| Annot - Secteurs | |
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Secteur Map Click on the map to the left or here for the map of Les gres d'Annot. (Opens in a new window) |
| Secteur | Comments and recommended routes | Photos | ||||||||
| Le zodiaque |
Some fine slabby routes to start off on and some high quality wall routes in the 'canyon'. Recently developed lower boulders features
one of the hardest routes in France. F5b-8c+
Taureau F5b - strong line and easiest route on the slab Astral F6a - great slabby climbing into a groove Estrane Ascendance F7a - some more pocket pulling, best climbed quickly Verseau F7a+ - a brilliant trip up a line of small pockets Arcane Majeur F7b+ - a powerful sequence through the bulges Star Pet F7c? - the huge 45 degree 'ships keel' on the lower boulders. Why have the bolts been removed? Vitamania F8c/9a - a long rising traverse on the steepest wall |
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| L'etrave |
Huge walls and aretes await you. Trouble is they haven't been climbed yet. Never mind - worth looking at. F5c-7b+
Les Grumeaux F6b+ - after a hard start, get onto the soaring arete and take that long lonely journey! | |||||||||
| Le vaudois |
Two sides to this block offer contrasting climbing: either nice slabby F5b/c, or the ferocious test-pieces on the rather steeper side. F5b-F8b
L'autumne F5b - very grit-like slab, even has pebbles Logique du Guerre F7c+ - awesome line of pockets, butch, but no really hard moves. Mind you, no easy ones either. Comme de Signe F8a+ - if you can climb this you are awesome. The F8b to the left looks loads easier. |
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| Le bloc operatoire |
Short and powerful routes on this little block. F7a-7b
Trachéo F7a - hard move to gain the flake Lobotomie F7b - steep, powerful moves into and up the hanging groove | |||||||||
| Le visage |
Only three routes, but the middle one is a classic, possibly the route of the crag. F6a-6a+
La Nez F6a+ - ever fancied doing The Nose in a day? Top pocket moves, one of the best at the crag. |
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| Le bestiaire |
The left-hand side has vertical wall routes that don't give anything away, while the right-hand side is a lot steeper, with some power-endurance classics. F6a-8a
Azraël F6c - brilliant arete problem between the two faces, but watch out - it's tricky! Egérie F7b - powerful yarding on pockets Satyre F7c - great moves past the small flake snaking up the wall make this a pump-fest classic Les Walkyries F8a - low crux followed by withering pocket work to the top of the groove and a tricky finish |
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| L'airain |
Only the right-hand block has routes on it - not the best. F5b-6b
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| La grande pyramide |
Almost granite-like on the slabby front face, and some true gems on the back. F3c-6b+
Hyroglyph F5b - lovely big (for Annot) slab Osiris F5b - strong line following scooped pockets up a slab Papyrus F6b+ - well hard for the grade, but has some fine friction work at the top of the wall |
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| La petit pyramide |
Like its big sister, has some nice easy slab routes. F4c-5c
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| Les Météories |
Some more boulders directly above the railway station, clearly visible from there as they look just like mini versions of their Greek name-sakes.
Slabs and walls on those strange large pockets and some steeper harder stuff tucked away round a corner. F4c-7c+
Castor F5b - slopey pockets Phenix F6a+ - very delicate rounded arete Black Cry F7b+ - big moves between big holds - dynamic |
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| Roche de la Balme |
Further up the valley (north-west), are a big sweep of slabs and some isolated steeper buttresses, set on the path to Col d'Argentier and beside a gorgeous river. F4a-F7b+.
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| Jardin du Roi |
Bloody hell! Some potential here! As it stands there are a few routes about, but they don't look that good or are always wet, except for a F6c blunt arete. F5c-7b.
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| Les Oubliettes |
Bloody hell! Some potential here! In contrast, they have actually put up routes in the canyon just behind where the path meets the crag (go right then left). 40m high pump fests, unfortunately all the routes are chipped or drilled, some so blatently we just turned round and went back to the boulders. A real shame. F7b-8c.
Pitchounette F8a+ - stunning overhanging arete, but why did they have to drill it into submission? | |||||||||
| Maison Troglodytes |
Not in the local topo. From the Chappelle Vers la Ville, built into the boulders itself, follow the path up the
hill-side all the way to the main cliff line above the town. Just left of an old cave dwelling are two super-steep
routes. One is supposed to be F8a and the other F8c. Impressive!
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© Jon Read 2001