[Rocksteady]

Reading the Dark Horse blog recently I am now concerned about my forthcoming trip to Costa Blanca. It sounds log!

I was hoping for a week of decent single-pitch sport in OK weather. I had heard that some venues were rubbish but some were good and was hoping to pick and choose accordingly.

What are people's views on decent venues for sport climbing in 6s to 7b?

Don't like sika etc but can live with it more than bad bolts and dodgy runouts on a sport trip.

Any advice would be appreciated!

Thanks

R

[nik at work]

Forada is very good.
A bunch of stuff in the 6a-7c range (and beyond). Elios could well be the best 7a+ in Costa Blanca??

I think a big problem Dark Horse had to contend with was the high temps, making everything Southish facing feel desperate (and a lot of places seem to face Southish). As your trip is forthcoming I'd guess the temps will be more favourable which may make it not feel quite so log

[SA Chris]

Where on CB are you staying exactly? And will you have a car?

[Snoops]

I know you said single pitch, but get to the Penon and do Costa Blanca, all bolted, 6c, fantastic views, and a restaurant near the bottom that does great paella.

[Rocksteady]

Thanks for the beta so far. Will check out Forada for sure. We're going next week so getting pretty psyched and want to make sure I pick the right stuff. I've gone wrong in this respect before eg. Mallorca seemed to pick all the rubbish venues.

Penon does look good but I'm not sure I'll have the endurance to make getting up it an enjoyable experience (been injured through the summer and not climbing much).

Staying between Altea and Calpe in some place called Maryvilla? Apparently very close to Sierra del Toix crag but this is one of those I am not sure about in terms of quality.

We will have a car.

Any more thoughts appreciated.

Thanks.

[SA Chris]

I had a day at the crag at Gandia and enjoyed it, nice town too.

Some nice routes up at VIPs and Wildside at Sella, mostly top end of your grade though.

If you are selective there is some nice stuff at Sella back of the Rino area, as long as you follow the stars, and look at the routes before setting off. If it looks log, it generally is.

I've not been there for 14 years now though, so admit it may be a lot more polished, dirty and busier than I remember it but I recall Kashbah being good and Kamikaze and a funky thing to the left of the arch through the crag at the right hand side.

Don't even bother with the routes in front of the refuge. Utter log.

Forada is good, but can be baltic cold.

[adamb]

Thanks to people chipping in ideas.  (I'm on the same trip as Rocksteady...)

Snoops - any strong view on whether you need a helmet or not on the Penon (and specifically on Costa Blanca...)?  We've been stingy and shared hold luggage, so would rather not pack them unless you advise that it is a Dolomitian-style choss-fest.

Cheers.

Adam

[SA Chris]

Depends how experienced you are at falling off!

I've done Via Costa Blanca and at no point felt like I could have done with a lid. Generally the rock is pretty good and most routes are vertical(ish). Wouldn't want to follow a bumbly party on it though as anything dropped on the top 4/5ish pitches would fall straight down the route.

If you plan going to Puig Campana though, I think helmets are generally advised.

[nik at work]

Forada is good, but can be baltic cold.

I was at Forada a couple of weeks ago and just thinking "hmmm, conditions here are just getting nice and cool", then spoke to the locals there and they were saying they are pretty much about to stop going there now as it's too cold. I bet it can be proper cold in winter with the wrong wind blowing.

[SA Chris]

yeah, we were there in Feb, and I did one route and ended up with numb fingers and got hot aches.

[Snoops]

Depends how experienced you are at falling off!

I've done Via Costa Blanca and at no point felt like I could have done with a lid. Generally the rock is pretty good and most routes are vertical(ish). Wouldn't want to follow a bumbly party on it though as anything dropped on the top 4/5ish pitches would fall straight down the route.

If you plan going to Puig Campana though, I think helmets are generally advised.

As Chris said. (if you think you might end up doing any lower grade classics like Diedre UBSA (good route) I'd take a lid, but with Costa Blanca you will be fine.)
You really should get on the penon its great!

[magpie]

Staying between Altea and Calpe in some place called Maryvilla? Apparently very close to Sierra del Toix crag but this is one of those I am not sure about in terms of quality.

Maryvilla is a lovely bit to be staying, and pretty central for getting to lots of different areas.  I like Sierra del Toix but probably for all the reasons you wouldn't like it; easily accessible, short walk in, sunny, lots of nice easy routes with a good flat base for hanging around when not climbing and a nice open view, so maybe not exactly what you are looking for, it's definitely a bit of a beginner / easy day crag.  There's some harder stuff just up and around the corner though, I can't remember the name of the crag though, it's the one just further round the headland from Sierra del Toix though.

