Chateauvert climbing

Crag: Chateauvert, Provence
Routes: Lycopodium (f4+:led), Le Diktaton (f4+:sec), Les Odeurs du Charme (f5+:sec), Are you Radin? (f5:led), La Flemme Fatale (f5+:sec), Technogene (f5+:led), Grosse et Caille (f5:led), Desire de Velours (f5+:sec), Aladdin (f4+:led), Alex (f5:sec)
A strong mistral blew today, giving perfect clarity of light but also forcing us towards more sheltered venues. I wanted to sample Chateauvert anyway, and it fitted the bill as a wonderful collection of crags in a secluded, wooded valley that is only a tad more than an hour away from Esterel. However, I hadn't quite realised how good it was - with fabulous climbing at every grade - and, as an obvious result, how wildly popular on the easier routes. A two minute walk-in adds to the attractions for families, youth groups, and all manner of leisure climbers. We started in the Technogene area, with Lycopodium a tremendous start. Steep moves on huge holds led to a fantastic flake, then wonderful easy climbing up the face on stupendously good, rough limestone (the best yet). Enormous juggy pockets characterise the upper wall here. A great route, as was La Diktaton which gives more brilliant jug-pulling up the face to the right. We moved left onto the ledge that gives access to a range of steeper routes up an obvious pillar. All the routes here are of superb quality: 25m pitches giving absorbing climbing on sharp pockets. After a 5c+ up the left side, I led Are you Radin, which is something a little different as it takes a steep, deep cleft/gully left of the pillar. It reminded me a little of Profit au Tyrol on Perthus. Steep easy bridging builds to a very steep climax with long reaches to jugs. We then polished off the rest of the routes on the pillar: outstanding stuff with great moves. Flemme Fatale was perhaps the best, certainly the hardest, and depended on a reachy crux right at the top. Eventually, the classic arete of Technogene became available as the big groups went off for lunch, so I led it. This involves a rather fierce start up the slightly overhanging lower wall to gain easier but still interesting climbing up the arete in a great position. Exhilarating in the bright sunshine and strong mistral wind. Lunch at the car beckoned, before we headed up to the Alex area for more great routes. I led Grosse et Caille up a fine flake and wall, wonderful throughout, while Vic led the superb Desire de Velours (sharp crimps, steep walls) as well as the easier classic Alex, which takes a fine groove before heading off up the steep headwall. Superb stuff, with ten routes dispatched - eight of which were three star classics. After four days of (literally) non-stop climbing, we were beginning to tire a little, so headed for home earlier than usual and even had time for a swift half at the bar later.