Rocher des Mottets · Chamonix valley · France
Bail with caveatsBolting confidence: high
Nineteen very short pitches of easy slab above Les Bois, never harder than 4b and bolted like a climbing school. It is the standard first multipitch of the Chamonix valley, long enough to feel like a real outing and finishing at a mountain café with a view of the Mer de Glace.
The route
The Voie Câline climbs the most continuous slabs on the west side of the Rocher des Mottets, the rocky shoulder below Montenvers, in 19 pitches of 15 to 25 m. The climbing is not sustained and the hardest moves are 4b. The line is obvious and closely bolted, which is why clubs and guides use it for a first multipitch and for practising moving together. You top out a few minutes from the Buvette des Mottets and walk down.
The climbing
| Pitch | Grade | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| P1 | – | One of the opening pitches, which go straight up the slabs. The rock here can be damp or mossy; a 2026 party found these pitches harder than their grade when slippery. |
| P2 | – | One of the opening pitches, which go straight up the slabs. The rock here can be damp or mossy; a 2026 party found these pitches harder than their grade when slippery. |
| P3 | – | One of the opening pitches, which go straight up the slabs. The rock here can be damp or mossy; a 2026 party found these pitches harder than their grade when slippery. |
| P4 | – | Traverse right across the slabs towards the easy-angled central section. |
| P5 | – | Traverse right across the slabs towards the easy-angled central section. |
| P6 | – | Easy-angled slabs in the central section, which most parties climb moving together, clipping the bolts and belays as they pass. |
| P7 | – | Easy-angled slabs in the central section, which most parties climb moving together, clipping the bolts and belays as they pass. |
| P8 | – | Easy-angled slabs in the central section, which most parties climb moving together, clipping the bolts and belays as they pass. |
| P9 | – | Easy-angled slabs in the central section, which most parties climb moving together, clipping the bolts and belays as they pass. |
| P10 | – | Easy-angled slabs in the central section, which most parties climb moving together, clipping the bolts and belays as they pass. |
| P11 | – | Easy-angled slabs in the central section, which most parties climb moving together, clipping the bolts and belays as they pass. |
| P12 | – | Easy-angled slabs in the central section, which most parties climb moving together, clipping the bolts and belays as they pass. |
| P13 | – | Easy-angled slabs in the central section, which most parties climb moving together, clipping the bolts and belays as they pass. |
| P14 | – | The final pitches steepen a little into short steps; sources agree this is the most enjoyable climbing, more open and sunny. |
| P15 | – | The final pitches steepen a little into short steps; sources agree this is the most enjoyable climbing, more open and sunny. |
| P16 | – | The final pitches steepen a little into short steps; sources agree this is the most enjoyable climbing, more open and sunny. |
| P17 | – | The final pitches steepen a little into short steps; sources agree this is the most enjoyable climbing, more open and sunny. |
| P18 | – | The final pitches steepen a little into short steps; sources agree this is the most enjoyable climbing, more open and sunny. |
| P19 | – | The final pitches steepen a little into short steps; sources agree this is the most enjoyable climbing, more open and sunny. |
Getting there
From Chamonix go to Les Praz and, at the entrance to the village, turn right to the car park beside the Les Bois helicopter landing zone. Les Praz de Chamonix has a railway halt and a bus stop. Geneva is the usual airport.
About 45 min to 1 h and 250 to 300 m of ascent. From Les Bois cross the Arveyron and follow the wide marked track on its left bank (chemin du Granite) to the 'Norvège' sign, where the via corda starts. Take the narrower path that climbs right in wide zigzags, pass the start of the route 'Princesse' (a curved dead tree), and soon after take a steep path on the right with cables and metal steps towards a small EDF building. The route starts beside the cables, with bolts visible on the right and a painted sign. If you reach a metal ladder you have gone about 30 m too far.
Loading map
The point marks the crag, not the exact start of the route.
GPS line: a line of the whole day, including the climb and the descent drawn by its source, not a recorded track. Line attached to the camptocamp route page: up from Les Bois to the Rocher des Mottets, the climb, and a descent towards Chamonix. Do not follow it blindly.
GPS line: camptocamp.org contributors · CC BY-SA 3.0Parking
Les Bois (camptocamp waypoint 104388)
Point from camptocamp waypoint 157848
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: 45.93961, 6.91744 (crag) · Parking: 45.94389, 6.90083
Getting down
From the last belay follow cairns and faint paths, broadly south, to the Buvette des Mottets. Take the wide path down towards Chamonix and leave it at a signpost for the path back to Les Bois. Allow 45 min to 1 h.
Retreat
Bail with caveats
No source describes a retreat, but every pitch is 15 to 25 m long and ends at a two-bolt belay. The belay bolts are not linked and nothing says they carry abseil rings, so expect to leave a sling and a maillon at each station. The easy-angled central section may allow you to walk off sideways, but that is not documented.
Partly inferred from the route facts
Safety
Sun and weather
West-facing at 1380 to 1640 m. The route is in shade in the morning and gets the sun at about 11:00 in August. The lower pitches hold damp and moss after rain. Parties report ascents from April to October.
Sun on the wall · W-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.
| Measure | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May (usual season) | Jun (usual season) | Jul (usual season) | Aug (usual season) | Sep (usual season) | Oct (usual season) | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mean daily high °C | −4 | −3 | 1 | 4 | 8 | 13 | 15 | 15 | 12 | 8 | 1 | −4 |
| Mean daily low °C | −12 | −11 | −8 | −5 | −0 | 4 | 6 | 6 | 3 | −1 | −7 | −11 |
| Rain days 1 mm or more | 13 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 19 | 19 | 18 | 17 | 15 | 13 | 14 | 14 |
● marks the usual climbing season. Averages for 1991-2020 at about 2011 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.
What to carry
Eight quickdraws, more if you link pitches. A 30 m rope is enough if you stop at every belay; the Italian description suggests a single 60 m rope to link pitches in pairs. Slings to join the belay bolts. 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 Voie Câline.
Worth knowing
Open questions
Provenance
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Read the cautions
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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.