Trip Report - Costa Blanca Sport Climbing (yet also somehow a lot of trad climbing) Trip
By Josh T. Also contributions from Callum Y and Ashley L.
For me the much anticipated Costa Blanca trip started with an extremely cramped, extremely early run to the airport on Saturday with Sevan, Callum, Owen and Paul (who thought a 4 am start was a good idea again…?). Nevertheless, spirits were high and after arriving in sunny Alicante we jumped in “the doctor” with Callum at the wheel. We quickly dumped bags at the Orange House and headed straight out to Culo de Rino at Sella. Memories of that afternoon get hazy as sleep deprivation kicked in, but we all got our eye in on some “easy” leads (some feeling slightly desperate with the polish…). Callum and I also successfully top-roped Vino d’Oporto, 6c (ably led by Kyle of course), reassuring us the trip wouldn’t be a complete write off…
Right: The first of many new tinder photos for Peter on the belay of Marión, 5a. Left: Kyle showboating while coming around the lip of the overhang on Cardo Borriquero Ex, 6c+. Photo Credit Callum Y & Michael B
On Sunday, feeling far better rested, we all headed back for a full day at Sella. After a quick warm up Callum and I got stuck into Cuidado Con Mi Sombrero, 6a+ (originally thought it was a 6b…to become a running theme of the trip), each managing to lead it clean after some practice (and Callum taking his first outdoor lead fall!). I then went off to belay Kyle on Cardo Borriquero Ex, 6c+, taking an intimidating looking line under a large roof (with only a small amount of showboating from Kyle coming round the lip). Then it was time for me to try hard on the excellent La Cosa, 7a (or 6c+...depending on which guidebook you choose to believe), getting it clean after some crucial beta from Kyle. Other highlights of the day were Ashley and Conor both getting their first outdoor leads and Callum managing to find one of the few “trad” multipitch routes at the crag (Marión, 5a) and quickly get it ticked with Peter as the sun was setting.
Left: The first of many ridges for Paul and Owen at Toix ; Middle: Sevan chilling on Amor Bruja.; Right: The race up the pillar at Sax. Photo Credits: Owen L, Callum Y and Kyle S
Monday saw the group splitting up, with one team heading off to Sierra de Toix for either adventurous ridge scrambling or more chilled single pitching. I joined the Sax multi-pitching crew, and after arriving at the crag (with only a couple of minor navigation errors in the doctor) Paul K and I set our sights on climbing the prominent tower at the far end of the crag up the excellent Carrasco, 5a. After two pitches of thoroughly enjoyable and well equipped climbing (despite Rockfax’s advice to bring nuts), plus one rope-stretching abseil, Paul and I opted to continue our type 1 fun afternoon with Blanes, 4c (basically just as hard as Carrasco as far as we could tell!). Peter and Michael were on a similar wavelength, starting with Blanes (with Michael getting his first multipitch lead in on P2!) and finishing up Carrasco. Meanwhile, Vicky and Kyle had made it up Amor Brujo, 6a+, with only minor communication issues on the intimidating second pitch (“SLACK!!!”). Callum and Sevan promptly followed, with Callum nobly leading the apparently harder 1st pitch leaving Sevan to finish the route with “the scariest lead of my life”. Of course, Kyle decided to finish the day with a monster two pitch 7a+ (Quirofano de la Meurte) done in one rope length on his handy 80m single. However, a lack of volunteers to second meant a definitely-not-sketchy single-mallion abseil became necessary to retrieve gear….
Left: Conor keeping his cool . Right: Owen and Vicky getting simultaneously stuck on Malvinas (6b+) and Gibralter (6b+). while Conor cruises Irlande del Norte (6a+). Photo Credits: Michael B
Tuesday rolled around with the latest incarnation of Gold Team setting off early for the big objective of Espolón Central, 4c, on Puig Campana, sure to be back in plenty of time for beers in Finestrat...The rest of the group set off (some time later) for Guadalest. After a quick warm up I resolved to spend most of the day falling off Territorios Ocupados, 7a (or 6c, thank you again Costa Blanca Climbs) with patient belaying from Michael, until Kyle again found the crucial beta that let me finally lead the route. Meanwhile, the rest of the group took advantage of some of the more impressive routes on offer, with multiple ascents of Irlanda del Norte, 6a+ (had to be done!), Gibraltar, 6b, and Marina Baixa, 6b (including the awkward but entertaining cave at the end of P1). Michael and I then ended the day each leading P1 of the fantastic Erotika, 6a, as the sun began to set, finishing up in time to meet the rest of the team for a quick beer in the picturesque town before heading back to the hostel. Night was drawing in on the drive back, and as we passed Puig Campana we couldn’t help but notice headlamps flashing on the face…surely the other team couldn’t still be on the route?
