Roca Verde

Las mejores guías de Escalada Deportiva de la Cordillera Cantábrica. Sport climbing guides to north-west Spain: Asturias, Leon, Cantabria. Me contacten / Contact me: richie@rocaverdeclimbing.com

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You are here: Home / Archives for tufa climbing

Thinking of a Roca Verde – here’s what Josh Wharton had to say…

March 4, 2020 by Roca Verde Climbing Leave a Comment

Here’s a review of the Roca Verde region from the renowned American alpinist Josh Wharton, who stayed at Casa Quiros with his family last year..

“I’ve been fortunate to travel a lot as a climber, and through all that travel I’ve learned that climbing areas, at least in part, live up to their reputations. Ceuse does have immaculate rock, and a big hike. Catalunya does have thousands of crags in every style, and generally soft grades. And Rifle does have enough hard routes to keep you occupied for a lifetime, and enough kneebars to justify shaving your thighs. Conversely, when breaking off the well trodden paths, you expect something to be a little lacking. The rock might be great, but it rains all the time. There are only ten routes actually worth doing. Or rest days consist of staring at your navel.

And that’s exactly why the Asturias region, and Teverga in particular, was so shockingly good. Since I’d never met anyone that had climbed in the area I expected something would be missing. The routes would be dirty, the approaches epically long, it would rain the entire trip, something was bound to be up. Instead it was one of, if not the best, family sport climbing trips I’ve ever been on. First off, the scenery was green and beautiful, with rolling green mountainsides that reminded me of Switzerland.

Josh Wharton on Samba pa ti, 8a, El covachon, Teverga

There were lovely bike paths on many of the approaches, which often allowed my daughter to ride her bike to the crag. And the climbing was amazing, varied, and never crowded. At the Entecampos I was delighted by 40 meter vision quest wall climbs, where one pitch felt like an entire days worth of climbing. At Bovedas, I was served a slice of humble pie on near horizontal tufas and pockets. And when it did rain there was the incredible, and completely protected Muro Techno stacked with even more routes. On rest days we drove an hour to the coast, and were treated to a beautiful rugged coastline with empty secluded beaches. My daughter splashed in the waves, and afterwards we feasted on four course seafood lunches for ten euro, and toured charming little cities.

But of course there are all sorts of reason you shouldn’t go too. Because of the lack of traffic there aren’t gobs of chalk and tick marks, so on sighting is a little tough. It certainly does rain a bit more than in southern Spain. The wifi is spotty, and the area is too sleepy to have developed its own hashtag. And the water at the beach was a bit chilly in June. Yeah, if fact, the place is total rubbish. Don’t go at all. But if you do bother, please leave your draws on Manumission, I’d like to have another go on that one!”

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Filed Under: Blog, Climbing, Reviews, Teverga Tagged With: Asturias, Climbing in Teverga, climbing northern spain, Cordillera Cantabrica, escalada asturias, escalada deportiva, escalada roca verde, family climbing, Josh Wharton, northern Spain, roca verde climbing, rock climbing, rock climbing asturias, spanish climbing, sport climbing, Teverga, tourist tips, travel, tufa climbing

Steve McClure – Five 8b+ in five days…!?!

February 26, 2020 by Roca Verde Climbing Leave a Comment

Five 8b+ routes in five days!!! Sounds pretty hard…?

I brought the UK climbing legend Steve McClure to some of the best routes in my Roca Verde book, challenged him to climb a bunch of them and we filmed what happened…

In this video you can see the first part of our 5 day adventure.

 

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Filed Under: Blog, Climbing, Escalada, escalada deportiva, sports climbing, videos Tagged With: Asturias, casa quiros, Climbing in Teverga, climbing northern spain, Cordillera Cantabrica, northern Spain, roca verde climbing, rock climbing, rock climbing asturias, spanish climbing, sport climbing, Steve McClure, Teverga, tufa climbing

‘Hidden Spain’ – Asturias – Another cool climbing video…

February 12, 2020 by Roca Verde Climbing Leave a Comment

Here’s another short video about the climbing in Asturias, and although it focuses on the bouldering as much as anything there’s some lovely shots of some of the sport climbing in Teverga too.

