UKC

Has anyone climbed on the Aiguille Viallat in the Gorges d'Heric?  The Arete des Charbonniers is listed in the logbooks but nothing that I recognise on the South face.

I'm tidying up my logbook and I think we (long ago) did a route called Voie de la Galere.  We memorised the description from the guidebook we couldn't afford in the shop but, of course, it all looked a bit more complicated when we got there!  I vaguely remember a slabby, roofy, laybacky kind of thing left of the AdC.  

Photo below of a bit near the top somewhere, as if that's any help! 

I've climbed up there fairly recently, though not that route. Voie de la Galere is one of five routes on L'Aiguille Viallat (which is actually above and right of the AdC).    Current guidebook doesn't have a detailed description, but gives it as 3 pitches, 90m, 5cA1 max.

I know Heric pretty well. The route Arete du Charbonniers starts close to a bridge way up the Glen. The start is now signposted on the road. Follow the yellow markings to the start. Mostly iv standard with a fine airey finish.

But this is not the start of the Aiguille Viallat, you need to traverse R and eventually reach a coll where the Viallat starts R of the arete. The VN route is mostly 1V with a surprising finish. Escape needs a 40M rappel. I do not remember any bolts, as the topo says TA!  The descent is now long back to Heric.

Thanks.  Yes, I see that I'm misreading the top that I've found.  The AdC is further across.  It's a while ago but it's clear from my diary that we decided to nip up AdC when we realised we'd missed our way to the other route.  90m sounds about right, V+/6a TD.

I don't remember an abseil from Voie de la Galere, maybe it doesn't go right to the top?  I do remember a long and rather magical walk back through the fairytale woods with lots of exotic looking fungi.