Pilier des Sources (Mauléon-Barousse) · Barousse (Central Pyrenees) · France
Bail not documentedBolting confidence: high
A short, friendly pillar of wonderfully rough, sculpted limestone above a Pyrenean village, bolted in 2022 as a first multipitch. Five pitches of grade 3 and 4 with single moves of 5a (4c obligatory), fifteen minutes from the car. Ideal for learning rope work; experienced parties move together and are up in an hour.
The route
Princetza d'Euskadi climbs the Pilier des Sources, a wooded limestone spur above the Maison des Sources at Mauléon-Barousse, from 635 m to 741 m. The first two pitches take a lower buttress; a fixed hand line then leads slightly down and left across a wooded break to a second stance, from which three more pitches follow the upper pillar to its top. The climbing is mostly grade 3 and 4 on very grippy rock, with isolated steps of 4c to 5a. The line was cleaned and bolted by Pierre Albero in autumn 2022. A fixed-rope 'via corda' now runs nearby and joins the last pitch.
The climbing
| Pitch | Grade | Length | Bolts | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| P1 | 4c | 20 m | 5 bolts | Straight up the cleaned plinth through blocky, fractured rock, mostly 3c with a move of 4c, to a stance with room for three. |
| P2 | 5a | 25 m | 7 bolts | The pillar of pale, grooved limestone with one step of 5a (4c obligatory) on very rough rock, to a belay at the edge of a copse. A fixed hand line then leads slightly down and left to the R2 bis stance, built on two trees. |
| P3 | 5a | 25 m | 7 bolts | An easy-angled plinth that steepens abruptly at the second bolt (5a), a rising traverse left on jugs, then a slab with a big hold to exit. |
| P4 | 4c | 27 m | 6 bolts | A step above the belay, then a slightly overhanging rising traverse left to the fourth belay. A 2026 party notes it is easy to skip several bolts near this belay. |
| P5 | 4c | 35 m | 8 bolts | A rising traverse left over two broken steps and round a perched block, then right towards a wall and a squeeze on the left to finish. The via corda's fixed ropes and bolts cross this pitch: the route goes straight up to a tiny overhang and then follows the line of fixed ropes on grade 2 ground. It is possible to stray onto the neighbouring line at the last belay. |
Getting there
Drive to Mauléon-Barousse (Hautes-Pyrénées) and follow signs for the Maison des Sources. Park at the entrance to its grounds, at about 590 m.
About 15 min. Take the path just above the car park northwards, towards the Château de Bramevaque. About 150 m after the last building, at a rock marked with a yellow line, climb onto an old terrace. Find a cairn at the foot of a steep passage and go straight up to a second terrace visible above, then continue up to the right following the track and cairns. At the last cairn the start appears up and left, marked by a metal rosette fixed to the rock, with bolts visible. A fixed rope that starts on slabs 10 to 20 m before and below the start belongs to the via corda, not to this route.
Loading map
The point marks the crag, not the exact start of the route.
GPS line: one party's recorded GPS track of the whole day, including the climb and the descent. One party's line for their day on 25 March 2026 (37 points): Maison des Sources car park, the Bramevaque path, the pillar and the walk back down. Do not follow it blindly.
GPS line: janic, Ben&Pink · CC BY-NC-ND 3.0Parking
Maison des Sources, Mauléon-Barousse (camptocamp waypoint 1520502)
Point from camptocamp waypoint 1528768
Contains the route point, parking and a GPS line. Opens in most mapping apps and GPS watches.
Points are compiled from published sources, with the precision stated above. They were not surveyed on the ground: check them against a current topo.
Coordinates: 42.96830, 0.57056 (crag) · Parking: 42.96403, 0.56862
Getting down
On foot. From the fifth belay go up right to the top at 741 m, then take a faint track left into the gully that leads back to the foot of the route. A gentler, strongly recommended alternative (in place since 2025) turns right just after the first step of the original descent and follows tape markers and cairns directly to the car park gate, without passing the base; take care near the end, where it becomes confused above the houses. Allow 15 to 20 min.
Retreat
Bail not documented
No source describes retreating from the route or says whether the belays are rigged for abseiling. The route is short and easy, and the fixed-rope traverse after pitch 2 crosses a wooded break in the pillar, but whether you can walk off from there is not stated.
Partly inferred from the route facts
Safety
Sun and weather
East to south-east facing at 600 to 740 m, in woodland. Parties climbed it in comfort between late March and late October. The original descent gully is slippery with dry leaves in autumn. A June 2026 party came back covered in small ticks.
Sun on the wall · SE-facing
Working out the sunlit hours for this month.
Sun on the wallDaylight, wall in shade● Usual season
Estimated from the wall's aspect only. Ignores surrounding terrain, gullies and the wall's exact shape. Clock times are local to the wall (Central European time), for the 15th of each month.
Climate figures for Barousse (Central Pyrenees) are not available yet
What to carry
8 quickdraws, a single 40 m rope and a set of slings for the belays, including the tree stance at R2 bis. Helmet.
Derived from the route data; check it against a current topo
From climbers
Reader reports are not being collected yet. Until they are, check a current topo and the local club or guidebook publisher for recent changes to Princetza d'Euskadi.
Worth knowing
Open questions
Provenance
Around 5a · about 5 pitches
Italy · Sardinia
An easy and popular line on the big amphitheatre above Cala Gonone: three 4c pitches of juggy steps and easy-angled slabs, a short walk left through bushes, then a 35 m wall of heavily sculpted rock at 5a. Expect queues.
5a4 pitches120 m
Spain · Aragonese Pyrenees (Tena & Canfranc valleys)
An easy granite ridge above the Bozuelo meadows, low-angled and never exposed. Two smooth friction slabs at 5a, on pitches 1 and 6, are the only real difficulties; the rest is steps and short walls at grade 3 to 4. Ideal for a first multipitch, and you can step off rightwards onto ledges almost anywhere.
5a7 pitches200 m
Austria · Salzkammergut
Five easy pitches up an edge above the Wolfgangsee, mostly UIAA 4 with a few moves of 5-. A slab low down and an exposed step across a cleft on pitch 4 are the memorable bits. A popular first multipitch.
4c5 pitches150 m
Spain · Riglos & Agüero (Mallos)
The easiest way up a real Riglos summit: five short pitches of 4c on a ramp, a crack and a chimney, steep enough to feel like proper climbing. It is the standard beginners' route and the descent for the whole needle, so expect queues and people abseiling past you. In shade most of the day.
4c5 pitches100 m
Compiled from published sources and last verified October 2026. Bolts, anchors and access change. Climbing is dangerous and you are responsible for your own decisions: check a current topo and read the disclaimer.