plateau, followed by Sirène Liautard. Three days without crampons, but with lovely rock and plenty of preparation for future mountaineering trips.
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