So my rope buddy John suggested we spread our wings and this morning we headed out to the Ardeche Gorge about an hour away to climb the Pilier Ouest - an 8 pitch sport route which, as the name suggests, stays in the shade until early afternoon.
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 Pilier Ouest - Autrige - Gorge de l'Ardeche - France Credit: Enty |
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We downloaded the relevant info from Camp-To-Camp http://www.camptocamp.org/routes/55438/fr/gorges-de-l-ardeche-autridge-pilier-ouest
Without a hitch arrived at the parking and found the descent path. Not a bad view - acres of rock!!
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 View from the descent path Credit: Enty |
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We were at the foot of the route 10 minutes later. John wanted me to get the crux 6th pitch so I went first and linked the first two pitches - an easy 6a wall into an easier 5b corner.
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 John seconding the 2nd pitch. Credit: Enty |
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The third pitch looked great and didn't dissapoint. A mega exposed step right then a pumpy crack.
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 Stepping onto the mega exposed 3rd pitch Credit: Enty |
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 The view upstream from the belay at pitch 3 Credit: Enty |
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 The view downstream Credit: Enty |
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Pitch 4 was delicate step right on perfect rock. 6b but low angled and felt quite easy.
Pitch 5 again dispatched easily by John.
Now the problems started - the overhanging 6b+ crux pitch. I don't do overhangs very well being the wrong side of 80 kilograms. So I stepped up to the overhanging layback, spied the crucial jug by the 3rd bolt about 2m above, pulled round to a smeary right foothold and.......
......greased of!!! Bastard!!
Straight back on, got a better right foothold, got the jug and the rest was easy. Don't you hate it when that happens?
At the top of the pitch there's a down climbing traverse to a hanging belay which puts you about 200m above the river.
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 Belay - pitch 6 Credit: Enty |
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 The downward traverse to the hanging belay. Credit: Enty |
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The next pitch was probably the best - John got this one. A brilliant pocketed wall, sustained but on perfect rock.
Last pitch was an airy traverse out right then up to the top.
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 Traversing out on the airy last pitch. Credit: Enty |
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 Job done! Credit: Enty |
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Left the house at 6:30am and was back home for 1:45pm - not bad.
So that's my first Supertopo Trip Report. French Sport climbing for shandy drinkers!!!!
I'll be in Yosemite in 3 weeks time so maybe I might have amore adventurous TR to write.
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http://www.provencerock.com/