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Gold team guide to Puig Campana
Team members:
Callum Young - thinks trad season begins in January
Seven Houston - dislikes Craigavon
Peter Adamson - secret YouTube millionaire
Paul Kelly - word based board game extraordinaire
The night before:
The route, approach and descent was analysed, 9 minute drive to the car park from the hostel and a 1hr hike to the base. We had heard the descent could be treacherous in parts, although the addition of a via ferrata style cable covering the traverse section had improved things massively. We note that sunrise in Finestrat is 07:45 and decide that a leaving time of 07:00 is appropriate. Sevan scrolls through his 237 preset alarms to find the perfect wake up time and we all head to bed for an early night.
Day of the climb
06:00 - Paul, Sevan and I are up early, ready to seize the day.
06:55 - Peter tactically arises 5 minutes before departure time.
07:05 - Gold team piles into The Doctor*, which immediately alerts us we are about to run out of fuel and screams its usual warning that the smart key cannot be detected despite being directly on top of the sensor.
07:15 - Arrive at carpark, in the distance we can see the torches of a team already at the base, “Wow they’re keen, I bet they got up as early as possible to make sure nobody holds them up”.
08:00 - 15 minutes from the base, Sevan has a code brown and immediately scurries off to resolve the issue.
08:20 - Arrive at base. We discover that the group we saw from the carpark was actually a 3 and they were still on P1. We decided we should try and pass them after P4 where there is a short 10m pitch on easy terrain.
08:45 - Group ahead starts to lead P2 so Peter kicks off P1 with Paul. Sevan and I go up after.
11:00 - 4 pitches down we realise its actually quite awkward to overtake people as two pairs. Peter has a chat with the first team who are all sound and open to an overtake, but we’re not really sure how to do it as they had already started the next pitch by the time all 4 of us were on the easy terrain of P5. We decide the current pace is probably fine and tell ourselves we’ll try another overtake at the P9 lunch ledge if time is looking short.
13:00 - The sun is shining and the climbing is great, the views and exposure continue to get better.
13:45 - I watch from the top of P7 as Sevan wrestles with an overcammed Black Diamond C4 for a good 10 minutes in an attempt to start his trad rack, but is unsuccessful.
15:00 - All of Gold team is now on the lunch ledge, but similarly to last time the first team had already started the next pitch so we ended up remaining behind them. At this stage we realised we would likely be walking out in the dark.
“We’ll probably get off the scree slope before we’d need the head torches, right?”
15:15 - Progress grinds to a halt. The team in front had some route finding issues on P10 and by the time Sevan and I were able to leave the lunch ledge we had spent almost 2hrs there. During this time we discuss our favourite films, the strangest places we’ve visited and how glad we all were that Sevan made his bowel movement before we got on the wall.
“Ok so we won’t be off the scree slope before dark but at least we’ll get the via ferrata done with the last bit of light, right??"
17:30 - I top P10 to find Peter and Paul along with two members of the first team still there, apparently their original leader for the pitch backed off so they did a swap.
“Alright so this isn’t great but SURELY we’ll finish climbing before we’re out of light, right???”
18:30 - I get started on P11. Thank God I charged that head torch.
18:45 - Sundown, a glorious sunset and great company means morale remains high.
19:15 - Head torches officially come out, this sends Sevan into a psych induced mania that lasts the rest of the night “This is the best day ever”. First team seemed to have picked up the pace quite a bit here despite the pitches being long.
20:20 - After leading the last 2 pitches in the dark all of Gold team tops out.
20:25 - Started on the via ferrata, the first team stuck around near the top to make route finding easier for us which was a nice gesture and very much appreciated.
