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New Routing

If you follow Rock & Sun on Facebook, Instagram or via our Newsletter, you would have seen a few posts this year about the new routes we developed in the Costa Blanca during the Corona pandemic. Here we will describe what it entails to make them, what we love about new-routing, plus we’ll give the overview of all the new routes as most of them were developed just after the new Costa Blanca guidebook by Roberto Lopez was published. We also aim to answer the questions you’ve been asking us about developing new routes. If you have more questions after reading this blog, please send us a message and we will add it to this blog.

New-routing during Covid-19

International borders being closed for tourists for most of the time between March 2020 and May 2021 meant that we had a lot of time on our hands in the last year or so. Once the initial and very strict lockdown in Spain ended and we were slowly gaining more freedom again, we at first felt it could be considered too ‘frivolent’ to start climbing for fun again. But we considered going to the crag to create new climbs a justified reason to go to the crag. The first routes we started to work on were the 4 routes ‘in the trees’ in sector Alejandria of Pena Roja (see the full overview of new routes at the bottom of this blog). Trev had his eye on this sector mainly because of the easy angled rock and the fact that it is protected from the sun by the trees. If we could create some routes here, that would allow us to climb at Pena Roja all day; starting in Alejandria-riverbed in the morning, then move into the trees, and finish the day at the original wall of Pena Roja.

What is your motivation for developing routes?

A question we get asked quite regularly, as most climbers ‘just’ climb and never put up a route in their whole life. Routesetters can be quite invisible, and unless you get to see someone developing a route, you may never really think about how and why those bolts got there.

There are several reasons why we like to get involved in bolting routes. One is because we are well aware of the fact that as Rock & Sun we use the Costa Blanca for our Sport Climbing Holidays and Performance Coaching Courses. We climb routes that have been equipped by others, we bring more climbers to this area. We therefore find it important to do something back. Not only by maintaining existing routes or sectors (we for instance replaced 10 anchors at Sierra de Toix Oeste with titanium glue in anchors), but also by creating more routes. This will give the locals something new to climb, and it will give climbers from other areas something to come back to the Costa Blanca for, and it means that on busy days at popular crags, people can spread over a greater number of routes without having to wait for one another.

Another important reason to develop new routes is so that when we are working with our groups, we can organise our climbing days in a different way and thereby offer our clients better climbing experiences. By for instance creating routes that are in the shade around midday, it means that when it’s hot we can climb in the shade all day, moving from one sector to the next, instead of having to go back to the villa for a two or three hour break before heading out to the crag again. And it also means our regular clients will have something new to try on their next trip. Finally, the routes we set tend to lend themselves really well for climbing coaching; they are good routes to practice route-finding and/or work on technical movement patterns.

The whole creative process from spotting to bolting new lines is our third motivation. We all have a different creative outlet; some of us sing, make music, love cooking, painting or making furniture. For us, it is new routing that ‘ticks us’. Trevor is naturally looking for new route potential at any crag we go to, even at any crag or piece of rock we drive past. He is always spotting natural lines or striking features that would be amazing to climb. Those of which that are on shady crags, with a potential grade range from 4s to 6s are the top of our list to have a closer look at and decide to start working on. What Desiree loves most about this creative process, are first, the uniqueness of climbing an unclimbed piece of rock and the freedom to decide where it climbs best, and second, the removing of loose rock, vegetation and mud, behind which you often find beautiful handholds.

These cleaning activities naturally lead us to our final motivation of new-routing: it is a great way to get fit. After 2,5 months in total lockdown, having drunk and eaten more than we could burn off, we had some kilos to lose and muscles to regain. Hanging in the harness all day, jumarring up the fixed line, using a crow-bar to get body-size blocks of rock off, hammering other loose rock off, drilling and brushing provides a quite intense full-body workout.

The rock scars as well as rocks at base of the crag show the amount of rock we removed (sector Estado de Alarma, Cuarentena, Corona)

Do you need permission or a qualification to make new routes?

There is no qualification for route-setting. It is a skill that is often passed on from an experienced route-setter to an ‘assistant’ to learn all the ins and outs involved with doing a good job at it.

Whether permission is needed completely depends on where we want to develop new routes. If the land is privately owned then of course we’d need permission from the land owner. As it happens though, on more than once occasion it has been the other way around, and Trevor has been asked if he would please come to have a look at a limestone wall and develop routes there. These instances were in Thailand, where the owners see the potential of building bungalows and a restaurant to accommodate the climbers, once the routes have been developed. A win-win situation.

