Nicholas Hobley
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Les Calanques, France
Davide Necchi
Beauty
Sectors
Difficulty
4a - 9a
Routes number
3500
Rock type
Limestone
Orientation
N, S, E, W
Rope
70m rope


Les Calanques, located on the outskirts of Marseilles and spanning all the way to Cassis 20km to the east, is one France's most famous natural beauties. The limestone massif is marked by an impressive, jagged Mediterranean coastline with deep green bays and forging promontories which offer not only breathtaking views and swims but also some of the best and most varied sports climbing in France - technical slabs, steep overhangs, single pitch extremes, multi-pitch delights, north, south, east or west facing... Les Calanques have it all.

The Massif is divided into 6 main areas: Marseilleveyre, Les Goudes, Sormiou, Morgiou, Luminy and Gardiole. Put together these host a myriad of different crags and a total of circa 2500 bolted routes and more than 1000 trad routes.

Apart from the Tiragne and Lui d'ai mentioned here, we highly recommend Cret-Saint-Michel (located above Morgiou, 70 routes from 4c to 7a), the aptly named Oasis (15 routes from 6c to 8a), Paroi Jaune (high above Marseille, long technical face climbing 6c - 7c) and the famous south facing Paroi des Toits (60 routes from 5c - 8b, SW facing), both sheltered from the Mistral and ideal for winter climbing. En Vau is a must for its sheer beauty and its multi-pitches high above the sea. And then there’s Grotte de l'ours or Nid d'aigle! Our list of exceptional crags is endless… perhaps the best thing is for you to go there and discover them for yourselves!

Access

Drive or fly to Marseille. From Marseille take the D559 east towards Cassis and then bear off this main road to the single crags.

Logistics

There are plenty of Gites d'etapes in the Maresille region. Wild camping is strictly forbidden in the Calanques.

Period

Spring and autumn. Summer tends to be very hot in the South of France, but this makes climbing + swimming ideal. In winter the Mistral can render climbing impossibly cold.

Climb

The climbing style varies considerably, depending on the sectors, from steep and pumpy to vertical and highly technical.

Notes

The entire Calanques are extremely fragile. Please respect the flora and fauna, stay on the marked paths, take away all litter. Respect local bans: check out www.topo-calanques.com for updated information.

Petty crime and car theft are extremely common in Marseille. Do not leave anything whatsoever in your car and leave the windows open slightly to avoid them from being broken into.

Bibliography

"Escalade, Les Calanques" by Gilles Bernard, Daniel Gorgeon, Christophe Kern, Bernard Privat




Sectors

Tiragne
Routes
Name Height Beauty Difficulty
1 La Panthere rose 7b
2 Sur le fil du hasard 7a+
3 Arenea 6a, 5a
4 Adrenaline story 6b
5 Telle Qu'elle 6a
6 Dilemme 6c+
7 Etienne,Tiens le bien 7b+
8 Pousse Kawa 6b+, 5c+
9 Des souris et des hommes 6c+
10 Persiste et signe 7a
11 En avoir ou pas 6c
12 Rumpe cuou 5c, 5c
13 Baba cool 5c, 4c
14 Pour de rire 4c, 6a
15 Prochaine eternite 5a, 6b+
16 Pour de vrai 4c, 5c
17 Penchant fatal 6a+
18 Directe 6a
19 Bons baisers sales 5c, 6c
20 Topless 4b
21 Pilier de riou 4b, 6b
22 La Renverse 4c
23 Plus haut que la mer 5c
24 Vos gueules les mouettes 6b
25 La Peau de serpent 6b, 7a
26 Douce violence 6b+
27 Grace land 7a+
28 Tout pour toi 7a
29 Contre nature 7a
30 Nostalgie oceane 6a+
31 Le siamois qui Volant dans sat et 6a
32 Serpentiluche 4c, 4c
33 Statue de sel 5c
34 Riglanos 5c, 4b
35 Magnesie joe 5c, 3c
36 Grey house 6a+
37 Sister morphine 7b
38 L'ecume des jours 6a+
39 Directe aloizant 6a, 4b
40 Braie D'ecume 6c
41 Mzab 6b, 4c
42 Signe de vie 6a+
43 Biscuit 5c
44 L'estrasse 7a
45 L'extase 6c+
46 Sentence sur l'obscur 6a
47 Le poids du peche 7a
Lui d'ai
Routes
Name Height Beauty Difficulty
1 Confluence 6a, 5c
2 Le Cher P'ai 6a+, 6b
3 Boite De T'ai 7a+
4 Jeu De Mots 6a+, 6b
5 Les Illusions Perdues 6a, 5c
6 La Joie Du Sexe 5c, 7a
7 Au Dela Du Cri 5b
8 No Name 5b, 6a
9 Block De T'ai 4c, 6b
10 La Face Du Vertige 5b, 6b
11 Louis D'ai 5a, 6b





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Beauty
Sectors
Difficulty
4a - 9a
Routes number
3500
Rock type
Limestone
Orientation
N, S, E, W
Rope
70m rope


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