Climbing at Sierra de Toix, Costa Blanca

The crags of Sierra de Toix were one of the first areas to be bolted for 'sport climbing' back in the 1980s, so we thought we should pay them a visit. The routes are good, but some of the bolts are now showing their age so be careful!

The day actually started with a little rain, so there was no rush to get out and about. By the time we'd made it though a good sized breakfast, some coffees, pastries and a few jobs, things were starting to dry out. As a kind of 'sight-seers curiosity', we drove past the 'holiday paradise' of 'Benidorm' to see if it really is as bad as people make out. It's an impressive skyline, with huge hotel skyscrapers that must literally be able to accommodate millions of people. We didn't go though the centre of town, but if the outskirts were anything to go by, we weren't missing out. Interestingly, as we drove home in the dark, there were hardly any lights on in any of the buildings, so presumably, the place must be empty right now. Very strange.

The crags are on the edge of a resort development, so the view looking down was a bit like looking down onto a toy town or model village, with perfectly planned roads, apartments and swimming pools.

 

The vibe when we arrived was much different at Toix, with many teams climbing and abseiling up and down various routes, all shouting commands and questions at each other in various languages. What with all the development below, the noise of the other climbers and a strong wind blowing, it was a far cry from the peace and tranquillity of yesterday! As it turned out, (because we arrived later in the day?) the groups soon began to leave and as (loosely) arranged, we soon found our friends hanging off a nearby cliff.

 

We were moving really well after a few days of 'warming up' and climbed quite a few routes in a short space of time. Some of the classic longer routes that we wanted to do were exposed to the wind, so once the other teams had left, we nipped up them too - the air temperature was in the twenties, so at least it was a warm wind.

 

Just before it got dark, the sun appeared through the haze of clouds to give a really cool sunset. I tried to take a picture, but it doesn't really do it justice.

 

It only takes two minutes to walk back to the car, so we really could make the most of the extended daylight by climbing until well past 7pm.

Sierra de Toix - Costa Blanca:
- Renov 4+, 5**
- Black Route II 5**
- Red Route II 5+,5**
- Espolon Limaban 4,5*** (great line, terrible bolts though!)
- Dedi UBSA 5**