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Calanque d'en Vau: Petite Aiguille and voie Saphire
Our first steps over the next three days will take us towards the Calanque d'En Vau, crossing Port-Miou and Port-Pin from the Cassis peninsula. The smell of pine trees and aromatic plants, the sound of the waves and the sea horizon: we've really changed region!
After a 40-minute walk, we reach the top of the Calanque and take a steep, rocky path to the bottom. More than just a calanque, it is almost a canyon: high limestone walls, towers and ridges rise up on either side, leaving only a simple forest road winding at their feet until they reach the sea.
Just before reaching the beach, the path skirts around a small rocky summit 40m high: this is the Petite Aiguille. Adjacent to the Petite Aiguille, an obvious ridge climbs up towards the plateau: this is the Saphir route.
For a hundred years, the game here has been to learn climbing and mountaineering for the clubs of Marseilles. Easy routes in the 4-5 range, breccia passages, abseils: this small summit provides an opportunity to brush up on the full range of alpine techniques.
A few one-length routes are nearby, so we take the opportunity to climb them, at levels 5c-7b. Watch out for slippage! There are a lot of people passing by.
We particularly recommend three routes on the left bank of the Calanque at the Dalle du Chat: 6b - 6b+ - 5c, three long routes on sound rock, with very severe grading. The sequence Petite Aiguille - Voie Saphir has all the makings of a rocky mountain ridge, and if you ignore the scenery, you'll feel like you're there! The ascent of the Petite Aiguille is followed by a rappel, which leads to a small gap (accessible on foot) where the climb begins. A few slab steps, then brief vertical jumps alternate with flatter passages on the wire. You then come to rest at the foot of a limestone pillar, which you can climb three pitches without too much difficulty. Almost at the top, you can have fun following the wire or a path below to get out of the route: a mini rocky race!
Leaving the Calanque d'En Vau via the Saphir route is a very elegant way to return, avoiding the climb back up the path. If you don't come across too many people, an efficient team won't waste too much time... 😉
Bec de l'Aigle Tower, La Ciotat
The next day, we set off on an unusual hike that had been suggested to us: the tour of the Bec de l'Aigle in La Ciotat. A little interlude in this weekend of climbing, this route is a clever mix of hiking, climbing and easy rock climbing, making it very difficult to classify it in one of the three categories! In any case, it's definitely a route not to be missed under any circumstances, offering a temporary rest for fingers that are a little too worn and tired. Getting to the start is unusual, fun and offbeat in itself: we climb the paths of the Parc du Muguel with ropes, harnesses and helmets, in the midst of the inhabitants of La Ciotat who have come to walk their dogs and play with their children. Under their intrigued gazes, we set up our equipment on a terrace facing the sea, crossing the low wall that separates us from the descent to the waves.
Here, the white limestone has given way to a compact pudding: large, naturally cemented pebbles that provide a variety of hand and foot holds. The work of erosion by the sea is nevertheless clearly visible: sometimes large caverns have been dug out, leaving gaping holes with marked overhangs, the solidity of which is cause for concern. It's precisely at these overhangs that the tour begins: you have to abseil over them, using chained belays that still miraculously seem to hold in this strange rock. Once at the water's edge, the crossing begins, never too high. Evenly-spaced points protect your progress, either with a tight rope or from belay to belay at the start, depending on how comfortable you are. Although our alpine instincts would have us climb up to the top of some apparently difficult passages, we have to be careful! These routes have no exit and are impossible to protect. If you walk along the seafront at a maximum height of 4m, you will regularly find seals protecting the roped party (from falling into the water). This makes it impossible to climb this route in stormy weather! Once past a slight headland, you find yourself isolated from the town of La Ciotat, with hikers and beach-goers behind you for a swim. Under the cliffs, there are plenty of niches where you can find a spot in the sun, facing out to sea, for a quiet picnic.
After this short break, the climb becomes a vertical hike: sometimes you have to put your hands down, but an easy path follows the foot of the cliffs to the cove of Gaméou. The path marked with blue dots climbs up to the right, crossing an easy overhang to reach a cirque with slightly dubious rock, then a short ridge overlooking the bay. It's another thrilling bit of mountaineering facing the sea! From here, it's easy to reach the summit of the beak via small paths through the boxwoods, then a path takes you back to La Ciotat.
Voie du Couchant, Bec de Sormiou
To round off these three days in style, we head for the Bec de Sormiou. Before Easter, you can access the car park at the end of the road for €5. After that, you'll have to walk for an hour.
The Bec de Sormiou is full of routes that go around it, up the ridge or straight up the face... It's hard to choose! In the end, it was the "Le Couchant" route, opened in 1956. All the routes on this East face of the Bec de Sormiou can be reached from the beach by walking for 20 minutes on a path, then returning to the seafront via a few slabs and rocks. "Le couchant" follows a natural line of weakness in the wall, a series of dihedrals and cracks intersected by two roofs. These are the only two patinated passages. Surprisingly enough, given the age of the route, the rest of the rock is as good as new! In 5 pitches, the route is short but very pleasant if you are comfortable in 5b/c. The atmosphere is rather vertical, with the few ledges where the belays are positioned not interfering too much with the face and the feeling of height. The view over the calanque and the little village of Sormiou is magical.
As its name suggests, the route is best reserved for a late afternoon outing to watch the sun set. The last athletic step of the route is to cross the overhang onto the summit ridge, with the western horizon suddenly revealed before our eyes, interspersed only by the silhouettes of the islands of Jarre, Calseraigne and Riou. A guaranteed highlight!
Arête des Marseillais - Grande Candelle
A legendary route in the Calanques, it was while leafing through a local climbing book that we rediscovered this famous photo of Gaston Rébuffat climbing "Le pas" by 1m50.
The approach begins quietly over the Col de Sugiton, then we switch to the seaward side to leave the beaten track and reach the foot of the wall.
The pitches are beautiful, the rock magnificent, the atmosphere guaranteed and the route not too long!
This is the perfect cocktail for the Sunday route.
Our silhouettes stand out perfectly against the Mediterranean sky, captured on camera by Barbara, who is stationed opposite us.
