The Haute Durance Valley extends from Montgenèvre to Châteauroux-les-Alpes. Going down the course of the Durance from its source, you will pass through the town of Briançon.
Briançon is a small town in the Hautes-Alpes department. Located at 1,326 meters above sea level, it is the highest commune in France 🇫🇷
It is famous as a fortified town built in the 17th century to defend against the Austrian invasion, and is also a UNESCO World Heritage Sites as one of the Fortifications of Vauban.
For climbers, Briançon is famous for hosting the World Cup of lead climbing 🏆
Surrounded by 2000m mountains, Briançon offers endless rock climbing areas, including short-pitch, multi-pitch climbing and also bouldering 😍
Climbing Area
How many climbing routes are there? I'd guess that the number of routes within an hour's drive of Briancon is in the range of a couple of thousand.
There are countless multi-pitch routes as well as single pitches here, which the majority are well bolted.
The Climbing Season
It feels like a summer climbing area because of its high elevation, but if you choose the area strictly, you can climb all year round. The area is supposedly averages 300+ days of sunshine per year.
Climbing Equipment
・single rope 80m
・minimum 14 quickdraws
Depends on the route you want to climb....
You could probably climb most routes 🙄 but depends on the route you want to climb....
At least, it was not a problem on the routes we climbed.
Rock Climbing Guidebook
Briançon CLIMBS
This topo is a revised edition (2019.6). It is in French and English and is an easy to read topo, not only to understand the route itself, but also the time of approach, the height of the walls, the direction of the walls, etc.
The topo can be purchased at the sports store in the shopping mall in the city of Briançon.
Access to Climbing Area
You can find the parking information in the Climbing Topo.
The climbing area we went to climb seemed close, with a relatively easy walk from the parking lot to the climbing area. Well, we chose a climbing area that was easy to access 😅
The climbing areas I climbed in the Durance Valley (2020)
This was my first time in Briançon. It was good 🌤 Nice atmosphere and nice view, nice route 😍
✅ BRIANÇON
✅ VALLOUISE
✅ L'ARGENTIÈRE
✅ BRIANÇON : Rocher Gafouille
Close to the parking lot, the wall is northwest, so at least in the morning there is shade and it is not too hot even in summer.
The sector we climbed had a few (6b~7b) routes, but I think there were many easier routes on the faces further from the parking lot.
✅ BRIANÇON : Rocher Baron
If you can park in the parking lot at the topo, it is only a minute walk to the climbing area.
The day we went there, it was crowded with many children. One elementary school kid was chatting with his friends, saying "It's been a long time since I climbed top rope" 😅 Okay. I climb by lead climbing 😂
✅ BRIANÇON : Rocher de L'OMBRE
It started raining soon after we started climbing in this area 🌧 so we had to leave early 🚗💨 I don't know the whole area, but it is close to Briançon city center and might be convenient 🙄
✅ VALLOUISE Tournoux
There are six sectors. Some of which are difficult to get to and from. I think a party of climbers of similar climbing level would enjoy it without any problems.
The wall has not only a climbing area but also a via ferrata route. On the day we went climbing, we saw several people climbing this wall in Via Ferrata.
It is surrounded by the French Alps and the scenery is spectacular. I personally recommend this area.
✅ VALLOUISE AILEFROIDE
Cascades Blues (D+, Max 6a, 250m, L8)
This is the area where we did our first multi-pitch climbing in Briançon. The routes were well maintained and highly recommended.
Compared to the multi-pitch routes I climbed in Switzerland, it is obviously mentally easier to climb as there are obviously more bolts put in 😁
✅ L'ARGENTIÈRE : Le Rif D'oriol
Located in a small canyon, this area is cool even in summer. It is close to the parking lot and is an area for beginners to enjoy. It was crowded with families, when we climbed.
There are many long routes, but I think the grade is sweet. I didn't try many routes, but I felt that even if the grade was around (7a~7b+), the hardest part was one move of the first half .
Briançon TOURISME
Briançon is a fortified city, and although the streets are steep. They are lined with old houses on both sides, giving it a very European look.
Interestingly, the city's main street, rue Grande, runs along a steep hillside with a Gargouille waterway running through the middle of the street.
As it was hot, children were playing in the water and shopkeepers were cleaning their stores by drawing water from this canal. Some people accidentally fell into this waterway 😆
Recommended Restaurants in Briançon
Le Gavroche
I recommend this restaurant for its atmosphere and staff. Reservations are essential. We had to wait for almost an hour even though we went at the reserved time 😂
✍🏻 First multi-pitch climb near Briançon, France Cascades Blues (D+, Max 6a 250m L8)
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