There are further outcrops in the group but we'd only time to climb on the most
obvious crag. La Fosse Arthour
Follow the D562 south from Caen for 32km past Clecy. Continue
for a further 8km to Conde sur Noireau. Continue south, now on the D962 12km
to Flers then 21km to Domfront.(There's climbing here - see the Domfront
page). Take the N176 west for about 1km and then turn off on the D907 and follow
this wnw for 5km to Rouelle. Turn right at a sign for 'La Fosse Arthour' and
follow the signs via 'St Georges-de-Rouelley'. Turn right into the car park
by the stream. Ditch the car here and continue 25m to the cafe. An excellent
topo is available here priced at €10 but well worth it. Continue right
over the footbridge and then left. Follow this path for 200m past rock outcrops
on the right until you reach "La Grand Barre" - the main crag in the
picture, above the boulder field.
There are further outcrops in the group but we'd only time to climb on the most
obvious crag.
Accommodation: There is a campsite at the cafe.
This crag is excellent! - 180 single pitch well bolted routes of 15 to 25m and graded F3 to F7, there being plenty in the lower grades and well worth a visit. You could spend two days here and still find plenty to do. We had half a day here and ran out of time. The rock looks like a limestone but is referenced as Gres Armoricain ('Gres' being Sandstone!). The rock has a fine texture and is 'blocky' featuring slabs with cracks with some roofs. The crag is well bolted and in general has twin bolts at the top of each climb to lower off. About 7 clips max. and there are placements for trad gear as well if required.
Topo
for La Fosse Arthour (click for larger image)
I'd recommend all the routes we did... these were:
La Cabernet (4) Slab/crack near the lower end of the crag.
Le Diedre Suspendu (4+) - Slab/Groove
La Biche (6a) - Technical slab climb - tricky start.
Malesdoue (5c) - Jamming crack to start - (seems overgraded?)
Rock Epine (5b) - small roof and face climb
Le Petard (5c) - high first bolt. Good moves across the upper face.
Fi sur Dalle (6a) - 3 small roofs and slabs. Tricky 2nd clip.
By this time, you're half way up the crag and a large roof beckons!
Pix - From the left - 'La Biche' (6a), 'Rock Epine' (5b), 'Le Petard' (5c) and jamming at the bottom of 'Malesdoue' (5c)
Bibliography and websites for La Fosse Arthour.....
Topo: Escalades sur le Gres Armoricain - La Fosse Arthour. Parc Naturel Regional Normandie Maine. Available from the bar/cafe on site.(See picture above).
http://clubalpin.saintlo.free.fr/fosse.htm
http://perso.wanadoo.fr/randolande/circuit2.htm
http://www.au-vieux-campeur.fr/gp/asp/f_scateg.asp?codctg=315 Possible web topo source.
Last updated 5th November 2002.