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Action packed weekend escape from the city

27/11/2017

Barranco del Infierno

Wow, what a crazy busy few days it's been! Joe, Seth, Gavin, Toshika, Irena, and Charlotte alighted the plane at Alicante airport on Friday afternoon and we all headed straight to the crags of Sierra de Toix, near Calpe. This was a good warm up and clearly everyone was happy to be by the sea, under a big blue sky, and of course touching rock.

On Saturday morning things really took off. We ventured into the Barranco del Infierno canyon. For scenery this is definitely the best of the Costa Blanca canyons. Lots of photos taken by everyone and lots of fun had. The heavy rains of last winter have changed this canyon, filling some of the pools with pebbles, this now makes the journey a little less strenuous but still every bit as much fun. With a long approach and return walk through stunning scenery, this made for a full and satisfying day out. Smiles all round :-)

The team then enjoyed a night out in Denia, sampling the local tapas. I stayed closer to home to get fully prepared for Sunday!

With Saturday still being the 'warm-up' day, Sunday saw us split into 2 groups (girls & boys). Kim took the girls over the Ferrer Ridge, near to Sierra de Bernia. This is a grade 1 scramble along a fine ridge with stupendous views. To round off the day they all went rock climbing at Murla crag, a perfect place to watch the sunset.

I took the guys to king of Costa Blanca ridges, the Benicadell. If this ridge was by the coast it would attract far more people, but it nestles inland from Gandia and currently doesn't appear in any English guidebooks (although recently a Spanish guidebook has been published with details of Benicadell and many more fine ridges. Contact us for more details about this book by Joan Crespo Sempere) so doesn't see much attention, which is a shame, it's brilliant!
Due to the size of the ridge it receives the Alpine grade of AD/D rather than a mere scrambling / climbing grade. This is something worth bearing in mind if planning a traverse.

We set off from the parking area by around 9.15am, the approach walk is easy and quite short. The initial pitches went well, albeit a little on the slow side for such a big undertaking. Momentum soon started to gather and there were times when we were able to use 'moving together' techniques for even greater efficiency whilst still maintaining an acceptable level of safety for us all.
By lunchtime I realised we were too far behind schedule to make it to the summit via the ridge, but knew we could remain on the ridge for much longer and enjoy continued scrambling and climbing for a few more hours, so that's what we did. We traversed a huge amount more of the ridge, using up as much daylight as possible, before making a quick retreat off the south side, not too far below the summit. From here an easy path led up to our descent route. The sun was setting and everything felt sublime, to be out on a big ridge with the world below our feet, was quite special.

Head torches came out for the easy walk down to the car, all of us tired, in the best possible way. Such an amazing day, big thanks to Joe, Seth, and Gavin.
And an all round fantastic weekend, thanks too to Toshika, Irena, Charlotte, Kate, Kim, and Ann.

Many tired folk now heading back to London after the weekend escape, and an afternoon of rest for us here too :-)

Mark

One of the many abseils

Bridging the gap in the canyon!

Think they're about to sing!

Gavin and Seth dwarfed by the scale of the initial section of ridge

Shadows fall and sunset nears as we are high on the ridge

Sunset from Benicadell - made the walk down in the dark well worthwhile

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Bernia Ridge - where the mountains meet the sea

22/11/2017

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Climbing the crux pitch

Today we had the pleasure of introducing Steve to the delights of Ridge Scrambling. What better a venue than the superb Bernia Ridge. Marvelled at by many as they cruise up and down the coastal motorway, but always a quite place once up on the ridge.
This is not a place for anyone without a head for heights - the drops are huge - and Steve quickly got to grips with this. Being a super fit road cyclist we blasted up to the Forat and whilst the rest of us sorted kit, Steve ventured through the tunnel to the South side of the ridge. We soon set off for the final section of approach, up the rocky path to gain the ridge just below t he East summit.
Being joined by Kim & Ann, we were able to leapfrog on various sections and share ropes where appropriate, thus saving some rope-faff time for us all. We did spend a few minutes placing some fixed gear (rope) for a short abseil/down-climb, we've done this a few times previously and each time someone removes it! Why, we don't know. It seems a perfectly valid place to equip.

