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Trip Report

Climbing trip In the mountain ranges around Grenoble.

5 days of climbing and chilling in majors sites of mountain around Grenoble in France.

  • 250m abseiling.+ 12
  • First day of climbing in a simple way but In traditional climbing (We need to put up our own protections)
  • At the top of the Aiguille mount with our friend the Chamois.
  • Climbing trip In the mountain ranges around Grenoble.
swaxlito
by swaxlito
About Me:
AtlasGuru Contributor

EuropeFrance5 days / September 2021

Highs & Lows

Three major climbing sites with major landscapes in one of the best climbing areas in the world.

These sites are demanding and a minimum level of climbing is required.

Itinerary Overview

The only objective for me and my friend Johan was to do a climbing trip.

He is much better than me, which was quite complicated for the choice of the routes to do. Because even a route that is "easy" for him is "extremely intense" for me! But with Johan it's always an adventure and that's what I like.

After shopping food for the trip, we got into Johan's truck to reach our first destination: the Mont Aiguille.

We arrived late, spent the first night in the truck and the second bivouacking. But At the beginning we wanted to stay 3 nights so we wanted to spend one more night bivouacking at the Mont Aiguille. But the weather forecast announced bad weather so we changed our plan to go to this mythical place: Presles.

We didn't plan to go to Presles (that's the cool thing about being flexible: you never know what to expect... and in climbing it's better to be flexible!). We choosed the place because we already knew this location and we love it ! And we also knew that it was probably sheltered from the rain as it is a rock that is mainly overhanging

After a night and a route in Presles we finally go to our last stop : Huales d'Huez, one of the best ski resort in the world located at 1800 altitude. But after the ski season it is still a paradise for outdoor activities.
 

  • 2 Nights: Mont Aiguille
    It’s a really famous site of climbing and in particular, a place where you can practice traditional climbing.
  • 1 Night: Escalade Presles
    Major site of long route climbing in France.
  • 2 Nights: Alpe d'Huez
    Very beautiful and hight site for climbing.
Mont Aiguille - It’s a really famous site of climbing and in particular, a place where you can practice traditional climbing.
1

Mont Aiguille It’s a really famous site of climbing and in particular, a place where you can practice traditional climbing.

Mont Aiguille - It’s a really famous site of climbing and in particular, a place where you can practice traditional climbing. - First day of climbing in a simple way but In traditional climbing (We need to put up our own protections)
First day of climbing in a simple way but In traditional climbing (We need to put up our own protections)
Mont Aiguille - It’s a really famous site of climbing and in particular, a place where you can practice traditional climbing. - At the top of the Aiguille mount with our friend the Chamois.
At the top of the Aiguille mount with our friend the Chamois.
Mont Aiguille - It’s a really famous site of climbing and in particular, a place where you can practice traditional climbing. - 250m abseiling.3+
250m abseiling.

First day we arrived late in the day with my friend to Chichilian (little town to access to the mount) the middle of the Vercors massif. Discovered this giant 250-350m block that comes out of the landscape like a needle. We spent the first night in the truck, preparing the equipment for the next climbing day. We woke up early in the same time with the sun. Then walked to reach the bottom of the mountain.

After 2h hours walking we started climbing in a simple route but In traditional climbing (We need to put up our own protections). At the top we enjoy this incredible view for a bit and came down abseiling.  We found then the perfect place to camp at 2000m high protected by a handmade rock wall. We lit a fire and prepared our handmade bread cooked on a wood fire.

The day after we’ve done another route but harder! It was my first time in this place and I love the atmosphere, but to be honest I didn’t really enjoyed the type of climbing… the rock was friable and therefore sometimes you could hold a grip, which could literally break in your hand... not very reassuring. Then came back to the truck to reach our second step : Presles. 

Escalade Presles - Major site of long route climbing in France.
2

Escalade Presles Major site of long route climbing in France.

Escalade Presles - Major site of long route climbing in France. - No comment.
No comment.
Escalade Presles - Major site of long route climbing in France. - On kind that f a terrace approximately at the middle of the route. The clouds are coming.
On kind that f a terrace approximately at the middle of the route. The clouds are coming.
Escalade Presles - Major site of long route climbing in France. - Presles the morning, without clouds.1+
Presles the morning, without clouds.

Located on the border of the Vercors and Royans regions, the Presles cliffs are a privileged place for long-distance climbing in France. The limestone cliffs are over 200 metres high and extend over several kilometres. This time we woke up slowly (need to rest a bit) and climbed a very hard route (for me not for my friend Johan..) finished in the clouds. Then took the truck again to join our third step : l’Alpes d’Huez. 

Alpe d'Huez - Very beautiful and hight site for climbing.
3

Alpe d'Huez Very beautiful and hight site for climbing.

Alpe d'Huez - Very beautiful and hight site for climbing. - The Alps.
The Alps.
Alpe d'Huez - Very beautiful and hight site for climbing. - The Alps.
The Alps.
Alpe d'Huez - Very beautiful and hight site for climbing. - Myself abseiling.2+
Myself abseiling.

L'Alpes d’Huez is initially a well known ski resort in the Grenoble area. Located at 1800 meters high when the snow melts, it is possible to climb. We spent two beautiful days of climbing. The lake of Besson is your best friend after After a good day of effort to relax a little in this incredible landscape surrounded at 360 degrees by the Alps. I loved this type of climbing, with beautiful movements. Not many holds but solid holds that hold well. I think that the alps is my favorite of this trip !

Q & A

  • What would you have changed?

    Maybe do more days off to rest the arms and therefore extend the trip to be able to climb more places.

  • Anything go wrong during the trip?

    We had rain at the Presles’s route. Very hard to finish with those conditions.

  • Restaurant recommendations?

    We ate only our own food at the truck. But I really recommend you to try the local mountain specialities : fondu savoyarde, raclette, tartiflette... very rich, full of cheese and charcuterie but it will comfort you after a hard day climbing !

  • Packing tips?

    Packing is important because we were staying far from civilisation, without the possibility of shopping. It's essential to think about everything you may need, particularly food and drinks. But also about climbing and camping materials.

  • Transportation Tips?

    For a climbing trip like this, it's best to have your own truck. Because there is no need to figure out the accommodation, and you are directly at the bottom of the route.

Lodging