Multipitch Atlas

L'Aquelho Morto

Dent d'Orlu – Le Pujol · Ariège Pyrenees · France

Easy to bailBolting confidence: high

A short multipitch on the sculpted granite dome below the Dent d'Orlu, and a change from the big slabs above: a friction slab, a surprisingly vertical wall, a steep 6a corner and crack that finishes with a thin traverse, and a long slab to the top.

A view of the region, not this route's wall. The east face of the Dent d'Orlu, a sweep of striated gneiss slabs, seen from the Col de l'Egue; Pink Floyd climbs this face, the exact line is not marked.Photo: Lucas Destrem · CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo

A view of the region, not this route's wall. The east face of the Dent d'Orlu, a sweep of striated gneiss slabs, seen from the Col de l'Egue; Pink Floyd climbs this face, the exact line is not marked.Photo: Lucas Destrem · CC BY-SA 4.0
Hardest pitch
6a
Pitches
5
Length
120 m
Approach
30 min
Aspect
SW
South-west-facing
Rope
2×50 m

The route

Overview

The Pujol is a 200 m dome of very clean, featured granite at the foot of the Dent d'Orlu, with 24 routes of three to five pitches around 5c to 6a, all bolted by Gérard Pouliquen. L'Aquelho Morto is the route that gives the dome its full local name and one of its best. Four real pitches lead to a short easy fifth onto the top terrace. The third pitch is the crux, a steep technical corner and crack that is sustained for its length. The approach is far shorter than for the Dent and the descent is by abseil, so two routes in a day is common.

The climbing

Pitch by pitch

PitchGradeLengthNotes
P15b25 mTake the left-hand line of bolts and climb straight up a friction slab on small positive holds. Belay in a small garden.
P25c25 mBolt lines to right or left: a wall that is unexpectedly vertical for Orlu, weaving between two slabs on good, varied holds. Belay on a well-marked ledge.
P36a25 mThe crux: a very steep corner to start, then a clean crack slanting left. Technical and sustained, it ends with a thin traverse above the last bolt just when the belay comes into view. The variation Esplendido (6b) leaves the corner at once to the left.
P45c35 mA long slab straight above; CAFMA grades it 5c+.
P53b15 mA few more metres onto the top terrace. Some parties skip it.

Getting there

Approach

To the parking

From Toulouse or Foix follow the N20 towards Andorra to Ax-les-Thermes, then the D22 to Orlu. Pass the village and, at the Forges d'Orlu, turn left onto the road to the national reserve and the Pont du Bisp. In July and August a shuttle runs from Ax-les-Thermes to Orlu. Follow the Pont du Bisp road for 1.5 km beyond the Forges d'Orlu to a level stretch directly below the dome, and park on the left where two grassy verges follow one another, by a small old quarry (7 to 8 cars).

On foot · about 30 min

CAFMA gives 15 to 20 min; recent parties took 30 to 45 min, some of it searching. Walk back to the lower end of the first grass verge, where a cairn in the grass marks a good track into the beech forest. It is marked with cairns and single red dots: do not follow the red lines painted on trees. It runs level across a chaos of blocks, to a big block with a wooden platform, then climbs a vague gully straight up through the forest, passes the first rocks on the left and traverses above them. It arrives at the foot of the route, which is marked by two studs with nuts but no hangers; two lines of bolts start here. If you reach a stream bed you have gone too far.

Map of the walk-in

  • Crag

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The point marks the crag, not the exact start of the route.

Coordinates · crag

42.68958, 1.92444

Point from camptocamp waypoint 778142 (Dent d'Orlu, Le Pujol)

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Points are compiled from published sources, with the precision stated above. They were not surveyed on the ground: check them against a current topo.

Getting down

Descent

By abseil down the route, from belays of two unlinked ring bolts. A 2024 party made four abseils; a 2023 party notes that the second belay can probably be skipped with 50 m ropes. The neighbouring La Basero is descended by this line in three abseils from belays 5, 3 and 1 with 50 m ropes. Then the approach path.

Retreat

Bailing off the route

Easy to bail

Abseiling the route is the normal descent and every belay is two ring bolts. CAFMA states that all routes on the dome are equipped for abseil descent.

Retreat from
Any belay.
Point of no return
None.
Carry
2×50 m ropes; the belay rings are not linked.
Basis
Stated in the sourcesCamptocamp route text and the CAFMA sector page.

Safety

Hazards

  • Loose hangers were reported on pitch 3 in 2022 and 2023; they were tight in February 2026. A spanner in the bag is useful.
  • The easy-angled slabs have more widely spaced bolts than the steep sections.
  • The approach track is faint and very steep at the top; follow the dots and cairns closely.
  • A leader fell on pitch 2 in 2024 and on pitch 2 again in 2022 without consequence: the steep pitches are safe but real.

Sun and weather

Conditions

South to south-west facing between 1200 and 1400 m. The sun arrives from about 10:30, so the route is in shade for a morning ascent. CAFMA gives March to November as the season; a party climbed it in sunshine in late February. The rock was dry in June 2023 despite heavy recent rain. There is more lichen than on the Dent.

Usual season · Apr to Jun, Sep to Oct

Sun on the wall · SW-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.

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Mean daily high °C225812161919151263
Mean daily low °C−6−6−4−1379963−2−5
Rain days 1 mm or more111212151817171713121211

● marks the usual climbing season. Averages for 1991-2020 at about 1785 m. Area climate from Open-Meteo reanalysis. Temperatures are adjusted to the height of the crag; rain comes from a grid cell of about 10 to 25 km, and summer highs on sea cliffs can read a few degrees low. The wall and valley can differ. Data: Open-Meteo, CC BY 4.0.

What to carry

Gear

CAFMA gives a 90 m abseil rope and up to 14 quickdraws for the sector; 2×50 m ropes are what parties use. Slings to link the belay rings. Helmet.

Checklist

Quickdraws
14
Rope
2×50 m
Helmet
One each
Abseil device and prusik
The descent or the retreat involves abseiling

Derived from the route data; check it against a current topo

From climbers

Reader reports

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 L'Aquelho Morto.

Worth knowing

Tips

  • About 2 h 30 min to 3 h for the route including the abseils.
  • Pair it with La Basero (6a) or Les Palharils (6c) on the same part of the dome.
  • There is no printed guide to the Pujol; print the CAFMA sheet.

Open questions

Where sources disagree

  • Spelling: 'L'Aquelho Morto' on camptocamp, 'L'Aouelho Morto' on the CAFMA topo.
  • Pitch 4 is 5c on camptocamp and 5c+ on CAFMA.
  • Approach time: 15 to 20 min on CAFMA, 30 to 45 min for parties in 2023 and 2024, who say the CAFMA time assumes you know the way.
  • Number of abseils: four in a 2024 report; three for the neighbouring route on the same line.

Provenance

Sources

Same area

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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.