Quiquillon (south-east face) · Orpierre · France
A popular first multipitch on the south-east face of the Quiquillon: eight short pitches of steep, juggy 5a to 5c limestone, very closely bolted, finishing on the summit ridge. The two 5c pitches at the top are the hardest and polished in places, but can be aided on the bolts. Expect company.
5cVI5.98 pitches · 180 mBail with caveats
Brazil is one of the most climbed multipitch routes at Orpierre and a common choice for a first multipitch or a return to the activity. It climbs eight short pitches up the south-east face of the Quiquillon, mostly 5a to 5b on steep, layered rock with big holds, then two harder 5c pitches to the summit ridge. The bolting is very close and the chained belays are doubled for traffic. Recent parties find it sustained in the fives and a little stiff for the grade in places, with polish starting to show, but the hardest moves can be pulled through on the bolts. The descent is an easy but airy walk along the ridge.
No topo we can show; see the sources.
| Pitch | Grade | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| P1 | 5aV+5.7 | Straight up the wall. A July 2026 party warns of a wasp nest about 1 m below the first belay, slightly left. |
| P2 | 5bVI-5.8 | A few metres of real 5b. Can be linked with pitch 1 on a 50 m rope, but it takes a lot of quickdraws; parties report about 45 m for the two. |
| P3 | 5aV+5.7 | Up to ledges, then a rising traverse right, passing other belays, to belay at the foot of a corner. Watch the rope drag on this long traversing finish. |
| P4 | 5aV+5.7 | The corner, then a rising traverse right, crossing the line of Fleur de Lotus, which heads left. Route crossings here are marked with arrows; keep trending right. |
| P5 | 5aV+5.7 | Keep rising rightwards, passing a metre above a small rising ledge, to belay below the right-most line of bolts in the wall. |
| P6 | 5bVI-5.8 | Follow that line of bolts up layered rock with very big holds. |
| P7 | 5cVI5.9 | Easy steps, then 15 m of sustained 5c that goes at 5b/A0. There are two parallel lines of bolts at the hard section; the left one is easier. Several parties find this the hardest pitch, with a polished move of about 5c+. |
| P8 | 5cVI5.9 | A very short athletic section to the belay on the ridge; the hard move is close-bolted for A0, though one party notes a move just below it where you must commit a little to reach a jug and clip. The English camptocamp text gives a 5a alternative traversing left then up to the ridge. Pitches 7 and 8 are short and can be linked, with care over rope drag. |
Drive to Orpierre (about 10 km west-north-west of Laragne-Montéglin) and continue up to the Parking de l'Adrech, the second car park above the village, about 15 minutes on foot from the village. A party in October 2026 found the track to the Adrech car park awkward for an ordinary car and advises driving slowly. Many climbers stay at the campsite and walk up.
From the Adrech car park, go about 50 m up the path to a signpost for the Quiquillon south-east face, then follow the horizontal path left for about 15 minutes (one 2026 party found it nearer 5 minutes and overshot to Dièdre Sud). You arrive about 30 m below the face. Look for a pillar leaning against the wall with a net of cables holding a cluster of rocks about 50 m up. Brazil starts 10 m right of this pillar, with its name in blue paint; the first pitch is shared with Infinitésimal.
Loading map
The point marks the crag, not the exact start of the route.
Parking
Parking de l'Adrech (camptocamp waypoint 178282)
Point from camptocamp waypoint 103699 (Orpierre - Quiquillon)
Contains the route point and parking.
Points from published sources, not surveyed.
Coordinates: 44.31890, 5.69873 (crag) · Parking: 44.31917, 5.70167
Walk off; parties on the neighbouring routes report 30 to 45 minutes back to the car. Follow the ridge to the right (back towards the cliff), with cables on the exposed bits. After a few minutes the path drops to the left of the ridge and goes down a short vertical wall on metal rungs. Take the path to the right to a col, cross it back to the south-east side, and follow the good path down to the Adrech car park, taking the descending branch at each junction. Parties describe the ridge as easy but needing attention.
Bail with caveats
Every belay is bolted, chained and doubled, and the pitches are short, so abseiling from part-way up should be possible. But pitches 3 to 5 traverse rightwards, so abseiling straight down will not retrace the route, and the face is busy with other parties below. An escape onto easier neighbouring lines is not documented.
