If Fontainebleau is boulder heaven, then the Calanques must be a rope climber’s paradise. A ribbon of grippy white limestone fjords sit between Marseille and Cassis inside of a designated national park, and climbers have worked these walls for more than a century. It’s not hard to imagine why.
The rock is grippy and the ridgelines take you over open water. Walls start from a beach you shared with kayakers and grades go from friendly to filthy. Every calanque is a postcard: crystal clear turqouise water wherever you turn, and France’s best oysters and wines at the end of a long day.
A park first, a crag second
The Calanques became a national park in 2012, and from June through September there is a daily fire risk that needs to be assessed. In recent years, the entire months of July or August have seen the massifs closed; check the park's official website before committing to a long weekend of climbing. A few sectors permanently close for nesting birds and/or unstable rock. Fall and late spring are the climbing seasons here, while summer mostly belongs to the beach crowd.
Cassis after a long day
Very few climbing destinations across the world can match the vibes of Cassis. Twenty minutes after coiling the rope you are in the harbour with a glass of white wine, looking across the bay at Cap Canaille glowing red and pink in the evening. The town is small, but has all the necessities, and if your tired forearms can manage, there are Camargues to shuck.
If you need a rest day or two, kayaks, paddle boards, and small motor boats are all easily rentable from the harbour. Calm water and
Originally published at jadepeak.com.