If the crag is on public land, we ask around among local climbers to see if permission would be needed from the forestry commission and/or from the municipality. For the past year we have wanted to start developing this untouched, north-facing crag, not far from where we live. We explored it on a few occasions and see great potential, but after talking to some local climbers we decided that now is not the right time to ask permission from the local government. So we will save that crag for another time in the future.

On existing crags, we use the following logic. If it is an established crag where there haven’t been new additions for a while, then we assume that the original route developers have finished the lines that they want to put up. And that they would not be against us developing more routes. Most local developers are, A: not interested in removing tons of loose rock or vegetation, and are B: not interested in bolting low 6s, 5s or 4s. Whereas those grades are of great interest to us. The routes at the Alejandria sector in the trees for example, from Estado de Alarma till Distanciamiento Social, took a lot of effort to get cleaned. We spent multiple days up there with a crowbar and lump hammer to make this area safe for climbing. And possibly more surprisingly, the sector at Alcalali from Artmosphere till The Baker was never developed before because the rock was invisible behind the trees and bushes that were growing on its ledges. Once we cut those down, a beautiful compact slab appeared with four striking lines. We opened this sector in November 2020, and with Alcalali being the perfect winter crag in the Costa Blanca, these routes were popular right from the start.

Finally, if the crag we have spotted a line on is still in development, which was the case for Murlali, we ask the people who are bolting there whether they are planning to bolt the line that we have seen. For “Cuando termine el cierre” we were given permission to go ahead and develop that route. The last thing you want of course when you are aiming to contribute to a climbing area is to upset the other developers and climbers in that area.

Selfies (5) was donated and named by Ross and Ness Self

How much does a route cost?

This depends on the materials used. Titanium bolts that need to be glued in with a special waterproof glue (Hilti RE500, see our blog on placing titanium bolts) are more expensive than 12mm expansion bolts, which are more expensive than 10mm expansion bolts. And expansion bolts come in different alloys that vary in cost and durability. It also depends on the length of the route, or more precisely, how many bolts are needed to protect the route. Besides the material going into the route itself, there are the associated costs of the tools and protective equipment: a cordless battery-powered hammer drill (we use the Hilti Te4-A22), drill bits, ropes, saws, brushes, etc.

We estimate that on average a route costs £75.

Is there a bolt fund? How can I contribute?

In the Costa Blanca there is no bolt fund. We feel it is our obligation to contribute to the maintenance and development of this area and have been investing in it using our own funds. We do of course welcome contributions and have set up a donation page in the Rock & Sun Shop. For a £75 donation you get to name the route. Climbers visiting us in the Costa Blanca can contribute by buying a Rock & Sun t-shirt or renting our climbing shoes, harnesses, or helmets; all this income goes towards route development and route maintenance in the Costa Blanca.

How many days does it take to make a route?

On average it takes 2 days to develop a route. This however completely depends on whether it is the first route on a sector and we need to get access to the top of the crag, or whether we are creating a new route next to an existing one, in which case we can simply traverse across from the existing anchor. Besides the ease or difficulty of getting access to the top, the time it takes to make a new line also depends on the amount of vegetation and loose rock that needs to be removed.

Trevor on the first ascent of Tiger Balm (6A+)

What is the process of making a new route?

First we need access to the top of the crag. Sometimes it is possible to walk to the top of crag and set up a temporary anchor there, using trees and or trad gear. When that is not possible and it is also not possible to traverse across from an existing anchor, then Trevor will trad climb up a route from the ground and make a trad anchor at the top. This anchor is not necessarily in the spot where the final anchor will be but can be used during the routesetting process. Once a line is fixed, we can haul the drill up and drill 12mm holes to place Petzl removable bolts and take out the trad gear.

Using the temporary anchor, we set up a toprope. Both of us climb the ‘line’ at least twice. Do we choose similar ways to climb this unclimbed piece of rock? Does it go where we thought it would when we were looking at it from the ground? Is it a worthwhile route that we can make safe and fun to climb?

Once agreed on where the route goes (more or less) we climb it again to mark where the bolts go. This is a very interactive process between climber and belayer, and a lot of thought goes into it. Ultimately we want the bolts to 1) be in solid rock, 2) protect the climbing, 3) be in comfortable clipping positions for short and tall people, 4) allow the rope to run more or less in a straight line. Other considerations are that the bolt should not interfere with hand-or footholds, that the quickdraw should be hanging ‘free’ in the bolt (not pressed against or over the rock below the bolt). We both climb it several times, marking, erasing and re-marking bolts until we are happy that the bolts are marked where we would like them to be.

