UKC

Hi all

I posted on here recently about a trip I have planned to Spain. I am planning on going over next year and attempting to hit some of the famous Sport climbing areas (El chorro, Margalef, Siurana, Rodellar ect) 

However, we also have the intention of putting down roots in one area for a while and potentially working and renting somewhere for a few months. I was wondering is anyone had any recommendations for a base. 

Ideally it would be more of a town than a city and have a decent crag within 15 minutes and be within an hour or two of some of the real good stuff. 

We are currently based in Queenstown in New Zealand so are blessed with decent crags and the southern Alps on our doorstep. For this reason I have been looking at the Pyrenees region especially around the towns like Huesca and Jaca. But could certainly go somewhere smaller in the mountains. 

Also we looked into Cuenca and Jaen as potential places with decent infrastructure but climbing on hand. 

So if anyone knows of a gem of a town with a decent crag on hand and not too far away from the famous good stuff that Spain has to offer please let me know. 

Cheers all

Gareth 

Hi Gareth 

Sounds like a great adventure and there are so many fab places that would fit the bill. Your ideas of the Pyrenees (though I might go for the Catalunya side) and Jaen would both be in my top 5 suggestions, but a lot would depend on what time of year you are thinking of???

Meanwhile, have a browse of https://rockaroundtheworld.co.uk/category/spain/ where you'll find photos and beta from around 300 crags in Spain, including quite a areas that are off the radar of most Brits / visiting climbers.

Cheers, Dom 

When my Dad retired a few years ago he got a little place in a town called Alora, it's a stunning historic Spanish town that's under 30 minutes from the main El Chorro crags. We've been out quite often and love it, very Spanish and a good sized town with lots of great options for eating out. I'm sure there are loads of other great options too of course!

I reckon you'll get a good idea of where you want to stay after you've had a trip there. There's so many places that fit your requirements. Having climbed a bit round queenstown, you should expect to be very very pleased with the quality of the climbing in Spain! 

Hi Dom 

The loose plan would be to start in the south of Spain in January/February and then slowly head north. I would like to hit up two or three of the major crags simply as a tourist and then find a place to stay for a few months but potentially be more permanent in the future.

The website you sent me is great thanks very much for that. 

Quick reminder that if you want to work you will need a permit. I’m guessing by your user name that you’re not under 30, so can’t using the working holiday scheme (assuming you have an NZ passport). If you’re a Brit living in NZ (which would make sense given this is UKC) then all I can say is good luck (because you’ll also need a work permit and can only spend 90/180 days there).

Some things to consider, these are both well inland, Spain gets quite hot in Summer. Also do you want to be near the sea, we had thought about santander, ferry to Ireland, (none to NZ though), great beaches, near the Picos de Europa. A bit further to the Pyrenees. But we wanted a lively town as well for social activities. 

Huesca looks stunning though!

Hi Gareth

Sounds like you’ll be looking to stay in your ‘longer-term’ base over the springtime, and I’m guessing that if you are heading north you probably won’t want to back-track too far. Rolling in your requirement of cragging within 15mins and ‘destination venues’ within an hour or so, and pressing the ‘RockAroundTheWorld Selector’ button, you could have a think about the following:

Lleida (or one of the towns and villages to the north) – A world of cragging on the doorstep (check out the POD guidebook) and world-class venues like Siurana and Margalef about an hour away, but also near enough to the Pyrenees and higher ground for when it warms up. https://rockaroundtheworld.co.uk/category/spain/catalunya/ 

Xerica (or Jerica) – a beautiful, historic town with cragging within walking distance, and an hour away from Chulilla (justifiably famous) and Montanejos (less fashionable but just as good) plus the gorgeous Olba crags to explore https://rockaroundtheworld.co.uk/category/spain/aragon/  and https://rockaroundtheworld.co.uk/category/spain/valencia-costa-blanca/ 

Cangas de Onis (or somewhere else in Asturias) – Harder to recommend a specific location, as the climbing is a bit more spread out, but there’s plenty to keep you occupied in the two Roca Verde guidebooks. Teverga might not be as famous as some of the venues mentioned above, but it’s arguably Spain’s best kept secret, and the Picos de Europa has loads to go at in valleys and up high. It should be coming into prime condition by the time of your visit (though it’s not called the Costa Verde for nothing). https://rockaroundtheworld.co.uk/category/spain/north-asturias-cantabria-le...

