France
The Grand Bec (3398 m) rises above Le Planay, between Bozel and Pralognan-la-Vanoise in Savoie. Below its south-west face, at about 2750 m, the Contreforts du Grand Bec form a south-facing cliff of sculpted rock with half a dozen bolted routes of 90 to 120 m and an equipped abseil line. The base is the quiet Refuge du Grand Bec (2403 m), wardened from mid-June to mid-September and reached in about 2 h 15 on foot from the hamlet of Plan Fournier, which is a short drive up a narrow road from Le Planay. Moûtiers is the nearest railway station. The season runs from late June or July to early October, depending on snow.
Where and when
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Contreforts du Grand Bec, above the Refuge du Grand Bec · 2,779 m
| Measure | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul (usual season) | Aug (usual season) | Sep (usual season) | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mean daily high °C | −9 | −8 | −5 | −2 | 2 | 8 | 11 | 11 | 7 | 2 | −5 | −9 |
| Mean daily low °C | −16 | −16 | −13 | −9 | −6 | −1 | 2 | 2 | −2 | −6 | −12 | −16 |
| Rain days 1 mm or more | 13 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 16 | 18 | 16 | 14 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 13 |
● marks the usual climbing season. Averages for 1991-2020 at about 2779 m. Area climate from Open-Meteo reanalysis. Temperatures are adjusted to the height of the crag; rain comes from a grid cell of about 10 to 25 km, and summer highs on sea cliffs can read a few degrees low. The wall and valley can differ. Data: Open-Meteo, CC BY 4.0.
1 route
France · Vanoise (Grand Bec)
A short, sunny high-mountain route at 2800 m in the Vanoise: five 25 to 30 m pitches of 4b to 5b with one or two moves of 5c that can be pulled through, then an easy scramble. The bolting is generous enough that parties with little experience enjoy it. The setting, below the south-west face of the Grand Bec, is the reason to walk up.
5c6 pitches180 m
Local words
France