Bouldering

The Pays des Écrins is the ultimate mountain territory and certainly an ideal site for climbing. Bouldering is very popular among climbers, who come from all over the world to explore France’s 2nd spot in Ailefroide.

What is bouldering?

Bouldering is a very popular activity in the Pays des Écrins. This activity consists in climbing a rock or ‘boulder’ without a rope.

Generally speaking, these rocks are no higher than 5 metres. As the climbers have no harness or rope, a mat is placed on the ground for them to land on.

This kind of climbing is very technical, it requires experience on the rocks that are the most difficult to climb and a precise prior recce. However, there are rocks that are accessible to beginners who want to try this new experience.

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Bouldering in the Pays des Écrins

Ailefroide, France’s 2nd climbing spot, is renowned for its long routes and cliffs, but also for its bouldering site. Many climbers come each summer for the privilege of climbing on the site’s mythical rocks.

There are other bouldering sites across the area such as the Tournoux site in Puy Saint Vincent that provides an amazing view of the summits of the Écrins massif.

Professionals to accompany you

Professionals in the Pays des Écrins will supervise you and instil their valuable advice to gain bouldering techniques. You will also find all the equipment you need in the Pays des Écrins sports shops. To enjoy climbing, you can choose to either buy or rent the necessary equipment.

An international event dedicated to the sport

Tout à Blocs, an international competition, is organised each year by the FACE Club in l’Argentière-la-Bessée. Each year, it welcomes the best bouldering athletes.

It is an event that is not to be missed. It assembled close to a thousand people at the last finals evening.

The atmosphere is always friendly and combines sporting feats and exchanges where enthusiastic spectators and athletes gather at the Place du Quartz in the last week of July.