Pic du Perthus climbs

Crag: Pic du Perthus, Esterel, France
Routes: La Directe (f6a+,f5c+:led p.1), Y'a Pas de Lezard (f6a:led), Gaston Rebiffe-Toi! p.1 (f5c:led), La Chevauchee des Vaches Qui Rient (F6a:sec), Plus Beau Que Moi Tu Meurs (f6a:led), Les Dents Longues (f6b:sec)
This is something of a fantasy crag for me. My third visit, and its advantages become more apparent with each trip: the grades are perfect (almost everything is in the f5c-f6b/HVS-E2 range), the rock is superb, the position and ambiance wonderful. It feels isolated and remote, yet it is only 35 minutes or so from the Col de Mistral, and only a few miles from the crowded coast (and the caravan!). High cloud as we approached, but nothing too threatening. As ever, we had the entire crag and valley to ourselves. As we geared up, Vic realised he'd left his rock shoes at Dramont yesterday! Nothing for it but to share mine, and lower them down to each other. I began ambitiously, leading the 6a+ opening pitch of La Directe. This goes easily to a steep, smooth bulge, which I initially took too far right and was forced to retreat (very brief rest). I then solved the problem, with a high reach for a little flake edge, before transferring feet onto a small foothold and going for a high jug above the bulge. Good climbing on pockets gained a belay ledge (and sunshine) before Vic led the sustained second pitch up a very steep crack right up the centre of the face. This led to a great move round an arete in a superb position to an easier finishing wall further left. A very good climb. We descended through appalling vegetation to the superlative west facing pillar at the extreme left of the face. This is taken by Y'a Pas de Lezard, which gives a stunning pitch of real quality. An easy wall leads to the main face, which gets progressively steeper and contains three distinct cruxes. It is never desperate or particularly technical, but is sustained at f6a throughout. Some superb pockets, characteristic of the crag, allow a steep crack to be gained. Brilliant climbing up this to a final move over a bulge: an outstanding 30m pitch. I then led the first long pitch of Gaston Rebiffe-toi, an old classic of the crag (just left of the Directe) with its crux low down: steep wall, small holds. This gains an easier but excellent pillar which curves round to the right to gain huge pockets and superb rock, and continues to traverse to the belay ledge. Vic followed up with a lead of La Chevauchee, much further right, which gave yet another excellent long pitch - perhaps 35m. It goes up a steep pillar to gain superb rough pockets before a hard crux move up a steep wall on very small holds. I went too far left up a lichen-covered groove and ended up making a hash of the crux - annoying as I'd done everything else so cleanly and quickly. The route kept coming above, with a superbly delicate and technical slab. A tremendously varied route, sustained at 6a through very different styles of climbing. We were tiring now, and almost called it a day. But I got a second wind, and we scrambled up to the smaller slab which sits above the descent gully. I've done all the routes here save one, so led that today. I was delighted to find that Plus Beau... gave yet another perfect pitch at 6a. Much more technical and slabby than the main face, but similar to the other routes on this slab. Bolts rather spaced, so it felt precarious as I balanced up small pockets to the first clip. Above this lay wonderful climbing up little pockets - the delicacy and precision welcome after a strenuous day. It started to rain as I began Les Dentes Longues (last climbed in 1994!), which gives another deliciously technical pitch on small pockets. A particularly hard start, which was rapidly getting wet, gives access to more pocketed pleasure. It poured down as we left, exactly as it did at this crag last year: perfect timing!