Meet Report: 5-12 April 2025 based in Calpe.
Most of the meet arrived at various times on the Saturday although the Richards and Tennants had separately been in Costa Blanca for a few days, indulging in various excursions including an ascent of Puig Campagna. The Smiths arrived a day later. Everyone managed to locate the Villa Mandarina in the middle of a large complex of winding lanes and dead ends. One wonders how anyone ever found it before Google Maps.
The villa provided comfortable accommodation although rather showing its age. It had the disadvantages of having no internal communication between the two floors, a somewhat inadequate hot water system and a rather enigmatic lock on one of the toilet doors – it was on the outside. However the weather was warm enough to eat outdoors so the lack of space for all to eat indoors was not a problem.
There was a restaurant within walking distance called Grizzly’s who’s signature dish is a 3.6kg burger (8lb in old money). We didn’t try it but a neighbouring table (of large Brits naturally) waded their way though one.
Sunday 6th
With the weather set fair for most of the week (a vast improvement on the Club’s last visit), a large party drove North to Fleix to traverse the Cavall Verd Ridge. The route led past terraced groves of almond trees and up the onto the Serra del Penyo ridge with grand views on both sides. They enjoyed the rocky ridge section leading to Cavell Verde with its short protected down climb and finally progressed to the col below the steep buttresses of the Penya Roig with superb views of the distant Segaria ridge and Montgó massifs. They prospected the scrambling route up the Roig but left it for another day.
The Richards and Tim climbed at Toix, making the steep and loose scramble up to Toix Placa to avoid the weekend crowds lower down. Driven back down later by the strong sun they found Toix Far Oueste much quieter. The Smiths, unable to get into the villa visited Toix but failed in their quest to find any YRC.
Monday 7th
A party of five, the Tverangers, Tennants and Mick climbed El Recingle Alt (Pic de Serella) via the Els Frares pinnacles scramble. Mick had devised an interesting route at the western end of the Serella ridge not featured in any of the guidebooks. They started in Quatredondeta and followed the trail up to the Font del’Espinal, then traversed across the screes to the lower tier of pinnacles. A thin cairned path led steeply up through more scree passing below some taller limestone towers to a straightforward scramble (Gr 1) giving access to the Serrella ridge track and great views of the Pla de la Casa and Mallada del Loup summits visited on the 2018 meet. This track was followed to the manned fire watch tower on the summit of El Recingle Alt (1359 m) and a rocky ridge descent to Alt del Alt and the terraced path back to the car.
The Richards plus Richard Taylor climbed Aitana from Font de Partagat. Confusion over initial routing took them on a lower than planned path that necessitated a loose scramble up scree slopes to rejoin the intended route just below Penya Mulero. A delightful walk past almond groves in full blossom was recompense for the extra effort. S & W took a quick diversion up to Penya Mulero, to enjoy views North and East, with the Balearic Isles just in sight. Rejoining Richard above the col, the trio traversed on easy ground to the summit of Aitana, with extensive views all round. Finding the short scramble off the summit proved tricky, but persistence paid off and the squeeze through ‘Fat Man’s Agony’ was found hidden amongst the boulders. A short scramble led down to gentler ground back to the start point.
The Smiths, Conrad, Rebecca and Tim completed the Sanchat round above Sella. The approach involved 4km on a newish road only permitted to forestry and emergency service vehicles (and us as we apparently couldn’t read). The lower sections were through pine woodland winding between towering limestone cliffs and passing a Buddhist retreat. Soon after a family group of goats was encountered, a scramble up to the 1148m top gave plenty of entertainment. An impressed German couple followed our route. They continued to do the same along a rough ridge heading south, narrow in places until we stopped for a snack just short of the final forest track back to the car.
Tuesday 8th
The Tennants, Rebecca, Conrad, Richard and Mick decided to try the newly constructed Via Ferrata Penya Llisa close to the Coll de Rates. This ‘sport’ VF is rigged to modern standards with a vertically stempled 40m first pitch with a slightly overhanging bulge part way and is officially graded at K3, although other commentators suggested this should be a grade harder. After gearing up, they all had a go and managed the initial less steep section. The overhanging bulge was just too strenuous on the arms and they all had to reverse the climb. At least it gave Rebecca a taste of her first VF. They walked back up to the col and put the VF kit back in the cars. By way of consolation they did a shortish walk down towards Xalo to the Negre Barranc then climbed up to the rocky summit of the Penya Talai. This was followed by welcome refreshments and a plate of chips at the bar at the pass.
The Richards and Tim returned to Toix for more sport climbing in the company of a large contingent of York University students.
