Les Gillardes - Grande Roche - Ballade d'un Bienheureux et d'un Sauvage

Approach

From the parking at the Source des Gillardes cross the river, and follow the path to Col de l’Aup. Follow a (new?) forrestry road to the right that zig-zags though the forrest below the face. Leave the road to head up to the bottom of the face where the route starts at a small red/white (road)sign.

Route

The route is bolted with old 8mm bolts and classic pitons. The first bolt is fairly high up and hard to see, but the sign at the bottom of the route is unmistakable.

I have given 2 grades, first what I felt was the correct grade, second (between parenthesis) the guidebook-grade (Topo Vercors and Topo Cambon).

L#1 | 6a start, then 6c+ | (6c) | First bolt high up, travers right, then over small roof and left (hard move). L#2 | 6b start, then 5b | (6a+) | Tricky moves on silex edges, friends/nuts usefull. Move left at end of pitch. L#3 | 7a, 6c | (6c/7a or A0) | Hard move in travers to the left, then up and loose rock to the belay (possible A0, but goes free at 6b. L#4 | 6c, 6c+ | (7a) | Nice length up flake followed by travers left on edges, holes. L#5 | 7a | (6c+) | Great pitch! Beautifull moves up steep wall, with a distinct crux moving over the small roof to the left. It’s hard to climb passed the chipped hold. Crux of the route in our opinion. L#6 | 6b | (6b+) | Travers right and up. Tricky moves on silex edges. L#7 | 6c | (7a) | Straight up through the roofs on good holds.
L#8 | 4 | | Climb through grass and trees into the bivvy-cave (have lunch) and go left round the corner of the cave. Belay at a single orange bolt. L#9 | 6b+ | (6b+) | Loosy rock at the start. Small friend usefull (yellow Alien). L#10 | 6a, then 6b | (6b) | L#11 | 6b | (6b) | Two somewhat uneventfull pitches. L#12 | 6c | (6c+) | Move right then up over the roof. A single move and awkward clip, followed by easier climbing. L#13 | 7a then 6b+ | (7a) | Nice rock. L#14 | 6c+ | (6c/7a) | A single hard move over the small roof. Nice climbing. L#15 | | | Not really much a pitch. Grass. Can be combined with previous pitch. L#16 | 6b, then 6a | (6b+) | Some balancy moves as the pitche moves left and up through the unstable rock. L#17 | 5c | (5c) | Move right and sometimes up on mostly solid rock through bands of loose stuff. Bolts hard to find and spaced. Belay at the tree, 45 m. L#18 | 6a | (6a) | Up and right - beware of some loose rock.

Descent

Follow the prairie down to St-Disdier. First through open field, later trough forest and fields. Stay close to the (dry) riverbed. Easy descent, about 1 hour to the road).

• Voie au soleil l’après-midi. The start can be cold, especially when it is windy.
• The harder pitches felt a bit overgraded. But due to the nature of the climbing (bolts sometimes hard to spot) and the equipment getting older, the grading seemed appropriate. In the route description I have given 2 grades: first the grade I felt was right, second the guidebook grade (Topo Escalade en Vercors, etc. and Topo J.M. Cambon).
• Bolted, but sometimes a little spaced. The bolts are beginning to get older (8mm, dating from 1988). Be carefull. A abseil decent is problematic as the route weaves through overhanging terrain.
• Accommodation: Bivouac possible au parking.

Rock quality

• Pitches 4/5/6/7 are on superb rock, especialy pitch 5.
• Pitches 9/10/11 lead through a zone of slightly loose rock.
• Pitches 12-13-14 are on good rock again.
• The last 3 pitches weave through the band of loose rock at the top. Bolts sometimes spaced and hard to find.