Depending on the amount of vegetation and loose rock, the route is either being cleaned before marking the bolts – if there is a lot of cleaning to be done, or afterwards – if the cleaning is more or less ‘cosmetic’. Desiree usually does the cleaning jumarring up a fixed line, instead of a toprope, so we can both work at the same time. Trevor can for instance be on a fixed line next to it and drill the bolts on the next route.

Trevor sometimes starts with the first bolt from the ground, working his way up to the anchor. Other times he starts at the top and works his way down. Before drilling the hole, the quality of the rock is assessed once again with the hammer to make sure it is in good quality rock. It is not always possible to put the bolt exactly where you would like it to be.

Once the bolts have been placed, we do a final clean of the route: blow off the drill dust, brushing the holds. Sometimes we reinforce holds with glue, to make the route safer (we did this for Cuarentena and Corona), or to make sure that the crux hold won’t break off (we did this on Tiger Balm).

Then one of us gets the privilege of the official “first ascent”. Climbing the route on lead for the first time, helps us to get a better idea of what the grade might be.

Trevor on the first ascent of Golden Jugs (6A)

Final Words

The good thing the Pandemic has brought us, is time. It has been great to invest in the climbing in the Costa Blanca by developing new lines. We love the process from spotting a line on the rock, to cleaning the vegetation and loose rock, to deciding where the bolts should be, and having the first ascent.

That is when the next bit of the fun starts – introducing the route to other climbers and watching them climb it. Do they go ‘the right’ way? Do they more or less get the difficulty they were expecting based on the grade we gave it? And most of all, are they enjoying it?

As the Pandemic is nearing its end, and international travel being allowed again, we are very much looking forward to our clients returning and allowing them to have a variety of new climbing experiences.

 

Full Overview of routes bolted by Trevor and Desiree during the Covid-19 Pandemic[i]

 CragRoute NameGradeDonated and named by (if applicable)Finished around
1Alejandria (in the trees) – Pena Roja, LLiberBarney Rubble6cAug 2020
2Yabba Dabba Doo !!!6cApril 2021
3The Flintstones6cAug 2020
4Estado de Alarma6bJune 2020
5Cuarentena4-5+June 2020
6Corona4+June 2020
7Distanciamiento Social6a+June 2020
8Alejandria (riverbed) – Pena Roja, LLiberDenise Denise4June 2020
9Awesome5+June 2020
10Rainbow Feet6b+Feb 2021
11Golden Jugs6aAlan BrittonFeb 2021
12Voltarol6cMarch 2021
13Tiger Balm6a+Feb 2021
14Selfies5Ross and Vanessa SelfFeb 2021
15Take is not a safe word6b+Blanka NoriMarch 2021
16AlcalaliEpidemiology5Paul CookeJan 2021
17Viva Colombia5+Mark WeeninkJan 2021
18Artmosphere6a+Rianne VerbeekNov 2020
19Rocky6aSteve CoxNov 2020
20Gene6b+Nov 2020
21The Baker6a+Nov 2020
22MurlaliBen & Jerry’s6cMark HaworthFeb 2021
23Cuando Termine el Cierre6c/+Stewart RobertsonFeb 2021

 

[i] Multiple routes at the same crag are described from left to right when facing the crag

*Alcalali and Murlali are temporarily closed for climbing due to a discovery of ancient cave paintings. Once these have been analysed and protected by the researchers of Alicante University we expect these crags to be opened up to climbers again.*

My 1st Bouldering trip to Albarracin

“Sweet dreams are made of these …. travelled the world and the seven seas”, yet we’ve left it so long before finally heading over to Albarracin. What an amazing bouldering area this is! For us, living in the Costa Blanca, it is basically on our doorstep – only a 3 hour drive. For those living in the UK or elsewhere in Europe, Albarracin is only a 2 hour drive from Valencia or a 3 hour drive from Madrid.

 

Albarracin is Awesome

Although I am Dutch and therefore usually quite modest in my adjectives when describing a place or experience, I become totally American when describing the bouldering mecca of Albarracin: because Oh My God, this place is Absolutely Totally Awesome! It is such a lovely area, a rustic medieval town surrounded by rolling hills in ‘earthy’ shades of green and orange, a beautiful pine forest, with a great atmosphere, a relaxed and friendly vibe amongst all boulderers there. On top of that, the quality of the rock is superb, and the routes are very diverse, across all the grades.

 

What makes Albarracin stand out

If you haven’t been to Albarracin yet – most of us haven’t, as it is still relatively unknown (and therefore quiet and not polished!) – you should really consider planning a trip there as soon as you can! Boulderers for sure should do so, that goes without saying. But I’d also recommend all rope-climbers who are not keen on the idea of jumping off and falling onto bouldering mats to plan a trip to Albarracin.

