Climbs 292
Rocktype Limestone
Altitude 268m a.s.l
Faces all
Craig Entwistle on 33 Huit (6b+) Venasque © Adrian Berry
Crag features
Venasque has a concentration of very high quality routes with very short approaches.
There are many different sectors which are included as buttresses with the correct locations marked, although full details of the routes aren't known.
The routes vary from those which are technical, vertical and festooned with slopers to jaw-droppingly steep walls with long sustained climbs. This is generally a shady spot but you can get some sun if you get there early enough in the day.
There are many more crags than described here, though a lot of the crags at Venasque are on private land and remain undeveloped. For three other developed areas, you may be able to acquire the local topo at the tourist information office in the town of Venasque, but this is closed off-season.
Quinsan gets some sun in the morning but is in the shade otherwise. In hot weather the shade will be welcome, but in the winter it will probably be too cold for comfort. Place de l'Ascle is a lot sunnier than Quinsan, though much of it falls into the shade in the afternoon. The starts of the routes are heavily sheltered by trees so whatever time of day you will probably have a shady belay spot.
Approach notes
From either Venasque or the D4, follow the D247 south in the direction of Le Beaucet. A number of crags can be seen on the right. After about 1km, just beyond a bend, an unsigned minor road leads off to the left.
Quinsan - take this turning and follow the road until a small parking area is found on the left. The path leads up opposite and splits at a bolted-on wooden sign allowing direct access to the left or right ends of the crag.
Place de l'Ascle - continue driving to where a track leads off to the right just before the road meets the cliff. It is very easy to miss this turning, so slow right down when you see the road getting close to the rock.
| Great looking crag and far more extensive than Rockfax covers (there are some very impressive barrel esque walls visible through the tree line as you drive in.
Note that at least a section of Place d'ascle is currently bird banned (some lines left of Misanthropies Therapeautiques have red and white tape on them) and a sign says no climbing in this sector - unclear if it means the whole sector or just the taped routes.
Note also that is was very buggy when we visited, so much so that we didn't climb as belaying would have been a form of torture. Maybe we came too early in the season, but its worth bringing some insect repellant. olliee - 27/Sep/23 |
|
| Great looking crag and far more extensive than Rockfax covers (there are some very impressive barrel esque walls visible through the tree line as you drive in.
Note that at least a section of Place d'ascle is currently bird banned (some lines left of Misanthropies Therapeautiques have red and white tape on them) and a sign says no climbing in this sector - unclear if it means the whole sector or just the taped routes.
Note also that is was very buggy when we visited, so much so that we didn't climb as belaying would have been a form of torture. Maybe we came too early in the season, but its worth bringing some insect repellant. olliee - 27/Sep/23 |
|
| Amazing looking crag and the area is far more extensive than covered in rockfax, with some impressive looking barrel walls seen further along the cliff line.
Unfortunately at the moment part of the Place d'Ascle crag is bird banned (several bolt lines left of Misanthropies Therapeautique have red and white tape on them) and there is a sign telling you not to climb in this sector - unclear if it means all routes or just the taped routes.
Secondly, it was incredibly buggy, and very bad inside the tree line - there are a few pools of stagnant water around very close to the cliff base. We didn't even climb due to the number of bugs as belaying would have been torturous. Not sure if we were too early in the season but its a good idea to pack some repellent!! olliee - 27/Sep/23 |
Climbs at this crag
| Name | Grade | Stars | Type | Logs | Partner Ascents |
|---|
These climbs you have climbed by seconding or top-roping.
These climbs you have Dogged.
These climbs you Did not Finish.
Climbs are waiting to be checked by a crag moderator, and may not be accurate. Climbs can't be verified by a crag moderator, and they need more information to confirm it. Climbs are no longer climbable.
Moderators Updates to this page are checked by UKC volunteers RD and Ed Bright