La Breche au Diable
This picturesque outcrop or should I say gorge, is on the east side of the
N158.
Turn
off at Potigny, 20km south south east of Caen and 8km nnw of Falaise and head
east. Turn right after about 200m and follow the signs for 1.5km toward La Breche
au Diable and Mont-Joly. Take the right fork, passing a farmyard on the right
until you come to a wooded car park. Leave the car here and (facing the information
panel - photo on right) head left toward the stream then right and up the gorge.
The climbing is on either side of the gorge.
There are apparently 60 routes here, 10 - 25 metres high, grades between F3 and F7. It is claimed that climbing is possible here all year round and the rock is 'Gres Amoricain' (whatever that is!).
A topo is listed, edited by Jean-Paul Chenal and Laurent Testard, although I'm not sure where it's available.
We
arrived without a topo for a flying visit on our way back to the ferry. We found
rock on the right hand side of the gorge (going up) and climbed a route that
looked 'ok'.....The route was bolted with the same single eye cast jobbies we'd
seen at Clecy and La Fosse Arthour but I took some wires and a couple of cams
as well. It turned out to be F5c/6a and about 12m. Mike followed me up. There
were about 5 routes on the bit we found and from the top of the buttress, more
rock could be seen up and across the gorge. After a few pix, we realised we
were out of time and headed off for Le Havre.
Right:
The gorge as we walked back down to the car.