France
The Cerces are the limestone peaks north of the Col du Lautaret, between the Guisane and Clarée valleys. Their compact, sharp, high-altitude limestone, on walls such as the Tour Termier, the Tête Colombe and the towers of the Queyrellin, carries many long bolted routes opened by Jean-Michel Cambon. The Tour Termier is reached in an hour from the Col du Galibier road, so the season is short: the road is open only in summer and the wall tops out at about 3000 m, cold and often windy even in August. Briançon and the villages of the Guisane valley are the usual bases.
Where and when
Climate figures for Cerces are not available yet
1 route
France · Cerces
The classic hard route of the Tour Termier: ten steep, technical pitches on superb compact limestone at 3000 m, a short walk from the Col du Galibier road. It is never athletic but sustained at 6a+ to 6b, with a 7a pitch and a 6c move that both go at 6a A0. Cold, wind and thin footwork make it feel bigger than the numbers.
7a10 pitches320 m
Local words
France