However, as it’s winter this video’s quite apt as it’s probably the best time to look at the bouldering which Asturias has to offer. There’s a bunch of spots across Asturias and a pretty dedicated crew – and many of the spots, especially El Cantu, Teverga (3.50) and La Collada, Quiros (4.05) dry quickly and are at their stickiest in the winter sun. The beach locations El Trankeru and Cabo Negro are more fickle but again, cool dry conditions can be found throughout the year depending on wind and tides.

You can get the locations of these spots and more in my book Roca Verde – available here…

And for climbing in Teverga or Quiros our rental house in Quiros is well worth a look…

 

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Filed Under: Blog, Bouldering, Climbing, Escalada, escalada deportiva, Quiros, sports climbing, Teverga Tagged With: Asturias, beach climbing, bouldering videos, casa quiros, Climbing in Teverga, climbing northern spain, Cordillera Cantabrica, escalada asturias, escalada deportiva, escalada roca verde, northern Spain, roca verde climbing, rock climbing asturias, Teverga, tufa climbing

James Pearson Guest Blog – Roca Verde Road Trip – Day 1 + 2 Eastern Asturias

January 22, 2020 by Roca Verde Climbing Leave a Comment

“Sometimes our trips are meticulously planned and sometimes they just happen, often at the whim of others. Our Roca Verde road trip was the latter. Touching down at night in late October to Santander after a week of work in England we were looking forward to a climbing break – but we hadn’t a clue what to expect – all we knew was that we had seven days guided round the region.  

Our good friend Richie Patterson, the author of the first English language guide to a block of north-west Spain he’d christened Roca Verde, had invited us; but we didn’t really know where we were going or what the area encompassed. We’d actually not climbed in Spain for a while as we are always looking to go a little ‘off-piste’ as the crowds and polish of the major destinations,  don’t really appeal. So when Richie promised unpolished rock, empty crags and plenty of great routes – we were intrigued enough to give it a go!”  James Pearson

Day 1 – La Hermida – Cantabria

Arriving in the dark, never gives a sense of the surroundings so it was a big surprise to wake up in an enormous, steep-sided valley. Not only because it was filled with huge crags but also because it was incredibly green, tree-lined and not at all ‘Spanish’ looking.

The Desfiladero de La Hermida marks the Eastern border of the mountains of the Picos de Europa and is the one of the major tourist routes into the heart of the mountains. Our hotel, La Cuadrona, a beautifully restored traditional building, was a bit further north, at the centre of the climbing in the village of La Hermida itself. Known as the climber’s bar the owners were incredibly friendly, used to dealing with foreigners and knew to provide the sort of ‘mountainous’ breakfast that it turned out we were going to need for the day!

How big?!? Carcalosa is really impressive…

I say that because Richie had arranged a bit of a treat, a visit with one of the busiest local equippers, Alberto Hontavilla, to his latest work in progress. A stack of exceptional routes in the huge cave of Carcalosa. Imposing and tufa-strewn it’s also situated on the ‘wrong’ side of the river and perched above a slope that necessitates a 45 minute hike. Braving the icy water we crossed and made our way up the hillside, marveling at the dedication needed to even create the path, never mind to slog with all the gear needed for equipping.  Secretly we wondered if this was not the beginning of just another of Richie’s ‘brilliant ideas’, yet as we pulled on the last of the fixed ropes and the full extent of the cave came into view, we realised it was totally worth it.  A deep, seemingly bottomless hole flanked on either side by steep, tufa covered walls.  Not at all the type of limestone we were expecting!

Alberto Hontavilla on his project

All in all there are around 50 routes from 6a and up to 8b, with many projects still to climb. Slap bang in the middle of the main wall is Dimensión Paralela 7c+ and the “tram line” tufas just have to be climbed.  At 40 meters long, it is an endurance marathon, and doesn’t give up anything until just before the chain.  At the end of the day we couldn’t have been more pleasantly surprised!  Perfect rock, brilliant routes, friendly locals, and superb views.  Luckily for us, this feeling would become more and more common as the week went on!

