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 / Blog / James Pearson Guest Blog – Roca Verde Road Trip – Day 6 – Bouldering

James Pearson Guest Blog – Roca Verde Road Trip – Day 6 – Bouldering

January 30, 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’ and the crowds and polish of the major destinations, however good the climbing, don’t really appeal. So when Richie promised unpolished rock, empty crags and plenty of great routes to go at – we were intrigued enough to give it a go!”

Day 6 – Bouldering – El Gachu, El Cantu and Cabo Negro – Central Asturias

Although not perhaps the strong point of Asturias, Richie was keen for us to sample some of the bouldering, and he’d planned out one long, crazy day to take in all Asturias had to offer. Knowing me quite well I think he knew that I’d appreciate it a bit more than Caro, and promptly warned her that it would be somewhat of an acquired taste…English style!

We began the day at El Gachu, a hidden gem, tucked away on a hillside, halfway up the 1200m pass of San Lorenzo.  It’s a super steep wall of quartzite that reminded me heavily of the Bowderstone in the Lake District, with a load of hard problems up to 8b+, 50 meters long and overhanging in its entirety, the problems climbed really well, even if they were not the most inspiring of lines. The location however was a spectacular, isolated from the rest of the world as you look down on the Teverga spread out far below.

Caro on one of the super steep 7a+ boulders of El Gachu

Once again pushed for time, we hopped in the car and dropped back down to Teverga. El Cantu is a somewhat more typical bouldering area; a jumble of big limestone blocks on the slopes below the crags. With around 100 problems of all grades spread over a wide area, there are plenty of things to go at. El Cantu is superb, compact, grey limestone, which forms frustrating slopers in equal measure to tiny crimps.  One of my favourite problems from El Cantu was Houdini, a rather short, 5 move 8a, which ended with a spectacular sideways double dyno!  The easier problems are just as good, and brought with them something that limestone bouldering so often lacks – lines… After a few more problems across the various blocks we settled for lunch of fresh cooked empanada, a local treat of a flat bread filled with chorizo, and chilled out as the sun danced across the hillside opposite lighting up the sectors we’d climbed on previously.

Tired but happy we dozed in the car as Richie drove us North to the coast, to the last venue of the day, and the trip. Very much a coastal region, Asturian climbers had been exploring the cliffs and boulders next to the Atlantic for many years and found some impressive venues. Cabo Negro was one of the most famous and popular, a bunch of rough black boulders sat on a wide tidal ledge, just above the pounding sea. Facing west there were views of the port of Aviles and Richie swore it was perfectly placed to enjoy superb sunsets!

Walking down to Cabo Negro

Arriving at the boulders after a short walk along the cliff top path, it was atmospheric to say the least.  Substantial waves were crashing in, over the ledge, and sending plumes of spray 10 metres into the air. Sadly, this combination of wind and waves meant that much was too wet to climb, and we began to get a little nervous as we realised the tide was already on its way back in.

James on the classic 7a, waiting for the promised sunset on a cloudy day…

Then, whilst traversing the thinnest part of the ledge to check out the furthest boulders, I turned back as I heard a high-pitched scream and several choice French curse words. For a moment Caroline disappeared behind a huge wall of spay, luckily to re-appear a second or too later, although by now soaked to the skin! At this point we decided that discretion was the better part of valour, and that perhaps we should cut our visit short. I was reluctant to leave without trying a single problem, and so grabbed my boots to quickly play on a few of the drier boulders as Caro shivered semi-naked!!

A bit posed but we had to show the scale of the waves – the day was pretty frightening tbh!!

Day 7 – Homeward bound

Settling down on the plane and thinking about the week that had whizzed by, I thought back to Richie’s emphasis of the ‘difference’ we’d find in the north of Spain. This was Spain, but not as we had known it before: the crags were empty and unpolished, the climbing superb, and the ambience was like a snapshot of the rural past, all in the most spectacular, and very, green settings!

Caro had christened it ‘tufaland’ on day one as we marvelled at the amount of rock in La Hermida but the truth was that there seemed to be a bit of everything, especially in the west.  With Quirós and Teverga providing complementary and contrasting venues so close together, there are a ton of great routes across all grades and styles, enough for even the pickiest of climbers.

Although far too short, our trip had given us a taste of these “new” regions of Spain, and all they have to offer – and we hadn’t even made it to Leon (the remaining third of the Roca Verde guide) We left surprised, happy and content, knowing that Roca Verde was one part of Spain to which we cant wait to return.

Sunset at Casa Quiros on James and Caro’s last night!!

