La Veudale - Palomba Bianca

A route in two parts. Good quality glue-in bolts, (Fixe), that need supplementing with “trad” gear. All belays have two bolts, most with a chain. The first part shares belays with “Noir Intense”, which can confuse things.

Approach (1h15) From the parking at the col de la Gueulaz go down and across the dam to the start of the Gorges de la Veudale path, signposted. Follow this, past the turn off for the Cabane de Vieux Emosson until it cris/crosses the river at a point before the final climb out of the gorge. (Directly opposite where a river descends from the Perrons col.) Go up the grass for about 5 minutes to the foot of the rock barrier, (which has 20+ bolted lines, see Piola guide). The route starts towards the right end of these rocks, just to the right of a line of vegetated choss. There is a small orange boulder at the top of the first pitch, visible form the main Veudale path. There are two lines of glue in bolts , Palomba Bianca takes the left hand line.

Route P1 5b Go up the slab then climb the small black corner. (Alternatively go up the 1st pitch of Noir Intense, the line on the right 6a+, 5b oblig.) P2 5c Go up to a bolt at a little roof 6a, easily avoidable on the right 5b, then a vertical wall, which requires trad gear, (only 2 bolts for the top 30m).
P3 5b Walk along the ledge to the right to a pleasant vertical wall. (Alternatively go straight up the line of glue-in bolts, (Noir Intense 6a+, 5c oblig, crux near the top). P4 3a Easier climbing to the top of the rocks, (also possible to start trending rightwards towards the start.)

To get to the start of the second part and assuming pitch 4 was a full pitch you need to traverse rightwards and before you reach the rock ridge forming the left edge of the east face, scramble downwards to the broad, boulder terrace at the foot of the E face. There is an easy angled slab of pale rock, with a black streak vertically above it. A glue-in bolt should be easily visible 2 metres up. (If you do not scramble down but keep traversing to the ridge, it is possible to continue traversing a few metres on some ledges to reach the climb at a bolt some 3 metres below the first belay!) . P5 5c 45m Up the lightly coloured slab, easy at first and then straight up much steeper, with the crux near the top. 2 bolts and a chain for the belay. P6 5b 45m Start just left of the stance. The climbing gets steeper but with good holds.
P7 4b 45m About 25m of grass climbing, old thread in a rock visible, then a final rock step to reach a boulder belay, (no bolts.) 50m of easy ground, (walking) to the summit Descent Variant 1: (easy, 20-25mins back to the foot of the route.) From the summit follow the easy, broad ridge to the W until it reaches the path coming down from the Col de Terrasse, just before it descends into the Gorges de la Veudale. Follow this back to the dam and carpark. Variant 2: (some scrambling) From the summit follow the SW ridge for 50m to a col then turn left to reach the foot of the S face of the Pointe de Veudale. Just before you reach the start of the 2nd part go to the right to reach to foot of climb by ledges on the S face. Variant 3: From the top of the route go down a ramp to the north to regain the top of pitch 6 and abseil down the route.

Good rock with very comfortable stances.