We continued as far as the bolted climbing section - the crux - before stopping for lunch (slightly overcooked tortilla for me)! Steve being new to climbing, I made sure to clip all the bolts for maximum protection, and he cruised the pitch in no time. We waited in the sun on the small summit above, then the 4 of us began the meandering descent to the final col. As there is a fixed abseil station here we arranged for an abseil descent (scrambling down is also fine and quite straightforward), but not before Steve had signed the visitors book to say 'Bernia ridge - tick :-)'

Another brilliant day out, thanks to Steve, Kim, and Ann.

Mark

Abseiling down a steep section (this is the only obligatory abseil on the ridge)

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Self rescue for climbers

19/11/2017

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Assisting a stuck abseiler via ascending the rope then unweighting the abseilers belay device

This weekend i've had the pleasure to introduce some friends to rescue skills for rock climbing. I'm always happy when asked about improvised / self rescue, but still surprised by how few climbers actually take an interest in this very important aspect.
These skills are not difficult to learn, it's not 'high order' thinking, but it does need to be learned and practiced in advance of 'things not going according to plan'!
Even on a single pitch, easily accessible crag, a few rope tricks can go a long way to speeding up a crag evacuation and getting the climber into a comfortable place. On a multi-pitch mountain crag or sea cliff, these rope tricks are vital.

Also, a weekend at the crag playing with ropes can actually be a lot of fun, just as much fun as climbing.

We started simple, I was told many years ago by a well known British Mountain Guide (BMG) to 'keep it simple, keep it safe' and this has always stayed with me.

Look for a simple solution, can the climber be lowered to the ground, or will a really tight rope help them over a tricky move? These may solve the problem before it is a problem!

Some of the areas covered were:
Tying off the belay device
Use releasable systems
Escape from the belay system
Assisted hoist
Unassisted hoist (in and out of the belay system
Counterbalance abseil to an injured climber
Lowering passed a knot
Abseiling passed a knot
Stacked abseil systems (problem avoidance)
Abseiling without a belay device
Ascending a rope - to help a stuck / injured climber
Improvised chest harness

Thanks to Miguel, Mila, and Kim for making the weekend such a lot of fun

Mark

Escaping the belay system and simple hoists

More complexed systems in use for a traverse rescue

What a great days climbing looks like

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More canyon discoveries, Costa Blanca

19/11/2017

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Abseiling through the narrows!

Barranco del Pas de Calvo

Whilst enjoying a walk along the beautiful Malafi gorge last year, I spotted an area of interest, maybe for climbing, maybe scrambling, or maybe canyoning. Wasn't really sure which, but for sure the area would provide adventurous fun. Soon after this discovery I returned with a friend and together we climbed a ridge high above the gorge. This was fun, quite loose, and had a very adventurous feel to it. We later descended via a small canyon that was mostly very straightforward.

The bigger canyon still awaited our attention and by chance I came across an article in the FEMECV mountaineering magazine that described this very canyon. It is fully equipped with bolts and ventures through some fine rock scenery.

Earlier this week, me & Kim set off to check it out. Only 25 minutes from Llosa de Camacho and with a short approach walk, this was too good to be true. Even the walk-in was fun, and in no time we arrived in the canyon, such a beautiful place. The initial abseil set up didn't make sense to us, but we made the best of what we had (a longer rope of 50m is the solution). Once beyond this section we were deep in the canyon and enjoying amazing scenery. Quite a few short abseils followed and some easy scrambling, so all in all a fun and enjoyable descent.

We had been advised that the return walk would be through dense vegetation, so had come prepared with saw, cutters, and gardening gloves. It was actually not so bad, and we have now cleared the route even more.

The longest abseil is under 20m but we would recommend combining the first 2 abseils to make about 24m, this would be far easier. So take a 50m rope.

For a short canyon this place certainly packs a punch, we'll definitely be back and hope some of you will join us too :-)

Mark

The first abseil

Looking back into the Barranco del Pas de Calvo

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Adventure day: Arista al Forat de la Forada

15/11/2017

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Abseiling into the Forat

Forada ridge, Vall de Gallinera: 250m Severe
First ascent: Javi Martin & Javi Martin Jnr - 2nd September 2017

About a year ago now, whilst walking to the Forat on this mountain, I remember looking down the north side and seeing a fine looking ridge. Pondering for a while what it would be like to climb it, then day to day thoughts and activities kicked in and the idea went out of my head, for a while...

