[mark20]

Evening,
I've got a couple of weeks in El Chorro over Christmas, hoping to get my first 7a onsighted, which I should have done this summer but never actually got round to doing, and hopefully redpoint something a bit harder. 7c sounds tough but I've been bouldering alot recently and feel pretty strong and have good finger strength from traversing brick edges at Broomgrove Road, so I think it's a reasonable target if I find one that suits me.
So, flicking through the guide, Little Brown Babay 7a+ looks brilliant, but any particular reccomendations for possible 7a flashes/onsights or 7b-c redpoint projects? 
Thanks

[gruffalo]

There are about four or five three star 7s in Desplomilandia that are onsite-able well chalked up and in the shade. Don't think you have to panic about overheating this time of the year

[JacobJacob]

The best 7a is probably Poema de Roca... but theres loads to go at.

As for 7cs try Honk Down at Frontales or Liron Careto at desplomilandia, both amazing (and soft!).

[Stabbsy]

I'd agree about Poema as the best 7a, plus Viejo Amigo on the same sector (less sustained, more cruxy). Also the stuff of Sector Suizo is good (Alicia, Sex Drugs and Flamenco, etc.). The 7b near Honk Down is great as well.

Liron Careto is a good (and soft) 7c, but requires a bit of an ethical blindfold if you're bothered by chipping and stuck on holds. The 7a/+ nearby are good, but incredibly soft (6c/+ in the real world). I thought Akira at the sector up the hill was good as well.

[moose]

Las Encantadas has a few good ones: Sara (7a+) is long and good all the way up, as is Redders / Persquientiene la Culp next to it.  Chorro Mundo is nice and sustained (7a+) and La Ley Del Caleto next to it is only 6c+ but really pleasant.

Probably my favourite area was Escalade Arabe.  The upper crag has a host of 1 pitch and 2 pitch routes that can be linked into single pitches.  The best was Escalopendra guajani - only 6c but very sustained.  Diedre Torpedo was a great 6c (tough for grade) and Arabesque (7a) was wonderfully technical up a blunt rib (not the usual hurling between jugs).  There are also a load of very nice 6c-7a routes downhill at the El Navigador Pillar (Los Genalos Right etc).

I second all the recommendations for Despi' - lots of very good crimpy, sequency climbs on the main sector (Cosas Careras etc).  Up the hill on the left, there's a short route, El Chupacabras (7a+), which has a brilliant sequency, crux.

At the Frontales, everything in Sector Suizo is well worth a go (Sesso drogas y flamenco, Cono Paco, Bienvvenidos...).  Poema de Roca in the cave is a great 7a and just keeps on coming (nearly spat me off at the last).  If you want something different, I really liked El Truco Del Almendruco at Los Albercones, the sector near the tunnel carparking, technical 7a crimping up a wall.  Little Brown Baby is good fun: very sustained pumpiness - just keep throwing!

[mrjonathanr]

My yet-to-tick list:
Maquina Pestosa and and Sandokan at la Vida Misma look brilliant. I think Sandokan is one of the best lines I've ever seen frankly - what's not to like about a 25m overhanging prow?  Liron Careto is a great line, looks loads of fun at Buena Sombra.

[Fultonius]

Cosas Caseras at Desplomilandia (Beuna Sombre) is the easiest F7a+ tick in the world, but also quite good. One of the guys in our group and I got Madre Salveje at Triangulo done pretty quick, so it's probably a reaosnable F7c to treyand do.

Fran Sinatra is ok at F7b, not super classic but worth a bash if you're at the crag (it's only14m, at Beuna Sombre too)

Peoma de Roca is good, but it gets the sun so don't do what we did and try and climb it in 25c...

[Will Hunt]

You MUST do Zeppelin. You can aid the crux if you're struggling to onsight it all.

[rehab21]

Now then,

Couple of recommendations to support - Arabesque and Sara are wonderful.

Little Brown Baby is also very good - pumpy, juggy tufas.

There is at least one unbelievably soft 7a (in an area of pretty soft grades to start with) at Desplomblandia on the lower wall. Taking that as your first 7a onsight would be a phyrric victory.

I didn't rate Poema de Roca, either. Good climb but hugely overused and everything is caked in chalk. It made me a little sad climbing it.

And Zeppelin is fantastic if you fancy a full day out.

Also worth checking out some of the 7's in Sector Suiza, which are very good if not affected by recent access changes.

[TobyD]

I didn't rate Poema de Roca, either. Good climb but hugely overused and everything is caked in chalk. It made me a little sad climbing it.

Re PDR, if you expect a polished but fun 7a warm up, which involves swinging around on big holds, you won't be disappointed.

I flashed that 7c (Madre Salvaje?) at Desplomblandia, and don't remember it being too bad.

