le Dôme Guide

The first climb done on le Dome.

Approach

From the parking lot, walk along the road (north) until you see an obvious sign for "L'initiation". Follow the trail to the wall then left for a few meters past the "V0 one move approach boulder"

Climbing

1. 5.6 Climb straight up past two bolts, through a slabby dihedral up to a ledge with a bolted anchor.

2. 5.5 Either straight up then right or right then up to a last sab move just below the anchor ledge.

3. 5.4 Up to a ledge, then one crimpy move to regain horizontal cracks. Traverse left after the bush, then up to gain a bolted anchor.

4. 5.4 The next few pitches are less vertical until the headwall. You can basically climb anywhere and link pitches. To gain the bolted anchor, surmount a first buldge, then aim for a break through the bushes up and slightly right.

5. 5.4 Aim straight up to a bolted anchor just below where is steepens up.

6. 5.4 Up and slightly left from the anchor, then traverse right and follow a serie of slabby dihedrals to a bolted anchor just below the headwall.

7. Three options at this point: - 5.6: Traverse left to a right-leaning ramp and then back right to a bolted anchor straight above the last one. - 5.7: Climb straight up from the bolted anchor. Looks more intimidating but the holds are huge and the climbing is good. Anchor is straight above the last one. You can link it with the next pitch. - 5.6?: Traverse right to a completely alternate finish. I've never done this variation.

8. 5.5 Climb up past a bolt to a bolted anchor. This anchor (as well as other anchors on this climb) was bolted with rappeling in mind rather than belaying. You should either extend it or build a gear anchor. Or regret belaying from it.

9. 5.5 Follow thin cracks to a right-leaning ramp then straight up. Look right for the next anchor or miss it and link to the top!

10. 5.4 Climb up and slightly right after a bushy ledge to gain the last bolted anchor of the climb!

Descent

If you need to bail on this climb, there are rappel anchors every 30m so you can make it down with a single 60m rope. It is not recommended to rappel the route if you make it to the top tough since there are often many parties on this climb. You should instead walk leftwards to gain the descent trail back down to the road.

Sidenote: If you're faster than other parties on this climb, you can easily pass them without being in their way by literally climbing 5m left or right of them at almost any point.

Also plan on linking pitches, it's worth it! 1-2-3 and 4-5-6 are a rope stretchers / few moves of simul (70m rope), 7-8 and 9-10 are easily linked with a 60m

Start at the trail from Le Dome parking lot and take every left turn. Once you reach the cliff, walk left along it until the trail ends. This is the left-most climb in this sector.

This is a traversing route that angles upwards and left, ending at the anchors for l'Initiation. Walk off using the descent trail for l'Initiation.

All gear anchors, except for the l'Initiation anchor at the top of pitch four.

Probably the most climbed out of all the lines on this wall, yet you'll rarely see a soul besides your party, if not for the occasional shout coming for the next sector.

1. 5.6X 40m: Climb the dôme's typical pocketed and highly textured rock, follow the path of least resistance. Pass between a room (left) and a large staircased undercling flake (right). Make your way up and left. Build a gear anchor about 15m above the roof. Protection is scarce, but the climbing feels secure.

2. 5.7R 40m Follow more of the same, aiming to bypass the large roof by the left. A broken up section allows you through to a decent ledge with a large pine tree. Natural anchor.

3. 5.3R 30m Traverse right along a ledge, to a few easy moves to gain the Tree terrasse. Belay your second up, then move the anchor about 20m right, setting up to bypass the roof on the right. Alternatively, for P4, you can climb on the left of the roof, making a cool mantle move on the block creating a coffin-like cave (5.7x)

4. 5.6G 40m Climb straight through the roof crack exit (5.7, similar to "wet dream") or exit on good hold on the right. Follow the path of least resistances/cracks. Look out for the traverse on your left leading to the money pitch roof crack exit. Build a gear anchor somewhere near the traverse.

