The Chartreuse is the limestone massif between Grenoble and Chambéry, ringed by tall cliffs; its best-known climbing walls are the west and south-west faces of the Dent de Crolles (2062 m) and the neighbouring Rocher du Midi, above the Plateau des Petites Roches. The rock is grey, compact Urgonian limestone, often smooth and low on friction, with routes of 150 to 300 m that usually finish on easy ground near the summit. The Dent de Crolles routes start from the Col du Coq, above Saint-Pierre-de-Chartreuse, with approaches of 45 minutes to an hour and walk-off descents by the Pas de l'Oeille or the Trou du Glaz. The season runs from late May to October; the west faces are in shade until early afternoon.
GuidebookEscalades Choisies en Vercors, Chartreuse et Dévoluy, Dominique Duhaut, Philippe Peyre, Bruno Béatrix, Philippe Gay (2024, Promo Grimpe). Buy from kletterfuehrer.net. The route pages here are aggregated by AI from public sources; climb with the guidebook.
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Dent de Crolles south-west face, above the Col du Coq · 1,552 m
| Measure | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun (usual season) | Jul (usual season) | Aug (usual season) | Sep (usual season) | Oct (usual season) | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mean daily high °C | −1 | 0 | 4 | 7 | 12 | 15 | 18 | 18 | 14 | 10 | 4 | −0 |
| Mean daily low °C | −10 | −9 | −6 | −3 | 1 | 5 | 8 | 8 | 4 | 0 | −5 | −9 |
| Rain days 1 mm or more | 13 | 11 | 13 | 15 | 17 | 16 | 13 | 12 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 13 |
● usual season. 1991-2020 averages at about 1552 m; rain is for a 10–25 km grid cell. Weather and climate data: Open-Meteo, CC BY 4.0.
France · Chartreuse (Dent de Crolles)
Two routes in one: a long rising traverse right across technical grey slabs, then, above the Sangle de Barrère ledge, steep athletic climbing on big holds through overhangs to a final crack under the big roof. Very good rock and equipment.
6cVIII-5.11b6cVIII-5.11b8 pitches150 m
Read the cautions