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France Guidebooks


International : Europe : France : 04 Northern Alps : Chamonix Mont Blanc : Midi - Tacul : Aiguille du Midi

cover of the digital guidebook Aiguille du Midi - South face - with permission from Tim Neil

Aiguille du Midi - South face - digital guidebook

Michel Piola / OmegaRoc / 2023

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The author, Michel Piola is one of the most prolific route setters and equippers in the Mont Blanc massif and has a profound knowledge of this iconic wall, having climbed each of its routes (and opened several of them).
His climbing guides are now considered reference works, praised for their precision. In the two folders covering Aiguille du Midi, Michel Piola enhances the level of information with extremely detailed diagrams, listing the in-situ gear and the gear to bring for each route.

International : Europe : France : 04 Northern Alps : Grenoble : Vercors : Presles

Cover of the digital guidebook ¨resles - Easy multi-pitch routes. With permission from VTNO

Presles - Easy multi-pitch routes

VTNO asociation / 2022

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This digital guidebook presents a selection of 30 of the easiest routes in Presles arranged by increasing difficulty.
The guidebook provide very precise information and the routes are drawn on ''zoomable'' photos.
It is available in the OmegaRoc climbing app.

International : Europe : France : 05 Southern Alps : Ceuse : Golots à gogo

Cover of the digital guidebook Escalade autour de Gap. With permission from Laurent Girousse

Escalade autour de Gap

Laurent Girousse / 2020

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Bilingual French/English

This digital guidebook is the electronic version of the hard copy guidebook of the same name.
You find it in the climbing app OmegaRoc
In addition to the Gap region, the guidebook covers the Dévoluy and the Champsaur massifs and, a little further north, the Valgaudemar massif and the Buëch valley. The guidebook presents more than twenty sport climbing sites, including the western part of Céüse*, the world famous sport crag , but also many multi-pitch routes generally fully bolted and at moderate level.

You can buy the whole guidebook or each crag individually.

International : Europe : France : .Snow, Ice and Mixed : Mont Blanc Range : Upper Vallée Blanche Basin

Chamonix - Rockfax

Charlie Boscoe with Jack Geldard

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Excellent guide book with great descriptions and images of routes.

International : Europe : France : 05 Southern Alps : Ceuse

cover of the digital guidebook Céüse 2023 with permission from Laurent Girousse

Céüse 2023 - Digital guidebook

Laurent Girousse / OmegaRoc / 2023

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This latest edition features all the routes on the cliff: 900 pitches spread across 37 sectors and sub-sectors. Each one is accompanied by a photo and route illustration.
Various approaches are described precisely and supported by panoramic photos.
The author of these guidebooks, Laurent Girousse, is one of the main bolters of the crags around Gap.

International : Europe : France : 04 Northern Alps : Dévoluy

Cover of the digital guidebook Escalade autour de Gap. With permission from Laurent Girousse

Escalade autour de Gap

Laurent Girousse / 2020

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Bilingual French/English

This digital guidebook is the electronic version of the hard copy guidebook of the same name.
You find it in the climbing app OmegaRoc
In addition to the Gap region, the guidebook covers the Dévoluy and the Champsaur massifs and, a little further north, the Valgaudemar massif and the Buëch valley. The guidebook presents more than twenty sport climbing sites, including the western part of Céüse*, the world famous sport crag , but also many multi-pitch routes generally fully bolted and at moderate level.

You can buy the whole guidebook or each crag individually.

International : Europe : France : 06 Provence : Ventavon

Cover of the digital guidebook Escalade autour de Gap. With permission from Laurent Girousse

Escalade autour de Gap

Laurent Girousse / 2020

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Bilingual French/English

This digital guidebook is the electronic version of the hard copy guidebook of the same name.
You find it in the climbing app OmegaRoc
In addition to the Gap region, the guidebook covers the Dévoluy and the Champsaur massifs and, a little further north, the Valgaudemar massif and the Buëch valley. The guidebook presents more than twenty sport climbing sites, including the western part of Céüse*, the world famous sport crag , but also many multi-pitch routes generally fully bolted and at moderate level.

You can buy the whole guidebook or each crag individually.

International : Europe : France : 05 Southern Alps : Saint Léger du Ventoux

Digital guidebook Saint-Léger-du-Ventoux

Climbing in the Toulourenc Valley

Pierre Duret and Vincent Cottalorda / CT FFME 84 / 2022

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This digital guidebook is the electronic version of the book "Escalade dans la vallée du Toulourenc".
It presents the crags of Saint-Léger-du-Ventoux and its surroundings. Routes are drawn on "zoomable" photos.
This guidebook has been produced by the main route bolters themselves and 100% of their profits are used to maintain the crags of the valley.