5. 5.8G 30m Traverse left, making exposed moves on good holds. Enjoy your time on these hero moves. If wet, you can either exit in the dirty dihedral just before the traverse (5.5) or use the "Soutien Gorge" exit, on the right.

Descent options

1. 40m rappel to the tree terrasse, then a 35m rappel trending right as much as possible to the start of the second pitch of "Soutien Gorge". Either walk/downclimb/5m rappel towards climber's right.

2. From the top, make your way to the Granuleuse bolted rappel anchors (not recommended on busy days).

3. Possible (?) to make it to the "Initiation" descent trail.

Note: For the first two options, using the "Tache Blanche" trail to return to the parking lot is much easier.

Protection

Standard rack up to BD#3

An excellent climb and a great introduction to the cliff. Comfortable bolted belays at each stage, and an easy rappel descent. Anchors were rebooted in 2023.

Start on a small bushy ledge below a gap in the tree ledge above, or friction up to this ledge (5.8+ unprotected slab moves, unless you grab some shrubbery.)

1. Climb slab through the gap in the trees, then up face with protection in many horizontal cracks to a bolted belay between two tree islands.

2. Continue up the face aiming towards a small ledge to the right of a larger tree island.

3. Climb down and right along the ledge for a few meters, then up over a steep section then diagonally up and leftwards towards a short headwall with a bolt in it. Pull over the headwall then step right to the anchors. Beware of rope drag.

4. From the anchor, go a bit up then left and around to avoid the steep sections. (Variant, go a bit right, then pull directly over on good holds (5.7).). Continue up slabs past a new glue in to finish at a bolted belay.

Goes up an obvious crack that starts in the slabs about 5m above the base.

1. 45m Climb slabs to crack, then belay on anchors in the trees.

2. 50m Traverse on dirt left from the anchor, then climb up towards a small tree, then angle up and right from there to a bolt. From the bolt climb the obvious thin crack (excellent thin crack and face climbing) that goes up and left until you reach a sloping ledge and bolted belay.

3. 55m Continue following the crack up and left until it reaches steeper ground below a tree island. Pull over this, then diagonal up and right a few meters below the trees to a bolted belay.

One of the most recent additions to the Dôme's sea of texture slab climbing.

1. 5.10a 50m: Start just to the right of "voie de rappel", climbing a strip of darker rock. Traditional protection placements can be found on either side of this strip until the crux moves which are well protected by 3 glue-in bolts. Bolted belay on the white rock about 5m right of the "voie de rappel".

2. 5.9PG/R 50m: Climb straight up, aiming for the 2nd belay of "Tâche blanche" immediately right from the huge flake that looks like a small roof. Use creative gear placements, small gear, and perhaps some tricams to surmount these thin flakes.

3. 5.8 30m: Walk left along the big bloc to find good holds allowing passage onto a ramp leading you back right towards an opening in the tree ledge above. Bolted belay 5m left of "Tâche blanche".

4. 5.7 65m: Climb the slab straight up until you reach the headwall, and pass it on great holds on the left. From the plateau above the headwall, follow the diagonal cracks up and left to reach the final bolted belay that is located as high as the rock extends.

Descent

1. Bushwhack your way to the hiking trail's end.

2. Rappel your last pitch, then straight down to the "voie de rappel". I've seen several parties with 60m ropes skip the large flake belay. Some have made it, others were a few meters short. Pray to the rope stretch diety.

.75 cam, or stick-clip, or guts to start.

Start over some blocky ledges to a pair of obvious parallel cracks that head up and left.

1. 5.6 40m. Climb blocky ledges to a lovely hand-crack and finger-crack. Follow these up and left to a treed ledge, traverse a few meters right on the ledge, then up a short face across two left-leaning cracks to a bolted anchor.

2. 5.7 40m. Climb the obvious left-leaning cracks and rough rock (dike intrusion) to a bolted anchor below a small roof.

