Gros Roucas climbing

Crag: Gros Roucas, Chateaudouble, Provence
Routes: Histoire Sans Fin (f5+,5+:led p.2), Peu d'Elephant p.1 (f5:led), Botanicus (f5+:sec), Variante (f4+:sec), Ciel Sauvage p.1 (f5:sec)
This was a late start by our standards, not leaving Esterel until 9am after a rare croissant and coffee breakfast on the terrace. As we were both somewhat fatigued after yesterday, it seemed like a logical choice to go back to Chateaudouble, and specifically the crag we'd bushwacked into, then been rained off, on Sunday. The routes are all two pitch affairs, but are relatively gentle, and the guidebook descriptions sounded superb. We arrived at the crag after a steep walk-in, to find the anticipated ultra-tranquil ambience. Nobody was around, despite the bank holiday, and we climbed all day to the rush of the river far below. Vic led the first pitch of Histoire Sans Fin, a local classic at around HVS/5+. This opening pitch was very good, and an ideal start up an elegant, simple slab of hard, grey limestone to a tricky crux move into the obvious groove. However, it was merely the aperitif for the stupendous second pitch. Good fortune gave me the lead, and the ground dropped away immediately as I left the small belay on sharp holds. The route moves gradually left round a blunt rib to make its way up a central tower. The climbing is out of this world, just perfect in terms of position and moves. The wall is steepish, but the rock is stupendous rough grey limestone, sculpted into wonderful sharp pockets and incut holds. It steepens to a short crux up a wide groove just before the top. This pitch is given four stars and a very enthusiastic description in the local guidebook! I wouldn't begrudge a single one of them, as it was up there with the best pitches I've ever done. Vic had belayed me on his grigri, so couldn't ab off. We initially tried to walk down, inevitably flailing through awful impenetrable maquis within minutes. So after hacking around and shedding yet more blood, tearing yet more clothing, we made our way back to the top chain and abbed off to the middle belay, hauling my belay plate back each time. After pissaladiere and a 2 kilo slice of quiche, Vic doubted my ability to get off the ground on the next route, but fortunately the initial slab of Peu d'Elephant was gentle. It was also extraordinarily rough limestone, giving the impression of an elephant's hide, and felt rather like pulling up shards of glass. It led to the central ledge. Vic then embarked on the big lead of Botanicus, a 36m sustained pitch up the all-too-obvious chimney/groove in the centre of the crag. My quiche didn't affect me too much for the steep initial groove, which overhangs gently for 5m or so, until the route moves more easily right into the main giant groove. I took the left wall of the groove, which was either a cop-out or an elegant solution, depending on your perspective. It gave fine climbing, though, on small positive holds, up to the very steep crux sequence at the top. I probably took this a little too far left, but it gave a pulsating few minutes work: generally good side pulls and wide bridging to the chains. A sustained route at around UK E1. Got down on the stretch of the rope, then did another slabby variant with rope above, before leading the initial pitch of Ciel Sauvage and going some way up the steeper second. Again, this was all on painfully sharp, rough limestone, and it was with some relief for my fingertips that we called it a day.