17 places to climb in Gard

Looking for the best climbing spots in the Gard? This French department is brimming with superb sites where you’re bound to find a route that will thrill you!

Are you just discovering the world of climbing and want to see what lies behind a bolt, a crack, a boulder or a 7a? Are you a first-timer and want to try out some of Garda’s famous routes, whether they’re overhanging to colos, on grey slabs, hard or more « resi »? From now on, you’ll be spoilt for choice! From easily accessible to more remote spots, from gigantic sites to cliffs nestled in intimate settings, from technical routes to public spots, you’re bound to find a place to climb in the Gard. As far as possible, we’ve tried to specify the grading level of these climbing routes.

The most interesting sites are, of course, outdoors. However, at the end of the list, we’d like to suggest a few names of climbing gyms: training is an essential part of climbing!

Put on your slippers and let’s go!

1. Seynes

Benefiting from a sort of miraculous micro-climate, the site is part of the triptych of musts for climbers in the Gard. If you’ve chosen to climb in winter, Seynes is undoubtedly a spot of choice. Known for the columns of its Nouveau Monde, the site is suffering from the ravages of tourism and has to contend with a few weathered routes. Nonetheless, it remains a choice spot, and all styles of climbing are possible, thanks to its range of three hundred routes, from 3b to the famous « Dinosaur », in 8a. Allow ten minutes for the ascent. If you’d like to discover climbing in the Gard region, start here!

2. Collias

The second most popular spot in the Gard, Collias is located north of Nîmes, in the Gardon gorges. The site comprises four limestone cliffs and is home to two hundred and eighty routes. Accessible to all levels and therefore ideal for families, this spot offers mainly slab and vertical wall climbing. On these south-facing rocks, you’ll find routes from the lowest grades all the way up to 8b+. The only regret is the high number of climbers, which leaves some routes with a patina. Allow between five and thirty-five minutes for the approach walk, on flat ground.

3. Russan

Russan is the third must-do climbing spot in the Gard. Located just north of Nîmes, one week won’t be enough to test the site’s two hundred and forty routes! The limestone rock of this imposing thirty-five-metre cliff offers you a wide range of climbing styles, from slabs to overhangs, not forgetting the columned areas. While the average grade is around 6, one route reaches 8c, while the easiest start at 4b. Allow twenty-five minutes’ climbing to reach the site. Forget about climbing Russan in summer. The heat is unbearable!

4. Estézargues

There’s life outside Russan-Collias-Seynes! The two limestone cliffs of the Estézargues site are interesting for good climbers. The nineteen routes on the hole wall in the Estézargues sector range from 6b to 8a+. On the Estézargues Beach side, overhanging routes from 6b+ to 8a+ offer a fine playground for the more experienced climber. Despite their degree of difficulty, these east-facing cliffs do not exceed twenty meters. Try the 6c+ « Tailleur de pierre » and the 7b « Pack de bière ». Allow two minutes’ descent to reach the Estézargues site and twenty minutes for Estézargues Beach.

5. Gargantua

The routes on the Gargantua site, designed for experienced climbers, are organized around a limestone cave. Located north of Nîmes, the spot offers a wide range of climbing styles: slab, overhang and even colonnettes. The most difficult route, « Uncle Meat », is an 8b+. The site faces north. Allow five minutes for the approach climb. Don’t hesitate to try out the 7b « Oedipe Complex »!

6. La Garde Guérin

La Garde-Guérin is one of those imposing sites with the advantage of offering a wide choice of routes and being accessible to all levels. Situated in the Chassezac gorges in Lozère, this granite rock spot boasts over a hundred routes up to 8a. Whether in terms of orientation or climbing style, there’s something for everyone. Some routes are almost a hundred meters long! The site is made up of several cliffs. The only drawback is the risk of suffering from the heat in summer.

