Cost Blanca Norte

Roca España.
As a working couple we squeezed a quick climbing vacation week between some work duties. Why? Just to have some nice sun shining weather after the long dark, cold and wet winter in the Netherlands.
We chose to do some (safe) sport climbing in Spain around the area of Valencia. Thankfully we were treated very well with beautiful blue skies and plenty of sun shine to do our sport. Looks like we deserved it.


Big bummer was that Sandra was not able to climb because of her recent Hernia which made her unable to control her leg and put force on her left foot. So she decided not to climb but being the belayer. We tried to choose easy approach walks to the crags. Below a couple of crags that we visited.


Borriol, Cucalla.
A very nice looking crag with lots of routes from easy 5 to 8b. Quite some overhanging routes that tend to be slight slippery at some points but very nice technical. In the afternoon the sun became too hot for doing harder stuff. Nice first day.


Borriol, El Castellet.
We started early morning in the shade at the bottom of this crag which was a little bit chilly, nevertheless a great atmosphere. Later we went up.
I did some tricky easy routes and tried a 7b but was unable to finished it. (At some points the holds were manufactured) After that I experienced that although slab climbing is not my favourite but surprisingly with the correct old shoes I could finish a hard one.


Jérica.
A very, very nice crag. We did not know exactly where to cross the river but apparently in the beginning of the path over a dam that regulates the water. We did the vertical routes on the grey orange rock and not on the grey slabby rock in the shade. Very good routes in the higher grades

Altura
Looks like a very new crag since the rock is still very sharp or maybe we did not start at a popular part yet. After several routes I tried a 8a here but I was unable to make the wide crux move on a slab part, the rest was OK.


Chulilla
Visited already last year for a week. We decided again to travel to Chullila since it has a very different style than the crags we did this week. The aim was to do some tufa routes. Regretfully the Chorreras area, most tufa's and colognettes were wet.

Borriol, Raco de Farol
Again another very nice crag in a very beautiful area and nice quit surrounding. It has lots of route offerings in lower and higher grades. Definitely worth a visit, or two. San even found a climbing god as can be seen below.

Last day we did some relaxing to see some Spanish cultural (work)Horsepower (or was it the farmer) on the beach.

Ruhrtal Avalonia

This weekend we spend our time around the Ruhrtal in Germany.
Every year we enjoy to do some bouldering in Avalonia.
Great news that Boulderclub Ruhrtal https://boulderclub-ruhrtal.de/  has now become official owner of Avalonia to preserve the area.

Cold but nice

Katla

Also this year as a tradition we went to the climbing gym called Bergwerke!!
Its a great gym with toprope, lead, boulder and crack routes and a sauna, yeahh!!




Bergwerke, Super Gym

INTO THE WILD 1

Where? In the Netherlands? Yes!!


Last weekend a long time wish came true;
Walking into the woods and sleep in the woods under winter and harsh circumstances.


Where is that possible in the Netherlands????
Well you have certain places where you are allowed to camp with a small tent for a couple of nights but with no or low facilities, they are called Paal Campings.
Packet with our GPS we walked 10km's to the Chaamse Bossen to stay there for one night.
When we walked with freezing temperatures and crispy environment we saw a lot of people skating on some small lakes but when entered the forest area around 16.30 it became very quit and quickly super dark.
Temperatures dropped to -8° to -9°C and it became really dark with nature sounds of screaming Gooses that went south and Owls who started to hunt. Very special! We also had a magnificent view on a bright dark sky full of stars. 

Close to the place to camp

Breakfast with -8°C

Costa Blanca '16 '17

Hi There!


Well, it has become more or less our tradition to spend our time around Christmas & New Year to explore the Costa Blanca for some climbing.
We both love the variety of doing some Sport climbing with the combination of Traditional climbing and doing some adventurous Multi Pitch routes either traditional or bolted.


As we have encountered already many crags in this area there is still plenty of unknown for us to discover. The weather forecast was so bad and showed us huge amount of rain showers that turned the Costa Blanca region into a flooding environment. We even could not escape our house since the road was flooded making it unable for cars to pass.


Some of the crags that normally are reached thru a dry river bed were unable to reach since the river had become into "River Wild" and impossible to go thru. So we headed for some higher grounds.


We tried to push again our limits but not all succeeded.
Like, Destroyer in Los Pinos and Me Cago en el Amor in Lliber both 8a's, nevertheless big fun in some traditional routes.
New Crags we visited: Bolulla Raco Roig, Ambolo, Gata de Gorgos, Montesa, Castellets.

The Barranco in Bolulla area

View on Montesa from the crag

7b Viper in Bolulla

Vall de Guadar, San rappelling down to take gear out

Los Pinos

Sport climbing in Kalymnos 2016

It has been 5 years ago that we visited Kalymnos.

We bought the new 2016 topo and went off, time to catch up with the new crags! 14 days of climbing in stunning places with great views and beautiful weather. We liked it.

Lots of new routes with sharp holds, tufa’s, colognettes, caves, slabs, huge overhangs, uphill, downhill on sea side or mountain side you name it.

With our tiny scooter we visited new places, like secret garden (not secret since it was overcrowded) great style of climbing but too busy.

But also longsome places like E.T, Arginonta skyline etc.

One visit to Sikaty cave aiming for 45 degrees overhang called Morgan, super steep but well featured to have resting points.

We also tried to push ourselves as much  as possible, with routes like Helios on the North Cape.

In the afternoons we spend our time on the beach or swimming pool and in the evening we had great Greece diners.

We were glad to rediscover Kalymnos on pleasant way again. Definitely coming back.

7a+ Unicorn Arginonta Valley Left Cave

6c+ Frapogalo Secret Garden

Path to Sikati cave

7b+ Morgan Sikati cave (find the belayer)

Bouldering Fontainebleau

Last weekend we spend our long weekend in Bleau.
It has become a yearly tradition to have nice weekend with our friends doing some bouldering in the forest.
Like always we start with easy circuits and we see what will happen along the way.
We where treated with beautiful weather that gave us a splendid weekend.
The evenings were fantastic as well, with fire and some food.
Definitely coming back.

Zeckenloch Ettringen

We spend a day in Kottenheim Winfield in the crag called Zeckeloch. See blog in June

This time we started climbing some easy Trad routes right from Demenz that needed for sure some cleaning. After that we did some nice crack routes like Stipfel Gürmer, B.O.M and the fingery route Ulmer Grün. Please tape your fingers in this one.

If you visit this area please be aware that you check yourself on ticks, like last time we both had again some ticks that we removed after our shower. No problem just be aware.

Zeckenloch