Trad Climbing in Corsica - a dive into the french school of climbing

In the first week of September, 2023, after a year very dedicated to rock climbing, I participated in the last exam of the new climbing monitors of France, a week of traditional multi-pitch climbing in the massif of Bavella, south of Corsica, and it was one of the funniest and most advanced climbing experiences I've ever had.

Noemie in the 1st pitch of the route "Masino"

Me in the end of the route "Masino" with the infinite granites of Bavella in the background.

We climbed in the Aiguilles of Bavella made of a strange granite, sometimes it's really solid with long cracks mixed with slabs, and I felt like in classical brazilian granite sites as Marumbi, but sometimes it has the bizarre texture of big carved holes and plaid texture of fractures, the so called "tafonis", and I felt like in limestone. It's really particular to have tafonis in granite and it's linked with the salty erosion from the Mediterranean humid winds. From the climbing point of view, it was super fun to climb in all styles: cracks, off-width, slab, slippers and pockets, in each route!

Part of the route "Tribulazioni" with the tafonis texture, with the big holes carved in the rock.

Part of the route "Ristrettu" alsto with tafonis near the summit.

From the technical point of view I've learned a lot about handling and strategies in trad climbing. Although I do a lot of multi-pitch climbing since I started climbing, most of the time using trad equipment (mobile protections) to complement the fixed protections, I did few full trad routes during 7 years of climbing. It was a step missing for me, and it was an exceptional experience to have it with the French school of climbing.

In one rock anchor of the route "Tribulazioni"

Perfect tree as an anchor in "Tribulazioni"

So, how it worked?

In France climbing instructors can be formed by some associations, this was the formation of the Creps (Centre de Ressources d'Expertise et de Performance Sportive), and if approved they have the right to take people to climb outdoors at altitudes lower than 1500 m a.s.l. During the formation they do some stages that require "public support", people like me that are like volunteer students. We pay really a symbolic value of 10€/day, and we go to climb everyday with 1 or 2 of the aspirants to monitor, who teach us, and 1 of the experienced monitors that evaluate the aspirants. I participated in another of these stages in the Gorges du Verdon, and it's promoted by alpine clubs (in my case the GUCEM), the Creps webpage, or even the instagram of Cédric Lachat, that was there with us!

The beggining of the stage in Col de Bavella, with the monitors, evaluators, and students.

Departure for our 1st route in Bavella, "Tribulazioni".

In Bavella my group had 4 people: me, Victor, Anthony and Noemie, and we all had a solid 6b degree and experience in multi-pitch climbing, so basic techniques were skiped and we dive into the trad! During the week we climbed the routes: "Tribulazioni", "Autoroute très directe", "Ristrettu", "Caniveau Vertical", and "Masino", that I will briefly describe how it was. 

Group: Victor, Anthony, me and Noemie. End of route "Masino".

 Day 1) Tribulazioni, Punta Ciaccionu (1275 m a.s.l.)  - 150 m, TD-, 6a max, 5c oblig.

This route was protected with bolts in few points, including the very first meters of a delicate vertical slab, which I started leading! It was really cool to start and see the trust of the monitors in our climbing, and I send the pitch with no problem. Anchors were fixed when exposed, or in trees and rock holes.The next pitches were sometimes in the tafonis, and it was full of rock holes to protect.

Ready to start the first pitch of 6a in the route "Tribulazioni"

Landscape from Punta Ciaccionu.

Landscape with the sea in the summit.

 

 

Day 2) Autoroute très directe, Punta Aragale, 230 m, TD-, 6a max, 5c oblig.

In this route I struggled a bit in the first pitch because of a distant horizontal move in a delicate slab, and I ask a take. It became a dig deal, because the monitor thought I was not good enough for leading, and I had to ask more then once for him to lead some easy pitch, and I confess I was really anoyed with that. Honestly it was not the best day, it was really cold in the shaddow and with wind, but finally I leaded a 5c in full trad in the tafonis that was amazing! In the 5th pitch, however, we had an accident. Noemie was as second in an easy part, but her foot sliped away and she fell with the back against a plateau because the rope had too much slack. I've seen the scene, and she was hurt and shocked. It took a while for her to recover, but she could finish the pitch, and even the route. Here there is something important, in multi-pitch you normally don't see your partner, and if you are belaying a second climber you need to take the rope as much as you can! In the end of the week we had the same kind of accident with a monitor, and he  broke a ligament :( 

So this day was harsh, and in the end to be sure no accident would happen again, the 2nd monitor took a lot of care, even too much and we just following him. I could anyway reccomend the route, but me and Noemie, we did not have a cool experience through it.