Caroline Ciavaldini enjoying Dimension Paralella, 7c+

Day 2 – Poo de Cabrales – Eastern Asturias

A second giant breakfast eased our discovery that rain had fallen in the night – you don’t get to be green and lush without a little water. Our intention had been to head straight to Poo de Cabrales, one of the most well known sport-climbing venues around the Picos. But, worried it may be raining there too, Richie suggested a quick-hit at the roadside of Urdon just a few of km from the hotel, to do a couple of routes while the weather settled.   He swore Urdón had a climate of its own and was ‘almost always-dry’, yet with the roads still soaking and the mist hanging low, I wasn’t sure I believed him.  Happily the walk in this time was short, around one minute, and there were no rivers to cross. We climbed a pair of excellent wall climbs, 6c and 7c, on solid orange and grey rock, that despite the falling rain were in perfect condition.

Heading out of the valley from it became pretty obvious that it had been a localised shower as clear blue skies greeted us at the end of the half-hour drive to Arenas de Cabrales, a short hop from the crag. Grabbing some bread, chorizo and a chunk of the famously fierce Cabrales blue cheese we were soon in T shirts and marvelling at the views of Picu Urriellu from the car-park below Poo.

Caroline on Infiltrados, 7a, one of the amazing tufas which cover sector Chorerras, Poo de Cabrales

As we arrived at the crag it was immediately obvious why Poo was so popular. A ten-minute hike leads up to a compact little crag, with several sectors ranging from slabby to steep. Set against the dramatic backdrop of the magnificent Picos, Poo is one of the most visually pleasing crags of the area, and the climbing’s not half bad either.  There are too many good routes to choose a favourite, and on national pride alone I should really mention Englishmen, 7c, opened in 1991 by our friends Nick Dixon and Andy Popp.  However the most memorable route of the day, if only for the never-ending discussion of the grade, had to be Lord Byron, an intense and athletic 7c(+) at the Horóscopo sector.

You can check out James and Caro’s adventures in northern Spain in a short series of movies they made about the place: their Roca Verde Road Trip.
They’re all on Epic TV so here’s some links
Part 1 – https://youtu.be/n5bil2d1Br4
Part 2 – https://youtu.be/yq37n0zej9A
Part 3 – https://youtu.be/HQ6RheBVFog

 

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Filed Under: Climbing, climbing guide book, La Hermida, sports climbing Tagged With: Asturias, Cantabria, Climbing in Teverga, climbing northern spain, Cordillera Cantabrica, desfiladero de La Hermida, La Hermida, spanish climbing, sport climbing, travel, tufa climbing

La Hermida guide review – Mike Owen

May 2, 2018 by Roca Verde Climbing 1 Comment

It’s out! The guidebook to Spain’s best-kept secret and one of the best summer climbing venues in Europe. Had enough of going to the usual places and you fancy a change? Fed up of the crowds, the heat and the polished routes? Look no further, the crags in this book have got everything you’re looking for.

El Desfiladero de la Hermida covers the climbing centred around the village of La Hermida, which is located in the gorge called El Desfiladero de la Hermida that runs north/south through the eastern end of the picturesque Picos de Europa, from Panes to Potes, on the border between Cantabria and Asturias.

El valle de La Hermida - The La hermida valley...
El valle de La Hermida – The La hermida valley…

This is a really beautiful part of Spain; known as “green Spain” due to the abundance of vegetation as a result of the maritime climate, the scenery is simply stunning. The topography is classic karst limestone. The gorge has very steep sides that are riddled with rocky gullies that lead up to high craggy peaks with breath taking views. There are crags everywhere and the potential for more development is obvious. It gets even better; the summer temperatures are typically in the mid-twenties, which make such a pleasant change compared to many parts in Europe. In fact a normal season here extends from late spring (as the tufas dry out) until early winter, when the first of the rain which keeps the valleys so green arrives. Though the addition of many quick-drying, walls and slabs outside the main valley means that there should be something to get on all year round.

