After arriving here, I researched where to go drytooling. I managed to figure out the nearest areas with some effort. Close to home, there are 3 multipitch routes up to M7. In Le Fayet, there's the Dry Spa sector, and near Sallanches, there's the well-known ZOO. Additionally, there's L'Usine in Grenoble, though it's far away. I climbed a bit in the first three places and had been to Uzine a while ago. Alongside these, I found other places not far from Chamonix on the internet. So, I decided to explore the drytooling area in Quintal. I found directions, GPS coordinates, and a list of routes on the camptocamp page, and we set off.
Approximately 25 routes ranging from D4 to D12+.
The sector is located not far from the regional center of Annecy.
So, we arrived in Quintal, parked near the church. The signs mentioning that the parking was reserved for the school confused us a bit. However, on the other side, there was a sign indicating it was a public parking, so we decided to park here.We grabbed our thermoses, snacks, gear, and hit the trail.The approach was not aggressive, following the path and then a trail towards the climbing sector 'Grotte.' And there they are, by the way.We pass by the caves. It's strange - for some reason, nobody is climbing there)We peeked inside - it's damp, wet, and in some places, there are hanging quickdraws.Finally, we reached the drytooling sector. It's a wide area - around 70 meters. The bottom is flat but dusty.Some routes at the start have figures like animals, similar to Zoo. The routes in the center are more challenging, with a maximum grade of D12 (according to the topo).We're working on D7. The routes are long, and most of them has drilled holes, but this D7 is an exception - it uses a lot of the natural features.In the end, I pushed my limits and climbed D8 (Shrek). My shape was not that good, so I got quite tired.
I liked the rocks; overall, it's a good alternative to trips to Grenoble. Annecy is about half the distance!
