Verdon - Lame Fatale

 Verdon, the classic Patrick Edlinger play ground
With its rock faces, low alpine surroundings, the deep canyon and scenic nature it´s just a big playground for a number of sports, climbing, hiking, canyoning, biking and not to forget Climbing & BASE jumping!!
It´s just one of these places I have to go to at least once a year!

Anna Backlund on a Verdon steep classic!

The approaches can be kept quite short, a 5 meter hike to the rappel point direct from the road. So in this case the combo with good French cuisine most be under good control if you don't want to gain to much waste pondus.
But, there are some exceptions, as always.
For me I have found some of the best routes starting from "Malines" driving the Rue du Crete anti clockwise from Palud sur Verdon village.
Still not a huge approach, but at least its a little warm up before the climbing starts. And once on the top of the route, your more or less at the car!

the habitats of Gorge du Verdon

Ackommodation in and around la Palud sur Verdon is very easy in many ways. During high season with warmer temperatures the camp sites are numerous and cheep.
There is also a few R B´n B´s but the old French version of the same, Gite du France, is really a good and well worth the money option.
In Palud there is one just opposite the church and close to everything in the center of the village.

la gorge - the Grand canyon of Verdon

Best season for climbing is, for me personally as a Scandinavian, spring or fall. Many times late november and early december is a good time with still stable weather and good friction. But, most of the time that means climbing on the south facing walls.
It can also mean a few days of rain or even snow!

One of my favorite routes are "Lame Fatale" 6c/7a, an 8 pitch route in the section of "Malines" (described above)
It has a few neighbors with really high quality as well, but the cool thing with Lame Fatale, as the name says, is the upper sections exposed climbing on these limestone type blades.

Topo, route most to the right

Take the ridge road from La Palud sur Verdon towards the chalet Maline (anti-clockwise on the map). Park at the first real car park on your left, carved in the rock, after a fairly sharp left turn.
From the car park, return to the beginning of the left turn. A cairn marks the entrance to the descent path, 45min/1h, with some sections of exposed down climbing to a fix rope at the bottom. Keep an eye open for the red dots!
At the foot of the cliffs, follow the foot of the wall for about 100 meters, pass under overhangs, until you see a large yellow pillar. A well marked path joins at the bottom of the route.

7 or 8 pitches, deepening on your belays, takes you back up to the road. Enjoy the second and the second last pitch specially!

Second pitch note; Technical crossing in slab.
Do not stop at the first belay. When it joins "Chan", continue to climb another 10 meters (short steep wall) to reach a belay (2 bolts) on a small terrace. Take care when belaying the second on this one.

The travers of pitch 2, Lame Fatale

Exit pitch on Lame Fatale

Equipment

50m rope

15 QD´s

Extra sling/biners for a few of the belays

We got a snowy situation

The forecast turned out to be just as right as we thought it would be!

Second last day was supposed to be filled with heavy rain and even snow. And yes, they was right!
But with the steep Verdon walls of the gorge, the climb could go on!

Tour du boulangerie 

la vue d´Early bird

Traversing the Gorge a la Slackline!

// Everydayadventure