Contrefort de Punta Rossa (Punta Biciartula) · Bavella · France
CommittingBolting confidence: high
The harder companion to Alexandra on the same orange buttress: eight pitches that swing between holdless friction moves and romps up enormous tafoni, with many traverses, a rounded wide crack, a delicate 6c pillar and a very thin 7a traverse that is closely bolted and can be avoided by a 6a crack. Freshly rebolted and among the best sport routes in the massif at its grade.
The route
La célébration du lézard climbs the buttress below Punta Rossa left of Alexandra, and takes its name from the lizard's head sculpted in the rock high on the spur. It was opened in 2001 and thoroughly re-equipped in 2023, when the line was slightly modified: the long traversing pitch was cut in two and a new pitch takes a wide crack. The hard moves are all on slabs, on friction that feels as if it is slipping away, but the route is very varied. The 6c pitch has an obligatory move of about 6b+; the 7a traverse above can be climbed, aided on its close bolts, or bypassed by a 6a crack straight up. Several parties rate the route TD+ and find the 6c pitches kind for the grade.
The climbing
| Pitch | Grade | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| P1 | 5c | A warm-up slab with a few tafoni and one move on an undercut tafoni halfway. Wet streaks linger here after rain. |
| P2 | 6a | Slab, then beautiful tafoni and a mantel on good holds to a belay in a tafoni cave. |
| P3 | 6a/b | A traverse on good holds through tafoni with many threads, then a thin slab move to reach a tree at the foot of a rounded crack. Planetmountain grades this pitch 6c; a 2026 party found the last move, on an odd crack, the crux and aided it in the heat. |
| P4 | 6b | A rather wide, rounded and demanding crack and corner, hardest in the first five metres between the first two bolts; crack gloves help. This is the pitch created by the 2023 split: the belay comes at the top of the corner, under the tafoni. |
| P5 | 6a | A traversing pitch that starts through big tafoni and continues on slab. Mind the rope drag. |
| P6 | 6c | Thin slab moves on a small pillar, obligatory and a little run-out (about 6b+), then a boulder-style mantel. The rest is 6a with the bolts relatively far apart, and a thin move before the belay on the left. |
| P7 | 7a | A very thin traverse left on vanishing friction, closely bolted, then a belay above the pillar. A 6a variant goes straight up the crack instead. |
| P8 | 5b | Through tafoni to the summit, or traverse far left to reach the abseil niche directly. Heavy rope drag, but it is little more than walking. |
Getting there
The D268 links Zonza and the Col de Bavella with Solenzara on the east coast. From Bastia follow the coast road south to Solenzara and turn up the D268; from Ajaccio drive via Aullène, Quenza and Zonza to the col and descend the east side. From the Col de Bavella descend about 9.5 km towards Solenzara. Pass the Renaghju bridge and park about 200 m further on the left, on a stretch of the old road in a bend, roughly 500 m before the Polischellu bridge. Bivouacking is forbidden; there is a campsite on the Solenzara road and two inns at the col.
30 to 40 min. From the parking follow the cairned path straight towards the face, traverse left on leaving the wood and go up the streambed. You reach Alexandra first; La célébration du lézard is clearly further left, about 15 m up the gully at the start of the gorge, with a new stainless hanger at the start (an old rusty plate also marks it).
Loading map
The point marks the crag, not the exact start of the route.
Parking
Renaghju pull-in on a stretch of old road beside the D268 (camptocamp waypoint 142099)
Point from camptocamp waypoint 41696 (Contrefort de Punta Rossa, named Punta Biciartula on the IGN map)
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: 41.82083, 9.24278 (crag) · Parking: 41.81688, 9.25438
Getting down
The route's belays are not set up for abseiling and the many traverses would make descending it awkward. From the top, traverse left to a bolt and the chained station in a small tafoni niche. Abseil 50 m straight down the line of the station into the small gully that separates the buttress from Punta Rossa. Continue down the gully (with 60 m ropes you can keep abseiling) to the last chained station; do not go out onto the ledges on the right. About 10 m of walking, exposed but protectable, leads to the next station just below on the left bank looking down. Abseil 45 m in the gully, then walk and scramble down the streambed; a final 15 m abseil, or a downclimb of grade III to IV with a handline in place, reaches the foot of the routes. Allow 45 min to 1 h 15. Alexandra, to the right, is equipped for abseiling from its penultimate pitch and offers another way down.
