Verdon: La Pâte Demande ED 330 m, 7a+ (6c)

This Good Friday we did the new-ish La Pâte Demande ED 330 m, 7a+ (6c). Highly recommended addition to the set of full length routes up Escales. Just one day of rest after La Fête des nerfs was definetly not enough for J., and she did not have the greatest of time up this. But I did. This route starts as El Topo, but traverse diagonally up right to join La Demande half-way up its fifth pitch up to the middle terrace, where it goes up on the aestetic pillar to the right of demand.

Maybe I was not sufficiently rested either as we found it a lot harder than it looked on paper (but that's Verdon for you, I guess). The first 3.5 pitches crosses what goes for 'bad rock' in Verdon, but what in most places is fair-to-good rock for alpine limestone climbing. The first three pitches are nothing to write home about: more cruxy than sustained, zig-zagging around to find easy sections on decent rock. The fourth pitch is surprisingly serious but really nice combination of overhanging jug race and super polished diagonal lime-stone jam crack. Pitch 7, 8, 10, 11 and 12 are all great on amazing rock, in a great position on the pillar right of La Demande.

Pitch 4, Quality climbing on steep rubble before joining La Demande

I think this route was destined to become a new 'mini classic', like e.g. Hellfest (but longer, better and harder imho). However after the 're-equippment' of La Demande (i.e. chopping of almost all fixed gear) this becomes less practical, as you need three-four cams in addition to the draws.

Less chossy rock, and sexy foot, on top of pitch 9

La pâte demande could be translated as 'The dough requests' is a reference to La Demande (The Proposal), a surely a word play on something, maybe La pâte d'amande (almond paste) or La patte demande (the paw asks), I don't know.

Pitch notes below for La pâte demande.
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La Pâte Demande ED 330 m, 7a+ (6c)

Gear: 15 draws + something for the belays. Nuts and/or cams for the 1.5 pitches shared with La Demande. For this I suggest a 0.5, 0.75 and 1 camalot, one-two nuts in medium size (DMM Offset 7-10 or Wallnuts 6-8), and two alpine draws doubling as threads for slinging bushes/rock.

Approach: There are an embarrassment of choices. As we are climbing on a single lead line with a thin static haul line for the sac, we like to avoid long rappel routes. The approach via the canyon of Valaute and Baume aux Pigeons has two raps (45m and 30m) but quite a bit of walking, about 90 minutes from parking at the first Belvedere to the base of the route. Check the description on how to approach Parois Route here. Teams climbing with doubles/twins can descend Dalles Grises, walk down the Garden then descend Pilier des Écureuils (7 raps), or the very airy Secret Garden rappel (8 raps, but why would your take this risk? If a rope get stuck you are in a bad position, as there are no nearby routes to use for an escape up or down.)

P1 6c? 25m. Start as El Topo, but take a right traverse around the 2nd bolt. Two very hard moves at the start with cold fingers, then easier climbing tip-toeing right. Uncomfortable hanging belay. Haul straight up to the belay. ?-mark on the grade as it is very hard to estimate how the start boulder would feel warmed up.

P2 6c 30m. Again, a reachy boulderproblem of two-three moves to get off the belay, then out right to nicer climbing in a crack. A 12 mm bolt (April 2026) is missing both the hanger and the nut, a wire-nut can be used to cinch this, or a red camalot can be placed near were the stud is.

P3 6c+ 45m. A wandering pitch, the crux is at the end of a small traverse out left, and pretty obligatory (6c?). Belay on the right side of a huge ledge.

P4 6c 40m. A steep wall, bolted with geometric progression. When you no longer see the next bolt, make a loop out left before traversing back (somewhat serious). Then up right via two-three more bolts until you join La Demande for 15m. For La Demande you need gear, but you want to be light for the first part. One each of 0.5, 0.75, 1 camalot is enough. One camalot 2 or an extra 0.75 if you want more gear.

P5 5c+ 35m. Follow La Demande for one more pitch. Use the gear for the previous pitch + some slings around shrubs for a minimalistic rack. Clip a long draw in the belay for La Demande, then traverse out right to the proper belay.

P6 6b 25m. A slab move to a steep move, to easier climbing on blue rock.

P7 6c 30m. Pull the roof, then climb the magnificent blue pillar on pockets. Half-hanging belay.

P8 6c 30m. Climb back left on the pillar. Still amazing. Comfortable belay on a ledge below the crux.

P9 7a+ 25m. A short and somewhat sharp crux past many many bolts, then a traverse out left to a twin-crack. Belay below a dihedral.

P10 7a+ 30m. A nice stemming corner to a boulder problem traverse left, then easier climbing following a crack. Traverse back out right to the belay.

P11 6b+ 20m. A quite fingery an technical boulder to some fairly obligatory climbing that for some reason is given the grade 6a+ in the guidebook.

P12 6b+ 25m. A last obstacle. Very good climbing on steep sculptured lime-stone. But even with the best sequence this is surely harder than 6b? Or was I totally smoked? J. seems to think so.

Descent: If you took any of the recommended approaches you are near the car, just walk back to the road. If you approached the climb walking in from the Samson parking, descend by any of the mentioned approaches and walk out to the car.