Anyone got any good recommendations, up to 8a ish? Ideally, not really bouldery if they are 7c+ or harder.

cheerz'all T

[Stabbsy]

Just returned from Chorro at the weekend. My recommendation (especially if you've done a fair amount in Chorro area already) is get a car and go to Loja - it's stunning. We only had a day there, but I'd head back at the first opportunity.

Also, the two 8a's at Triangulo look great (my mate tried one) and the other 7c (Reina Mora) is good, but harder than Madre Salvaje.

[robertostallioni]

They are. The left one is continuous as I remember. The 8a+ next door is also good, but cruxalicious.

[Duncan campbell]

I only did 2 7a's in El Chorro;

Cono Paco at Frontales which had a polished crux on small crimps (I onsighted this) then a good rest out left at a jug handle, then fairly steady climbing with one last hard move 3/4 of the way up (I fell off this bit). That was my first 7a RP but should have been an onsight!

If you have a steady head La Novia at Desplomilandia (around the corner from the Bueno Sombres crag) is very onsightable as I managed to do so, the rock is not polished and on the cruxes its quite spikey so you can really relax on the holds. It is however a bit sparsely bolted, but the climbing is easy through the bigger runouts, though on the top crux you will be a bit above the last bolt as you clip the next if memory serves me well. It also has a few brilliant urgent sequences!

Good Luck!! 

Dunc

[TobyD]

Just returned from Chorro at the weekend. My recommendation (especially if you've done a fair amount in Chorro area already) is get a car and go to Loja - it's stunning. We only had a day there, but I'd head back at the first opportunity.
Also, the two 8a's at Triangulo look great (my mate tried one) and the other 7c (Reina Mora) is good, but harder than Madre Salvaje.

I have, but  i've never climbed at several of the crags (it rained a LOT last time i was there) hence never been to Makinodromo, Los Tigres etc. Loja - had spied it in the guide - looks great any particular routes?

I had a good crack at flashing one of those triangulo 8as (the one with the thin crack on it IIRC) and thought it was well cool, the more endurancey one (Mar de Ortega??) sounds even better; i think it might have been wet before.

[Fultonius]

It's only 7b, and i didn't actually try it, but Akira on El Cable looked pretty awesome - worth a shor if you'te up at triangulo anyway. We didn't make it to makinodromo rther, but it looks awesome!

[Stabbsy]

As of last weekend, pretty much everything at Triangulo was dry. My mate Gareth had a couple of good goes on Mar de Ortigas - looked amazing, really cool sequence on the mid-height tufas and steep finish.

Loja - between us we did 1 route upstairs (sharp, drilled, over-rated Top 50 route) plus some stuff on the main event. The shorter stuff on the left is good (did a 6c+), but not up to the same standard as the rest. On the main wall, we did Morado de Vampiros 7a+, A Sombrado 7b+ (overgraded, more like soft 7b but stunning) and Tela Marinera 7c (looked stunning, a bit wet but climbable). Basically, everything on that wall looks awesome. Hasta Luego Luca was wet unfortunately, but should dry fairly quickly.

It's only 7b, and i didn't actually try it, but Akira on El Cable looked pretty awesome - worth a shor if you'te up at triangulo anyway. We didn't make it to makinodromo rther, but it looks awesome!

Akira and the routes left of it are all good and worth doing, although La Decepcion is a bit unbalanced - hard start and finish, easy middle. The 7a (Uretrofilo) is great, one of my favourite routes from the last trip.

[TobyD]

It's only 7b, and i didn't actually try it, but Akira on El Cable looked pretty awesome -

I thought it was rather poor compared to a lot of other 7bs in Chorro; a one / two move grim problem in the middle of a 6b, the the line is nice i will conceed.
Liron Careto is great, despite (perhaps because of!) the massive bolt on jug.

Also agreed with whoever recommended Honk Down, tis good innit (and very soft!)

El Recodo in the gorge is superb, and people should go there more. All the routes i did there were ace.

[205Chris]

I'm off to Chorro next week, the 7bs - 7cs around Los Tigres / Makinodromo look awesome. Anyone got any knowledge on this area? Is it all as good as it looks or are some lines better than others? We won't have a car, will that make getting to this area a massive trek?

[mark20]

The walk to Maki is a bit of treck anyway, the additonal 10min to walk down to the village parking from the Orange House/Finca doesn't make much difference! Well worth the effort though, everything we did down there last year (6c-7b stuff) was amazing.

Only did a couple at Los Tigres, Los siete Larrys is a really nice wall climb with a crimpy bit near the top, but Speed Kings was a bit dissapointing - steady climbing with grovelling boudler problem around the roof at the top. The 7cs to the left looked good though