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: Blog, Bouldering, Climbing, Escalada, escalada deportiva, Quiros, sports climbing, Teverga Tagged With: bouldering, bouldering videos, bulder, Cabo negro, Caroline Ciavaldini, Climbing in Teverga, climbing northern spain, Cordillera Cantabrica, el cantu, El gachu, escalada roca verde, james pearson, northern Spain, Picos de Europa, roca verde climbing, rock climbing, rock climbing asturias, spanish climbing, sport climbing, Teverga

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Meteo / Weather Teverga y Quirós 25062022 A pesar Meteo / Weather Teverga y Quirós 25062022 A pesar de la lluvia anoche me parece que Quirós esta menos afectada que Teverga: aún hay bastantes cosas secas en Teverga hay más tramos de chorreras y tal mojadas. En general muy buen día sin un calor exagerado.
Overall not a bad day and despite last night's rain Quirós is looking pretty sweet although Teverga has suffered a bit more especially the tufas. Decent cragging day.
#rockclimbing #teverga #climbing #escalada #escaladaenroca #escaladadeportiva #asturias #rocaverde #weather #meteo @grupoagujasobia @teverga_paraiso @turismoasturias #cordilleracantabrica #climbing_is_my_passion @casa_quiros #klettern #desnivel #escalar #quiros
Buenas noticias. Hace unos meses he colaborado con Buenas noticias. Hace unos meses he colaborado con los equipadores de Pechón, un acantilado maraviloso en Cantabria en el rio de Tino menor. La escuela es muy popular porque no solo son viás fantasticas en un entorno magnifico pero porque tambien tiene sombra y puede ser fresco por las tarde 😜 Pero porque esta al lado de mar pensamos que sera mejor poner tensores quimicos que aguantaran mucho mas tiempo. Entonces compramos tensores quimicos tipo marino de alta calidad con dinero del fondo de chapas de Roca Verde. Y las buenas noticias son que en los ultimas semana has terminado casi todo el trabajo para dejat la escuela esta mas seguro que nunca. Y los protaganistas del trabajo eran el indefatigable Jose Garrido, el dueno de la tienda de montana K2 Aventura en Torrelavega http://www.kadosaventura.com/ que ha abierto bastante pepinos allí y Sergio Torio  https://altiusaventura.com/ la guia de montana quien ha abierto muchas vias por la zona. 
Entonces mil gracias a ellos y si necesitas material de escalada o una guia de montaña piensas en ellos que apoyan la escalada (sin beneficios) en tu region y dar el trabajo a ellos… Y tambien, si compras Roca Verde puedes estar seguro de que una parte de tu dinero se destinará a proporcionar material para aquellas personas que hacen el trabajo duro agregando nuevas líneas en las regiones.
Great news, After a sustained perio of work by two of the most industrious locals Sergio Torio and José Garrido and a bunch of A4, marine special, chemical bolts provided by Roca Verde the sea cliff of Pechón has been overhauled to make it safer for longer and make sure that as a sea cliff it’s in the best condition possible. Remember when you buy Roca Verde some of that money always goes to re’equiping and working with the locals.
Photo: Benjamin Ruiz en Marinero Smith, 7a Foto: José Garrido @k2aventuratorrelavega 
#rockclimbing #climbinglife #sportclimbing #paraisonatural #klettern #desnivel #escalar #escaladadeportiva #Spain
Acabamos de lanzar Roca Verde 3A con el patrocinad Acabamos de lanzar Roca Verde 3A con el patrocinador del libro, una tienda de montaña de referencia en Asturias @ludoaventura Hace casi 8 años cuando empecé de comprar material para compartir, José, el jefe, era la primera persona que me ayudó y sé que ha ayudado otros con material y apoyo durante muchos años – un buen ejemplo de como una tienda puede formar parte integral de la comunidad. Si no conoces la tienda merece la pena mucho una visita para recibir un asesoramiento experto de gente que conoce bien las montañas, el esquí y la escalada. 
Roca Verde 3A es la nueva versión de Roca Verde 3 que se publicó en 2021. Debido a la gran demanda, Roca Verde 3 casi se agotó en poco más de un año, por lo que Roca Verde 3A es una versión reimpresa, pero con algunas pequeñas actualizaciones y correcciones de algunos errores que aparecían (la mayoría ya corregidos con pegatinas) en Roca Verde 3. Por lo que es importante señalar que si tienes Roca Verde 3 no hace falta comprar Roca Verde 3A ya que la mayoría de las actualizaciones son menores y solo contiene dos nuevos códigos QR para  descargar un par de sectores ya publicados en la página web. 
Una vez más gracias a José y sus compañeros y, a todos vosotros, Nos vemos en las escuelas. ¡A muerte!
#climbing #rockclimbing #escalada #escaladaenroca #escaladadeportiva #asturias #rocaverde #cordilleracantabrica #climbing_is_my_passion #klettern #desnivel #escalar #escaladadeportiva
Meteo / Weather Teverga y Quirós 19062022 Despué Meteo / Weather Teverga y Quirós 19062022 Después de una noche de tormentas fuertes y lluvia el día ha empezado mucho más fresco - ahora mismo solo 22 grados - entonces si aguanta así debe ser más on menos perfecto para la escalada aún que habrá unas cosas mojadas.
