Riglos
Riglos comprises of everything you could possibly want for a destination climbing trip. It’s an incredible location just a few hours inland from Barcelona, and its conglomerate towers are guaranteed to make you gasp as you lay your eyes across it for the first time.
Only a Snippet of Riglos’s Massive Towers.
I had gone here as part of a party of 12 climbers, all dedicated to the thrill of big wall climbing. And to no fail, we all had stories. From climbing gigantic 200m+ walls, walk-off mishaps, sending and bailing routes – we had the time of our lives.
On day one, I did my only “big wall” climb of the trip. Topping out the massive 200m wall on a 6a+/19 route called Currucuclillo. It’s a popular wall on the ‘Mallo Cuchillo y Frechín’ face with three climbs leading to the peak, and a good one to do if you’re in a larger group and want to celebrate its end together. In particular, Currucuclillo is also great if one person in your duo is slightly stronger than the other as pitches are alternated between V/15 and 6a+/19 grading. After setting out in the morning, we completed the full 9-pitches and topped out near sunset.
The descent, however, is tricky. Fortunately, another duo in our party had waited for us at the top after completing the 6b+/20 Irene la Paz and we navigated our path down together. This wasn’t before taking wrong turns leading to dramatic drop-offs, scrambling across narrow traverses, and attempting move through a field of broken boulders in the dark. We were lost. After some heated debates and vague wandering to find a path, some other climbers noticed our head torches and called us over to the well-hidden path. Despite all this, we were still the first group to make it home that evening.
Muscles aching and my body bruised, the next few days were spent at a more mellow peak called ‘Mallo Colorao’, comforting climbers with its smaller demeanor and V/15 to 6a/18 climbing. Again, many climbs reached the same anchor point making it a prime space for comraderie and laughter. But as the trip neared to the end, I wanted another challenge!
Topping out ‘Currucuclillo.’
M. Colorao.
So, another girl and I set out on our own. Exploring an area about an hours’ walk further to the Mallo Cored face. We were eclectic as we anticipated our lone adventure, and further amped up as we sighted vultures soaring from their nests on the peak. Unfortunately, not much went to plan. We had struggled to find the route, and once my friend had started the lead, we realised the route differed from the guide book. After 3 hours, she had yet to reach the first pitch and we swapped. It was then that I realised, this was not the V+/16 the guide promised. But still, I had more experience climbing on rock and made it to an anchor. Whether it was the right one, I’m still not sure. But quickdraws were running low and nerves were high. Soon afterwards, she had joined me at the first anchor and the glorious midday sun had finally reached around to us.
After a debrief, we realised the mutual extent of uncertainty. The difficult start and the alternate route had unnerved us, so, we bailed. It was a disappointing result after our excitement in the morning but it wasn’t until we had searched the route online that our suspicions were confirmed. The route, V+/16 Lisbona, had been re-bolted and re-graded to a 6a+/19, at the cusp of our maximum skill level. That moment, all feelings of disappointment were replaced with immense pride at our efforts and ended the trip on an ultimate high.
M. Cored.
Getting There
Riglos is roughly a 3hr drive from the Barcelona airport, Spain. Due to the sheer amount of us, and all the gear we had, we opted to hire 3 cars between us. From experience, buy the insurance when you collect the car as opposed to when you book the car online. More often than not, if you buy insurance online you still would either need to repurchase insurance, or put down a hefty retainer fee in-store as they don’t deal with third-party insurance directly.
Alternatively, it is possible to get there by bus and train, but timetable frequency will be an issue unless you plan accordingly.
Accommodation and Town
No matter where you stay, you can’t go wrong. Riglos is a small town that climbers frequent, and hundreds of routes are within walking distance. We used AirBnB, but there is also a local bar with lodging.
Alongside the only bar in town, there is a small convenience store. This store only provides necessities and is open at odd times and by request. If you’re arriving by bus, you’d be best doing your food shop before you arrive, and if you have a car, be prepared to drive to another town.
An example of just how close the town lies beneath the towers!
Rock and Routes.
Riglos is known for its conglomerate rock. While it looks questionable, the most popular climbs are really solid and as a perk, its unevenness provides a lot of alternative holds if you are a little shorter than average. However, on routes less climbed, expect a little bit of choss and potential breakage. Additionally, the multi-pitch climbs are well bolted given a few exceptions.
While there are single pitch climbs, Riglos is famed for its multi-pitches. I felt that the shorter climbs had less bolting with its first often resting high up from the base. Additionally, as the routes are not as frequented, the rock was relatively chossy.
A Close Up on the Rock, ft. Snow!
Recommended routes –
6a+ (19) Currucuclillo (200m, 9 pitches)
6b+ (20) Irene y la Paz (210m, 7 pitches)
7a (23) La Fiesta del Bíceps (240m, 7 pitches)
6b (20) Galletas (270m, 10 pitches)
And anything on the Mallo Colorao face for shorter and enjoyable climbing!
Tips for climbing
For any large multi-pitch routes, always bring food and water! The heights of the massifs are not for the faint-hearted and you will be on the wall morning till dusk. Your body will thank you for fuel in the ascent.
Secondly, bring headtorches. Most routes you can walk off, and often that will take an hour or two in itself. You may never need it, but it’s better to be on the safe side.
Lastly, decide what temperature you like to climb at. We had gone in January in the middle of winter. The mornings and evenings dropped below freezing and we were even gifted with a snow day! However, it is totally doable to climb. The sun is still lovely, but if you’re prone to cold extremities, gloves for belaying are recommend if you’re in the shade.
Personally, I would stay away in peak summertime. There are faces that are set in the shade, but if the sun hits the wall its guaranteed you’ll be melted off.
Spanish winter sunset.
Riglos was a fantastic trip to do with a group of friends. Granted, theres not much else to do except for climb but thats the entire point! There will be power screams, laughter, and tears. There will be challenges that leads you to discover so much more of yourself and your ability, especially when surrounded by something so much bigger than yourself. So, the next time your planning a climbing trip, this is one for the books.