The upper crag has so many great wall climbs, this time it's Orujo de Liébana, 7c
The upper crag has so many great wall climbs, this time it’s Orujo de Liébana, 7c

There is plenty to do on rest days; just a 30 minute drive away is the coast with the possibility of surfing the Atlantic swell. Alternatively, there are numerous paths that can take you up into the heart of the Picos de Europa or you can take the cable car up to the most famous mountain in the area, the Naranjo de Bulnes. If all of the above activities sound too strenuous, you may just prefer to go and relax at the climbers bar in La Hermida (La Cuadrono) and sample Chucho and Angela’s wonderful hospitality. However, if you’re staying in Potes, try the climbers bar (La Reunion) and sample some of their home made beers or enjoy a nice cheap coffee (don’t forget this is Spain, so prices are always very reasonable).

Tanya Meredith on the final slap of Karim Abdul Jabbar, 7b+,
Tanya Meredith on the final slap of Karim Abdul Jabbar, 7b+,

For years there have been rumours of great climbing in this part of Northern Spain but information was always scarce. Then three years ago Richie Patterson published the excellent Roca Verde, a selective topo covering some of the crags in Cantabria, Asturias and Leon. As a result the area started to receive more attention, justifiably so. Due to this new found popularity Richie, in collaboration with the local Cantabrian climbers, has put this definitive guidebook together, specifically covering all of the new (or previously hidden) crags in the La Hermida valley, and what a guidebook it is.

The first thing you will notice when you flick through La Desfiladero de la Hermida is the attention to detail that has been put into the presentation and that it is written in Spanish and English. The introduction is concise, yet has all the necessary information you need, including a very clear general map, where to stay and what the topo symbols mean. There is an interesting section on ‘Geography and Wildlife’ as well as a very important section on ‘Access and Etiquette’.

Mike Owen in action at Rumenes...
Mike Owen in action at Rumenes…

Each crag has its own introduction, including the style of climbing, orientation regarding the sun, walk in times and access map with GPS coordinates. The topos are very accurately drawn on clear colour photos and printed on top quality paper. All pitch lengths are given. However there are no stars. The authors don’t want climbers to be drawn towards particular routes, with the result that they become polished and end up with queues during busy periods, they want you to find out for yourself and have fun doing so. The action photos are some of the best I have seen in a climbing guide and really do give you that all important first impression; in other words they fire you up, your fingers start to sweat and you start mentally planning how to get there as soon as possible.

The valley is already quite well known for its amazing tufas at steep crags such as Rumenes and El Infierno. However, this is not just an area that suits climbers operating in the big numbers because what is not so well known, is the fact that there are also many crags that offer really enjoyable climbing at a more reasonable standard in equally impressive surroundings. In fact much of the new guide is taken up with crags with amenable grades that should allow mixed parties to enjoy the valley more; making a morning cranking on tufas followed by an afternoon on the slabs (or vice versa) a practical option!

The guide includes a total of 32 crags, of which 24 are published for the first time, including the jaw-dropping Cueva Carcalosa (which will soon become internationally important for those seeking long steep voyages in tufa paradise) and the long established, but nonetheless previously secret, Cicera (with its wealth of demanding crimpy climbing in the summer shade).  La Desfiladero de la Hermida is in A5 format, has 176 pages and almost 700 routes to choose from III+ to 8c+ and offers great value at £20. Please bear in mind that it is the only definitive guide and purchasing it will help contribute towards future equipping in the area. After you’ve been climbing, don’t forget to have a beer at La Cuadrona, followed by a swim in the hot springs up the road.

My advice: skip Ceuse this summer, buy this topo, book your ferry. Job done!

El Desfiladero de La Hermida is published by Roca Verde and available direct from www.rocaverdeclimbing.com

Gema Lanza, 7a, El Salmón
Gema Lanza, 7a, El Salmón

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Filed Under: Climbing, climbing guide book, escalada deportiva, La Hermida Tagged With: beach climbing, Cantabria, Cicera, climbing northern spain, Cordillera Cantabrica, desfiladero de La Hermida, escalada deportiva, northern Spain, Picos de Europa, roca verde climbing, rock climbing, rock climbing asturias, tourist tips, tufa climbing

