Arête S sector (south pillar) · Baou de Saint-Jeannet · France
Bail not documentedBolting confidence: high
A short, sustained and very well bolted line on the pillar left of the Arête S, parallel to La Tonton Walker. Thin walls, a steep stratified pitch on big holds and one blank slab move of 7a that most people pull through. The friendliest introduction to the harder routes of the Baou, and easy to extend to the summit by one of the routes above the Vire Vernet.
The route
This is the 2015 version of Entrée libre: the first two pitches follow the old route, started from lower down and rebolted, and three new pitches continue to the top of the pilaster that forms the Arête S. It runs parallel to La Tonton Walker, which it crosses under a roof on pitch 4, sharing one bolt and then a belay. Every pitch asks something, even on second, but the hard moves are all well protected and several can be aided. The route ends on the Vire Vernet ledge system below the upper tiers, not on the summit. Parties call the rock sound and unpolished, with a few loose stones on the ledges.
The climbing
| Pitch | Grade | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| P1 | 6b+ | A new line of bolts: three bolts of slab, a delicate 6b+ move, then slightly left on better holds, through a small overhang and up a last step to a belay on a ledge shared with the Arête S. Thin, steep and hard to read; the equippers' topo mentions a 6c variant passing left of the third bolt. |
| P2 | 6a+ | Traverse up and left on big holds, pull through a juggy overhang on the right (6a+, or a little to the left), then straight up a wall of horizontal strata typical of the Baou to a hanging belay. Steep and athletic. |
| P3 | 7a | A slab parallel to La Tonton Walker with few holds and one move of 7a: a poor edge to reach and hold while you bring your feet up. It is well protected and the aid is obvious (6a/A0). A small overhang (6a) leads to a belay on a small edge. |
| P4 | 6a+ | An easy slab (5c), then left of the roof through an overhang (6a+), crossing La Tonton Walker under the roof (one shared bolt). Continue right then left (5c) to a belay shared with La Tonton Walker. An impressive flake on this pitch was reported as holding in 2017; there are a few doubtful blocks either side of the line. |
| P5 | 5c+ | A short pitch slanting left over an awkward bulge (6a straight between the bolts, 5c by going round on the right) to the top of the pilaster and a belay shared with the Arête S. The equippers' topo says pitches 4 and 5 can be linked as one 40 m pitch by skipping the last Tonton Walker belay. |
Getting there
Saint-Jeannet is reached via Carros and Gattières from the north, La Gaude from the south-east, or Vence. Park in one of the car parks at the entrance to the village (about 410 m): driving through the village is reserved for residents and there is no parking inside it. Bus line 510 of the Alpes-Maritimes network is listed on camptocamp as serving the village.
About 30 min (inferred from reports for neighbouring routes on the same pillar). From the car park walk up through the old village and take the path towards the tiered crags (the ressauts), marked violet and red; it starts along the GR. Shortly before the first tier, at a T-junction with a sign, go left (signed 'face') and in about 5 min reach the foot of the Arête S, a few metres beyond a rusty metal box fixed to the rock. Entrée libre starts just left of the Arête S and left of La Tonton Walker, by a small tree slightly lower down, with the name on a small ceramic plaque.
Loading map
The point marks the crag, not the exact start of the route.
Parking
Saint-Jeannet village (camptocamp waypoint 122004); use the car park at the village entrance
Point from camptocamp waypoint 41705 (Baou de Saint-Jeannet)
Contains the route point and parking. Opens in most mapping apps and GPS watches.
Points are compiled from published sources, with the precision stated above. They were not surveyed on the ground: check them against a current topo.
Coordinates: 43.75082, 7.13748 (crag) · Parking: 43.75001, 7.14479
Getting down
From the top of the pilaster climb a few metres and go immediately left along the cliff onto the Vire Vernet; a 2022 party warns this step is somewhat exposed and suggests rigging a handline on the bolts there if needed. To go down, follow the ledge to the foot of the second tier on the south-east side and descend the path through the tiers (red and mauve marks) to the village; a 2020 party came down by the 'voie rouge'. To reach the summit instead, continue from the Vire Vernet by one of the routes above (for example from R5 of Jardins secrets, La Proue, or the upper part of La Malet), which need their own equipment.