12 quickdraws and a single 40 m rope are enough (camptocamp). Parties have used single 50 m and 70 m ropes; with a 50 m rope and a few extenders you can link pitches 1 and 2, 5 and 6, and 7 and 8. Helmet.
South-east facing, from about 850 m to 1080 m. It gets the morning sun; a June 2025 party climbed in shade from about 16:00. Parties climb it from autumn to spring, and in summer early or late in the day. The rock is excellent; polish is starting to show on the key moves.
Forecast · next 7 days · 1080 m
Loading the forecast.
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| High °C | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Low °C | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Rain mm | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Chance of rain % | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Strongest gusts km/h | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
Model forecast for 1080 m. It cannot tell you whether the rock is dry. Data: Open-Meteo, CC BY 4.0.
Time plan · 8 pitches
Working out sunrise and sunset.
An estimate. Queues and route finding cost time, and shaded walls go dark before sunset. Local time (Central European time), flat horizon.
Sun on the wall · SE-facing
Working out the sunlit hours for this month.
Sun on the wallDaylight, wall in shade● Usual season
From the aspect alone; terrain is ignored. Local time, 15th of each month.
| Measure | Jan | Feb | Mar (usual season) | Apr (usual season) | May (usual season) | Jun (usual season) | Jul | Aug | Sep (usual season) | Oct (usual season) | Nov (usual season) | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mean daily high °C | 5 | 6 | 10 | 13 | 17 | 21 | 24 | 24 | 19 | 15 | 9 | 5 |
| Mean daily low °C | −3 | −3 | −1 | 2 | 7 | 10 | 13 | 13 | 9 | 6 | 1 | −2 |
| Rain days 1 mm or more | 9 | 7 | 9 | 12 | 13 | 10 | 8 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 9 |
● usual season. 1991-2020 averages at about 924 m; rain is for a 10–25 km grid cell. Weather and climate data: Open-Meteo, CC BY 4.0.
Straight-line distances, up to 30 km.
No reports yet.
France · Orpierre
A short, easy beginners' multipitch on the west pillar of the Ascle: six short pitches of 4c to 5b on sculpted limestone with holes and edges, an airy but well-bolted traverse, and a fine slab to finish. Very closely bolted with comfortable chained belays.
5bVI-5.86 pitches130 m
France · Orpierre
A direct, homogeneous line up the south-east face of the Quiquillon: steep grey walls and slabs at 6a/6a+, with a physical, juggy bulge leading to a fine 6b traverse on pitch 4. Generously bolted and well travelled, a step up from Brazil next door.
6bVII5.10c5 pitches160 m
France · Orpierre
Three steep, sustained 6a pitches on the south-east face of the Quiquillon, the first a long 40 m pump on layered rock, then a walking link and two short, easy slab pitches to the ridge. Very closely bolted with doubled chained belays; the lower half is the reason to go.
6aVI+5.10a6 pitches145 m
Around 5c · about 8 pitches
France · Ailefroide
An even 5c on the big wall directly behind the Ailefroide campsite: a steep corner to start, slabs in the middle and a fine layback near the top. It takes the left side of the face that holds the famous Fissure, and is a little quieter than the other classics of the grade.
5cVI5.98 pitches230 m
Italy · Bolzano & South Tyrol
A friendly, well-bolted line up the red porphyry below the Gasthof Noafer, just above Bolzano. Three pitches of steep slab and corner lead to a long shoulder, two easy pitches cross it, and two more fine slab pitches finish at the cliff top. Mostly grade 5 with one 5c pitch, the third, which is the best of the route.
5cVI5.97 pitches250 m
Greece · Kalymnos & Telendos
The friendly long route of Kalymnos: seven short pitches that spiral up the face and slabs right of the crest of a buttress above Arginonta bay, never harder than 5c. A good first pitch, an easy second and a scramble lead to three better pitches on the upper wall. Some parties find the rock scrappy in places, so wear a helmet.
5cVI5.97 pitches150 m
Read the cautions
Austria · Karwendel (Innsbruck Nordkette)
A popular plaisir route up the slabs of the Martinswand plinth: seven pitches, mostly UIAA 4, with only about three harder metres in a short steep corner on pitch 5. Often combined with a route on the wall above.
5cVI5.97 pitches225 m
Compiled from published sources, last verified October 2026. Bolts, anchors and access change: check a current topo and read the disclaimer.