Climbing in Presles

Text and pictures © 2007-2010 Guillaume Dargaud
Last updated on 2009/01/19

"We decided to finish the route so we would never be tempted to come back."    — Brad Brandewie before a big fall.

Climbing in Presles

Left: A view on the main cliff of Presles.

Right: Jenny up on Topomaniak, one of the most classic route.

Although there's rock around the entire plateau for hundreds of kms, not much of it gets climbed regularly for the usual reasons: long approaches and plenty of poor rock. But fear not, there's room for some gems like Presles which has long been considered the 2nd best cliff in France for long routes after the Verdon.

Left: Routefinding on Topomaniak.

The politics of Presles

Left: Coming up on Topomaniak.

Right: Vertical panorama of 'Le temps des Guenilles' done in HDR.

When I first came to Presles about 20 years ago I heard that there were access problems. Well there still is and it tends to worsen. There are many site which describe the issues but they are in french. I'll describe here the 2008 situation as I understand it for foreign climbers who want to come to Presles for a climbing vacation:

• The main part of the cliff (routes 1 to 60 in the Promo-Grimpe guidebook, that is to say all the most classic routes) are on private property, as well as their access and their walk off. It belongs to a single family.
• In France a law states the 'right to trespass' (droit de passage) to it's perfectly fine to walk across somebody else's property. As if climbing is equivalent to walking is left as an exercise to the lawyers. Indeed there is a GR (Grande Randonnée official trekking trail) which is the base to the approach to the cliffs.
• The next big part of the cliff used to belong to another family (in a house on top where you park for the rappel approaches) and the 1st family had long wanted to purchase their property. According to french law they were prioritary in case in ever came on sale.
• Somebody else rented the house on top and as such became prioritary for purchase. He then purchased the property, pissing off 1st family big time in the process as they were hoping to become sole owner of the whole cliff. He also happens to be a climbing guide...
• Things get interesting at this point: a member of 1st family got elected mayor of Presles (the village, not the cliff), and as such began to issue parking bans and access bans with threatening signs.
• A petition was signed by 6 thousand people in its 1st month and ended up on the desk of the prefect who got pretty pissed off at the use of a public position for the personal gain. So they were basically told to shut the fuck up. (Go sign it).

Left: This video shows the steep exit to a steep pitch, still on 'Le temps des Guenilles'.

So what does it all mean for climbers ? You can park on top of the cliff and use the GR for the approach. But then it's not clear whether you can climb or not. On any given WE you will find 30 parties who do, so that pretty much sums up the issue for us. Access from the Chorange cave or from the top is fine AFAIK. And don't let 3 inbreds ruin your vacation if you ever meet them.

Left: Summit of the route. You can either rappel down or take the trail along the clifftop back to the car.

Right: Sunset on some of the cliffs of Presles.

Right: Panoramic view from halfway up one of the climbing routes of Presles, with the Choranche lake and the other side of the valley across the cliff. . The famous Choranche cave is hidden at the base of the left wall. The highest ridge of the Vercors is visible in the background.

Left: Steep face climbing on 'Les cons qui s'adorent' (the self-loving assholes !)

Right: Flower covered ledge on 'Les cons qui s'adorent', Presles.

Right: Another italian team on the classic Topomaniak, parallel to our own route.

Left: Jenny on the hard 6c crux of Bamboustine Scatophage, a kind of edgy slab similar to what you can find in the Dolomites.

Right: Agostino on the 7a crux of Topomaniak.

Shortly after this picture I would take my longest fall ever, and on the easiest pitch of the route too. Featuring a 6a after several pitches of 6c and stiff 6b so I'm running up as it's the next to last pitch and I want out. Suddenly as I move my right hand up, the large hold in my left hand explodes into sand and I'm airborne. My last piece is a good 5m below and it's just a pathetic old weather-worn sling around a rock stuck in the crack. I barely have time for a brief piggy squeal, I bounce off the rock, keep going for seconds and stop. Jenny has moved several meters from her previously comfortable resting spot on the large ledge and I'm 15 meters below my last position, barely 5 meters off the deck. The sling has doubled in length and is completely flailed, with only a few threads remaining. My previous flight was 4 years ago in Yosemite, let's hope it won't turn into a habit...

Left: Winter climbing at Presles. Yes, in T-shirt.

Right: Interesting route in Presles where a section goes in a cave, this way two routes overlap each others without sharing a single bolt !

Left: Agostino on some wicked crux in Presles.

As it happens, the next week I would take another whipper just as long in Devoluy, but this time at least it would be on a good bolt.

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