Retreat
Committing
Camptocamp states that the belays are not equipped for abseiling and that descending the route would be problematic because of its many traverses. The neighbouring Alexandra, to the right, is equipped for abseiling, but no source describes crossing to it part-way up. Plan to finish the route.
Safety
Sun and weather
South-east facing, on a buttress whose summit is at about 970 to 990 m, in full sun for much of the day: two September 2026 parties found it extremely hot even with a 7:00 start, with the lower part going into shade at about 15:00 and the top staying in the sun. The first three pitches hold wet streaks after rain. Wind can be strong on the upper pitches. Spring and autumn are best.
Sun on the wall · SE-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 Bavella are not available yet
What to carry
12 quickdraws (SummitPost), a few slings for the threads, and two ropes of at least 50 m for the abseils. Crack gloves are useful on pitch 4. No cams or nuts are listed. 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 La célébration du lézard.
Worth knowing
Open questions
Provenance
Same area
France · Bavella
A sampler of everything Bavella granite does: a technical 7a wall, layback and jamming cracks, an off-width, a squeeze slot behind a tree, and three pitches of pure friction slab to finish. Bolted well enough to climb on quickdraws, which is rare here. The wide pitches are awkward and bruising if you are not used to the style.
7a10 pitches300 m
Read the cautions
France · Bavella
An easy friction-slab route up the south arête of a small granite tooth above the Purcaraccia cascades: a slab and corner, a walk, then two pitches of clean, airy slab climbed mostly on your feet, and a scramble to a summit with a huge view. Parties find the grades generous. The approach is a long, beautiful walk past the pools, with a rougher finish through maquis.
5c+5 pitches130 m
Read the cautions
France · Bavella
The gentlest introduction to Bavella granite: twenty minutes from the road, well bolted by Corsican standards, and varied. An easy stepped first pitch, a holdless friction slab, a tafoni groove, a steep boulder start and traverse under overhangs, then a finish weaving through big tafoni. In the shade from mid-afternoon.
6a+5 pitches120 m
France · Bavella
Two long, easy friction slabs with a boulder move off the ground, then three pitches through steep tafoni with a long rising traverse and a choice of finish at 6a or 6b. Close to the road, sheltered from the west wind and a classic choice for uncertain weather. Sound rock; some find the slabs too easy to be memorable.
6b5 pitches150 m
Read the cautions
Around 7a · about 8 pitches
Spain · Riglos & Agüero (Mallos)
The famous overhanging line up the left side of the Visera, following the white chalk stripe you can see from the village. A polished, technical 7a pitch low down, then five pitches of ever steeper climbing on huge cobbles where the difficulty is staying un-pumped. Bolts are sound but spaced, and above the third belay the only practical way off is the top.
7a8 pitches250 m
Read the cautionsCommitting
France · Cerces
Eight sustained pitches at 6b to 6c up a steep 250 m west face in the northern Cerces, on rough, pocketed grey and red limestone. One bouldery 7a bulge on the second pitch breaks the rhythm and can be pulled through; the rest is technical wall climbing with a wide crack, a water-pocket traverse and a layback up an arête. Widely rated among the best routes of the massif, and a good choice in a heatwave.
7a8 pitches250 m
Read the cautions
France · Ailefroide
A direct 200 m line up the black wall of the Draye, mixing friction slabs with athletic cracks. The 7a pitch is short: a reachy boulder move, an airy traverse under big overhangs and a fine thin crack. It is in the shade all morning.
7a8 pitches200 m
Austria · Grazer Bergland
Technical slab climbing up the central slab shield of the Röthelstein's south-east spur, getting better the higher you go. The hardest moves are UIAA 8- and about 6+/7- is obligatory, so this is the hard option on the spur, but the bolts are stainless and close together.
7a8 pitches230 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.