[Red]

Hi Rocksteady

Nik is right - we were struggling with 38 degrees one day, and generally climbing all over the Costa Blanca was abusive in that heat. Lots of jug hauling. However, Forada in Winter will get very cold as it is in the shade and high up - though it is an brilliant venue for up to 7B.

On that part of our trip we were both looking for routes from 7B upwards, which I found quite annoying being short, as these routes tended to be very reachy/one move wonders. Grades up to 7B are a different matter, depending on your preferred style. If you like slabs then Sella is a good choice (and Wildside is up the road if you climb 7B and up and like tufas).

However, all things considered, since we have been in northern Spain the trip/climbing has improved dramatically (Siurana, Tres Ponts, Rodellar). And you have Barcelona up the road

If you are set on the CB, then Forada is a must! My favourite crag by far!

[Rocksteady]

Thanks for the replies. Magpie, sounds like Sierra del Toix will suit me very well for the first couple of days of the trip for getting some volume in, and hopefully we won't be battling 38 degree heat!

I'm relatively lanky and like steep stuff so reachy jug hauling might suit me quite well anyway.

Glad you're enjoying northern Spain Red. In March I was in Lleida - some great stuff at Santa Linya, Collegats, Oliana etc.


 

[magpie]

Magpie, sounds like Sierra del Toix will suit me very well for the first couple of days of the trip for getting some volume in, and hopefully we won't be battling 38 degree heat!

I've been a couple of times, both visits in late December and the weather has been great, it's a bit of a sun trap and quite sheltered at the base so I imagine it would be hellish in summer but in the winter it's lovely and can actually be pleasantly warm without being too hot to climb, definitely good for an easy starting off place to ease you in.

[T_B]

There's a decent, long 7b up at Altea and some pleasant enough 6b+/6c routes at Toix TV (which is a sun trap). There's some decent stuff at Alcalali (though you used to get shouted at by some geezer who lived next to the crag). I quite enjoyed Cabezon de Oro, though we had trouble locating the path to the crag. There are a couple of good sixes and a 7a+ on the r-hand side. Not been to Sella or Gandia for years, but they might be your best bet in terms of lots of mid-sixes and the odd 7? Costa Blanca (6c+) on the Penon is fully bolted multi-pitch and a good day out (wild top pitch). Gets lots of sun...

[IanP]

. Not been to Sella or Gandia for years, but they might be your best bet in terms of lots of mid-sixes and the odd 7?

Similarly its a long time since I've been to CB but Gandia is well worth the drive I would think - not long routes by Spanish standards (up to 20m) but lots of steep juggy climbing in the mid 6's to mid 7's (including a tufa covered wall on the right with half a dozen or more excellent routes in the 7a - 7b range).  Faces south so should be good in winter.

[Red]

In March I was in Lleida - some great stuff at Santa Linya, Collegats, Oliana etc.


 

cheers bud, next stops Oliana and Santa Linya. Proper psyched. Enjoy the CB, and don't get disheartened by the ramblings of a dwarf

[Rocksteady]

If anyone's interested, my feedback after a week in Costa:

Had two days of unusually torrential rain which meant that our venue choice was different.

Couldn't persuade anyone to go to Forada - it was a long way for us to go and probably would have been snowing up there in the weather we had!

Gandia was sopping wet when I went there but looks absolutely amazing for 7a-7c. We discovered this place in Rockfax but in practice it has a lot more to offer than is the guidebook. (http://www.rockfax.com/databases/results_buttress.html?id=989) It was dry in the rain.

We spent quite a lot of time at Sierra de Toix in the end as it was near where we stayed and seemed to be in a bit of a rain shadow - was sunny there when it was raining inland. Toix TV is a good sector. Toix East has had a lot of new easy routes put up on, but the sector in the existing Rockfax needs re-equipping - the bolts are shot. Toix North roadside can no longer be climbed at as they have installed electricity cables in it. The white wall part of Toix North looks horrendously run out on tinny and rusty bolts. Wouldn't go near it for a sport clip.

I thought Altea Col (the crag a walk away in the hills) was good if a bit chossy and loose low down. The roadside Altea crag I thought was awful. Some old skool bolting with 20ft runouts on sharp 6a slabs I didn't enjoy.

The best crag I climbed at was Lliber/Pena Roja in the Xalo Valley - nice spread of grades, nice position, good routes. Los Pinos was good too - looks like has seen quite a bit of new development.

My mates did the 7a+ up the Penon and absolutely loved it.

I'd go back for another week or a couple of long weekends (hopefully with better weather!)