Very stormy night but fresh today and only 22° so if it carries on like this should be a good climbing day.
#rockclimbing #teverga #climbing #escalada #escaladaenroca #paraisonatural #escaladadeportiva #asturias #rocaverde #weather #meteo @grupoagujasobia @teverga_paraiso @turismoasturias #cordilleracantabrica #climbing_is_my_passion @casa_quiros #klettern #desnivel #escalar
Meteo / Weather Teverga y Quirós Calor, kalima y Meteo / Weather Teverga y Quirós Calor, kalima y chubascos. Dia super raro entonces no se que va a pasar. Había una tormenta gigante anoche pero hoy por la mañana pensé que ha pasado el malo pero de repente goteando y vientos fuertes. Igual va a pasar pronto y se puede escalar sin problema. De todos modos bochorno.
Really odd day, after a really big storm last night I thought it was OK thus morning but suddenly its rainy with high winds. So it could be OK or could storm again. ☔🤔😂 In any case hit and sweaty...
#rockclimbing #teverga #climbing #escalada #escaladaenroca #paraisonatural #escaladadeportiva #asturias #rocaverde @casa_quiros #climbinglife #sportclimbing @grupoagujasobia #meteo #weather #asturias #spain @teverga_paraiso @turismoasturias #cordilleracantabrica #climbing_is_my_passion
Próximamente, el evento más importante del año Próximamente, el evento más importante del año y muy recomendable: un finde para escalar, beber y bailar en Teverga. Pero el orden de los actividades será una decision tuya 😆
Muchas gracias al  Grupo de Escalada Aguja de Sobia @grupoagujasobia no solo para este evento pero todo el trabajo que hacen en el concejo para mejorar la escalada. Y merece la pena mucho recordar que si te haces socio del club casi todo el dinero va a comprar material y tal para abrir vias nuevas o requipar. Y gracias a todos lo colaboradores porque sin ellos no habria premios del sorteo tan chulos...😉😉
Coming up soon,  the return of the brilliant Encuentro de Escalada in Teverga, Asturias. This is fantasic weekend to climb, drink and dance the night away - and not necessarily in that order!!! Thanks to the Grupo de Escalado Aguja de Sobia for their work as ever not only for the encuentro but their work making Teverga one of the best climbing areas in Spain. And thanks to all the people who've colaborated with the event to make it an amazing evening.
@casa_quiros #climbinglife #sportclimbing #paraisonatural #teverga #climbing #rockclimbing #escalada #escaladaenroca #escaladadeportiva #asturias #rocaverde @turismoasturias @teverga_paraiso #klettern #desnivel #escalar
Meteo / Weather Teverga y Quirós 13062022 Sigue l Meteo / Weather Teverga y Quirós 13062022 Sigue la ola de calor...🙄😜😂 Pero en serio otro día de nubes bajas y niebla y ahora mismo 23° pero tampoco ya parece demasiado bochorno. Todavía hay bastante cosas secas y solo las chorreras quedan mojadas. Me parece que las nubes van a aguantar todo el día. En general muy buen día para escalar.
Another day of the Spanish heatwave 🙄🤣😂 but seriously overall a pretty good climbing day as its not too hot and the clouds/fog haven't lifted for the third day on the bounce. Not wet though and the crags are mainly dry apart from the tufas. #teverga #climbing #rockclimbing #escalada #escaladaenroca #escaladadeportiva #asturias #rocaverde #weather #meteo @grupoagujasobia @teverga_paraiso @turismoasturias #cordilleracantabrica @casa_quiros #climbinglife #sportclimbing #paraisonatural #climbing_pictures_of_instagram #climbingpassion #climbtheworld #klettern #desnivel #escalar #apartamentorocaverde
Meteo / Weather Teverga y Quirós 260522 Sol y pá Meteo / Weather Teverga y Quirós 260522 Sol y pájaros cantando quién pueden pedir más. Muy buen día después de un par de dias regulares pero casi todo seco a pesar de la lluvia. Stunner of a day after a couple of shitty days. #teverga #climbing #rockclimbing #escalada #escaladaenroca #escaladadeportiva #asturias #rocaverde #weather #meteo @grupoagujasobia @teverga_paraiso @turismoasturias #cordilleracantabrica @casa_quiros #climbinglife #sportclimbing #paraisonatural #climbing_pictures_of_instagram #climbingpassion #climbtheworld #klettern #desnivel #escalar
Meteo / Weather Teverga y Quirós 1052022 Felices Meteo / Weather Teverga y Quirós 1052022 Felices fiestas. Muy buen día en Teverga y casi no hay nadie. Soleado pero con un viento fuerte entonces dentro de la sombra hace frío. Va secando todo pero después de la lluvia hace 5 días hay bastantes tramos mojados, sobre todo las chorreras.
Stunning day but although it's sunny there's a strong wind so it's cold in the shade. Everything is drying off after the rain last week  but still quite a few wet patches, especially the tufas.
#rockclimbing #teverga #climbing #escalada #escaladaenroca #paraisonatural @casa_quiros #climbinglife #sportclimbing @grupoagujasobia #asturias #rocaverde #meteo #weather #cordilleracantabrica #climbing_is_my_passion #klettern #desnivel #escalar #escaladadeportiva #Spain @teverga_paraiso @turismoasturias
♥️♥️♥️♥️. @climbatcenters ♥️♥️♥️♥️. @climbatcenters
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