Le Pilier Gris, D (180m) – La Croix de Toulouse

To take advantage of the slight dip in the temperatures, we were up and out early to try a climb about the town of Briancon. I’d heard about the Pilier Gris for a while and had previously decided that it would be too hot/busy to climb at this time of year, but with a cooler morning forecast, if we were quick, we hoped to get up and down before the sun blasted it too much. The view from the base of the cliffs over the old town and fortress was worth the early alarm call and steep hike to it’s base.

Trying to find the start of a climb at the base of a big and complex cliff can be quite tricky, but at least we had the reassurance that we were setting off up the correct section thanks to this little plaque.

The climb was great, but not as well equipped as we’d anticipated. There were long run-outs between some of the bolts and several of the belays had only one bolt, so required additional cams (which we were not carrying!). All of this helped to keep us extra focused as we gained height.

Our new guidebook also forgot to mention that there was an ‘aid move’ on one of the pitches, where we had to stand in a sling to gain a high handhold over the top of a slight overhang – exciting stuff 100m off the ground!

The climbing was good, but gave the impression that the route isn’t climbed much these days. On the plus side, we had the place to ourselves! And moved well enough to be near the top when the sun came around.

At the top of the pillar we had ‘elevenses’ to re-stock on energy for the descent and enjoy the views.

From the top of the pillar, you have to make a small ‘stride’ back onto the mainland – easy to do if you’re on the ground, but a little more exciting when there’s a huge drop below!

We both made it across the gap without drama, then followed a small trail up into the woods. From here the guide said to walk back down the nearby gully, but half way down we came across a steep drop. It looked like the winter had moved a lot of debris, and we weren’t the first to encounter this predicament – a tree had an abseil station set up, so we got the ropes back out and slide down them to easier ground, then picked our way slowly through the loose scree to get back to the bags.

We arrived back at the car in town a bit of a sweaty and dusty mess! Looking up at the cliffs, we were both glad to be down and glad we’d set out early.

A quick change of clothes, some water guzzled, and we were ready to go and be tourists in the Briancon old town like it was a new day!

The old town is crammed into a walled fortress, with tiny shady streets, plenty of cafes, shops and an impressive church. We had a look about and got ice creams to celebrate the ascent of Pilier Gris…