Rock climbing at Bavella and Southern Corsica
Bavella multi-pitch adventurous rock climbing
The rock climbing in Southern Corsica is dominated by Bavella, a spectacular granite mountain range with steep summits. Though it is only 15km from the coast, this mountain massif reaches a height of almost 2,000m. The climbing at Bavella is all about adventurous multi-pitch big wall routes between 150m and 350m long, though there are some single pitch sport routes as well. Bavella comprises of a series of granite towers and needles, such as Tafunatu di Paliri and Punta di l’ Acellu, all of which are located around the Col de Bavella.
Map of the rock climbing and bouldering areas around Bavella and in Southern Corsica
| No | Crag | Rock Type | Climbing Style |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Col de la Tana | Granite | Sport Climbing |
| 2 | Maca Croci | Granite | Sport Climbing |
| 3 | Valdu di Saltu | Granite | Bouldering |
| 4 | Petra piomba | Granite | Sport Climbing |
| 5 | Zicavu | Granite | Sport Climbing |
| 6 | Chisa | Granite | Sport Climbing |
| 7 | Sari | Limestone | Sport Climbing |
| 8 | Conca | Limestone | Sport Climbing |
| 9 | Le Barring | Granite | Sport Climbing |
| 10 | A Vacca | Granite | Sport Climbing |
| 11 | Bavella | Granite | Multi-Pitch |
| 12 | Piscia di Ghjaddu | Granite | Sport Climbing |
| 13 | Capineru | Granite | Bouldering |
| 14 | Punta di tichjonu | Granite | Sport Climbing |
| 15 | Usciolu | Granite | Bouldering |
| 16 | Palombaggie | Granite | Bouldering |
| 17 | 3 Caves | Granite | Sport Climbing |
| 18 | A Tyroliana | Granite | Sport Climbing |
Even the approaches to the multi-pitch routes at Bavella are often adventurous and complicated. This is due to a Mediterranean shrub called Maquis that grows wild and can hide paths, making a 1-hour approach into an all-day epic at worst. The rewards for all this effort are superb granite walls in a remote location. Adventure is the key word for rock climbing at Bavella even though some routes have been recently re-bolted. These multi-pitch routes are mainly mixed routes with spaced bolts along with the need for trad gear, plus there are some routes that are purely trad.
The Bavella rock climbing guidebook describes 150 multi-pitch rock climbing routes in Bavella, with the emphasis on adventure climbing that is the norm in Bavella. The Falaises de Corse guidebook details all the sport climbing on the island of Corsica, and covers the single pitch and double pitch routes at Bavell. It also covers the bouldering at Valdu di Saltu.
Southern Corsica sport climbing and bouldering
There are many other climbing areas and bouldering areas in Southern Corsica as shown on the above map. These are on a mixture of limestone and granite rock, and almost exclusively single pitch routes. Some of the larger crags are Maca Croci, Petra Piomba, and 3 Caves. The Falaises de Corse guidebook covers the sport climbing routes at all of these crags.
All the bouldering in Southern Corsica is on granite rock. This varies between locations in the mountains at places such as Bavella, in beautiful woods at Valdu di Saltu, or by the sea at Capineru and Palombaggie. Valdu di Saltu is the largest bouldering area in Southern Corsica with over 300 problems of all styles on abrasive granite rock, and is covered in the Falaises de Corse guidebook.
Logistics and beta for rock climbing in southern Corsica
The best time to climb at Bavella is either late spring or early autumn. The climate is a typical Mediterranean environment with hot summers and snow in the winter. The other areas in Southern Corsica that are at lower levels can be climbed from the autumn through to the spring.
The best International Airport for southern Corsica is the Aiacciu (Ajaccio) Napoleon Bonaparte Airport located in Western Corsica.