UKC

250m, 6 pitches.

Rockfax Description
You will certainly need to make friends with the devil on this long left-hand alternative to Cepeda. The climbing is run-out in places and will feel close to E1 for trad climbers. Its actual crux is shared with Cepeda but it is a bigger lead. The line wanders and is difficult follow. It is home to the famous 'canaloz' (narrow water-worn grooves in the rock). Start to the right of a long diagonal overlap rising up left.
1) 3c, 35m. Head just right of the overlap until just above it and then go diagonally left to a belay half way between the lower overlap and a smaller higher one.
2) 4a, 35m. Go up and pass the overlap on its right and then trending slightly up left to a belay below another overlap.
3) 4b, 30m. Climb up and trend left to the belay. Spaced gear on this pitch.
4) 6a, 30m. A technical and balancy pitch. Three bolts and a thread mark the way. The first bolt is 12m up but there are some cams below it to calm the nerves. Above two more bolts protect the crux before passing a thread and on to the belay.
5) 5a, 40m. This long pitch is hard to protect and requires total commitment to reach the first bolt about 10m up and slightly to the right. After this is another similar run-out trending up and left to a second bolt. A short traverse gains some black streaks and another bolt. Head up, trending slight right again, to reach the next belay.
6) 5b, 40m. Another bold pitch. Climb up as long way to reach a crack in a roof, where small cams protect. Turn the roof on its left and go up the slabs and 'canaloz', trending rightwards to another roof. Go over this and Pass two old bolts above and left then head up and right to gain Cepeda at pitch 7.
Finish up Cepeda as described below.
7) 4c, 30m. Climb up to gain the groove and move right to a more distinct crack that leads up to another groove. At the top of this, head left and down slightly to a belay below the left-hand end of a long overhang.
8) 4c, 25m. Move up to just below the long roof and traverse below it to the base of the impending corner and a peg belay.
9) 5c, 25m. Climb the steep corner and clip a poor thread before reaching a good bolt. Strenuous and technical climbing leads past the bolt. Good wires above keep you going to easier ground. Continue up the groove to where a hole leads through to the south face and ease yourself through to a bolt belay.
10) 4a, 45m. Head up the prominent rib - the rock is more broken here and care is needed around loose rock. Pass a couple of pegs and the climbing ends at a large block belay. Un-rope and solo the ridge to the true summit before starting the descent. © Rockfax

UKC Logbook Description
Good line up steep slabby east face on solid limestone. A few bolts to be found, but never in any quantity, and natural pro is hard to place, so feels run out in places. Excellent belays however.

Feedback

User Date Notes
Alexmwillis 22 Aug, 2021 Show βeta
βeta: Great direct route up the east face! Long pitches and pretty runout at times, bolts on the crux. Options to continue up the last two pitches of La Cepeda (4+/6a) or traverse across to abseil point.
βeta?
Show beta
βeta: Great direct route up the east face! Long pitches and pretty runout at times, bolts on the crux. Options to continue up the last two pitches of La Cepeda (4+/6a) or traverse across to abseil point.

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