Climbing
ClimbingThekingdom
of verticality
In the Hautes-Alpes, climbing is more than just a sport. Rock climbing is an intense experience, with mythical cliffs that have left their mark on the history of climbing, and spots designed for gentle vertical climbing. Every move becomes a promise, every line an adventure to be told. Impossible to resist: welcome to the vertical kingdom.
Céüze
the blue myth
Céüze is a legend. Rising above the Gapençaisthe blue cliff imposes a demanding approach, rewarded by exceptional lines. Sculpted colonnettes, mythical overhangs, routes that have marked the history of the discipline: Céüze is an initiatory passage where every move is a challenge and every sequence a victory. A site as demanding as it is unforgettable.
Ailefroide
wild granite
At the foot of the ÉcrinsAilefroide breathes wilderness. Compact granite stretches out in endless slabs, clean cracks and boulders scattered under the pines. Climbing here takes place in a wild atmosphere, punctuated by torrents and shared bivouacs. Ailefroide is life-size climbing, raw and unadorned, with a high mountain backdrop.
Orpierre
XXL school
Nestled in the heart of the Buëch river, Orpierre is a unique cliff village. Everything can be done on foot, from the center to the wall. The limestone unrolls its lines from 4 to 8, with big routes, single pitches and impeccable equipment. The atmosphere is friendly, the terraces lively and climbers from all over the world gather here. An ideal destination for progress, but also for rubbing shoulders with emblematic pitches perched high above the Baronnies.
Briançon
and other spots
Beyond the star cliffs, the Hautes-Alpes has a wealth of places to climb. Briançon is the climbing capital of the world, with its international wall, one of the finest in the world, and the Bloc 15-9, its summer World Cup and dozens of surrounding cliffs. All over the Hautes-Alpes,
When
ice takes over
In winter, the face of climbing changes. Waterfalls freeze, torrents become translucent columns and valleys are transformed into cathedrals of ice. Ice climbing combines physical intensity with fragile aesthetics. Every ice axe stroke makes the wall vibrate, and every pitch is a timeless adventure. In the Hautes-Alpes, verticality knows no season…
The pure verticality of the Hautes-Alpes
Climbing highlights
L’Argentière-La Bessée
Ice Climbing
More than just a festival, this benchmark event is a must for the discipline. Its success? Ice cubes, azure skies, all at the right temperature to welcome the discipline’s elite.
Briançon
Full steam ahead
The event, now a not-to-be-missed event in the climbing world, combines international bouldering competition, introductions for the curious, contests open to all, concerts and an Alpine festival atmosphere.
Briançon
Mondial de l’escalade
On the monumental wall of the Parc des Sports, the world’s best climbers faced off in an atmosphere that was both electric and friendly. The public, seated in the bleachers or with their feet in the grass, enjoyed a unique spectacle: insane physical performances, unbearable suspense, and that little mountain flavour that made the event all the more delicious.
A native of Briançon, Salomé Romain has built up a solid record of achievement in international mountaineering and climbing competitions. A regular finalist in the Difficulty World Cup, she embodies the generation of French climbers who grew up clinging to the limestone of the Hautes-Alpes before shining in the spotlight. Lucidity, precision and a rare consistency on a merciless circuit: Salomé has established herself as one of the key figures in French climbing.
Practical notebook
- Rêver de parois avec la Cinémathèque d’images de montagne de Gap
- L’escalade, premier pas vers l’alpinisme ?
- Apprendre, s’entraîner, progresser
- Escalade encadrée
