The Caroux is a gneiss massif in the Haut-Languedoc above the Orb valley in Hérault, with walls and ridges scattered through chestnut and beech woods around deep ravines such as Cadiol and the Gorges de Colombières. Climbing here has a mountain feel, and some older routes on the same cliffs still have old pegs, so check each line. Bases are the gîte at Lafage near the Col des Avels car park, reached by road from the Orb valley, or the village of Colombières-sur-Orb below. Spring and autumn are best; the plateau is exposed to the cold north-west wind.
GuidebookLe Caroux escalades, David Foissier, Pierre Raynal (2022, CD 34 FFME). Buy from kletterfuehrer.net. The route pages here are aggregated by AI from public sources; climb with the guidebook.
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Bastion de Cadiol, Caroux massif, below the Col des Avels · 984 m
| Measure | Jan | Feb | Mar (usual season) | Apr (usual season) | May (usual season) | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct (usual season) | Nov (usual season) | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mean daily high °C | 5 | 6 | 9 | 12 | 15 | 20 | 23 | 23 | 18 | 13 | 8 | 5 |
| Mean daily low °C | −1 | −1 | 1 | 3 | 7 | 10 | 13 | 13 | 10 | 7 | 2 | −0 |
| Rain days 1 mm or more | 10 | 8 | 9 | 11 | 11 | 8 | 6 | 8 | 8 | 13 | 12 | 10 |
● usual season. 1991-2020 averages at about 984 m; rain is for a 10–25 km grid cell. Weather and climate data: Open-Meteo, CC BY 4.0.
France · Caroux
A short, homogeneous gneiss arête of about 5b on the Bastion de Cadiol, reached through the woods from the Caroux plateau. Slabs and steps on the ridge with fine views from the top. The last two pitches are short and usually linked.
5cVI5.95cVI5.94 pitches100 m