Climbing in Corsica – climbing routes and packing list

In what might be the finest morning mood Corsica has to offer, we make our way from Col de la Bavella up toward Punta di L’Acellu in around 30 minutes. Starting at the famous statue of the Virgin Mary, after five minutes we follow the alpine route of the GR 20, where the sunrise casts a warm, orange glow over the rocks of the Aiguilles de Bavella. Very promising so far. We’re looking forward to the rock, the climbing, the adrenalin and of course the serenity of nature.

We’re now standing before the massif, which seems to be telling us: ‘I’m in charge of things around here.’ We opt to take La Masino – a route which features a system of cracks and is clearly visible as it winds its way through the entire wall. I know the route from a previous trek. In 1996, I visited this magical place for the first time with guests. Now, twenty years later, everything seems so familiar when I see the cracks. I’m reminded of the technically demanding grade 6a crack intersection for the first pitch. We carefully place the equipment required for this route beside the backpack, strap on our climbing harnesses and roll out the double rope. I hang our large friends (cams) on the left of the harness, with the small ones on the right – like I usually do. Carabiners and quickdraws, standing slings and safety devices also have their place. Helmet on, partner check complete and off we go …

Given the ‘cold start’ and knowing Katrin’s sensitivity to hot and cold temperatures, I decide to skip the first pitch from the right across a ledge. I make it to the ledge via a three-metre grade 3 step, traversing across to the first belay on the left. I call down to Katrin, urging her to follow me, and pull the rope in. After 50 metres, I’m confused by the sight of two empty rope ends and Katrin in stitches five metres behind. She hadn’t had time to tie herself in. Well … not the ideal start!

The sun’s rays soon awaken our limbs and one or two snacks help keep the hunger away for now. The rock feels great: tafoni, a form of weathering common to various rocks. The tour is rich in variety and there are several routes to choose from.

The route requires a little more effort than simply clicking quickdraws into bolts. Many of the intermediate belay points need to be placed by the climbers themselves and safe climbing in grade 5b is required to keep the fun factor high. On the fourth pitch, the logical line is indicated by a chimney section right above our heads. But this is where grade 6b and the abrasion resistance of our clothing come into play. Fortunately, we have an alternative route eight metres further to the right, which looks a lot more difficult from below, but can be elegantly circumvented across large holes.

Every heroic story finishes with a climax. Princes marry princesses, successful professionals bask in their achievements, actors never grow old …

We should also mention the descent here to give the whole story a happy ending. We follow a path marked with cairns from the summit, keeping to the right over a steep craggy section. This comes to an end after 100 metres at an abseiling point. After 30 metres, we glide along the rope to the foot of an open chimney section, a kind of vertical gorge stretching down to the right towards the base of the wall. This is a grade 2 descent. You also have the option of abseiling down the route but this takes twice as long – about an hour.