I am one of those climbers myself; I find it hard to commit to a move having to trust on my spotters to help me land safely onto the crashpads. Yet Albarracin has been great. It has so much to offer. There are a ton of easy boulder problems, so if you want, you can boulder well within your grade. And the good thing about those easy boulder problems is that they are interesting problems – not just ‘children boulders’. (It might be useful as a reference to know that I’m a 7a climber, and had a great time bouldering loads of 3s, 4s, 5s and 6a’s).

Also, a lot of boulder problems do not require you to ‘top out’ by mantelshelfing yourself (Aaah! Scary!) on top of the boulder, which leaves you on top of it, excited that you made it but thinking “How the hell do I get off here now?”. In Albarracin, there are a lot of boulder problems that finish on jugs from where you simply jump off onto the mat in a controlled manner; your spotter can even hold you by the hips as you do so. This makes bouldering in Albarracin completely stress-free and super fun!

For those typical rope-climbers who still aren’t convinced; another major advantage of going on a bouldering trip is that you can try the problem as often as you like, and you can try something as hard as you like, because there’s no commitment at all. When you’re done, or when the crux move is too high off the ground to your liking, or when the problem is too hard for you, you can just walk away. You don’t need to get your draws back!

 

Bouldering Areas in Albarracin

We spent 2,5 days in Albarracin. The first day we climbed in Sector Fuente: rough orange rock with big jugs and pockets. There’s several traverses (although not in the guidebook – but great for warm up or for those who don’t like going too high), there are some low boulders to get on top of (and come down off easily), and some higher boulders with finishing jugs to jump off of. The second day we started with some unfinished business in Fuente (Boulder problem “El Chorro”) and then went to Sector Techos (roofs). As suggested by the name, this area has very steep boulder problems, but there are also several easier options around. A good sector to go to when it’s raining/snowing, because the boulders provide shelter. The final half day we spent at Sector Cabrerizo because it is close to one of the parking areas and has a great variety of easy problems that can be done in several ways and therefore remain interesting; for us this was a good warm-down.

 

Albarracin my favourite?

People ask me quite often where my favourite place is to climb or boulder. I always struggle to answer questions like these, because every area has its own character, and how can I tell whether my personal experiences of these areas are not skewed because of how my climbing went that trip, what the weather was like, who I was there with, and so on? I might prefer one area over the other for reasons that have nothing to do with the areas themselves. That said, I am inclined to say that for me, Albarracin is my favourite area for bouldering! There is an abundance of interesting boulders of the easier grades, and many of the problems don’t require getting on top of the boulder. I also think it’s great that Albarracin is compact and condensed. So it involves less driving around, and it feels like there’s a proper bouldering community. Finally, I love the romantic atmosphere in the evening, walking in town with all its winding streets and medieval architecture.

By Desiree Verbeek

 

Interested in a Bouldering Trip to Albarracin?

Our experienced guides know Albarracin like the back of their hand. They will choose the right sectors and boulder problems for you and will help you improve your bouldering technique and push your grade! A guided bouldering trip with Rock & Sun includes coaching, accommodation and airport transfers. For more info and availability:

www.rockandsun.com/climbing-locations/spain/albarracin-bouldering/

 

Deep Water Soloing

I take a deep breath in through my nose, fill my lungs with air and feel my chest expanding. Then I breath out, releasing the tension in my body. I am looking out over the Andaman Sea, focusing my eyes on the horizon, trying hard not to let my eyes look down to my feet, balancing on what feels like a tiny ledge, or to the crystal-clear water below me. My heartbeat racing, I know I am not ready yet. Another deep breath in. As I breathe out, the “I-don’t-want-to-jump-I’m-so-high-I’m-gonna-die”-voice in my head moves to the background and I can hear the other voice in my head saying “Come-on-you-know-you’re-gonna-have-to-do-it-anyway-so-just-get-on-with-it. It’s-only-6-metres.” I start counting “1…”, I breathe in and out, “2…” I breathe in and out, and then on “3…” I breathe in and step on foot forward, cross my arms in front of my chest, and gravity does the rest. The fall is long enough for me to realise that I’m falling, … I’m still in the air, a shriek escapes my mouth just before I splash in the water. While I’m quickly sorting out my bikini before resurfacing and swimming back to the longtail boat, I realise that it wasn’t all that bad. Actually, it was fine, and it was fun! Let’s go again!