20:45 - 20 minutes into the via ferrata Sevan asks if we’re allowed to lean on the metal cable or if that’s considered cheating…
21:30 - Arrive at scree slope, Peter: “That via ferrata was terrible I never thought I’d be so glad to get on scree”
21:31 - 60 seconds later the reality of walking downhill through scree in the dark hits Peter “Maybe we all fell to our deaths on that climb and this scree is just Hell”
21:40 - Peter: “I have invented a new sport called screeing and decided this isn’t so bad”
21:45 - We are all a bit dehydrated at this point, I watch Paul pull out a bottle of lemon Aquarius isotonic drink with a few sips left in it and have never been more jealous in my life.
22:30 - Gold team gets back to the car.
22:40 - Arrived back at The Orange House, special shout out to Vicky and Kyle who graciously donated their dinner for the night to us. Also a shoutout to Peter who made the worlds best pasta by accidentally dumping half a salt shaker into in while boiling.
22:50 - Sevan does everyones dishes in a desperate attempt to burn off some of his psyche induced energy to no avail.
11:00 - Bedtime
Best day of the trip?
Learnings
- Read the signs early when there’s a notable speed contrast between groups and act fast, especially when they’re cooperative. Really we should have made a concrete plan with the first group to overtake after P4 but our lack of urgency cost us in the end.
- Gold team rules!
*Our weird Italian branded Chinese rental car was a DR 4.0, lovingly dubbed The Doctor
Left: Paul K, Middle: The crew about to start, Right: Callum in despair. Photo Credits: Callum Y & Sevan H
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It was an early start for me on Wednesday as I joined the second group to tackle Espolón Central on Puig Campana. Taking the lesson from the previous days’ escapades we left as early as possible to ensure we were first on the wall, thrashing up the ascent path to arrive at the base by 8 am without another soul in sight. From there Paul G and Owen graciously let Kyle and I set off first, assuming Kyle would be driving us up the wall in record time. As it turned out my more “steady” (read: slow) style almost exactly cancelled out Kyle’s “enthusiastic” (read: unprotected) approach as we swung leads, and our two teams remained neck and neck up most of the route….Nevertheless we all made it up with minimum fuss and in good time (“you can finish that sandwich while you belay can’t you?”). A particular highlight for me was the beautifully airy pitch 6 (which Paul and Owen skipped, opting for a gully scramble instead?!), while we all agreed the descent down a slightly sketchy via ferrata and too-long scree slope could absolutely do one. Upon making it back to the car, Kyle and I smugly noted the time (4:30) and graciously decided not to rub it in Gold Team’s faces (at least not immediately…) and headed off for a cold beer in Finestrat.
Paul topping out and the Not Gold Team starting in the cold cloudy morning. Photo Credits: Owen L
Too much posing in Gandia to describe. Photo Credits: Peter A and Callum Y
On Thursday morning it was time to say goodbye to Michael who was off to meet friends in Granada (and mostly climb indoors as it turned out). As heartbroken as we all were, the promise of Tania arriving that afternoon kept our spirits high enough to get out climbing, with the main contingent off to Gandía while Vicky, Kyle, Paul G and Owen headed to Sierra de Toix to sample the adventurous routes of Magical Mystery Tour, 5a, and Parle, 6a+. The day at Gandía got off to a good start with most warming up on some of the easier routes to the left hand end of Sector Hidraulics, including multiple ascents of the hilarious but short lived tube of Patxi Saez, 5a. Meanwhile I convinced Paul K to join me in trying hard on Assassí de vampiros, 7a (a proper one this time, maybe even 7a+ according to some locals!). However, after some valiant attempts and a decent amount of air time we both admitted defeat and went down to join the rest of the gang in Sector Fundicio. Here Callum had been diligently working the burly Amarrada al pilló, 6b+, finally getting it clean at the end of the day. There were also multiple ascents of the less steep but still strenuous El Ser, 5, and Bombero Gorilero, 6a, by Peter, Sevan and Tania.