During September this year it was brought to my attention that this ridge had in fact received an ascent by a father and son team. A mixture of emotions passed over me, happy to know it was possible and had quite easy access, sad that I hadn't done the hard work of discovering it first. Not to worry.

It was only a matter of time before we climbed this route, and today was the day. Together with Kim & Ann, we set off into the beautiful Vall de Gallinera, beginning our approach walk from the tiny village of Benissivi.

Approach:
45 minutes, mostly gentle uphill and all on good tracks / paths
From the bakery in Benissivi, follow the newly installed signs for La Forada until within about 150m of the base of the ridge, turn off the main track here and follow a smaller path leading around the left side of a large tower and so to the base of the ridge and a good gearing up ledge.

Ridge:
250 metres (including scrambling)
Severe / 4+
7 pitches (plus 2 walking pitches to link)
There is a small amount of fixed gear which aids route finding. Belays mostly have a single bolt and thread (autumn 2017). The fixed gear on the pitches consists of: threads; pegs; bolts. These are very sparse so take a light trad rack.

This ridge has so far seen very few ascents. This means there's still a lot of loose rock up there (the crag is massive), so wear a helmet and be gentle with the rock!

Approximate pitch lengths and grades are:
27m / 4+
25m / 4
20m / 3
Walk / scramble right to regain the ridge (escape possible from here)
35m / 4+
40m / 3+
Easy scrambling leads slightly downhill to the base of the final section (escape possible from here)
40m / 4
50m / 2
From part way along the final pitch, it's possible to abseil (approx 20m) into the Forat for a fun and dramatic finale to the day. Or if preferred, continue along until the ridge meets the bulk of the mountain.

Descent:
From the summit, follow the main PR route heading towards the coast, soon turn left to follow a good path down the north side of the mountain to regain your approach route.

Time:
As a party of 3 and allowing for rests, lunch, photos, etc we spent 5 hours 30 minutes from leaving Benissivi to arriving back in the village. A fast team will easily do this in more like 4 hours total.

Refreshments:
Benissivi may only be a small village, but it has bars, cafes, restaurants, and a bakery!

For anyone looking to experience rock climbing, mountain walking, canyoning, ridge scrambles, or via ferrata, and would like some sunshine & warmth mixed in, why not get in touch and let us put together an itinerary to suit you.

View of the ridge during the approach walk

Kim leading up to crux rib. To the right is a massive drop into the valley!

Kim & Ann setting up the abseil

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Guided rock climbing & coaching week, Costa Blanca

12/11/2017

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Enjoying the perfect limestone of Alcalali crag

For Joe this was to be a return visit to the area and a well earned break from the cold, damp Staffordshire moors. For Kerry, this was a completely new area to discover, having travelled widely but not to this part of Spain – why ever not?!
Both shared a common goal. To climb lots and feel more confident on the sharp end, leading rock climbing routes. Having a great time was in there too.

We had an itinerary mapped out, but had lots of other possibilities on tap so as to keep in line with everyone’s needs.

Day 1: Alcalali crag – only 5 minutes from our base in Llosa de Camacho, this roadside venue is home to a wide variety of top quality single pitch sport climbs from grade 4 – 7. We warmed up on a few 4’s before moving to 5’s. The afternoon was hot and after 6 big pitches of climbing we called it a day, heading back to Llosa and the sun terrace.

Day 2: Bovedon crag, Gandia – Anyone flicking through the Rockfax guidebook for Costa Blanca will be forgiven for dismissing Bovedon as a crag that’s out of reach for most climbers. The routes described are all in and around the massive cave and grades start at 7 before quickly moving on to 8’s. Most visitors to the area are not climbing at such a high standard. Since the guidebook was published, a number of nearby crags have been developed and this area now boasts lots of top quality climbs from 4 upwards, so very good news for anyone operating around grades 5 & 6.
We climbed 6 more routes at Bovedon today, with leads of up to 6a+, top effort! We also enjoyed the crag to ourselves so had the pick of any routes we wanted.

