Cresta del Castellar
Today we were tempted inland a little, to the large town (or is it a small city?) of Alcoy. We had recently heard of a fine ridge line on the outskirts of town, easy to reach, with good bolts, great views and plenty of exposure. Due to the ease of access it's also very doable in an afternoon, so worked perfectly for us today.
Looking on a map, it can be easy to dismiss a visit to Alcoy as too far out of the way. We used to think so. But it really isn't that difficult to reach, and once there, you're surrounded by stunning mountain scenery. Nearby mountain ranges include: Sierra Mariola; Serrella; and Aitana.
We parked up on the fringes of a suburb, from here the ridge was clearly in view and would only take us minutes to reach. Certainly looks good.
Arriving at the base of the crag we immediately spotted a well bolted line up the ridge, this was our route, the Cresta del Castellar. Great rock, very good bolting and all belays with double bolts and nice stances, really nice exposure too. The climbing was pretty easy, 4+ being the hardest, with I think 2 pitches at that grade.
At the top of the climb there's a large level area, we stopped for lunch here before continuing along the crest. Another 200m of grade 1 scrambling remained.
Descent: an easy to follow path leads back under the ridge below a very steep crag (that's bolted too).
This ridge makes for an easy day out, good for a rest day, and maybe combine with a visit to the old town of Alcoy, take in some culture.
Or worth considering as an airport day activity if staying with us or in the Llosa / Alcalali area. It's a nice drive to the airport via Alcoy and avoids all the toll motorways 🙂
For more information about any of our activities or places mentioned in the blog, please get in touch anytime. And if wanting further inspiration about the Costa Blanca please check out our New Cicerone guidebook Costa Blanca Mountain Adventures
Thanks for reading
Mark
