Crag features

Often gazed at in awe from the car as you whip through the tunnels on your way somewhere else, the towering walls of the Mascarat provide some fine, long routes in a weird and exciting setting. The noise of the traffic dominates the atmosphere a bit, although this is of little significance on the Southwest Face. Several of the long routes have become established classics on the Costa Blanca hit-list with Llobet/Bertomeu (Vía UBSA) being one of the more popular long and relatively easy routes around. Others are seldom climbed but are worthwhile nonetheless. The hard routes on the Hambre de Mujer wall and Cleoplaca wall are all superb, but don't see much attention.

The tall walls give shady climbing on many of the routes and a cold wind can whistle down the gorge in winter. This makes it a good place to head for in very hot weather, but conversely a dreadful place if it is at all chilly. The longer routes on the Southwest Face are much more exposed to the sunshine and should all be considered as major full-day undertakings. Make sure you are well equipped with an appropriate rack of gear and take plenty of water and sun screen.