It’s been a weird one for weather so far, it was cold, then hot, now cold again.  Hoping for a summer like 2018 we try and get a start on outdoor fun up at Intake, in Wirksworth.  I’m inducting two noobs into the joys of outdoor climbing so it’s a very easy day today.  After a quick session on how to rethread on a shitty climb on Shot wall, we head over to some decent stuff on Darkness wall.  The Clumps was a big fun 5 but the rock was so cold as to leave your fingers numb half way up.  Great route though.  Very, er, clumpy.

  

Now over to Runnel wall just over a bit to do 12 O’clock Nick, 5+ and El Sergio, 6a.  Noobs spent, and fingers numb, we call it a fun but short day.  Will be back here soon when the weather is warmer.

5   5   5+   6a

And so, the last day climbing for this trip; with a plane seat waiting for me at 5pm, I’m back at the relatively close town of Redován, next to Orihuela.  While we were climbing yesterday, we chatted to an English couple who recommended a new crag called El Rut.  Looking down from the base of the crag La Pancha, down over the pueblo, information was shared: Climbers’ café with crag topos, new crag’s location and parking, route quality. 

Though I am now without my rope bud Faz, I rock up to the climbers’ café hoping to get a hook up.  Inside the caf, on one long wall, there is the identical twin to the route-map sign marking the ascent trail to El Rut, just above the cemetery, a couple blocks over:

Boom, looks good.

I rock up to the crag and start identifying and checking lines.  Two pair from the Club de Montaña, climbing the long excellent 6s right of the cave – the same nice folk that bolted the sector, invite me to join them.  All Day Green, 6a was a very nice introduction to the rock: limestone, unpolished, solid/compact, sometimes sharp, grippy.  It was 30 metres that could just go on for ever.

  

The second line I am gifted is another quality 30mtr 6a called Lagarto, and yes I did see one.  It is a shame I fly home today, I would have loved to spend all day here.  I’ll have to return.

Third and last line today I place their draws up the brill Toma Conejo Río.  The 6a+ move comes at 20mtrs, around 2 third’s height, and is a nice crescendo from hardening climbing.  After, a pleasant cruise to the anchors.  What a nice day, a super crag, and an absolutely sound meeting of decent folk.  Thanks for the include today Francisco and Maria, and thanks to all of the Mountain Club for developing the crag.

 

6a   6a   6a+

Another first visit, another south facing awesome crag.  La Pancha lies above the town of Redován and gives great views:

But of course, south facing means lots of heat and sun.  The rock is a very nice limestone, and is already warm when we rock up at noonish.  Warm up route is Compae, 5 which is quality, and a bit thin at the top.  First pitch of Lucas, 6b is next with a nice technical move sequence at the crux two thirds the way up.

  

Dyana, 6a and first pitch of Ardilla, 6a+ give good mileage though Ardilla is polished, but still worthwhile.  Then onto the newer and excellent quality Paco, 6a+ and just a cool down of Todos Los Santos, 5 (first pitch only).  All onsights and all very enjoyable.  A great crag which will be visited again.

5   6b   6a   6a+   6a+   5

Some more awesome multi-pitch sport at the south facing Black Wall.  Some locals we meet in the car park recommend we do Derecha Del Espolón – which we ticked a few days ago, now onto the other suggestion, the slightly harder (but still a nice cruise) Teo, 5+,5+,6a,6a.  It was rather optimistic and unrealistic to think we could do two multi-pitch routes of this 150mtr wall, so a cold shot of realism:  count half an hour per person, per pitch.  So 4 hours to do the epic Teo.

We schlep up to the foot of the climb, (40 minutes right there!) and get it on.  Quality rock, super grip, well bolted and even some half decent belay ledges.  Though if I had known, I would have strung the last two pitches together as the end of the route was literally a 6 mtr pitch, so a bit of time was wasted faffing with rope pull throughs.  Some dagger-sharp rock in places, but an excellent climb, and well recommended.

  

A second day at this crag – it’s south facing as we need in 8 degree temperatures, and there’s still lots to do.  We warm up on Initiation Au Dentier, 5b and Vas-y Mollo, 5c all very textbook and ok.

Les 3 Dévers, 5c+ is next, Le Dentier, 6a and Les Mariés, 6a start to hassle Ric a little, and I should have cruised Pied Gauche, 6b+ but the old Tennis Elbow has me off my game.  An enjoyable day, if a little short.  St. Triphon – so good they climbed it twice, and a good way to finish the holiday.

5b   5c   5c+   6a   6a   6b+

South of Montreux is where we find ourselves, basking in sunlight on a fairly decent wall, in a wonderful country.  St. Triphon has a number of routes in all grades, so there’s something for everyone.  Le Dentier has a couple of dozen lines, mostly fairly easy, with a few test pieces, but what is important as the temperature is barely 8 degrees, is it is sheltered from wind and south facing.  Boom! Climbing in T-shirt and shades, estilo español.  Route info can be found on UKC.

So it’s a bit polished – the walk in is super short, there’s plenty of parking, so it’s going to be popular.  Though the crag is quarried, which means all those unnatural angles, the routes are well organised with name plates with grades at the foot of each, so no guide book needed. 

We start with Toit Pointu, 5b+ and continue the warm up with Fou J’Erre, 5c – both of which were all very good and pleasing.  I think the lines are a little over bolted but hey, it’s all good.  La Discrete starts to sift and is a fairly tough little 6a considering, but it is a decent climb.  With a very short day, we finish on an uppity 6b, Recontre Du 3e Type.  A tough but nice end to the day.

Some intel landed on our desk earlier this week.  A buddy, a pal, a chum, mate if you will, has a good cause going on – and we are a sucker for a good cause, so we are going to check out her charity auction.  I mean, imagine the envious looks when we rock up and pull out that red white and blue lambskin chalk bag at the crag.  Niiice…  We would urge all our readers to do the same.  Both of you.  That includes you, Mum.

