Toulon rock climbing
Toulon is surrounded by a series of rugged hills up to 600m high that include Mount Faron and Mount Coudon. In these limestone hills are a large number of crags that provide mainly single pitch sport routes, though there are a number of multi-pitch routes as well. These routes offer the full range of grades from F2’s to F8’s and are generally well bolted.
Map of the rock climbing areas around Toulon
| Crag no | Area | Max Height of routes | Rock Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Baou de 4 Ouro | 90m | Limestone |
| 2 | Destel | 169m | Limestone |
| 3 | Faron Citernes | 35m | Limestone |
| 4 | Faron Telepherique | 40m | Limestone |
| 5 | Faron Lierres | 52m | Limestone |
| 6 | Faron Nord | 80m | Limestone |
| 7 | Cimai | 85m | Limestone |
| 8 | Coudon Sud | 90m | Limestone |
| 9 | Coudon Nord/Est | 33m | Limestone |
| 10 | Croupatier | 38m | Limestone |
| 11 | La Touravelle | 35m | Limestone |
| 12 | Gros Cerveau | 40m | Limestone |
| 13 | Tourris | 30m | Limestone |
| 14 | Ragas | 30m | Limestone |
| 15 | Barre de la Jaume | 36m | Limestone |
The vast majority of the crags face south making the Toulon area a great winter sun rock climbing destination. Many of the single pitch routes are between 30 and 35m long, so a 70m rope is essential. There are even some routes up to 40m long, meaning either twin ropes or a 80m long rope is required. In total there are 15 independent crags with Baou de Quatre Ouro, Faron Citerne, and Faron Telepherique being very popular. To the east of Toulon near the town of Hyeres is the crag of Fenouillet. Here there are 3 distinctive towers of gneiss rock that offer a number of single pitch sport routes.
Toulon has its own airport that is located to the east of the city, though flying into Nice or Marseille are also a good options.