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Palavar Area Rock Climbing

Climbing Area Map

Routes in Palavar Area

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Serfouette Express S 5.10a/b 6a+ 19 VI+ 19 E2 5b

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Elevation:	5,833 ft	1,778 m
GPS:	44.88539, 6.43886 Google Map · Climbing Area Map
Page Views:	244 total · 12/month
Shared By:	MattH on Jun 23, 2023
Admins:	David Riley, Luc-514 Page Updates (admin only)

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Description

Sunniest cliffs in Ailefroide? Even if it poured yesterday, expect dry rock, but expect summer heat as well. Large slab with many well-bolted, popular routes from 150m up to 350+m. The Minus Palavar feature (a 500' tall triangle of rock extending out of the higher Palavar sector) is dominated by the big yellow/white/black roof visible from the dead-end parking lot.

Expect all rap descents to require double ropes (>40m between stations).

Getting There

Drive past the campground and snack bar and turn left at the fork in the road (just before the river crossing). Drive to the end of the road, forking right at the climber's campground to the dead-end parking lot at the approach trail. From the parking lot, the trail heads back and a bit left before a climber's trail cuts right up the slope following cairns up switchbacks and occasional talus.

Alternatively, especially for the routes on the 'Minus Palavar' section (the steeper, shorter rock sitting in front of the Palavar sector ), an easier and possibly shorter approach can be had by either parking at the few spaces near the entrance to climber campground (~1/8 mi back from the dead-end at the parking lot) or back at the lot at the fork in the road, and then heading to the the trail that starts from a wide opening between the two.

Both paths are well-marked with cairns. It's about a 600 foot elevation gain approach so expect around 20 min approach/descent times, not the guidebook 5 mins.