Climbing / Zaghouan
Zaghouan - Oued Delia crags
Climbing cragZaghouan
Zaghouan, Zaghouan
In season
A cluster of small sport-climbing sectors and one long multi-pitch line in the Oued Delia gorge on the north-west side of Jebel Zaghouan, bolted in 2012. Good for beginners and moderate climbers, with shaded and sunny walls close to each other.
Good to know
- Point
- Parking (GPS 36.38232, 10.114152 from the topo); the sectors are a 10 to 20 min walk up the Oued Delia
- Access
- From Zaghouan town head for the Temple des Eaux, pass its entrance and take the first road left; it becomes a track, follow it 2.2 km to a parking on the right. A marked path climbs the oued
- Rock is dead
- 5 routes, 5b to 6a; faces north-east, shaded in the afternoon; a few hundred metres up the oued on the right, 10 to 15 min
- Slim Fast
- 4 routes, 6a+ to 6c; faces north to north-east, shaded all day; path marked by cairns on the right before the head of the oued. Avoid disturbing nesting birds
- Aich el Nisr
- 6 routes, 4a to 6a, including the two-pitch Bienvenue au Bled (50 m abseil); faces south to south-east, little shade; 20 min, at the head of the oued
- Sous le regard de Fatma
- Beginner top-rope sector about 50 m west of Aich el Nisr, faces west: four 15 m grade 4 routes plus two older routes (one 60 m, two pitches, 5b and 6c)
- Jusqu'Allah tout va bien
- Multi-pitch, 130 m, 4 pitches 6a, 6b, 6b+, 6a; trad gear needed (small nuts, cams); descent by four abseils
- La Conque
- Two old, very hard routes with doubtful bolts at the top of the oued; listed for information only
- Temple des Eaux sector
- A separate 8-route sector (3c to 7a, 7 to 20 m) of grey limestone facing north to north-west, a 10 min approach, bolted in May 2012 by Alexis Cacciardi with funding from the Lycee Pierre Mendes France of Tunis; the topo gives no GPS point for it
- Rock
- Jurassic limestone, partly dolomitised into red, pocketed, often overhanging walls; slabs and tufa-like columns in places
- Safety
- Young, little-climbed crags: rockfall risk is fairly high, wear a helmet and do not linger at the base. There is no mountain rescue service in Tunisia; carry water and a phone
- Rules
- Jebel Zaghouan is a nature reserve: no new bolting or vegetation clearing without permission from the authorities
- History
- Bolted in June 2012 by a 14-strong team from GUCEM (Grenoble) with the Speleo club of Zaghouan, to help start Tunisia's first climbing club
Climbing
- Routes
- about 22 bolted routes plus 1 multi-pitch; 8 more at the Temple des Eaux sector
- Grades
- 4a to 6c (one old route about 7); Temple des Eaux 3c to 7a
- Height
- top-rope routes 15 m, two-pitch routes to 60 m, multi-pitch 130 m; Temple des Eaux 7 to 20 m
- ROCK
- limestone
- STYLE
- sport, top-rope, multi-pitch
- APPROACH
- 10 to 20 min up the Oued Delia from the parking
Sectors
- Rock is dead
- Slim Fast
- Aich el Nisr
- Sous le regard de Fatma
- La Conque
- Jusqu'Allah tout va bien (multi-pitch)
- Temple des Eaux
Getting there
36.3823N 10.1142E
Photographs
Nearby trails
Sources
Photos: Smailtn (CC BY-SA 4.0), Houssembo (CC BY-SA 4.0)