…Where Climbing Is a True Passion…
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…where climbing is a true passion… It is easy to get to with plenty of cheap fl ights and accommodation, it has great weather in winter, fantastic scenery with a stunning rural countryside, and a great coastline, but above all it is the ultimate playground for climbers. Spain has so Spain much rock you’ll need a few lifetimes to see it all - no matter where you choose to go, the experience will be unforgettable! This is the country of passionate Flamenco, bullfi ghts, tapas, Las Ramblas, Picasso, and Gaudí. Spain has an incredible history which is refl ected in its many palaces, ruins, and cathedrals. Spain’s cultural uniqueness is rooted in its history - the Spanish nation was made up of a conglomeration of separate kingdoms, each bringing their own fl avour to the pot. Over the past few decades Spain has become well loved by foreigners whom come to admire its great cities, gorgeous coast line, and beautiful landscape. And, of course, to appreciate the Jamón and the culture! Its rugged landscape is packed with top quality climbing areas. The climbing is extremely diverse and you’ll be hard pressed to fi nd a climbing style that isn’t represented here - granite slabs, long multi pitches, tufa-and-stalactite fests, trad climbs, long cracks, huge roofs, fi ngery vertical walls… we could go on and on! The crags are beautifully situated and the ambience is always super relaxed. A trip to Spain in winter is ideal for those who long to get away from the inhospitable winters of Northern Europe, which hinders climbing activity so much. But also there are venues that are suitable in summer. Whatever your choice, fl ights are cheap year round and the accommodation options are endless and, outside the high tourist season, very reasonably priced. Many areas even have a typically relaxed climbers campsite with bungalows, which really adds to the Youri van Vliet on the spectacular Dosis (8b+) at Sella, photo by Paul Lahaye SSpanje.inddpanje.indd SSec2:2ec2:2 22-11-2007-11-2007 114:48:024:48:02 holiday feeling. Yes, Spain is defi nitely one of those Climbing area Malaga countries that make you want to come back to over and over again. Malaga is home to the world famous El Chorro. This fantastic place offers all a climber could dream for! The setting in a deep gorge is simply stunning Climbing information and the climbing is tremendous. Another fabulous nearby crag, Desplomilandia, makes your whole Climbing is possible almost everywhere in Spain - trip complete. from the Pyrenees to the Canary Islands and from the Mediterranean to the North Atlantic coastline. Actually it sometimes feels as if the whole country Climbing area Costa Blanca is made out of rock and despite there being hundreds of developed crags there seems to be unlimited The Costa Blanca is mainly known for its beautiful rock waiting to be climbed. The Spanish themselves coast line with the most stable winter weather in are, unsurprisingly, very able and strong climbers Spain. It also has some very nice crags, such as - have a look at the world sport climbing ranking Sella, Sierra de Toix, and Gandia. list of the UIAA! Most of the rock is good quality limestone but there is Climbing area València also granite and conglomerate to be found. In general the routes are always very well bolted and have Hidden away about a two hour drive inland from good lower-offs, which makes it a perfect place to try València is the best bouldering destination in Spain. | Introduction harder stuff and push your limits with confi dence. Some even say that Albarracin is only second in Europe after Fontainebleau for bouldering. Closer Since Spain has so many climbing areas it is to València you’ll fi nd Montanejos, with a large Spain an almost impossible task to choose the best. number of sport and traditional routes where one 265 Nevertheless we have tried to give an overview of, can happily spend a few months. in our opinion, the most interesting and unique areas. Climbing area Costa Daurada Climbing area Pre-Pyrenees South west of Barcelona are two supreme crags - In the north the foothills of the Pyrenees host a Siurana and Montsant. This is one of the cheapest number of impressive crags. Not far away from and easiest to reach destinations in Spain, favoured the French border, Riglos and Rodellar, both have by many. Siurana is already widely known for its some fantastic climbing. Riglos is exceptional for its fantastic limestone and incredibly chilled atmosphere. huge red-coloured conglomerate pillars. Rodellar Nearby Montsant is still a secret to some but is also is without