Alicante 2017

Inspired by the Marin crag on the last trip to Costa Blanca I wanted to base this trip in the Sax area. Anges birthday seemed like a good excuse for another trip just 7 weeks after our last one. Out of 8 days climbing we only visited 2 crags which I'd climbed at before and there are still crags I've not visited in the Alicante section of the guidebook.


The Sax crag was within walking distance of our bungalow and a great crag-particularly in the sheltered part where I was pretty chuffed to get a 7a+ onsite on day 1.

View from the top of a first pitch at Sax looking down in Chris leading super directa, 6a



Quirofano de la muerte, 7a+-onsite of the first pitch

Salinas on day 2 felt very tough although once in the seven grades the routes seemed a lot nicer.




Babieca, 7b



Mata-Hari, 7a+

On day 3 I did a new section at Marin with some nice routes but there's not a lot left there to go back for. Magdelena was a nice find on day 4 for easier routes despite not being in the latest guidebook-would make a good warm up day crag when in the area again.

Coll on route at magdelina



Ange on the best route at Magdelena -Calienta motores, 5a

The Callosa area at Oriheula was probably my favourite crag of the week despite the swarm of wasps-with some great routes in a valley setting.

La de Miguel Perez, 7a+

Valley at Orihuela, Lirón Arboreo 6c

Forada was a little disappointing as it was too cold to get on the good stuff on the North side on day 6.

Hangign out on Javier Muñoz, 6a+

Reconco on day 7 got progressively better as we moved through the crag-was frustrating to burn out right near the top of Gemma Boom (7a) having made all the hard moves (and clips) and I would hope to get that fresh next time.




Top of Gemma Boom, 7a

Before our flight back on day 8 we returned to Sax and did probably two of the best easy grade routes I've done in Spain-the first pitches of elana de pablos (6a) and clinche (5).

First pitch of Elena de Pablos, 6a+