Topping out on Sonjannika, Morro Falqui

Day 3: Sonjannika, Morro Falqui – A change from single pitch sport climbing to more commiting things on big sea cliffs. This 170m 6 pitch beauty gives some of the best climbing in the area. Whilst still being a bolted route, the bolts are very spaced so more care is required with both route finding and body position and technique. I climbed with Kerry and Kate climbed with Joe, we all alternate led, with joe & Kerry leading us up the crux pitch to the top. There were 2 climbers ahead of us, but apart from that it felt like we had the whole crag and coastline to ourselves. The top is reached all too quickly, but at least we left it until afternoon to start so we enjoyed the setting sun as we topped out.

Day 4: L’Ocaive crag – Tired muscles and fingers today and a late start had been planned. L’Ocaive is within walking distance of our house in Llosa de Camacho and visible from the terrace. Dismissed by many climbers as either too hard or simply unattractive. Neither could be further from the truth. The huge orange cave is the centrepiece of the crag and is indeed mega hard. The big grey slabs to the left offer more amenable climbing from 4+ and whilst they do appear vegetated, the rock is clean, solid, and provides some excellent routes. The crag stays in the shade until around 2pm so is perfect for warmer days. We ticked 4 long routes from 4+ - 6b. Starting late allowed us a late finish too and a sunset at the crag, which is beautiful.

Kerry working through the moves of 'Orange Express' 6b at Bolulla Raco Roig

More amazing climbing at Bolulla Raco Roig

Mark, Kim, Kerry, Joe (showing off his taped up fingers!), and Don at Bolulla crag

Day 5: Bolulla Raco Roig – The final climbing day of the trip and realistically needed to be a rest day, but that’s never going to happen on the last day, right.
So instead we opted for a high crag with more of a walk-in to reduce the amount of climbing time to a sensible level.
You may be thinking, why go for a longer approach walk with so many roadside venues in the area. Anyone who has visited Raco Roig will already know the answer. 25 minutes of easy walking along a mountain track and we’re in the most magnificent setting, arguably the finest single pitch crag setting in the Costa Blanca with stupendous views into the canyon, of the Bernia ridge, and out to sea. But what’s the climbing like I hear you say. Immaculate limestone with friendly spaced bolting. Joe ticked his first 6b in Spain! But it was the long, sustained 6a+ he cruised that was the highlight and best single pitch route of the trip ‘Sinfonie Fur Simi’. A 3 star route through and through. Beware the sharp rock up here, we’ve already painted some of it red!
As the sun moved across the crag and shade quickly followed, we ran away in time for coffee & cake at the Coll de Rates.
For the last night out and a special treat we made the short journey to Castell de Castells and the amazing food of Mirco & Paula at their restaurant ‘Castell de Ines’. We can’t speak highly enough of the food and passion to be found in this restaurant, simply unique. I’ve been to Ambleside’s finest restaurants over the years and none come close for overall experience. Don’t just turn up and expect to be fed though, booking is essential.

With winter fast approaching, some will be turning their thoughts to snow and ice along with the vagaries of Scottish winter. Others will be missing the rock. For anyone looking to experience rock climbing, mountain walking, canyoning, ridge scrambles, or via ferrata, and would like some sunshine & warmth mixed in, why not get in touch and let us put together an itinerary to suit you.

Big thanks to Kerry, Joe, Kim, and Ann for joining us this week :-)

Mark & Kate

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Cresta de Al-Azraq: Exploring a 13th Century fortress via a fine ridge

5/11/2017

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Looking up towards the ridge and fortress

Today was due to be a rest day, but that didn't last long as there's still so much to discover in these mountains. Last year I laid eyes upon a ridge in the Vall de Gallinera and thought 'yeh that looks nice'! Now armed with more information and the recently published local guidebook 'Crestas y Aristas de la Comunidad Valenciana by 'Joan Crespo Sempere' we set off to explore.

What did we find?
Firstly we enjoyed a pleasant drive from Llosa de Camacho through the Vall de Gallinera, with stunning mountains and pretty villages this in itself would be enough for many.
We then only had a short uphill walk of maybe 15 minutes to reach the base of the ridge and gearing up spot. With this place being 'off the beaten track' we moved slow and steady along the initial section, which included a cave!
Being North facing we enjoyed the coolness of shade for a while, but then returned into bright sunshine once on the exposed sections of ridge.

