Rising to the west of Aix en Provence, the first sight of the soaring limestone peak of the Montagne de Sainte Victoire, rising to 1011m, should set any climbers pulse racing. The south-facing sheets of limestone look both smooth and huge from a distance, a closer inspection reveals a massive area of compact white rock. Off-vertical face climbing is the name of the game here, often with slightly spicy bolting. The 170+ routes we cover here are about 15 percent of the total routes on offer on the mountain, if you enjoy the place, get the local guide and go off exploring.
Routes
|
177 sport routes (3+...8a+) Graded List of Routes List of First Ascents |         | ||
| Buttress (click for routes) | No. of Routes | Route Type | Sunshine or shade |
Approach walk | Other | Page |
| Sector La Reposante The left-most section described in the book is home to many routes. Some of the routes have upper... |
39 | Sport |
Lots of sun! |
Uphill 20 mins |
Windy | 32 |
| Sector Plates Dalles An attractive area of slabs with a good set of well-bolted routes, many in the lower grades. There... |
24 | Sport |
Lots of sun! |
Uphill 20 mins |
Windy | 34 |
| Aiguille Bertine This tower offers a fine selection of routes in the orange grades, a nice mixture of shortish... |
24 | Sport |
Lots of sun! |
Uphill 20 mins |
Windy | 36 |
| Sector Super Medius The show-piece of the crag has a set of desperate face routes and the occasional easier line... |
39 | Sport |
Lots of sun! |
Uphill 15 mins |
Windy | 40 |
| Sector G.T.M. A good set of routes on an impressively-smooth, pear-shaped buttress. The central routes are the... |
11 | Sport |
Lots of sun! |
Uphill 15 mins |
Windy | 44 |
| Minor Sectors The right-hand end of Sainte Victoire holds a variety of easier routes. |
40 | Sport |
Lots of sun! |
Uphill 15 mins |
Windy | 46 |
| What do these symbols mean? | ||||||
