[IanP]

Forgot to mention earlier - what about Ulassai in Sardinia?

Visited Ulassai last year and though it was great, lots of varied climbing in a great setting mostly walkable from the town.

But it's high up with quite a lot of shady/breezy crags so could be risky weatherwise by late October and my impression was that it is best In the mid 6s to highs 7 so may not suit someone who is looking for ther 1000th 8a/higher!

[Samr]

In a similar vain to the málaga recommendation, I will recommend Granada province. New guidebook just out (escalada deportiva Granada). Loads of crags full of 7s-8s (most popular ones being cogollos vega, poloria and cahorros). In your dates you are also just in time for Los Vados -  pared de la virgen for class multi pitches (bird banned from 15th November).
Unless you stay at the climbers hostel in cogollos, you'll probably want a rental care to visit all the crags though. 
I live in Granada so let me know if you want any more information.

Reguchillo, near Jaén, is an hour north of Granada. I've not been but it is quite extensive and gets good reports from friends who climb in the high 7s and are reasonably tasteful about climbing. They recommended it as a warm and dry mid-winter venue so it might be hot in October?

Yeah reguchillo is class, but an absolute oven. I've been in November a few times and it was fine, but I always try to go on particularly cold days.

[Aussiegav]

I went here in May 2000. If you want long routes off the usual visited areas. Highly recommend.

There very cheap accommodation and great vineyards as well.

https://www.montpellier-france.com/discover/a-thousand-years-of-history/in-the-region/unesco-sites/saint-guilhem-le-desert/

https://www.ukclimbing.com/logbook/crags/saint-guilhem-le-desert-2069/#baume_ventee


There are a lot more routes than listed here.

If you want to seek adventures & Onsight here’s your chance.


There was a very active local community of climbers

[shark]

Thanks for all the recs. should be useful for the future.

Settled on Granada this time but one of the team has dropped out so if anyone is interested the dates are Tues 21st Nov to Fri 1st Dec with me, Steve Mcclure flying from Manchester to Malaga and if available probably staying at the climbers hostel at Cogollos mentioned by Samr which is 20€ a night

New guide doesn’t look to be available to buy in UK. If anyone in Sheffield happens to have a copy that I could borrow that’d be amazing

[Steve Crowe]

There's some good info online here https://escaladagranada.es/blog-zonas-escuelas-escalada

[Mark Lloyd]

so may not suit someone who is looking for ther 1000th 8a/higher!

Sharks been busy

[shark]

New guide doesn’t look to be available to buy in UK. If anyone in Sheffield happens to have a copy that I could borrow that’d be amazing

It is available!

https://climb-europe.com/rockclimbingshop/granada-sport-climbing-guidebook-topo.html

Just ordered 

[Stabbsy]

I noticed Loja is in that guide - don’t be tempted to drive that far without checking the access. The lower crag is amazing but was all fenced off when I last went and the upper crag isn’t worth the effort!

[shark]

I noticed Loja is in that guide - don’t be tempted to drive that far without checking the access. The lower crag is amazing but was all fenced off when I last went and the upper crag isn’t worth the effort!

Thanks for the heads up. Wasn’t on my radar. Cahorros, Cogollos, Peloria and Reguchillo (if cold)  seem to be the go-to crags.

[Steve Crowe]

Los Vados rescued a few very cold days for us.

[PeteHukb]

Thread hijack! I've booked a week in Jaén in the middle of Feb - keen to try a slightly different area, been to Chorro before etc. Reguchillo should be good at that time of year unless it's warmer than average, right? (Been advised to avoid if sunny and over 15 degrees.) We're close enough to Poloria and Cogollos if we need variety. Can anyone recommend wet weather or hot weather alternatives? Cuevas Negras, possibly? Any crags in the Jaen/Granada area to avoid?

There's a wall in Jaén so we'll pick up a guidebook there but if anyone (Shark?) could lend me a Granada guidebook that would be awesome, we might not even go that way but it would be good to have options.

Thanks people.

Addendum: strictly interested in routes between 6b and 7c really. Would be aiming for onsights or quick redpoints of 7b/+ if I'm going well.

[shark]

Hi Pete

Yes you’re welcome to the guide. I’ve got a bunch of info for Jaen so if you message me your number I’ll WhatsApp it to you.

[Stu Littlefair]

Hi Pete

Just got back from the Jaen area. Reguchillo is great, but a sun trap. Cuevas Negras is outstanding, but only up to 7c+ (the extensions in the 8s are crap).

We didn’t climb at Otiñar but it looks stunning.

Most of the other crags are locals only IMO, although the crags further afield (Cogollos, Moclin) look worthwhile. We didn’t bother travelling further as the ease of climbing around Jaén was great - we stayed in the city and the climbing was all 15 minutes drive from our flat.

[PeteHukb]

Thanks Shark and Stu. Stu, I might pester you with a few more questions by DM: on a short trip, reliable info can save a half-day or more of wasted travel/effort!