UKC

Climbs 72
Rocktype UNKNOWN
Altitude 396m a.s.l
Faces NW

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Caimanes Encallados area. Scramble down along and then up onto some ancient terraces. Great area, climber on Caimanes 5+ © Dave Turnbull

Crag features

A escarpment of buttresses of good quality pocketed limestone with about 70 routes most about 15 to 20m in length, some a little longer. The names and grades on the pebbles at the base of each route have now mostly worn off so I have added some crag photos which should enable a visit along with the descriptions in the approach section if you can't get hold of a topo. There are a couple of good quality grade 4's and a multitude of good 5's and 6's. Strong fingers are essential on the steep pocket pulling of the high 6's. Though not worth travelling a long distance to, the crag is well worth a visit if you are on the area.

The crag faces WNW and in April comes into the sun at about 2pm with some faces getting shade until about 3.30pm.

Approach notes

Take the CV-20 heading NW out of Onda for about 10km. Take note as you pass a right turn signposted to Fanzara and Vallat. The crag is 3.2km past this, but is up left and cannot be seen when coming from this direction. After 3.2km look out for a tarmac road going up this hill to the left with a padlocked liftable barrier at its bottom. Opposite this it is possible to park in a tarmaced junction area made to access some waterworks down a road to the right (also has a barrier across it). If you have missed the parking and gone further up the valley, it is possible to see the buttresses up and right above the trees if you are coming back down towards Onda.

Cross the road walk round the barrier and go up the tarmaced road for about 10 minutes until you reach a small water reservoir. Go past this on the left, high up, along side the fence, then step over a small wall and work your way up to a larger concrete wall. Go a few meters left along this and the climb over. There may be a marker cairn. A well defined path leads to the crag from here. 20 to 25 minutes from the car depending on which buttress you go to. The path arrives at the crag at the Espinete buttress and about 20m right is a buttress with superb rock and the pocketed rib of Psicochapas. Moving right again it is necessary to scramble upwards and this brings you to a section of great slabby rock which includes the bird banned routes. Moving right again, drop down and then climb up a couple of old terraces to reach the excellent El desplomao del flipao area with the big wall of Imperio del sol to the right. (I haven't been any further than this on my two visits)

 

Restricted Access

Bird ban on 12 routes, El escudo to El caracol inclusive, 1st January to 30th June. (This was well signed in April 2022)

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Climbs at this crag

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