Haute Provence – Orpierre

Climbing In Orpierre

The Haute Provence has some of the best concentration of high quality crags that France has to offer, such as Boux, Ceuse, Verdon & Orpierre. With both single and multi-pitch sport climbing, year round climbing and some of the best sport climbing crags in France, the Haute Provence is a fantastic destination for any climber.

With 9 different sectors and over 300 routes, Orpierre is an area that will always offer you something new as it would be impossible to do everything in just one trip. Projects and goals for climbers can be set here and with sunshine for around 300 days of the year, you are almost guaranteed to catch some rays.

The charming medieval village with its winding streets and characteristic houses is one of France’s best known and most popular climbing areas and has attracted large numbers of climbers from all over Europe for the past 20 years. Situated in the foothills of the Southern Alps, the town benefits from a strange mix of Alpine and Mediterranean influences, both climatic and cultural.

Orpierre has a lot to offer with varied climbing from easy slabs to hard overhangs, grades from 4 to 8c, and routes from 10 to 180 metres long. The climbing surrounds the town with no sector more than a 25 minute walk from either of the 3 main parking areas. 

Your Instructor

Your instructor for this Sport Climbing Holiday in Orpierre is Jude Spancken. Jude is passionate about rock climbing and equally enjoys sharing her experience and knowledge through teaching. Jude did her rock guiding education in France, and holds the French ‘BEES Escalade’ qualification.

Watch Jude climb Lord of the Flies (E6 6A).

Accommodation

You will be staying in a self-catering holiday home. The gite is situated near the medieval village of Orpierre, and is only a short drive away from many different climbing areas. You will receive more information on the accommodation after booking your climbing holiday.

Flights & Transfers

Fly into Marseille Airport, France.

We offer one free transfer to your accommodation on arrival day and one free transfer to Marseille Airport on departure day (conditions apply). Please contact us for more information.

The transfer time from Marseille to Orpierre is approximately 2 hours.

Type Of Climbing

• Over 2000 routes in Haute Provence
• Over 300 routes in Orpierre
• Great for grade 4 and above
• Inland climbing
• Sport climbing
• Single pitch
• Multi-pitch available (only on a 1:2 ratio)

Holiday Content

• Maximum ratio is 1:6
• Toprope and Lead Belaying
• Clipping Practice
• Rope Awareness
• Threading Anchors
• How to Climb Efficiently
• Improve your Climbing Technique
• Great climbing in a fun, social environment

For this rock climbing holiday we recommend that you have your own:

Harness
Helmet
Climbing Shoes

Dick's Climbing is a dedicated climbing shop that offers a large range of climbing equipment and shoes at good prices.