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Instagram post 2340800312708699958_1398545702 Conocí nuevos amigos hoy en el monte! #serpientes Made some new friends while out hiking today 😮 #snakesalive
Instagram post 2340681506791535402_1398545702 Meteo / Weather Teverga y Quirós  27062020 Día muy bueno. No hace demasiado calor pero después de la lluvia siguen muchas vías mojadas. Igual un día para hacer placas...
Great day but lots wet after the heavy rain. Slab day. #teverga #climbing #rockclimbing #escalada #escaladaenroca #escaladadeportiva #asturias #rocaverde #weather #meteo @grupoagujasobia @teverga_paraiso @turismoasturias #cordilleracantabrica @casa_quiros
Instagram post 2338667219273363300_1398545702 Meteo Actualizado - Granizo gigantismo y más agua  la vez que nunca he visto en mi vida!!
Weather Update - Giant Hailstones and more water than I've ever seen fall in a 10 minute burst!!!
#tiempo #weather #asturias #rocaverde #paraisonatural #meteo @casa_quiros
Instagram post 2338502249520574559_1398545702 Meteo / Weather Teverga y Quirós 24062020 Otro día espectacular pero con esta ola de calor será otro día caluroso. Buscas sombra y bebes mucho (agua o cerveza @cervezaasgaya me da igual)🍻🍻 😜😜👍
Brilliant day but super hot. Go somewhere shady and drink a lot - waters probably best but beer may do the trick. 🍻🍻😂😂
#rockclimbing #teverga #climbing #escalada #escaladaenroca #paraisonatural @casa_quiros #climbinglife #sportclimbing @grupoagujasobia #asturias #rocaverde #meteo #weather #cordilleracantabrica #climbing_is_my_passion #klettern #desnivel #escalar
Instagram post 2336407444217037434_1398545702 Noticias Importantes sobre el acceso y aproximación de la escuela de Llombera, León 
Buenas a tod@s, siguiendo recomendacciones de la Junta de Castilla y León, queda prohibido escalar o pasar por debajo del sector pricipal de Llombera, espero que seamos conscientes y respetemos, hasta finales de agosto está restriccion, se puede acceder por el camino del respiradero de la mina, o bordeando por el sector Pioneros, es un poco más largo pero igual de efectivo, espero que tod@s seamos conscientes y respetemos la restricción, la foto croquis espero que os sirva de referencia, las otras dos fotos es del Camino que lleva al respiradero, se sigue recto y luego se puede ganar altura hasta la pared, un saludo.
Instagram post 2335650082610917227_1398545702 Árbol...
Instagram post 2335649673129451203_1398545702 Libertad...
Instagram post 2335611712765459457_1398545702 Meteo / Weather Teverga y Quirós 2062020 Perfecto. Vete a escalar!!! Sin más...👍
Perfect day. Go climbing, that's it, that's the message.
#rockclimbing #teverga #climbing #rockclimbing #escalada #escaladaenroca #escaladadeportiva #asturias #rocaverde #weather #meteo @grupoagujasobia @teverga_paraiso @turismoasturias #cordilleracantabrica #climbing_is_my_passion #klettern #desnivel #escalar #spain
Instagram post 2334882550564018588_1398545702 Meteo / Weather Teverga y Quirós  19062020 Que buen día. Más o menos perfecto para escalar, correr hace bici: cualquier cosa!! No demasiado calor ya y hay viento fresco.
Perfect climbing day. Cool fresh and sunny.
#rockclimbing #teverga #climbing #rockclimbing #escalada #escaladaenroca #escaladadeportiva #asturias #rocaverde #weather #meteo @grupoagujasobia @teverga_paraiso @turismoasturias #cordilleracantabrica @casa_quiros #climbinglife #sportclimbing
Instagram post 2332716913019586026_1398545702 Meteo / Weather Teverga y Quirós 16062020 Nubes, niebla, lluvia anoche y goteando ahora mismo. No me parece como junio pero es lo que hay. Hoy sitios protegidos o nada...18° a las 12...
Clouds mist, rain last night and spitting now so less like June, than December but hey ho...18° at midday!!! #teverga #meteo #weather #asturias #rocaverde @casa_quiros #climbinglife #sportclimbing #paraisonatural #climbing_pictures_of_instagram @tenayaclimbing #climbtheworld @beta_climbing @turismoasturias #escalada #escaladaenroca #climbingrocks #escaladadeportiva
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