Long sections of easy ground were split with technical climbs up to grade V so we were able to move fairly swiftly for much of the time, although route finding wasn't always a breeze!
The more height we gained the better the ridge became, and to finally arrive at the fortress was such a treat. There is so much more to it than appears from below and renovation works are underway, albeit low-key.
Guidebook description suggested a couple of descent options, we opted for the less technical of these, being a straightforward footpath, this brought us back to the parking area in about 20 minutes.

Equipment we took: helmet, harness, technical approach shoes, a light trad rack with plenty of 120cm & 60cm slings, 40m single rope.
This was enough, but if climbing this route again as a party of 3 I would consider a 50m rope to give increased flexibility on pitch lengths.
Due to the loose rock found along some of the ridge a helmet is an absolute 'must take' bit of kit. I trundled a few blocks along the way! But with a light touch and thoughtful movement this is a very worthwhile ridge scramble with stunning views in all directions, these include the mighty Benicadell too.

Thanks to Kate & Kim for joining me on this.

Mark

Kate & Kim enjoying the airy situations on the ridge

Me, Kate & Kim at the top

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Multi-activity week - Costa Blanca

4/11/2017

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Jenni, Francie, and Lauren about to abseil after the Ponoch Via Ferrata

It's been a hectic and hugely fun week for us here. We welcomed back the Hewett family and friends for multi-activities and adventures and all things rock in Costa Blanca :-)
Now with 2 small babies, activities were going to need some flexibility from all sides, so I had lots of plan b's (even more than usual) this week.

As a gentle warm up we all enjoyed a walk to Les Arcs, to see the dramatic rock arches above Castell de Castells. This was followed with an afternoon of Rock climbing at the Viudes crag near Tarbena, which we had all to ourselves.

For Monday things got a bit more exciting, with a descent of the Barranco del Pas Tancat, near Bolulla. Having only fairly recently discovered this amazing place I was keen to share the experience with others and knew it would be enjoyed by the team. To allow for childcare to work out we ran 2 trips during the day so everyone got to experience the canyon.

Tuesday was to be an adventure day on the mighty Ponoch. We scaled the mountain using the in-situ Via Ferrata to quickly and easily gain height. This activity can be enjoyed by anybody who is fit and has a head for heights. It's a lot of fun (see the photos) and has a fast pace to it.

Wednesday was spent at the nearby crag of Alcalali. This crag typifies Costa Blanca sport climbing, with well bolted, top quality climbs looking out over a stunning valley and within 5 minutes of the car park. Good climbing progression shown by all and Edd giving us a finale on a long and sustained 6c, top effort!

Thursday saw a last minute change of plan as 2 more friends joined the group. Jenni & Francie were keen to have an adventure rather than go rock climbing with the others. So after some discussion and along with Lauren too, 4 of us headed back to the Ponoch Via Ferrata to scale this huge mountain. Smiles all round at the top, well done all.

Friday has arrived all too quickly and the last day of their holiday :-(
So let's make the most of it and get back out on the rock. This time to another fairly newly developed sport climbing venue near Gandia. Ultra sharp rock, closely spaced bolts, sun and shade, and superb views over Orange groves to the mountains beyond, there's a lot going for this place. Everyone excelled, with some impressive leads, especially so from Jules and Charlie. The babies were able to play in the shelter of a nearby cave (it was a very hot day), so enjoyed shade and cooler temps as well as watching some impressive locals on the super steep routes going through the roofs!!

Friday night is music night at Emilios Bar here in Llosa de Camacho, and the fantastic Gas Monkeys were playing tonight. Really good music until way passed my bed time. The early morning flight didn't seem to deter anyone from keeping the barman company until rather later ;-)

Sad to be saying goodbye to these beautiful people once again. Safe travels all, and especially so for Edd & Charlie who set sail for the Falkland Islands in a few days time!

Mark & Kate

Maybe you're looking for an activity week and would like to get off the beaten track. Or want to escape the UK winter and find warm sunshine. If so, get in touch and let us take you on some adventures