5b+   5c   6a   6b

Tennis Shoe, HS 4b is today’s delight, and thankfully most of the rock has dried out from yesterday’s drizzle.  It’s a three-star classic, 6-pitch 137mtr route which was an absolute joy.

Lou starts off pitch 1 (30mtr, 4a) and after a fair amount of faff eventually gets to the belay ledge.  Pitch 2 was short and sweet, 15mtrs with the hardest move getting onto the face after the belay ledge.  Pitch 3: 18mtrs with more pleasant slab climbing on quartz patches.

Pitch 4 – and this is where things get blurred, should have been 37mtrs according to the guide book, but I climb past the shitty belay ‘ledge’ as my experience tells me I have not even climbed 30mtrs yet, and continue to make the obvious terrace up higher.  But I’m using a 50mtr half rope (thanks to Mr. C) with Lou’s 60mtr half rope (good job we swapped it out at the last minute!).  So when I run out of blue rope I yell down “take me off blue!”.  Just two more mtrs and I make the terrace.  Luckily there were people on the other lines to relay messages between us, as I had joined the 4th and 5th pitch, giving 67mtrs so sayeth the guide book.  With one 50 mtr rope 2 mtrs short, and my 60 mtr rope giving me enough slack to build a multipoint belay, the two pitches weigh in at 53mtrs.  Someone really should edit and correct these damn guidebooks – they charge enough moola for them.

Last pitch before a 100mtr scramble to the ab station is the crux, 4b but only in 15mtrs.  Lou steps up admirably.  An excellent adventure, taking 6 hours.

HS 4b

A looong schlep in, this is a fairly distant crag, both from the accommodation and from the parking.  But it was recommended and we hadn’t tried it before, so we were up for a new experience.  And we were glad we did.  After arriving and resting for 5, we warm up on Lou Lou, 6a+ and Zipfelmutz, 6b.  Ready for a fight, Tom Tom Club, 7a+ looks beefy and we have a play on it but it’s thuggy and pumpy and overhanging – not my style.  It also seems to be on top of a goat latrine, and the ammonia smell is a little distracting.

We leave this and go back right along the wall to a musical note 7a, Fioca with which I was looking to up my onsight tally by one, but it was a little hard to read.  I put a couple of chalk tick marks and send it 2nd try – a magnificent line.  Route of the day.

Though the sun has now arrived, I continue with Trou Por Trou, 6b to cool down before being out-voted to hit Emporios, for beer, beach and nosebag.

After too long a lunch, we rock up to Arginonta Valley, where my belayer informs me he is on strike after three routes, so I look for 3-star routes in the guide, and surprise, surprise, they are ALL 3 stars!  The guidebook people definitely need an editor.  I do Rhythm Of The Rain, 6a, Thunder Road, 6b, and Rufixius, 6a+.  There isn’t really anything to differentiate between them, they are all pleasant, all dusty, and all showing early signs of polish.  A good day.

6a+   6b   7a+   7a   7a   6b   6a   6b   6a+

Back to the old favourite, and one of the closer crags to home.  I still have plenty of work to do here, and buoyed by recent crushage on Poison Ivy, 7a+ on the Red Wall, I try and tick the remaining two hard routes left on Grid Iron.

After a quick warm up on Smack The Juggler, 6b+, I’m ready for my project.

Pew, Pew, Barney, McGrew, Cuthbert, Dibble, Grub, 7a+ (hence forth known as Pew) recently had a bit of escape tat hanging off it at what was presumably the crux, just before the overlap.  Sportsclimbs also tells us the crux is pulling through this overlap, so no surprise there.  We get on it.  The lower section is rather scrappy but requires some delicate and careful climbing, and isn’t too offensive.  Sure the rock isn’t super quality, but the movements needed to ascend are rather nice.  Then the pale coloured mid-section jumps up you and there are some stiff moves needed.  I work out a first hard move to reach the pocket (not hard when you know how!) under the roof, then progress is stopped.  I try and traverse over to the right – not a great hold.  I try straight up through a minging sloper – not good.  The good rescue hold is just too far away.  I work it for a while, but am left flummoxed as I strip it for another day.

With still some energy left, (though not enough for Pew), I get on Curfew, 6b+ which is always nice, and quickly round off the day with another send of Jack The Smuggler, 6c+ / 7a.

6b+   7a+   7a+  6b+   7a

Having climbed here once before – I remember trying the rather butch Carrasclet, 7c a while back, it’s no surprise what this great wall has to offer.  The first time around we didn’t have a topo, this time we do.  And Chema, our guide.  You can get approach instructions from this website.  In summer, a morning crag, in winter an afternoon crag.

What was once a tough 6b+ is now a chilled out 6c and that makes the warm up less stressful.  You lower down from the 33mtr Rústica and think “Yeah, let’s smash the next one” instead of thinking “Holy shit, that was hard, I hope I don’t get spat off the next climb”.  And we do just that – smash Chema and Isma’s 7a send Hecatombe.  Congratulations to Isma for his first 7a, Hecatombe is a worthwhile tick.

  

And so we move on to Mosca Negra, 7b.  A nice climb of around 6c up to the roof break, then a hard move, some thin things then another hard move before the chain.  Annoyingly I miss the onsight by a schoolboy error, but Paco nails his flash.  And so with three routes and 100 vertical metres, the sun is eating away at the shade at the base of the crag, and it’s time to get a brewski.  At 2:30pm in summer, the sun is on the wall and it’s too hot to climb.  A great sector, with decent routes, and one 7b that will shortly be added to my CV.

6c   7a   7b