Chaîne de Gigondas – Crête des Florets · Dentelles de Montmirail · France
Easy to bailBolting confidence: high
A west-to-east traverse of the six towers of the Florets crest, alternating short pitches with five short abseils and ending on a knife-edge. First climbed in 1928, it is the classic introduction to ridge climbing in Provence. The moves of 5 are short but polished and cannot be avoided, and all the rope work makes it slower than its length suggests.
The route
The Traversée des Florets runs along the western crest of the Gigondas chain from near its west end to the Brèche du Turc. You climb each tower by a short pitch of 3b to 5b and abseil 10 to 20 m off the far side, nine pitches and five abseils in all, finishing along a 50 m crest. The old topo grade was 4c/5a; camptocamp now suggests 5b/c for the cruxes because the footholds are very polished. There are good intermediate belays, and you can escape to the south side at every gap. It is extremely popular with clubs, and queues are common. Allow 3 to 5 hours on the ridge.
The climbing
| Pitch | Grade | Length | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| P1 | 5b | 30 m | Straight up towards the gendarme over small blocks with glue-ins, then a short slab move. Abseil 15 m down the south side from the chain and cable on the right. |
| P2 | 5a | 20 m | A big, easy-angled crack. Can be linked with pitch 3 in 50 m. |
| P3 | 4c | 25 m | Follow the ridge as it lies back. The newer chained belay is slightly below. Abseil 10 m and step onto a narrow rock arch, where the belay is not chained. Do not abseil through the lower arch: that misses the next tower and means a 20 m abseil to the trees and a very easy slab to rejoin the route. |
| P4 | 4c | 15 m | Cross to the south side, climb a grassy ramp for a few metres, then a crack straight up. The belay chain is behind the top. Abseil 10 m. |
| P5 | 3b | 30 m | Slab and crack to the big summit terrace. Go under the trees, or over the blocks on the left past a stainless glue-in, to the belay on the right. Abseil 20 m. |
| P6 | 5b | 15 m | A slab with a crack on its right. Abseil 20 m. |
| P7 | 5b | 20 m | A slab, best taken on its right side. |
| P8 | 4b | 50 m | Along the knife-edge crest (the 'rake'). The hard move is in descent but well bolted: clip everything and add slings over spikes if the second is not confident. Chained belay. |
| P9 | 3b | 30 m | A fairly steep down-climb with no bolts into the Brèche du Turc, or a 20 m abseil from the chained belay. |
Getting there
From Gigondas follow signs for 'Dentelles de Montmirail' to the Domaine des Florets. The track beyond is closed to vehicles at the hotel (camptocamp says the closure there is now permanent, even if the gate is sometimes open), so park in the large car park opposite and walk up the track to the Col du Cayron in 10 to 15 min. By public transport, take the train to Carpentras and the on-demand Trans'CoVE bus to Gigondas, about 2.5 km from the col.
From the Col du Cayron there are two ways. Either follow the path with blue dots towards the Brèche de la Pousterle and, just before crossing to the south side, fork right towards the Brèche du Turc and continue west below the Florets chain on the blue dots. Or, less steep and no slower, follow the main track west to the next col, by picnic tables, and pick up the blue-dotted path there. A November 2025 party warns that the first gentle col you reach on the crest is not the start: stay on the north side until you reach the start below an obvious gendarme. The route begins near the west end of the ridge at a gentle col; 15 m above, a pinnacle is wrapped with a cable, chain and maillon (the first abseil). No source gives a total approach time.
Loading map
The point marks the crag, not the exact start of the route.
Parking
Col du Cayron (camptocamp access point)
Point from camptocamp waypoint 43128
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: 44.15556, 5.02417 (crag) · Parking: 44.15893, 5.02492
Getting down
From the Brèche du Turc, either take the blue-dotted path on the south side for about 20 m east and quickly cross left to the north side through a gap (red dots) to rejoin the approach path, which camptocamp says is not easy to find; or drop slightly down the south side and make a short abseil of 10 to 15 m from a huge polished thread, on the left looking north, straight onto the north-side path. Follow it west, then east along the foot of the cliffs on the blue dots.
Retreat
Easy to bail
Camptocamp states that you can escape at every gap between the towers by going down the south side to the path. The towers are short, with chained abseil stations, so you are never more than one pitch and one short abseil from a way off.
Safety
Sun and weather
A crest at about 600 m, open to every wind: fine in midsummer thanks to the draught, and cold in a mistral for the rest of the year, so carry a windproof. The crux footholds are very polished. Avoid weekends and holidays if you can; parties report waits of 45 min at the start behind large beginner groups.
Sun on the wall
No estimate: the wall's aspect is not recorded for this route.
Climate figures for Dentelles de Montmirail are not available yet
What to carry
10 quickdraws, two or three long slings for the unlinked belays and for spikes on the final crest, and a single rope of at least 40 m, which covers the abseils (50 m lets you link pitches). Nuts and cams are useless. Confident seconds climb it in approach shoes, but the polished slab moves are easier in rock shoes. 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 Traversée des Florets.
Worth knowing
Open questions
Provenance
Around 5b · about 9 pitches
Switzerland · Orny (Champex, Mont Blanc massif)
Nine pitches up a granite spur and the final tower of the Aiguille d'Orny to a 3150 m summit, on rough, cracked rock with superb friction. Two moves of 5b, the rest 4b and 4c, closely bolted since 2016 and easy enough to climb in boots. The three steep pitches on the summit tower are the highlight.
5b9 pitches250 m
Italy · Lecco & Valsassina
The first route opened on the Zucco dell'Angelone, following the natural line of the fourth spur by corners, cracks, a chimney and friction slabs. Eight varied pitches at 5a to 5b with an easy crest to finish. Never hard but never trivial either.
5b8 pitches220 m
Spain · Aragonese Pyrenees (Tena & Canfranc valleys)
Ten short pitches of easy-angled Panticosa granite beside the Caldarés stream, twenty minutes from the car. Mostly friction slabs at 4b to 5a linked by walking-angle ground, with one polished bulge given 5b on the topo. A very gentle first granite multipitch, and a climbing approach to the walls above.
5b10 pitches220 m
Spain · Vega Baja (Orihuela & Callosa)
A long, steady V+ spur to the summit of the Sierra de Callosa on exceptional rock. Many terraces allow a safe retreat, which makes it good mileage for building multipitch experience. Check local seasonal climbing restrictions in the Sierra de Callosa.
5+9 pitches500 m
Read the cautions
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.