 

What is Deep Water Soloing (DWS)

Deep-water soloing (DWS) is a form of rock climbing. Most similar to bouldering as there are no ropes, bolts, quickdraws or harnesses involved. The water below provides the protection from injury when falling off, hence it’s necessary to make sure it is deep water. Deep-water soloing has its roots in Majorca where Miquel Riera and his friends started bouldering above the sea in the late 70s. Its Spanish history makes that DWS is also known as psicobloc, which literally translated into English, means “Psycho Bouldering”. Deep-Water Soloing has also been done in the UK for decades, but it only became more mainstream after a couple of short DWS films were made in 2003 starring some of the sports pioneers – Tim Emmett, Klem Loskot and Chris Sharma.

 

Deep Water Soloing in Thailand

Thailand is a great place to go Deep Water Soloing. There are many limestone karsts rising steeply directly out of the sea, allowing climbing straight from a kayak or longtail boat, going as high as you can or dare, and falling or jumping into the sea. Needless to say – although most karsts are as steep underwater as they are above the water surface, you always need to check whether the water is deep enough, or go with someone who knows the area. It is crucial to know what the tide state is. Besides the abundance of karsts, the second thing that makes Thailand a great venue for DWS, are its tropical warm seas. No need for wetsuits. No risk of hypothermia. Just a lovely warm bath below you.

 

DWS on Lao Liang

All of Rock and Sun’s 12-night Sport Climbing Holidays start on the island in the south of Thailand called Lao Liang. It is about 16 kilometres offshore and a true climber’s paradise. To read more about Lao Liang, have a look at our website: https://www.rockandsun.com/rock-climbing-holidays/thailand-lao-liang/ During our 4-night stay on Lao Liang, we always aim to go Deep-Water-Soloing. We keep an eye on the tides, check whether the sea is calm enough for the kayak to bring people safely to the rock, and when the time is right, we ask the Thai staff to take the longtail boat and the kayak out. We go around both of the islands and do some snorkelling on the headland and round the back. If you’re lucky, you see dolphins jumping out of the sea and following the boat, or a sea turtle surfacing and waving his paw, as if they’re saying hello. Leaving us all in awe and admiration. What a special place this is..

Then we throw the anchor out at our first DWS spot and Trevor Massiah (MIA – our main Thailand instructor) gets ready. He puts his old climbing shoes on that he doesn’t mind getting wet. Covers his hands in liquid chalk. Blows them dry. Then steps onto the kayak in Gorilla-pose: on toes, knees and fists to keep his hands dry. Kneeling in this position makes it easy to keep your balance while on the water and then to step up from the kayak onto the rock. Avoiding the sharp barnacles at the bottom of the rock, Trev sets off to climb the first line. It is a nice diagonal line that has bigger and bigger jugs as you go higher. If it was a route, it would be graded a F4/5. After about 8 meters of climbing you reach a ledge. You can jump from here, or step down and jump from about 6 meters. *Which is what I did*. Another option is to continue climbing. There’s a traverse going out right that goes all the way into a cave, getting harder and harder as you continue, from about F6B to F7B. Or, from the ledge you can climb down, traverse left a bit and then go up to climb a F6A+ to the next ledge, from where, again, you can choose to jump or climb back down to the 8m ledge. All in all, there are lots of different opportunities at different grades and different heights. And that in this one little spot round the back of Lao Liang alone.

 

DWS Pioneer Tim Emmett

This winter, Tim Emmett joined us on two of Rock & Sun’s Sport Climbing Holidays in Thailand. It was immediately obvious that he is one of the DWS pioneers. He jumped from the highest point on our first DWS spot – with a backflip summersault, as he is adrenaline-junky Tim Emmett after all and never short of bravery. But it’s not only that. You can tell he loves the freedom of being on the rock without a rope and gear and without a certain ‘line’ or ‘route’ to stick with. When arrived at our second DWS spot on Lao Liang, he started doing the obvious traverse line – after which most people land in the water. Tim however, continued all the way high up into the tufa system. And while we were holding our breath on the boat watching him go higher and higher, thinking what would happen if he were to fall from there, the ‘show’ wasn’t over just yet. He then climbed down and left onto the blank looking wall, went back up – still going left, following some pockets, climbed down from there till he was almost at water level again, and just kept going. Making one big circle on the rock. Making the most of his free climbing. It is amazing to watch Tim Emmett’s love for the rock, his lack of fear, his abundant energy, as well as his love for the water. Because as soon as he did another summersault to get in the water, he swam to the boat to swop his rock shoes for fins and went free diving.

Deep-Water Soloing in Thailand is a must try for everyone; for the brave and not-so-brave, for the hard and not-so-hard climbers, for those who love rock, water or both.

By Desiree Verbeek

Interested in a climbing holiday in Thailand?
For more information and availability: https://www.rockandsun.com/climbing-locations/asia/thailand/