France
La Bérarde is the hamlet at the head of the Vénéon valley in the heart of the Écrins, at 1700 m. The Tête de la Maye rises directly above it, a dome of rounded granite with a set of long, closely bolted slab routes on its south face that are climbable from May to October. The valley is reached from Le Bourg-d'Oisans by a narrow road through Saint-Christophe-en-Oisans. A flood on 21 June 2024 devastated the hamlet and its car park, and in 2025 and 2026 visitors reported restricted road access with a shuttle, so check the current arrangements before you go. Many routes here are maintained by the ONOS association, funded by sales of the Cambon guidebooks.
Where and when
Climate figures for La Bérarde (Écrins) are not available yet
1 route
France · La Bérarde (Écrins)
The great classic of the Tête de la Maye: 13 pitches of rounded granite slab above La Bérarde with nothing athletic until the last hard pitch, a flake and wide crack of 5c+ that everyone remembers. Recently rebolted and very closely protected. It is camptocamp's reference route for the overall grade D.
5c+13 pitches350 m
Local words
France