3. 5.5 PG 40m. From the anchor, step left and around onto the face to climb similar rock to pitch 2, but not quite as steep. A bit more run-out in places.

Rappel down and slightly (climber's) left to a bolted anchor in the middle of the face. From there, again down and left to the anchor at the top of P1 of Voie de rappel.

Follow a thin crack up and left to a bolt, then continue up and left to the trees.

Starts right, heads left with several traverses to eventually finish on "Voie de Rappel".

This climb starts at the top of the bushes right of "Voie d'evitement".

1. 5.6 Follow the obvious left-leaning crack (parallel to "Voie d'evitement") to a bolted anchor.

2. 5.7 Keep following that crack through a few bulges to a bolted anchor.

3. 5.8 Climb up to a large tree then follow a right-leaning layback to a slab move. Then make your way to a tree through dirty rock and moss. There is no bolted anchor on this pitch.

Sidenote: The last pitch is not often climbed even though the first few moves are awesome. Making is through the choss and the trees is a pain.

Descent: Rappel down towards the start of "Voie d'evitement"

Scramble to the start of "Patinoire". From there, climb straight up and follow the bolts to the left to reach the first anchor of "Patinoire". Good luck!

Bolted but some might find it a little runout where good pro would go. Descend by rappeling down to first pitch of "voie d'évitemnent" then to the ground.

From the start of "Patinoire", climb up the first few bolts of "Crazy Carpet" then (where it veers left) you have to options:

1. 5.8 Keep climbing up the face to the tree ledge. I don't know how it protects.

2. 5.8 Traverse right to reach a crack system that regains the same ledge. Protects relatively well.

Descent: Rappel down the route on the trees.

The obvious crack in the area.

The obvious hand-crack in the sector, left of an obvious low dihedral.

2 long pitches of excellent 5.7 climbing, then a short, messy, 5.9 pitch to a bolted rappel anchor.

Climbing

1. 5.7 52m. Climb the steep start to the obvious hand crack. Follow this to a bolted belay below a vertical section. Constant at the grade, good rack management is critical.

2. 5.8 43m. Climb a tricky vertical section off the belay past a comfortable dirt ledge. From there, climb the face following discontinued cracks up and slightly left. You will find an old piton coupled with a slightly less old fixed nut. Either build a gear belay here or continue up the intimidating (but no harder than 5.8) roof, to a used-to-be-slung flake. Build a gear belay between the two rooves.

3. 5.9 15m. From the used-to-be-slung flake, climb straight up to a ledge with an unstable boulder to your right. Make a few balance face moves (PG) following the right side of the arete marking the dihedral before the second roof. Traverse left above the corner to an airy, finish over the second roof leading to a bolted anchor.

It might be possible to climb the corner (minimal protection, its left side, or to avoid the roof altogether by going around to the right at the boulder. (Update required)

Originally, P1 was climbed to the dirt ledge, P2 and P3 were climbed as one pitch using careful rope drag management.

Descent

Two 60m+ ropes are required.

1. Rappel from the fixed anchor straight down to the dirt ledge. Pull your ropes. A bolted rappel station here would help reduce traffic on busy days, as well as make the descent safer.

2. Walk across the dirt ledge (exposed near the end) to gain slung trees ~5m above the first bolted anchor. Inspect the material

3. 70m ropes: Rappel straight to the ground

60m ropes: Also probably possible to rappel to the ground but available information proposes to do a short rappel to the bolted anchor, followed by a full-length rappel to the ground. (Please update)

1. 35m 2. 54m 3. 45m

1. 35m, shared with Choupette. 2. 54m the crack on the right. 3. 45m.

Slightly harder first move leading to a decently protected low angle crack.

1. 15m 2. 50m.

Large dihedral.

With an extension above the anchors: 5.11C 30m.

Also climbed in the 80s on top-rope.

Same anchor as "Vie avenir".