Chateaudouble climbing

Crag: Les Marinouns, Chateaudouble, Provence
Routes: Un Point de Vie (f4+,f5+:led p.1), Le Bonheur est aux Marinouns (f4+:sec), Le Kinous de Nous (f4:sec), Ote Zoriel? (f4:sec), Le Moucat a perdu (f4:sec), Abraracourcix p.1 (f5+:led), Le Mage a Dit (f5:led), La Moucat (f4+:sec),Douce France! (F5+:sec), L'Echelle au Pepe (f5:led), Lumiere de Noel p.1 (f5+:sec)
The first day of our five-day Provencal climbing trip, the third year in succession we have made a May visit. This year, the intention was to broaden our horizons, to embrace some long drives and visit new crags. Chateaudouble was the obvious starting point, only an hour's drive from Esterel and in a tranquil and beautiful valley that I already knew from trips to the Verdon. Numerous crags are scattered around the gorge, presenting us with a difficult choice, although Les Marinouns seemed most likely to offer the high quality yet modestly graded routes we were after. Steep limestone was likely to characterise the trip, and I knew that (given the strenuous reality of this kind of climbing) I didn't have enough recent climbing mileage to climb anything remotely demanding. The crag was tricky to locate, and it felt like we were miles from anywhere, with the crag to ourselves, as we climbed the first few warm up pitches on the slab below the obvious groove line of Point de Vie. These were all simple and delightful: the crag was sun-drenched, the scent of the maquis was powerful, the road far below closed so birdsong the only sound. Classic haute Provence ambience. After pissaladiere for an appropriately regional lunch, I led up the first section of Abraracourcix, which had a few technical, steep moves up a pillar on small edges (UK 5b), before Vic led the big groove line upper pitch of Un Point de Vie (I'd already led the delicate first pitch up a vague groove). The top groove is a great, strong VS line: some vegetation but a perfect introduction to the superb hard grey limestone that characterises the crag. Good jugs up the groove to moves left onto a small headwall in a really good position. This gains the big cave obvious from below. At least 50-60m up, so we abbed down, before moving left to the Mage a Dit section. I led this route, which climbs a very pleasant rib just left of a deep corner. Lovely climbing again, on superb rough rock: given 3 stars in the guide although 2 is perhaps appropriate. The line to the left, La Moucat, starts steeply up a corner before easing off to more slabby rib climbing. Vic then led Douce France, a really splendid climb further right. It looks undistinguished from below, but actually provides a wonderful very long (35m+) and sustained pitch at 5+. It goes straight up the face, through three bulges, all on immaculate grey pocketed limestone. Never too hard, but continually absorbing. We were beginning to dehydrate in the very warm sunshine, but were eager to finish on the main section of cliff further right. I fancied the obvious huge flake taken by L'Echelle au Pepe, and was not disappointed. Yet another three star classic (the 4th of the day). It goes easily to an undercut flake. Quite powerful, excellent moves along this gain the main flake line. This then gives quite superb climbing: a mixture of bridging and big juggy face holds. Never remotely difficult, but classic stuff throughout. The corner continues for at least 20 more metres giving another huge pitch. Vic finished a great opening day with the first pitch of Lumiere de Noel, which takes the opposing corner groove to the previous route via some delicate bridging, an arm jam, and a steep but juggy corner. Fabulous views down the valley, with the village of Chateaudouble perched above the steep gorge. A superb venue and a great start to the trip.