Chaîne de Gigondas – face nord (Brèche de la Pousterle) · Dentelles de Montmirail · France
Bail with caveatsBolting confidence: high
A short, generously bolted beginner's multipitch on the north face of the Gigondas chain: an easy corner, a fine vertical wall, a rising traverse, and then a squeeze through a natural window in the crest to finish on the sunny south side. Polished from traffic but full of character, and done in an hour or so.
The route
Petite Émeline starts 30 m west of the Brèche de la Pousterle, on the shaded north side of the Gigondas chain near the detached Aiguillette Lagarde. Four short pitches lead up the face to a hole through the fin; you climb through it and finish up two steep little walls on the south side, above the vineyards. Camptocamp rates it highly in spite of its modest grade, and it is listed among the hundred best long routes of Provence. With chained belays on good ledges and bolts close together it is an ideal first multipitch lead. The holds are polished, and the grades are on the generous side.
The climbing
| Pitch | Grade | Length | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| P1 | 3b | 20 m | An obvious corner, very easy and attractive. Do not stop at the first belay you meet on the left; continue to the chained belay under a tree. |
| P2 | 5b/c | 15 m | Small sloping steps, then straight up a fine vertical wall. The hardest moves of the route, and polished. Chained belay on a good platform. |
| P3 | 4c/5a | 30 m | A lovely pitch slanting right, then at an angle in the rock turn left and aim for the window that appears. Two possible belays below the window: two bolts joined by cord, or a bolt and a thread. |
| P4 | 5a | 20 m | Climb through the window, then go east (one stud without its hanger) and up two steep walls on positive holds, with a harder move at the end. Belay on the crest, with a ring for the abseil. |
Getting there
Reach Gigondas (30 minutes by on-demand bus from Carpentras, which has the nearest railway station) and follow the signs for the Dentelles de Montmirail to the Domaine des Florets. From 1 May to 30 September the track beyond is closed to motor vehicles at the Florets hotel: park in the large car park opposite and walk up the track to the Col du Cayron, 10 to 15 minutes more. The col can also be reached from Beaumes-de-Venise via Lafare, where the track is closed just after the Domaine de Cassan in the same months. Camptocamp's crag page says the col itself is closed to vehicles.
From the Col du Cayron follow the path marked with blue dots towards the Brèche (Col) de la Pousterle, then walk west along the north face for 30 m, towards the detached Aiguillette Lagarde, to the name painted in white at the foot (now faded). A 2026 party suggests a shortcut: when the wall comes into view at a walkers' signpost, go straight up to it and you arrive almost at the start. A 2025 party took 25 minutes from the Florets car park to the brèche.
Loading map
The point marks the crag, not the exact start of the route.
Point from camptocamp waypoint 43128 (Chaîne de Gigondas)
Contains the route point. 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: 44.15556, 5.02417 (crag)
Getting down
From the ring at the top abseil 25 m down the south face; half of a 50 m rope is plenty according to a 2026 party. At the foot you meet the blue-dotted path. Follow it east, back through the Brèche de la Pousterle, and down to the Col du Cayron.
Retreat
Bail with caveats
No source describes a retreat, but the first two belays are chained on good ledges and the pitches are 15 to 20 m, so abseiling from them on a 50 m rope is simple. From the belay below the window the pitch beneath is up to 30 m and slants, so it is easier to finish: one 5a pitch and the 25 m abseil down the south side.
Partly inferred from the route facts
Safety
Sun and weather
North facing, on a chain that tops out at 627 m. It is the place to go when the south faces are too hot: an April 2026 party chose it for that reason. The start is in the shade and the last pitch and the abseil are in the sun. The crest is exposed to the mistral. Between 15 June and 15 September the Vaucluse massifs can be closed by prefectoral order on days of high fire risk; the decision is published after 18:00 for the next day and there is a fine for being on a closed massif.
Sun on the wall · N-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 Dentelles de Montmirail are not available yet
What to carry
A 50 m single rope covers the pitches and the 25 m abseil. No source gives a number of quickdraws; the longest pitch is 30 m and the bolts are close. A sling or cord for the belay below the window. Helmet: parties report stones lying on the ledges.
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 Petite Émeline.
Worth knowing
Open questions
Provenance
Same area
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Read the cautions
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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.