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Climbing in Corsica – climbing routes and packing list

Zwei Kletter:innen beim Aufstieg am Fels
Pesche
Sales Consultant, Transa store Europaallee Zurich
© Photos

The Bavella Pass is a climber’s paradise. Incredibly user-friendly tafoni rock, a picturesque landscape and no shortage of climbing routes. If you need a bit more adventure, check out the Aiguilles de Bavella. Pesche and Kathrin have found a real gem for you.

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 …

  • Zwei Personen steigen bei Sonnenaufgang auf zum Kletterfels
    Photo © Jonas Jäggy
  • Aufnahme einer Felsumgebung in Koriska

    Rugged and really quite beautiful: Corsica’s mountain realm.

    Photo © Jonas Jäggy
  • Zwei Personen am Wandern, im Hintergrund mächtige Felsen und eine weite Sicht über grüne Hügel und Berge

    Two climbers make the ascent towards the climbing area.

    Photo © Jonas Jäggy
  • Zwei Personen prüfen bei sonnigem Wetter vor dem Klettern ihr Material, im Hintegrund Berlgandschaft

    We check our equipment before setting off.

    Photo © Jonas Jäggy
  • Kletterroute mit Beschriftungen der Schwierigkeitsgrade

    ‘La Masino’ climbing route.

    Photo © Jonas Jäggy
  • Porträtaufnahme einer Kletterin am Fels, im Hintergrund Bergpanorama
    Photo © Jonas Jäggy
  • Eine Person klettert Vorstieg am Fels, im Hintergrund felsige Berge

    The rock formations in Corsica are particularly splendid.

    Photo © Jonas Jäggy
  • Zwei Kletter:innen machen am Fels eine kurze Pause

    We refuel with a short snack break.

    Photo © Jonas Jäggy
  • Zwei Personen umarmen sich auf dem Gipfel, im Hintergrund Berglandschaft

    Joy at the summit after a successful climbing adventure.

    Photo © Jonas Jäggy

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.

Route information

Approach: From the statue of the Virgin Mary on the pass, head westwards on the GR 20. After about five minutes, follow the alpine route on the right, marked with two yellow lines.

Climbing route: La Masino. Classic line in superb tafoni rock (a type of granite with a perforated structure) along a distinct system of cracks.

Difficulty: 6b (5b mandatory), expertise in trad climbing technique, good lead climbing morale and solid grade 5b climbing.

Trip profile: Wonderful route with plenty of variety and a touch of adventure. Climbers have to place many of the intermediate belay points themselves, but this is generally not too difficult. On the fourth pitch, I recommend the 6a route, which leads slightly to the right across a neat overhang to distinct holes, unless the lead climber prefers a somewhat off-centre chimney, which follows in a direct line to the belay.

Climbing equipment

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