The Smiths, Andrew, Rebecca, Beverley and the Tverangers intended linking together two modest walks above Tormos but were working with a snap of a written description which no longer matched the terrain. Back tracking from one digression, Ann Karin tripped, landed on a protruding rock hitting her nose. Recovering, cleaning and reassuring took some time. The injury needed stitches so the Tverangers retired hurt. A shorter excursion following a Guru Maps shown route was then decided upon. This got wilder and fainter until Bev though it not worth continuing.The objective was switched to a subsidiary top within sight and immediately above us, Puntal del Morrut East top ~660m, which Andrew and Michael headed for – steeply up. Fearing a descent would result in slips on dried grass and pine needles, they traversed the top and spotted a vegetated gap through the trees for a descent. That vegetation turned out to be a deep mesh of bramble briars. Legs were scratched but they made it to within sight and hailing distance (of waiting Helen and Bev) in the 45mins they had estimated. The remaining descent was uneventful. A-K had blue-eyes (Nordic term) for the next few days and a bad headache that night. She was well enough to attend a birthday party in Oslo on Saturday evening.
Wednesday 9th
Mick, Conrad, Andrew and Wendy made a circuit of the Almadic Ledge. Also known as the Cordillera Ledge Circuit, this unusual and very enjoyable walk started in Benigembla and climbed round the valley using a massive ledge above the cliff line with fine views across to the Cavall Verd ridge and the Penya Roig. After passing an unusual collection of bath tubs (marked on Bob Hall’s map), it culminated at the Pista d’Aterratge del Servei d’Emergències del Cocoll (emergency firefighting airstrip) where they took a second lunch beside the helicopter on its pad. On the way back down, a bushwhacking expedition to the minor summit of El Mirabo was thwarted by a lack of machetes in the party.
Steve and Tim tackled the Toix Ridge. In glorious sunshine and a gentle breeze, they climbed the five pitches of Espolon Arta, finishing with a pleasant scramble in a fine setting up to the Mirador. Feeling slightly out of place amongst the tourists and cameras, the two clinked and rattled along the road to the TV masts before a rough descent to Toix Placa. After a bit of searching they found their route – the easier and at first slightly scrappy three pitch Alistair. The final pitch however was nothing if not spectacular: easy climbing on a narrow and exposed ridge to the summit, requiring calm nerves and concentration! An easy scramble took the pair back down to the TV masts and the finish. Highly recommended – a great day out.
Kjetil and the Smiths completed the Fonts de Pedreguer round. This is a 12 km circuit of four valleys crossing high cols and down to wells. They heard a nightingale by the crag at Font d’Axia
The Tennants, Rebecca and Richard climbed to the western summit of the Bernia Ridge via a steep gully on the North side, joining the scrambling route at the major col below the final top. They returned by the Fort de Bernia.
Thursday 10th
Mick, Rebecca, Andrew, Tim and Richard traversed the massif of Montgo.
There was a hat of mist on the isolated summit ridge when they left the car park, but the well-engineered ascent path led them up through a vertical flower garden (no wonder it is a Natural Park) to the rocky summit and its trig point overlooking Dénia. The main path was left in favour of the fractured limestone ridge which demanded close attention as to foot placement, but this was followed uneventfully to Montgó’s second summit with its cross (the Creu de Dénia) with fine views. An impressive and very steep descent led to a balcony track along the north side of the mountain to complete the circuit.
Steve and Wendy returned to Sierra de Toix and climbed more routes on the Far Oeste crag, pushing their grades up a notch, though accepting partial defeat on Pequeno Gecko when faced with a decidedly bulging and sloping final few moves which looked well above the grade! More abseiling practice finished the day. Michael and Kjetil were also there on a separate rope.
The Tennants completed a circuit of Puig Campagna including an ascent to the summit, all on excellently graded paths with fine views.
Friday 11th
Mick, Peter, Jennifer, Tim and Kjetil. For the last outing, they started on the scrambling route to the Bernia ridge’s eastern summit. The mist appeared to be lifting as they set off, but they could see it would be windy. They zigzagged up to the initial col marked with a small metal cross and attempted to make progress along the ridge, but the wind intensified and became too strong for unroped progress, so they retreated and left the continuation for another time.
The Richards, Smiths Rebecca and Andrew completed Mick’s pinnacles round of Sender d’Els Frares de Quatretondeta which took a winding hour to drive to the start. Up through olive groves to scree and straight up between dramatic pinnacles to a ridge, down into thin forest and up again onto a ridge with a fire-watch hut and watcher/ranger who was amused by Helen’s request for dos cervezas. This is deemed a demanding route in the guidebooks; that did not deter Wendy from adding in a further top to the east. A 6cm long red-striped oil beetle was spotted lower down, photographed but not touched – just as well really as they squirt poisonous caustic goo if disturbed. A cuckoo was heard in pines above Quatretondeta. Just below the ridge fossil fusilina (wheat grain shaped/sized but actually extinct, shelled protozoa) were found in profusion.
Attendees: Jennifer and Peter Tennant, Kjetil and Ann-Karin Tveranger, Andrew Jarman, Richard Taylor, Wendy and Steve Richards, Mick Borroff, Rebecca King, Michael and Helen Smith, Conrad Tetley, Beverley Eastwood, Tim Josephy.
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