West spur

An arête route, but not at all airy, easily protected on all pitches except L4.

Approach

• The original route is left below, but in August 2012 we reached Punta Caletta more easily by following the route of the Rampart, its neighbour.*

From the inn parking lot, follow the GR, first on a wide track, then on a path that descends to the bottom of the valley. From there, 2 options:

- 200 m after regaining a drivable track, a ford crosses a stream. Leave the GR to the right on the right bank of the stream on a cairned path. It follows the watercourse then climbs back into the pine forest, to the right of an area of impenetrable heather and rocks above the spur. The path crosses left through the rocks. Before the end of the cairns, spot the start of the route, a deep crack with a black 8 mm bolt 5 m from the base of the cliff. The cairns indicate to go around the first 3 metres on the left by an easy crack that leads to a small platform from where you can start the route (bolt 2 m above).

- Rejoin a path that you follow to the right; it makes a big curve at the bottom of the valley, then you leave it by a path on the right (cairn), and 20 m farther on, you leave this path again by a path on the right (another cairn). Climb the valley on this steep path until you reach a small platform at the foot of the different faces (20 to 30 minutes). Follow again a path that runs along the walls on the right. Spot the large east face, fairly smooth, and the couloir that runs along its base, which will be the descent couloir. Pass this face to reach the west ridge (not sharp, rather rounded). The start can be made more or less anywhere, but more easily at the level of a tafoni zone roughly at the lowest point.

The route

The route was almost entirely stripped of gear between 2007 and 2008 (3 bolts and one piton remain), but the whole thing is still fairly easy to protect except around L4 where protection placements are scarce, but the climbing is easy.

Descent

From the summit, find a belay station (2 linked bolts) on the southeast slope; a 40 m abseil from this belay station allows you to reach the south notch.

During the descent you will cross a second bolted belay station 8 m below the first. And another one 15 m lower on a tree. These two abseil stations are optional if you have enough rope length.

From here, two options:

- Follow a vague path that leads to the notch north of the point by going through the east. From there, descend easily (steps, ledges, path with cairns) not far from the start, and rejoin the approach path (cairns).

- Descend directly from the notch to the west. Pass a few steps by following a cairned path. Once at a bigger step, look on the right for a pine tree to make a ten-metre abseil, then continue along the path that leads to the start of the route.