doubt one of the best sport climbing on its way to becoming one of Spain’s top venues. destinations in Europe. Climbing area Mallorca Climbing area Madrid The island of Mallorca situated in the Mediterranean The best crags around Madrid, La Pedriza and Sea provides truly excellent rock climbing in beautiful Patones, are situated north of the capital. Each surroundings. It is a good choice for both families offers a completely different style of climbing - from and hard rock climbers, and for those who enjoy pure slab climbing to technical moves on steep good nightlife. It also has fantastic deep water solo and overhanging rock! It is a great opportunity to possibilities. combine good climbing with a visit to Madrid. SSpanje.inddpanje.indd SSec3:3ec3:3 22-11-2007-11-2007 114:48:054:48:05 Spain Gijón Santander La Coruña Oviedo Bilbao San Sebastian 2 Pamplona 3 León 1 Burgos Za Morata de Jalon 9 Salamanca Torrelaguna 10 Madrid Teruel 11 Cuenca 12 | Introduction Portugal Spain 266 Badajoz Murcia Córdoba 16 Jaén 17 Sevilla Huelva Loja 19 18 Antequera Granada Almeria 20 Málaga Cádiz Gibraltar 21 Canary islands, Morocco Tenerife SSpanje.inddpanje.indd SSec1:4ec1:4 22-11-2007-11-2007 114:48:054:48:05 Climbing area Routes ●1 Valdehuesa 250 ian France ●2 Picos de Europa 750 ●3 Etxauri 625 Andorra ●4 Pre-Pyrenees 6 Rodellar 220 4 Riglos 164 5 5 Pared de Aragón 50 Huesca Barbastro ● ●6 Cavallers 600 Zaragoza lleida 7 Barcelona ●7 Montserrat 379 8 Costa Daurada 8 ● Tarragona Siurana 635 Reus Montsant 45 ●9 Morata de Jalón 350 ●10 Madrid La Pedriza 1800 el Patones 744 12 Jérica 11 13 Cuenca 665 14 ● | Introduction Palma de Mallorca 12 València Valencia ● Albarracín 1000 Spain Montanejos 1400 267 ●13 Jérica 220 ●14 Mallorca 15 Benidorm Mallorca 850 Alicante ●15 Costa Blanca Sella 280 cia Sierra de Toix 179 16 Gandia 210 Cartagena ●16 Murcia 2135 ●17 Castillo de Santa 112 ●18 Peña Cabrera 68 ●19 Loja 175 ●20 Malaga El Chorro 1000 Desplomilandia 150 Algeria ●21 Tenerife 803 Note: This list only shows the major climbing areas in Spain. SSpanje.inddpanje.indd SSec1:5ec1:5 22-11-2007-11-2007 114:48:344:48:34 Climate For the Pre-Pyrenees area the quickest way there is to fl y to Zaragoza but the best deals are often Spain can be unbearable hot in high summer. During found to Barcelona. For the crags around Madrid the months of July and August most visitors either stay it is naturally best to fl y to Madrid. For El Chorro up high, in any of its mountain ranges, or along the fl y to Malaga. Alicante is the cheapest and quickest coast, where the water provides some refreshment. for any of the crags on the Costa Blanca. For the Roughly speaking the north is quite a bit cooler bouldering at Albarracin or the sport climbing at than the south for the rest of the year. The higher Montanejos fl y to València. Book a fl ight to Barcelona regions, such as the Pyrenees and Madrid, can get if you are heading for the Costa Daurada and when very cold during winter. going to Mallorca, Palma de Mallorca is your place. The best time to go climbing is during spring and If you’re coming from the USA or Canada it often autumn. However climbing along the south and the is cheaper to fl y to some European cities outside east coasts in winter can be really pleasant - Spain Spain, such as London, Dusseldorf, or Amsterdam. is, not without reason, a highly favoured winter From any of these cities hop on one of the low cost climbing destination for Northern Europeans. The airlines operating fl ights to a number of Spanish worst time for climbing generally is July and August cities. If you choose to fl y directly either Iberia or but there are still crags that are suitable. British Airways is a good starting point for your search. Iberia now offers round trips from $512 Average Average between Madrid and several cities in the USA. Month temperature (°C) rainfall (mm) Jan 6 35 Feb 7 37 By train | Introduction March 10 39 April 12 44 Spain is well connected by train from many other Spain May 15 43 European countries. An excellent website to start 268 June 21 31 your search is: www.reiseauskunft.bahn.de. Check July 24 11 the prices carefully as plane tickets often are a Aug 25 11 cheaper and quicker alternative of getting there. The Sept 21 34 Oct 14 47 Nov 9 52 Dec 6 44 Climate table Madrid The average temperatures along the Mediterranean coast are a few degrees higher from October to May. Getting there By plane A large number of budget airlines operate fl ights between numerous European cities and several different Spanish destinations. Amongst them are Ryanair, Easyjet, Thomsonfl y, BmiBaby, Air Berlin, TUIfl y, Transavia and Vueling.