Good to have fun things to do on a day when the climbing or skiing up in the mountains is not so promising. Much new sport route development and new guidebooks in the last ten years. But some of the information has not had its omissions and mistakes "shaken out" yet, so I think it's useful to have more detailed and careful English-language reports (which can be found by web searches).
I'd be glad to see more ideas for fun places to climb (and more accurate info details).
. . . Starting from yesterday afternoon Sharon + me . . .
_____________________________________________________________
Pierre du Carre
. . . sometimes called "La Pierre du Quart"
. . . see on Map:
https://goo.gl/maps/y4Lrav1PZfS2
I found out about this crag in Edition 2016 of the new FFME guidebook, Escalade en Savoie (Tome 1, page 166) - (French language only).
Three small rock towers and a larger west face overlooking the Lac du Bourget (a ways north from Aix-les-Bains). The easy routes we tried so far had rather interesting climbing moves. 7-15 minute steep approach (80 vertical meters).
Some noise from the major road below. Also could swim.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
GPS latitude longitude I captured on my visit April 2017 were:
* parking: N45.7856 E58618
* big rock tower: N45.7862 E5.8631
Note that this is 300 meters north from the GPS given on c2c for this waypoint as of 19 April 2017.
Note that the GPS numbers in the FFME guidebook edition 2016 are way wrong.
The numbers above agree roughly with the GPS numbers on ClimbingAway.
This climbing area has at least seven sectors:
1) la tour face W
2) la tour face N
3) la tour face E
4) la petite tour nord
5) grand face W-versant
6a) la petite tour sud (face S)
6b) face cachée W-versant
Approach: Up the stairway between the information panel and the monument. Diagonal up NE 20m to meet dirt/gravel lane. Turn Right up 10m E on lane. Turn off Left onto trail up NE 30m to a junction. To reach sectors 1, 2, 4 take the Left trail (at first N, later E). To reach sectors 3, 6a, 6b take the Right trail -- up steep E 40m, at first straight up on gravel, then switchbacks to reach sector 6a. Just past that sector turn Left for sector 3 (and 5), turn Right for sector 6b.
Sharon and I enjoyed the rather interesting climbing in sector 6a. It was well sheltered from the strong N wind that afternoon.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
**sector 6a** -- la petite tour sud (face S) - (GPS N45.7859 E5.8630)
. . . 15-20m tall.
. . . three 2-bolts-with-chain anchors at top.
. . . good rock with good equipment (modern glue-in bolts), but
. . . vegetation needs more cleaning.
. . . loose steep base area
routes Left to Right . . .
* 6a : left of arete SW - (interesting moves all the way mostly 5b-5c, short interesting 6a crux sequence.
* 5b : arete SW - (interesting moves all the way)
* 5a+ : center face S - (interesting moves all the way) - (If only this were longer).
* 5a+ : right side face S - (at first mostly 4c, then last 7m harder more interesting) - (perhaps more interesting more sustained difficulty to start on the route to the L).
_____________________________________________________________
Post edited at 14:19