7. Auzon bridge

The Pont d’Auzon site, north of Nîmes, is ideal for beginners. Its twenty-one slab routes don’t exceed 6b and start at 4. Facing northwest, the routes on this limestone wall are perfect for an early-morning climb. Only a two-minute walk on flat ground is needed to reach the site. Pont d’Auzon is particularly suitable for children.

8. Pont-Saint-Nicolas

If you’re looking for a spot for all levels of climber, look no further! Pont-Saint-Nicolas is often referred to as the « little Russan ». Less famous but just as nice, the site gives access to some fifty southeast-facing routes, ranging from 3c to 8b. While beginners can experiment with climbing in a natural environment without fear, good climbers will enjoy themselves on one of the fifteen 8b routes. Try « bah taille dans le corail » in 7a+. Allow fifteen minutes for the steep approach walk. Pont-Saint-Nicolas is just fifteen kilometers north of Nîmes.

9. Méjannes-le-Clap

While some of the routes here are accessible to beginners, it’s best to avoid the first sector, as the equipment is not of the highest quality. On the other hand, in the other sector of Méjannes, the five overhanging routes from 7a to 8b, nestled in the heart of a beautiful cave, are well worth the detour. The spot is particularly pleasant in summer, when its northerly aspect makes it cooler.

10. Mialet

For the best climbers, Mialet is an interesting spot. With a dozen routes ranging from 6a to 7b, some of them as long as thirty-five meters, it’s a good place to start! The wall faces north-east and offers plenty of shade in summer. It’s a two-minute walk to the site.

11. Orsan

Located to the north of Nîmes, the Orsan cliff is best suited to experienced climbers. Aside from 8a, most of the routes are rated 7. This limestone rock faces east. Allow fifteen minutes for the approach ascent.

12. La Cadière

Located not far from Saint-Hippolyte-du-Fort, some 50 km west of Nîmes, the La Cadière cliff is home to routes ranging from 5a to 8b, many of which are overhanging. It takes around ten minutes on foot to reach the cliff from your parking spot.

13. Tresques

The limestone rock face of Tresques lies to the north of Nîmes. The level of the routes is high, with average grades of 6a. You can also try your hand at 7c overhanging routes. For the less experienced, you’ll find 4 slabs, so these routes are also suitable for children. What’s more, the shade of the trees means you can climb without discomfort in summer. It’s only a two-minute walk on level ground to reach the site.

14. Aubais

If you want to combine via ferrata and climbing, Aubais is the ideal spot. In fact, the limestone cliff faces the Saint-Sériès via ferrata, on the other side of the Vidourle. There’s something for every level, from 3 to 6b+. If you can’t find what you’re looking for on one of the twenty-one southeast-facing routes, you can try your hand at the boulder walls in the cave. Allow five minutes for the approach walk, on a gentle ascent.

15. Rochefort du Gard

This site to the north of Nîmes is ideal for slab climbing. The south-facing limestone cliff is home to over one hundred and thirty routes over its forty-meter height. The average level is 5c, with some 7b+ routes. Allow between two and ten minutes for the approach walk, on flat ground.

16. La Capelle

Located to the east of Uzès, La Capelle is a bouldering spot. With some three hundred passages in the forest, the sandstone boulders offer a perfect setting for all types of climbing, including overhangs. The boulders are suitable for all levels, from beginners to the most experienced, with 8a+ routes. Some of them can be climbed in top-roping. It’s a pleasant place to be on a fine summer’s day. Please respect the site, as it is private property.

17. Gard climbing gyms and clubs

If you prefer to take your first steps on an indoor wall, if you want to work on your technique or climb despite rainy weather, the Gard region has no shortage of climbing clubs and gyms. You can try Uz’escalade, the climbing wall in Lédignan with Esca’Seynes d’Alès, the climbing gym in Clarensac, Bloc Session in Nîmes or Esca’bloc in Saint-Jean-du-Gard.

Where to sleep in the Gard?

If you’re not from the area and plan to spend some time in the vicinity, there are several options open to you: camping, gîte or hotel. It all depends, of course, on the location of your favorite spot: around Alès, Remoulin, etc.