UKH

Does anyone know if this can be (easily) abb'd off using a single 70m rope?

Also is there a big change since the 2011 Rockfax?

By way of a bump - this is the first time I've known the UKC hive mind to fail!

Pm'd

Thanks!

According to a logbook entry from last year a team got down on a 70m rope but had to include a mini-ab along the way,

Chris

The info in both the 2011 and 2015 guides is from my ascent in 2005. The last two pitches are around 40m each and we abseiled on twin 50m ropes.

The information on UKC logbook entry - Vía de los bomberos (6b) - suggests that there is now a 5th pitch. I am surprised by the comment that someone abseiled it on a single 70m rope and it isn't clear from their entry if they did all four pitches so I wouldn't trust this. Also, the route is standard 6b with the last two pitches being the hardest and best.

Alan

Thanks folks - given the particular context I'm not looking for an adventure abseil so I'll either take a set of 1/2 ropes (baggage) or walk up the ridge and off (I've done this before, it's quite nice).  My guide book is a little old and it's not that unusual to find someone has stuck in some intermediate ab stations in the years between but this doesn't sound like the case here.

Thanks again!

I can't be 100% certain but I reckon that 5th pitch will take you to easy ground and almost certainly a junction with Gubia Normal. For that you only need a few slings for the top section since it is littered with threads. You can then walk down which would make a great day including a mini-summit. 

Ta, this time I'll remember my lunch for the top!

It's a super route.

The start is a little difficult to identify: As you ascend the scree there is a big clearing, the climb starts behind the beginning of the scrub and trees that cover the upper slopes.  Ignoring the initial 2m of scrub, the route starts behind the second (big) tree just to the right of a large scoop. The route starts under the bigger and higher white tufa but there several other white tufas. Going up straight gets the direct (6C) start.  The first pitch starts to the right of this line (after 3-4 bolts of the direct).

There is now a fifth pitch above the original four.  This is F6b for 6m and then F4 for another 30m on newer bolts with one peg to chains through a natural thread. After the chain it is a 30m scramble to the ridge to join the scramble off to the top as for Alhabida.

The pitch lengths as measured by my 70m rope are:

P1: 35m

P2: 35m

P3: 42m (rusty maillons evident on route).

P4: 38m (rusty maillons evident on route).

P5: 35m to the chains (but if you're abbing off don't bother with this pitch - it is nice but way below the quality of the rest of the route and its value is really the scramble to the summit which is great).

I'd think it is dodgy to plan on abbing off using a 70m rope and marginal on an 80m rope. The original advice of using 50m pairs is sound.

We got away with 16 quick draws but 18 would be better as on two stances we were short and we missed out at least one bolt.