International : Europe : France : 07 Pyrenees : Chaos de Targasonne

Le Chaos de Targasonne

Fred Bertin / 2008

Highly recommended book. Many problems on MP named with numbers are reference this book.
Pros
-Great maps to navigate the complicated boulder field
-Comprehensive
-Well organized

Cons
-Awkward size
-No problem descriptions
-Minimum photos and no topos

International : Europe : France : 06 Provence : Sainte Victoire

100 plus belles grandes voies de Provence

100 plus belles grandes voies de Provence

Nicholas ARMSTRONG/Editions du Chemin des Cretes/2018

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The guide book describes a selection of 100 of the best multi pitch climbs in Provence, including routes from 4c to 7b french grades, entirely bolted or trad. The book explains the access, grades, orientation and photo topos for each routes.
Written in french

International : Europe : France : .Snow, Ice and Mixed : Mont Blanc Range

Mont-Blanc, Les plus belles courses: Rocher, neige, glace et mixte

Philippe Batoux

This large format book is destined to be as much of a classic as the original book by Gaston Rebuffat of a similar title.

The book is organized from easy to most difficult best routes in the range, with excellent color photos, route topos, recommended gear list and route descriptions. Some routes are the same as in the original Rebuffat route list, but many are new additions only recently accessible with modern ice climbing tools and techniques which were not available in the early seventies.

Snow, Ice and Mixed The guide to the Mont Blanc Range: Volumes I and II

Francois Damilano

This is the comprehensive guidebook to the range for all things snow, ice and mixed. It does not include any rock route information. Available in both French and English

International : Europe : France : Calanques

cover of the digital guidebook Climbing in the Calanques of marseille. With the permission from ''Les Grimpeurs association''

Climbing in the Calanques - Digital version

Les Grimpeurs / 2020

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This digital guidebook is the digital version of the hard copy book of the same name.

Climbing in the Calanques

Climbing in the Calanques

Les Grimpeurs / 2020

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This comprehensive guidebook presents all the routes (single pitches, multipitches, bolted or trad, aid climbing) in this amazing limestone mountain range touching the Mediterranean sea.The 616 pages present each crag with photo topos and all the information needed (heights, access, orientation, GPS position, gear).
At the moment the book is available on the internet from https://www.baechli-bergsport.ch/ or https://www.pizbube.ch/ or http://www.kletterfuehrer.net . It is also directly available in climbing stores in Marseille (Vieux Campeur) and bookshops in Cassis.
The Calanques climbing guidebook (new English version)

We spent so many years working on this collection of information, tracking the original routes… so many months climbing up the numerous trad or bolted routes… This guidebook is a large selection of climbing routes in the Calanques. It is the continuation of the previous guidebooks published by the CT13 FFME. We tried hard to meet several criteria: publish a guidebook in a single volume, provide a description of the Calanques that is as thorough as possible, meet climbers’ expectations and preferences, and arouse interest in all types of climbing. That is why we chose to present several new areas that were not described in previous guidebooks. This guidebook is not exhaustive when compared with a collection of 10 complete guidebooks that were published a while ago by Alexis Lucchesi. We cannot claim to be exhaustive because anyone can find traces of climbing or equipment on any cliff, even unexpected ones. Climbers are more modest than we can imagine, and some climbers who discover new routes do not feel the need to shout it from the rooftops! For the topographer, the collection and verification of information is a real vocation. We could never thank our twenty or so diligent collaborators enough. Some helped the editorial team, while others provided us with information, comments, criticism, pictures etc. During our research, we noticed that our work created many expectations but also, sometimes, concern.
Hopefully we managed to fulfil these expectations. Moreover we would like to reassure people concerned about the consequences of this guidebook on the affluence of tourists. Nowadays climbers can choose from a wide range of guidebooks about the Calanques, in French and various foreign languages. There are also many websites dedicated to climbing in the Calanques. This area has growing international reputation over the past decade. The creation of the Calanques National Park has also contributed to public awareness of this area. We would be honoured if this modest book could in some way influence the future of the Calanques. We also wondered whether there would be sufficient demand for a book, because social networks already provide access to detailed information about almost any climbing crag. We won’t solve the dispute between books and the internet here, but we think that both are complementary, and are not competitive. Moreover, a paper guidebook establishes an essential database that can be used by rescue teams in the case of an accident. Finally, libraries are the most reliable places to keep a record of this intangible climbing heritage. In conclusion, we would like to remind climbers that our sport is a marvellous natural activity, but it also involves risks and hazards that should not be underestimated. Each climber should be careful, respectful and use careful judgement in evaluating these risks while climbing. Only then can you fully enjoy all the wonderful moments spent between the sky and the earth or the sky and the sea.

