U Peru

Overview

Geographical classification: Corsica - Corse > Bavella Massif > U Peru

U Peru 842 m.

If seen from the North-East side of the Bavella Pass following the road D268, U Peru appears like a slender black and red spur showing a beautiful huge “tafone” in the central section of its North-West face. 

Situated in the Ferriate Chain, its name means “The Pear” in reason of its similarity with the fruit.

Getting There

The majestic entrance into Bavella group is the Bavella Pass m 1211.

ROAD ITINERARY TO BAVELLA PASS - From Bastia (Corsica Eastern coast) take RN 198 towards Solenzara; a few kilometers before getting there, take D268 to Bavella Pass (km. 130 from Bastia).

- From Aiaccio (Corsica Western coast) follow the road RN 196 to Petreto, then the road N852 to Aullene, Quenza and Zonza (km. 90 from Aiaccio).

APPROACH

From Bavella Pass go down along NE side of the road D268 - direction Solenzara - reaching Renaju Bridge. Parking.

Routes overview

EPERON N 

- Poniatictacboum TD, 6a max., 5c obbl., 200 m. Trad route Fine climb not much equipped

- Haddad TD+, 6b+ max., 6a obbl., 240 m. A pearl. Great environment and excellent rock.

- Omertà' TD+, 6b+ max., 6a+ obbl., 180 m. Another great route crossing Haddad in the middle part.

- Vecchia Felpa EX, 7c max, 190 m Climbing is not very homogeneous, but with interesting pitches. The overhangs are spectacular and very physical, the rock excellent. Vecchia Felpa-Planetmountain

EPERON SE TD+, 6b+ max., 6a obbl., 180 m.

FACE E D+, 5c/6a, 190 m.

HADDAD - OMERTA COMBINATION

Summit altitude: 842 m
Length: 300 m
Exposure: NW
Haddad first ascent: J.L. Fenouil – A. Jamin – B. Privat 1996 – direct variants J.L. Fenouil – P. Clarac
Omerta first ascent: J.L. Fenouil - Sylvie Gariglio - X. Legendre 2008
Starting: Forestal Road near Rinaju Bridge - Road D268 Col de Bavella
Hut: Auberge – Gite d’Etape du Col de Bavella

Route Report

Descending from Bavella Pass by D268 road, before Renaju bridge, on your right-hand side a forestal road starts, going lightly down inside the forest. Don’t take its branch, but carry on the main road and cross a stream - Riu San Petru – over a causeway. At an hairpin with a cairn leave the main road and turn on along a level track skirting a pines’ wood. Another cairn marks the start of a steep “talweg” rising to U Peru’ North West Face. 1 hour from D268 Renaju Bridge parking.

Nice combination of two routes, running on the first six pitches of Haddad, a common short crux at the start of the seventh pitch, then running on the last part of Omerta.

L1 – A sloping but smooth slab 6a
L2 - Easier rocks 5b
L3 – Climb some “tafoni” leading to the left edge of the enormous central “tafone”. 5b
L4 – A spectacular pitch inside the magnificent incredible tafone. 5b
L5 – Again inside the “tafone” slantaway toward right to a belay over the pinnacle on the right edge of “tafone”. 3.

L6 – From the top of the detached pinnacle a hard and overhanging move leads to the main face; climb slantaway toward right over smooth rock. 6c (6b+, A0)
L7 – An easier pitch. 5b/c
L8 - Climb a “tafone” on your left-hand side, then go towards right reaching a slab. Climb a dihedral-crack with a hard move. Little walls lead to a belay. 6a

L9 – Towards right along a small ledge, then climb a corner. 6a
L10–L11 Last two pitches – not equipped – leading to the summit.

Descent: abseiling the route

Since the end of L7, in 3 abseils on big rings and good spits. Head to left in the last abseil, joining a grassy corridor at the foot of a path. If we go straight in the last abseil, we arrive on a tree vaguely equipped and we must do an additional abseil.

Red Tape

Bavella Massif is really a fantastic world, a preserved milieu situated inside a Regional Park Parc Naturel Régional de Corse - Parcu di Corsica. Free camping and bivouac are not allowed. Fires are strictly forbidden. Maximum care is required to keep for the future this extraordinary environment.

Nature and climate

Nature is wild and peculiar; in Corsica we can find more than 5% of authoctonous kinds of flower and plants, in addition to authoctonous fauna. On the contrary, several kinds of animal current inside Mediterranean countries are away from Corsica, like squirrels and vipers.

Climate is the typical one of the mediterranean middle-mountain areas situated at these latitudes: often very hot in summer and with cold and snowy winters; early and middle Spring and early Fall are the better seasons to climb. Due to Bavella closeness to the sea, winds are often stronger how much they are at the same height in the Alps. Rainfall sometimes are important and dangerous when joined with strong winds. On the contrary, sometimes we can find some long periods of drought.

When to climb

Best season to climb goes from late April to October.

Where to stay

COL DE BAVELLA

- Auberge du Col de Bavella  Hotel and Gite d'Etape

- Les Aiguilles de Bavella  Gite d'Etape

ZONZA

– Hotel L’Aiglon, Hotel de la Terrasse -Municipal Camping of Zonza, Camping La Riviere (Zonza)

Meteo

METEO CORSE

Guidebooks and maps

“Bavedda – Aiguilles entre ciel et torrents: Escalade, Rando, Canyon” by Jean Louis Fenouil and Jean Paul Quilici - FFME

“Guide d’escalade en Corse” Vol. I Massif de Bavella Jean Paul Quilici – Bernard Vaucher

“Rocca è Sole” Massif de Bavedda Jean Paul Quilici – Francis Thibaudeau

Map: IGN 4253 ET “Aiguilles de Bavella – Solenzara”