UKH

Today was our last day in Calpe and having successfully done a number of ridges in the Mark Eddy Bumper Fun Book, we thought we do the Segaria. The section from the Porte d’ Ondra had been done previously so this just left the first section. We left the car park armed with the Rockfax, Bumper Fun Book & online Spanish topo map - what could go wrong…   

After 30 mins we found the perched boulder (Rockfax) and 100m or so further on, a line of cairns & well bashed path heading up & left (Bumper Fun Book). The path and cairns led to a small hidden cave with no obvious way on. After 90 mins of fruitless searching, relocating & more fruitless searching all under the Costa Blanca sun, we binned it and went to Toix!

So, UKC collective, how do you get onto the Sagaria ridge???

We couldn't find the start either, we ended up scrambling up some very dodgy and loose terrain to access the ridge. In hindsight probably not a great idea but it was a brilliant day. 

Hi Steve,

Sorry to hear the Segaria didn't work out for you today.

Reaching the start of that section of the ridge is awkward and really has no clear / obvious way and it is difficult to even aim for anything ahead. Of all the route descriptions I wrote for the guide, this was the most challenging by far and I did scratch my head about it quite a bit. The issue, as you have now experienced, is the nature of the terrain. Lots of spiky vegetation, broken ground, and generally difficult to navigate.

I have so far not come across the small cave, although Segaria does seem to have loads of them all over it.

Possibly the inclusion of a photo of the 'Impressive terrace' could be of help, although IIRC this may not be obvious on the section of approach you were having trouble on.

When I'm back in the area I'll have another good look at this approach and update the Cicerone website if I can make any improvements. Will try and dig out a photo of the 'impressive terrace' and add that too.

Thanks for the feedback. Hope you had a great time over there.

Mark

Hi Steve, feel your pain. We hit the cave (which is an abseilable through route adventure).  We backtracked and followed some Cain's higher (couldn't decide if these were for a different path or not) about 100m uphill (I think) to a wider flattening. We picked a way up the scramble on the left that was easy and unlikely. We were heading for the ridge at a flat spot. 

We got lucky and found the traverse. 

A gpx track of the route would be great but we didn't have the technology and we're similarly floundering and frustrated.

We had RF and Marks otherwise excellent book (though the gap from end of scrambling/summit to the descent gully is much further than expected, just keep going till the metal signposts)

Good luck next time 

Mark, you can't see the terrace, not sure we found it but we found the traverse.

If you do the route a few pins on Google maps or lat longs, or a gpx track would really help. Took us 90 frustrating mins from car to traverse 

Thanks. Yeh I thought that was the case with the terrace, not visible on the approach, thanks for clarifying. Will take a gps tracker device with me next time and try to getting a decent approach line plotted. 

Hi Mark, later over a beer, I found this pic on your website https://www.mountain-journeys.co.uk/segaria-ridge-traverse/ - including this in your Bumper Fun Book would have helped me better appreciate what terrain/feature we were aiming for.

Thanks Steve. Yes that's the photo I had in mind too. Will help with visualisation 

We must have had the same problem in 2019! I think we just scrambled up;

5.5hrs car to car. Not sure where the route starts but we began in a big square bay and just went up. Passed one bolted belay and then up to the notch where there was another (moving together)

Search YouTube for "cresta de segaria" some good info there