Cirque des Baumes – Fadarelles · Gorges du Tarn · France
Read the cautionsBail with caveats
A varied modern route up the Fadarelles pillar, finishing almost at the Point Sublime viewpoint. A hard, airy traverse on pitch 2, two lovely steep pitches on big holds, and a wild final traverse to a hanging abseil from a rope swing. Short pitches, great position.
Climbing mode: Big type, screen kept awake, tick pitches as you go.
Highest point about 500 m above sea level (estimate: terrain height at the mapped point plus the height of the route).
Recently and thoroughly bolted on pitches 1 to 6, but the optional final traverse starts from an unbolted stance, the crux pitch is stiff and the hanging abseil is very exposed.
6a+VII-5.10b7 pitchesBail with caveats
Sublime faiblesse climbs the prow at the right end of the Fadarelles sector in the Cirque des Baumes, below the Point Sublime. After an easy slabby first pitch, the second pitch traverses right across red rock with a hard move off the belay; most parties find it the crux. Pitches 3 and 4 are steep and athletic on good holds and are the best of the route. The upper pitches are easier, and a final very exposed traverse leads to an abseil station fitted with a rope swing. Pitches are short and some belays are cramped.
The atlas doesn't show topos: they are the work of the people who bolt and document these routes. See the topo at Camptocamp – opener's photo-topo, or in Les Gorges du Tarn.
| Pitch | Grade | Bolts | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| P1 | 4cV5.6 | 8 bolts | Two inclined slabs. About 3 m below the obvious old belay, step right onto the east face to a chained belay (two side by side; the right one is better and gives a view of the next pitch). |
| P2 | 6a+VII-5.10b | 6 bolts | A boulder move off the belay, then an airy traverse right on rock that was still slightly fragile in 2022, with another awkward move before the belay. Do not go straight up from R1: that line is about 7a. Opened at 6a; raised to 6a+ after repeat ascents. |
| P3 | 5cVI5.9 | 6 bolts | Beautiful sculpted rock, crack and corner; a hard move at the start, then steep, slightly overhanging climbing on good holds. Belay on a small ledge. |
| P4 | 5cVI5.9 | 7 bolts | Fine grey slab full of holds to a belay on a big ledge. Pitches 3 and 4 can be linked. |
| P5 | 5bVI-5.8 | 6 bolts | Straight up the slab right of the crack, then 5 m up and traverse right to a two-bolt belay. |
| P6 | 5aV+5.7 | – | Follow the arête to the top; belay slightly left on the summit rock (two glue-ins). Pitches 5 and 6 can be linked, but with 50 m ropes one party was about 2 m short and had heavy rope drag. |
| P7 | 5cVI5.9 | – | Walk down slightly right on the east side to a bolt marking the start (there is no bolted belay here; parties belay from the grass slope, a tree is available), then a very airy traverse on big holds in overhanging rock to the abseil station, which hangs over the void and is fitted with a rope swing. The belay is cramped for a party of three. Some parties skip this pitch. |
The Cirque des Baumes is on the D907bis between Les Vignes and Le Rozier, below the Point Sublime. Park below the Cirque des Baumes; the walk to the foot of the route takes 20 to 30 minutes.
20 to 30 minutes, steep. Follow the yellow sign marked Fadarelles. At the cliff, follow cairns left along the foot of the wall to a rock with rungs and a rope; the route starts on the ledge above. It is the right-most line of the Usine sector, on the arête.
Loading map
The point marks the base of the route.
Coordinates · route base
Point from camptocamp route 1424177
Contains the route point.
Points from published sources, not surveyed.
Coordinates: 44.29718, 3.24178 (route base)
From the station at the end of pitch 7, abseil 20 to 25 m (free-hanging). Walk up slightly to the col to find the next station, which goes down the other side into sector Usine: one 50 m abseil. Then walk 3 minutes down along the cliff through the box to the start. Parties who skip pitch 7 have abseiled 20 m from a pine at its start; that is a tree anchor.
Bail with caveats
Belays are bolted and mostly chained, so you could abseil the route, but the line traverses right on pitch 2, which makes retreat from above it awkward. Below pitch 2 you can simply lower or abseil from R1.
Quickdraws (number not published; about 8 per pitch), 2×50 m ropes. Helmet.
East facing at the Cirque des Baumes; parties climbed it in May, August, October and November. The approach is steep and hot in summer.
Forecast · next 7 days · 500 m
Loading the forecast.
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|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| High °C | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Low °C | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Rain mm | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Chance of rain % | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Strongest gusts km/h | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
Model forecast for 500 m. It cannot tell you whether the rock is dry. Data: Open-Meteo, CC BY 4.0.
Time plan · 7 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 · E-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 | 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 | 7 | 8 | 12 | 15 | 19 | 23 | 26 | 26 | 21 | 16 | 11 | 8 |
| Mean daily low °C | 1 | 1 | 3 | 6 | 9 | 13 | 15 | 15 | 12 | 9 | 5 | 2 |
| Rain days 1 mm or more | 11 | 9 | 10 | 12 | 12 | 9 | 7 | 9 | 8 | 12 | 11 | 11 |
● usual season. 1991-2020 averages at about 462 m; rain is for a 10–25 km grid cell. Weather and climate data: Open-Meteo, CC BY 4.0.
Straight-line distances, up to 30 km.
No reports yet.
France · Gorges du Tarn
The easiest way up the Roc Aiguille, a slender tower above the Pas de Soucy. A polished 5c corner and an odd crawl through a slot lead to three pitches of big holds on compact rock, then an airy traverse along the summit arête with a view straight down the gorge. Popular: expect queues in summer.
5cVI5.95cVI5.95 pitches100 m
France · Gorges du Tarn
A quieter, easier neighbour to Iséki on the Roc Aiguille, bolted in 2022. Mostly grade 4 climbing on big holds, with one fine technical 5b+ pitch, on excellent compact rock and mostly in shade.
5b+VI-/VI5.8+5b+VI-/VI5.8+5 pitches110 m
Around 6a+ · about 7 pitches
Italy · Sardinia
An airy, mostly left-rising traverse that spirals round the Pedra Longa sea stack to its summit, on water-runnelled grey walls and pocketed white rock right above the sea. It has become one of the most popular routes in Sardinia, so expect queues.
6a+VII-5.10b6a+VII-5.10b7 pitches190 m
Committing
Switzerland · Glarus (Brüggler)
The hardest of the Brüggler plaisir routes: an overhanging start on big holds, then smooth runnelled slabs, with a very blank 6a+ slab on pitch 3 that feels hard for the grade. The hardest moves there can be avoided by weaving left or right while still clipping the bolts. The top three pitches are easier.
6a+VII-5.10b6a+VII-5.10b7 pitches200 m
Committing
Switzerland · Sanetsch
An adventurous line that weaves between the roofs of the Pointe Maurice Brandt, at the far left end of the Montons. It improves with height: the lower pitches have some friable rock, the last two are on exceptional grey, sculpted limestone. Lots of traversing and a memorable free-hanging final abseil.
6a+VII-5.10b6a+VII-5.10b7 pitches180 m
Read the cautions
Spain · Riglos & Agüero (Mallos)
A good first route at Riglos: seven sustained 6a pitches on the spur of the Frechín, with a grandstand view of the Visera. Manage rope drag on the wandering first pitch.
6a+VII-5.10b6a+VII-5.10b7 pitches180 m
Researched and aggregated by AI from published sources, last compiled October 2026. It can be wrong, and bolts, anchors and access change: check a current guidebook and read the disclaimer.