Left: The ascent of Parle. Right: Sevan posing on Magical Mystery Tour (on top rope….). Photo Credits: Peter A
Friday saw a return to Sierra de Toix for most of us, while Vicky, Kyle, Owen and Paul G set off on the exciting but logistically challenging El Realet. Upon arrival Conor and I quickly made a beeline to the start of Cilber, 5c, to make a start on the Toix Ridge. Meanwhile Mike, Ashley and Tania headed off for some relaxed single pitching and Peter, Paul, Sevan and Callum set off to take their turn on Magical Mystery Tour, 5a and Parle, 6a+ (sure to finish in the daylight this time, right?). Conor and I completed the ridge (and Conor’s first multipitch experience!) in decent time despite some faff on the narrow section and met back up with Mike, Ashley and Tania. As the sun began to set we let Gold Team know we were finishing up, only to discover they were in fact still on the route (making the most of their investment in headtorches I suppose?) so we left them to it, piling into Tania’s rented mini for a slightly cramped trip back to the hostel.
Saturday, sadly, brought our last day of climbing for the trip. After a small amount of back and forth, we eventually split into three groups, with Owen, Paul G and Ashley heading off the Peñón (only to be thwarted by the permit system!), another group heading to Marín, and Kyle, Vicky, Tania and I aiming to go and try hard at Forada. Unfortunately, a navigational mishap sent the Forada crew up a very steep (but thankfully paved) mountain road, only to find we were in completely the wrong place…Upon realising that correcting the error would take too long we bailed to Marín to join the others. Upon arrival we found Sevan accidentally completing his hardest lead of the trip (El Vuela de Abuelo, 6b) thanks to the “encouragement” of Mike (“it’s a 5 something Sevan”) while Paul K, Callum, Peter and Conor tackled a selection of the more adventurous multipitches on offer.
On Sunday, following a slightly frantic clear out of the fridge at the hostel, it was finally time to say goodbye to Costa Blanca and its sun-drenched limestone. Despite the temptation to cancel our return flights we all made it back to the airport and then it was back to reality! Of course the only thing to do after such a great trip is to start planning the next one….I’m sure we’ll be back!
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Unsure what crag to go to - Read Ashley’s poetic account of each crag including accounts of many hiccups!:
Sella: While we were still weary from the early flight, we were determined to get some climbing in on the first day! It was Ashley's first outdoor climbing experience, and she found herself inadvertently starting to lead a 6A route(supposed to be a 4!). Despite that hiccup, Sella proved to be an excellent spot for new climbers, offering a huge variety of routes and solid bolting. The rock isn’t too sharp, although there is a bit of polish in some places.
Our first day at Sierra de Toix started out with a bit of a hiccup, we took a wrong turn but found the most specular viewpoint. The crag at Sierra de Toix was absolutely baking in the winter sun, water sparkling down below, with houses jutting out of the side of the cliffs. Black wheatear and Sardinian warblers chirped away while we ate our lunch. Toix was a perfect place to achieve a large number of lower-grade climbs in a quick succession, as routes were spaced very close to one another. However, first bolts were often placed 4+ metres above the belay point, proving to be unnerving at the start. La cagona, or ‘the pooper’ in English, was a fun but polished route that had one big, reach-y move.
The crag at Guadalest is home to the infamous routes of the Territorios Ocupados. As you would expect, there was a queue to climb Irlanda del Norte, a very pumpy route that caused quite a bit of rock fall. After quite a few challenging routes, we wandered into the town of Guadalest. We walked along cobbled streets opening to a massive reservoir, with oddly aquamarine water. We stopped in a small café for some crisp beer to soothe our sore muscles.
Echo Valley had an exciting scramble up to the crag. It was the most peaceful of crags, little sound carried in the valley, contrary to its name.
Paul, Owen, and Ashley tried to make their way up the Peñon, however they were turned away as all of the tickets for the day had been claimed. Not wanting to risk the 600 euro fine, they decided to head to try a multi-pitch at Mascarat. After an easy 20 metre abseil off of a bridge, they started their climb from a small ledge above a gorge. Crag martins were flying above and below us as curious hikers took photos of us unexpected climbers. Throughout the course of our multi-pitch route, the silence was punctured by screams of adrenaline seekers swinging off a 100m bridge. While the Boulder Terminar was intended to be 6 pitches, the first three pitches were quite challenging with a slabby transverse and limited bolting. After 3 pitches the group decided to scramble down to the road to make sure we could make it to Serena’s for one last big dinner.
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