Retreat
Bail not documented
No source describes retreating from this route or says whether its belays carry abseil rings. The first belay is on a ledge shared with the Arête S, an easy bolted route, and the fourth is shared with La Tonton Walker, so other lines are close by, but nobody reports using them to get down. The route is only about 100 m high.
Partly inferred from the route facts
Safety
Sun and weather
South facing, on the pillar below the upper tiers of the Baou, so it catches the sun early: a December party climbed in ideal temperatures without wind, a late-December party froze in an icy wind, and a May party was glad of cloud. Too hot on sunny afternoons from late spring.
Sun on the wall · S-facing
Working out the sunlit hours for this month.
Sun on the wallDaylight, wall in shade● Usual season
Estimated from the wall's aspect only. Ignores surrounding terrain, gullies and the wall's exact shape. Clock times are local to the wall (Central European time), for the 15th of each month.
Climate figures for Baou de Saint-Jeannet are not available yet
What to carry
14 quickdraws plus belay gear (equippers' topo). A single rope; none of the sources states a length, and linking the last two pitches takes 40 m. A cam is suggested only for the first move above the last belay if you continue upwards. Helmet.
Derived from the route data; check it against a current topo
From climbers
Reader reports are not being collected yet. Until they are, check a current topo and the local club or guidebook publisher for recent changes to Entrée libre (Intégrale 2015).
Worth knowing
Open questions
Provenance
Same area
France · Baou de Saint-Jeannet
One of the essential long routes of the Baou: seven pitches that hardly drop below the sixth grade, each with a different problem, from thin slab to a steep bulge and a superb layback corner at 6c. The single 7a section on pitch 2 is closely bolted and can be aided. Expect a few loose blocks and a scrappy link pitch across the Vernet ledge.
7a7 pitches200 m
Read the cautions
France · Baou de Saint-Jeannet
A modern bolted line up the left side of the Baou, starting beside the Péril Jaune cave: six varied pitches on unpolished rock, with a steep 6c wall and a fine crack and corner finishing with one hard move (7a on the topo, 6c or 6c+ to most parties). Two walking transitions through scrub break the climbing, so it has less exposure than the routes on the main face.
7a6 pitches230 m
France · Baou de Saint-Jeannet
One of the best modern lines on the main face: nine pitches up a pillar left of the central depression, on overhanging stratified walls, thin slabs, a striking arête and a big flake. Sustained at 6a+ to 6c with one 7a pitch that parties find closer to 6c+, and 6b obligatory. The bolting lets you climb relaxed, but there are jammed blocks to treat gently.
7a9 pitches230 m
France · Baou de Saint-Jeannet
The most accessible bolted multipitch on the Baou: four homogeneous pitches of French 5+ with one move of 6a, up a crack, corners and sculpted stratified walls, with an airy traverse on pitch 3. Short enough for half a day. Local grades are stiff, the first pitch is polished and the easy sections are run-out.
6a4 pitches120 m
Read the cautions
Around 7a · about 5 pitches
France · Ariège Pyrenees
The hard classic of the Calamès pillars above Bédeilhac: technical slabs, a well-bolted roof and a sustained 6c wall, capped by a short 7a slab pitch after a walk across a garden. Compact rock and close bolts make it a good place to try harder grades on a multipitch. The middle pitch is vegetated.
7a5 pitches180 m
Morocco · Akchour (Rif)
Five pitches through tufa columns, a leaning corner and a lichenous chimney on extraordinarily abrasive rock. The first pitch is a three-dimensional 6a+ on jugs between columns and the 7a fourth pitch is an athletic, well-bolted column climb. Two short passages on the easier pitches are run-out.
7a5 pitches160 m
Read the cautions
Turkey · Aladağlar
Five pitches on very rough red and grey limestone ten minutes from the car park, with long 5c to 6a+ pitches on knobs and water-worn flutings. The only hard climbing is one physical 7a move on the last pitch, which can be aided. Recommended locally as the route to do on this wall.
7a5 pitches245 m
Read the cautions
Greece · Leonidio & Kyparissi
The route that opened Kokkinovrachos to sport multi-pitch climbing: six long pitches up the centre-right of the red wall, sustained at 6b+ to 6c with one technical 7a crux that can be aided on two bolts. Rated three stars locally and more sustained than Aramis.
7a6 pitches180 m
Compiled from published sources and last verified October 2026. Bolts, anchors and access change. Climbing is dangerous and you are responsible for your own decisions: check a current topo and read the disclaimer.