Chrysanthèmes sector · Presles (Vercors) · France
Read the cautionsBail with caveats
A historic 1966 line at Presles, revived by VTNO in 2019 as an eight-pitch combination on varied, mostly unpolished limestone. Steep juggy walls, a technical 6c corner-crack and a magnificent 45 m dihedral are the highlights, with a couple of weaker pitches on poorer rock. Sustained and stiffly graded: obligatory 6b.
Rebolted in 2019 and climbable on quickdraws, but some belays are unlinked bolts, sections of rock are fragile, the grades are stiff and the last logged outing is from 2022.
6cVIII-5.11b8 pitches · 250 mBail with caveats
Conod-Clère revisitée links the first two pitches of Uxgloa, the original Conod-Clère of 1966 (one of the major Presles routes of its day) and a finish up a direct corner and the end of Concept de l'angoisse. VTNO cleaned and rebolted the whole combination in summer 2019. The climbing is varied and steep, often on good holds, with a short technical 6c crack-corner on pitch 4, a 6b+ wall on small holds, and a superb 45 m dihedral with water-drop pockets on pitch 6. Parties agree the grades are stiff and the obligatory level is a genuine 6b; one 2022 party found two pitches (2 and 5) poor and the line uneven, others rate it three stars. All belays are on comfortable ledges.
No topo we can show; see the sources.
| Pitch | Grade | Length | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| P1 | 6b+VII+5.10d | 30 m | Uxgloa start: go diagonally right to a layback crack, which is the crux; technical and athletic, and rough when cold. Alternative start: pitch 1 of Chrysanthèmes (5b, very high first bolt) then a 6a diagonal right to the same belay. |
| P2 | 6aVI+5.10a | 30 m | Slightly right over a bulge (a reach-dependent move), then straight up and finish diagonally left on easier but engaging ground; you can also finish by Intermède pour Carlos, better protected. Belay shared with Intermède pour Carlos on two unlinked bolts. Several parties found this pitch harder (6a+ to 6b) and on poor rock. |
| P3 | 5cVI5.9 | 45 m | Straight up on the route's own bolts (Carlos goes right, Uxgloa left). Long, sustained, overhanging on good holds; parties call it outstanding for the grade. The last metres before the ledge are on rock that needs care. Belay on the ledge, two unlinked bolts. |
| P4 | 6cVIII-5.11b | 25 m | Closely bolted, slightly overhanging crack-corner needing precise footwork; hard over about five bolts, a little polished. Can be linked with pitch 5 using 14 quickdraws. |
| P5 | 6b+VII+5.10d | 25 m | Diagonally right to a steep wall on small holds (one chipped hold), good footwork needed. Follow the painted mark at the belay: the line goes right, not straight up. Rock is mediocre in the upper part. |
| P6 | 6a+VII-5.10b | 45 m | Magnificent 45 m dihedral on excellent, rough rock, with one harder move at the end where you change cracks below a small bulge; do not climb too high before traversing left. Chained belay. |
| P7 | 5cVI5.9 | 25 m | Steep red wall on positive holds; trend left at the end to pass a cracked bulge on good holds. Chained belay. |
| P8 | 6bVII5.10c | 30 m | Delicate horizontal traverse right on big footholds, then a technical grey pillar or groove, demanding over a few bolts. Final belay on the left. Fragile rock at the very end. |
From Pont-en-Royans take the road towards Villard-de-Lans, then the RD292 left to Presles. Do not stop in the two hairpins below the tunnels; park in one of the car parks on the plateau after the tunnel and respect the marked spaces, which are mostly on private land lent to climbers. A 2021 party warns of thefts from cars and suggests leaving the car in the village.
About 30 minutes. Follow the path along the foot of the cliffs to the Chrysanthèmes sector, at the top of a short rise before the descent towards the Pilier du Souvenir. VTNO publishes GPS tracks for the access and return. The Uxgloa start is 10 m past the start of Chrysanthèmes, marked by a small, discreet glued plaque. Alternatively start up the first pitch of Chrysanthèmes (5b, very high first bolt) and a 6a diagonal pitch to the same belay.
Loading map
The point marks the crag, not the exact start of the route.
Parking
Parking area on the Presles plateau after the tunnel (camptocamp access waypoint 130822; start of VTNO's Chrysanthèmes access track)
Point from camptocamp waypoint 40768 (Presles - Chrysanthèmes)
Contains the route point and parking.
Points from published sources, not surveyed.
Coordinates: 45.07417, 5.38194 (crag) · Parking: 45.08055, 5.37777
On foot from the top of the cliff, following the return path back to the plateau (VTNO publishes a GPS track for the Chrysanthèmes return). Abseiling is discouraged in the sector because of the number of parties below and the stonefall it can cause.
Bail with caveats
The normal descent is on foot from the top, and abseiling is discouraged in the sector because of traffic and stonefall. Retreat is still possible from the lower belays: the top of pitch 2 is right next to Uxgloa's abseil chain. Higher up, the belays at R2 and R3 are unlinked bolts and the line traverses in places, so you may need to leave gear.
14 quickdraws; nuts and cams are not needed. Helmet. A single rope long enough for the 45 m pitches.
South facing at roughly 600 to 900 m, in sun from the morning. Best in spring and autumn; avoid hot days. Parties logged it in April, May, July and October; July and late April were described as very hot.
Forecast · next 7 days · 905 m
Loading the forecast.
| Measure | |||||||
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| High °C | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Low °C | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Rain mm | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Chance of rain % | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Strongest gusts km/h | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
Model forecast for 905 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 · S-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 | 4 | 5 | 9 | 12 | 16 | 20 | 23 | 23 | 18 | 14 | 8 | 5 |
| Mean daily low °C | −3 | −3 | −0 | 3 | 7 | 11 | 13 | 13 | 9 | 6 | 1 | −2 |
| Rain days 1 mm or more | 13 | 11 | 12 | 14 | 16 | 13 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 12 | 13 | 13 |
● usual season. 1991-2020 averages at about 845 m; rain is for a 10–25 km grid cell. Weather and climate data: Open-Meteo, CC BY 4.0.
No reports yet.
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Compiled from published sources, last verified October 2026. Bolts, anchors and access change: check a current topo and read the disclaimer.