I hope that helps (and there are a dozen other centres you could pick which would give you an equally fabulous experience!)

Cheers, Dom

Hi Gareth

Sounds like you’ll be looking to stay in your ‘longer-term’ base over the springtime, and I’m guessing that if you are heading north you probably won’t want to back-track too far. Rolling in your requirement of cragging within 15mins and ‘destination venues’ within an hour or so, and pressing the ‘RockAroundTheWorld Selector’ button, you could have a think about the following:

Lleida (or one of the towns and villages to the north) – A world of cragging on the doorstep (check out the POD guidebook) and world-class venues like Siurana and Margalef about an hour away, but also near enough to the Pyrenees and higher ground for when it warms up. https://rockaroundtheworld.co.uk/category/spain/catalunya/ 

Xerica (or Jerica) – a beautiful, historic town with cragging within walking distance, and an hour away from Chulilla (justifiably famous) and Montanejos (less fashionable but just as good) plus the gorgeous Olba crags to explore https://rockaroundtheworld.co.uk/category/spain/aragon/  and https://rockaroundtheworld.co.uk/category/spain/valencia-costa-blanca/ 

Cangas de Onis (or somewhere else in Asturias) – Harder to recommend a specific location, as the climbing is a bit more spread out, but there’s plenty to keep you occupied in the two Roca Verde guidebooks. Teverga might not be as famous as some of the venues mentioned above, but it’s arguably Spain’s best kept secret, and the Picos de Europa has loads to go at in valleys and up high. It should be coming into prime condition by the time of your visit (though it’s not called the Costa Verde for nothing). https://rockaroundtheworld.co.uk/category/spain/north-asturias-cantabria-le...

I hope that helps (and there are a dozen other centres you could pick which would give you an equally fabulous experience!)

Cheers, Dom

Don’t want to pi55 on your chips but you do realise Spain has a really high unemployment rate? Around 13% compared to just over 3% here in the UK. I suspect finding work isn’t going to be that easy even if you have Spanish language skills and an EU work permit. Surely easier to work in the U.K. and then return to Spain just to climb? Unless of course you can work remotely in which case why not?!

This is awesome information, thanks very much, lots of fun research to keep me busy. And if you are out that way at a similar time definitely hit me up for a climb! 

Don't worry, piss away! This is what I'm here for to get the correct information. So yes the visa situation is annoying as I am indeed from the UK and 32 so no working holiday for me. My partner has an Italian passport so she is sorted. 

The purpose of this trip is more fact finding. We recently got our New Zealand residency so we can leaving the country for (in our case) 8 months. The whole settling in one place idea was more to see where would be a potential base in the future, so for now we could volunteer ect, just to make the trip more sustainable rather than get "proper jobs". 

So the main issue is the 3 month time limit that I have. So it may just be back to a 2 month climbing trip and 1 month settled in one place, which will be great in it's own right. 

Yeah the finding a job situation is also a big consideration, but we can both speak Spanish and she can work remotely, just me again being the weak link there haha. Back in the UK not for me at the moment.

Just get married

Then as long as you enter and leave the country with your partner you can stay as long as you like!

I don't think your correct in this point!

I've been married to a Spanish national, greater than 10 years. Both resident in the UK.

Post the clusterf**k of Brexit I have no automatic right of residence in Spain.

I think you’re right! I must’ve misunderstood the person telling me as I’ve just looked in a couple of places and they confirm I’m chatting rubbish 😂

On the 90 days issue, you could tack on some extra euro-cragging - either apply for a French long stay visa https://rockaroundtheworld.co.uk/2021/11/03/extended-euro-tour-over-90-days... or there's a Portuguese visa extension scheme.

... and yes, there's every chance of bumping into each other somewhere in one of the Spanish honeypots! Cheers, Dom 

Le Seu urgell  in the north of cataluna is quite a nice town.Great potential 4 season activities.Access to northern llieda province crags ..granite in the mountains Extensive granite bouldering 1.5 hours away at targasonne etc.Tarragonna province I(siurana )etc) is not far neither is France (the ariege).