Noemie climbing after her accident in "Autoroute très directe"

Cave in the end of "Autoroute très directe"

Day 3) Ristrettu, Castellucciu, TD-, 200 m, 6a max, 

This was an amazing route and I love it! It was so beautifull and full of different kinds of climbing, and the crux pitch was a long chimney in the dark with an exit in off-width, and I leaded this pitch so I confess I was so proud putting the enormous camalots and managing to get out of the cave! Before it had some corner and physical moves, and after it had tafonis and physical moves again. It was so varied, and so trad, and I totaly reccomend this route, even more for the lovers of chimney! 

Cave and a camalot n.3 in "Ristrettu", indeed it was "strettu"

Victor embedded in the chimney, showing how scarry it was.

Noemie in an easy pitch with corners.

Getting out of the chimney.

Small easy traverse.

Last pitch with tafonis and physical moves.

Monitor Jannis in the summit.

Day 4) Caniveau Vertical, TD, 150 m, 6b+

This was a beautiful route again, with a difficult initial pitch of 6b+ in slab with 2 bolts in the crux, a second pitch of easy slab in traverse, and physical overhanging with perfect cracks for n.1 and 2 cams in the last pitch, it was so varied and cool! The group was so aligned at that point, and our monitor Romain and the evaluator, also Romain, were exceptional! They transmited a lot of confidence and knowledge, and leave us to lead a lot. I was so proud of leading the overhanging pitch. I totaly recommend this route.

Looking Noemie in the slab pitch, Romain in the backgroud watching us.

Starting the overhanging pitch with one of the several n.3 cams.

Romain starting the rappel, sea in the background.

A bit more of the tafonis in the granite.

Day 5) Masino, Punta di L'Agellu, TD, 120 m, 6a

Short and intense, wonderful line! I liked this route from the name, because Masino is also the name of a valley in Italy with full trad climbing in granite that is the most beautiful of Lombardia. This route was a perfect corner crack in the first pitch and it required true entrapment techniques, of legs, feet, hands and arms, what a beautiful climb. Noemie leaded the first pitch, and she did it so well even after her injury. I leaded a pitch of off-width and I felt as in Brazil suffering in the body cracks, and the last pitch was a physical exhaustive crack. I definetly reccomend this route and it was the perfect closure of our week with the monitors. 

Noemie in the first pitch of perfect crack technique.

Approaching the route near the Col de Bavella.

Victor leading the second pitch with a corner.

Last exhausting pitch.

Finishing the route "Masino" and so happy.

This day we finished before 15, and we were in a very cold river to take a bath, and after we headed for the crag for sport climbing, and what a sport! The crag was an overhanging of tafonis, and the easiest routes were 6b+. There I reallized how strong that people were. One friend, Lucille, amazed us sending a 7a+ in her second try! They were all sending the 6b+ and 6c a vista, and I felt so good to climb with them in a beautiful place like that!

Lucille sending her 7a+ in the crag.

The baths near the Col de Bavella.

The last day we were with no monitors and we climbed in the Col of Bavella sport routes the whole day,  I was soo excited, I did 7 routes that day, including long routes of ~60 m. I just didn't wanted to leave Corsica! What a place with that wonderful granites with tafonis in an alpine environment, but in the middle of an island surrounded by the Mediterranean blue sea. All the steps, from arriving to the island by the 6h ferryboat and seeing the sunset, sleeping in the camping (and having the food robbed by the boars), and hanging out with new friends, taking baths in the sea and in the waterfals, and climbing granite in trad and sportive the whole week, all this was so deep for me. 

In a 60m single pitch route, 6b+ with overhanging.

The sport climbing day in the crag, with the sea in the background.

Day of arrival in the boat to Corsica.

First day in a calm beach in northern Corsica.

I dedicated this long post to this experience beacause I don't want to never forget it. Thanks a lot to the GUCEM, Sylvain Maurrin, and the Creps by providing this experience to us. It was my goodbye to France and the life I lived there, the full imersion and independence in mountain sports, and it was my true dream for the years I leaved in Grenoble and in the French Alps!

PS: This trip ended in a friendship, and two weeks after, me, Victor and Lucille went climbing in Ceüse, simply one of the most beautiful crags for sport climbing in the world! And maybe I'll find time to tell you about this crag from an average climber point of view :)

The view from the crag at the Col de Bavella.

Into the beauty of nature.

à bientôt!