Dalle de Vallorcine - Croc Mignons

Approach # 10 mins

From the Vallorcine railway station/ski lift carpark take the little road across the railway and then turn right to walk through a field to a signpost pointing left for the “ecole d’escalade”. Follow the path upwards through the trees to the foot of the crag. Can also be reached from a path out of the back of the Buet campsite, (10mins). Where the path emerges from the forest there is an overhang with line of bolts going straight through it and a second line just to the left.

Route

L# | 20m | 5a | Follow the bolts directly through the overhang then trend right to a comfortable ledge with an old, large cemented ring. L# | 22m | 5b+ | Traverse left, past a first bolt and ignoring another bolt straight above, (6a+), continue leftwards to a shallow groove and an ancient bolt. Go up the groove until it is possible to move back rightwards and then up to another big belay ring. (It is possible to link the two pitches together by continuing directly up the second overhang, 6a+) L# | 22m | 5a | Up easily then trend leftwards, flake, to climb through a stepped overhang section to a good ledge and large belay ring. L# | 42m | 5b | Up a little slab and then the corner, more awkward than it looks, to exit onto slabs, passing a belay ring, and up to the chains at the top of the crag. (Alternatively, climb the corner further right, laybacking (5b+, no in-situ protection near the top.)

Descent

Either abseil back down the route, unsociable if other climbers are about, or follow the chains leftwards, (looking up) to the descent ladders.

After the first pitch the bolts are old. All belays on single, large cemented in metal rings.