France : Côte d’Azur

Chris Craggs / Rockfax / 2017 (second edition, first edition 2010)

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This book covers 10 different regions in Southern France, including Les Calanques. It's not comprehensive for any area, but it should offer a great introduction to the classics. It includes the most popular crags and calanques of Les Calanques region. The book includes a variety of difficulties and styles of climbing, from steep single pitch sport routes to full day adventure climbs.

100 plus belles grandes voies de Provence

100 plus belles grandes voies de Provence

Nicholas ARMSTRONG/Editions du Chemin des Cretes/2018

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The guide book describes a selection of 100 of the best multi pitch climbs in Provence, including routes from 4c to 7b french grades, entirely bolted or trad. The book explains the access, grades, orientation and photo topos for each routes.
Written in french

International : Europe : France : 09 Corsica

Sport climbing guidebook Falaises de Corse

Falaises de Corse - Sport climbing in Corsica

Bertrand Maurin and Thierry Souchard / Omegaroc / Edition 2022

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bilingual English/French
This climbing guidebook lists almost all the sport crags of Corsica. It presents 2700 routes spread over 87 sites, including 62 multi-pitch routes and 2 bouldering sites.
It provides all the necessary information: access, type of climbing, height of the routes etc. Most of the time, routes are drawn on pictures.
A digital version is available in the climbing app OmegaRoc (free for the owners of the hard copy book).

Cover of the guidebook Grandes Voies de Corse

Grandes Voies de Corse - Multi-pitch climbs in Corsica

Authors: Bertrand Maurin and Thierry Souchard / Publisher: Omegaroc / Edition 2021

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Bilingual English and French
This guidebook describes 110 routes of all levels, from pure trad to fully bolted and everything in between. They are scattered across all massifs in Corsica except Bavella, for which a specific topo guide has been created.
For each route there is all info needed: Road access, approach, gear etc.. and a precise route description pitch by pitch for trad routes. Routes are drawn on a photo of the rock face.

(Selected) Multi-pitch trad routes on Corsica

Bavella Corsica

Bertrand Maurin and Thierry Souchard with translations by Hilary Dyer/Omegaroc/2020

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A well done guide for the famous Bavella (granite) region of Corsica. In English and French. It's a best-of guide that presents details on 150 multi-pitch traditional routes up to 14 pitches long.

International : Europe : France : Gorge du Verdon

France : Côte d’Azur

Chris Craggs / Rockfax / 2017 (second edition, first edition 2010)

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This book covers 10 different regions in Southern France, including the Verdon Gorge. It's not comprehensive for any area, but it should offer a great introduction to the classics. It includes the most popular crags of the Verdon Gorge region. The book includes a variety of difficulties and styles of climbing, from steep single pitch sport routes to full day adventure climbs.

100 plus belles grandes voies de Provence

Nicholas ARMSTRONG/Editions du Chemin des Cretes/2018

Purchase this book

The guide book describes a selection of 100 of the best multi pitch climbs in Provence, including routes from 4c to 7b french grades, entirely bolted or trad. The book explains the access, grades, orientation and photo topos for each routes.
Written in french

International : Europe

Europe Sport Vertical

Europe - Sport Vertical

By David Atchison-Jones, Jingo Wobbly Publishing

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This is an overview book that sets out to list every single crag on the European continent a la Tim Toula's "Rock N' Road". Intended for a broad audience of various languages, the book uses an absurdly complex assortment of symbols & numbers to "describe" each crag without the use of text. The book is in full color, with plentiful glossy photos of various crags. This isn't a guidebook in the classic sense, but it can be a good way to learn about the locations & raw statistics of the multitude of little known crags in Europe. The book indicates number of routes, height of cliff, length of approach, sun exposure, and relative quality for more than 2600 sport, bouldering & alpine crags. The book also points you in the direction of the pertinent local guidebooks. Its a nice reference book, but probably not too useful once you're on the road. Set it on the coffee table or near your procelain throne for a few minutes of inspiration when the local weather is bad.

Rock Climbing Europe by Stewart Green

Rock Climbing Europe

Stewart Green, Falcon Guides

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Rock Climbing Europe is the perfect starting point for Americans on their way to Europe. The book is far from comprehensive, so ensure that your destination is included before laying out $40 or so. If your destination is included, expect explicit, robust, American-style route descriptions (a rarity in European guides) & photo-topos, all prefaced with a good deal of "Lonely Planet"-style traveler information. The book also follows the Falcon Guide system of providing tips on lodging/camping and where to find amenities in the local area. The book is encyclopedic is size, so you may want to xerox the key sections if you're going for a short trip.

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