UKH

Heading out to (probably) Costa Blanca in a couple of weeks. Wanting to do a fair bit of multipitch (mostly the point of going). 

Has anyone got any recent experience of just how much gear is really required - logbooks suggest taking a rack on just about everything, don't mind being run-out as long as I'm not likely to hit anything if (when?) I whip. I've done Diedro UBSA (5c) before and found it fine just on the bolts, but then I did have grades in hand which maybe not-so-much this time.

Partner is an experienced trad leader (I'm sport only) but I'd rather not have to second everything (maybe time to learn to place gear!).

Routes of interest:

Vía Pany (5a) - sounds like gear is okay and plenty in hand, don't worry about it

Verde esmeralda (6a+) - likewise, nearing onsight limit but crux pitch is well bolted?

Vía Gómez-Cano (6b) - at onsight limit, pitch 7 and 8 many bolts? And the aid pitch, comment in logbooks says easy to pull on draws, suggesting plenty of bolts or gear required? Rockfax suggest footloops needed but no comments to substantiate...

Costa Miserables (6b+) - sounds well enough bolted? 

Selection based purely on Rockfax / logbooks, obviously higher-starred routes which I guess means some glass-like polish...Diedro UBSA was certainly shiney but didn't detract from the fun but having grades in hand helps, if Costa Miserables is that bad it probably won't be enjoyable...any thoughts? Or recommendations of less-polished alternatives?

Thanks in advance for any steers!

In reply to Pottsy84:

Via Pany has quite a lot of in-situ gear (2021) and bolted belays, but it's worth having a small rack to plug the gaps. Only minimal polish.

Verde Esmeralda has a bit less in-situ gear than Pany. However, the crux pitch is very well bolted for the hard moves off the belay, a bit spaced after that and I remember placing wires on that pitch. Not polished at all. I did a short write up about our time on the route here: https://www.mountain-journeys.co.uk/blog/category/el-pentildeon-difach

You'll find a few more big multi-pitch days in here: https://www.cicerone.co.uk/costa-blanca-mountain-adventures

I remember having a particularly good day on the Ponoch climbing Via Valencianos - see Rockfax for details. It's not fully bolted, but there are routes on there that are. It's worth a visit.

HTH

In reply to Pottsy84:

Gomez-Cano is the only one I've done and a long while back now but unless it's been retrobolted it would be a frightner without gear and the skills to use it, especially so if you're onsighting mid 6's. The aid section is just a few meters of French-free on fixed gear.

jk

In reply to jkarran:

Yes it's certainly not a sport route! I remember using footloops on the aid pitch, it wasn't as simple as just pulling on the draws for me. There is a chimney pitch so if you have a sack you need to think about that.  Costa Miserables is an easier proposition, do that before Gomez to get a feel for the Penyon, although the crux pitch is insecure and slippery and no pushover.

In reply to Pottsy84:

Worth going to the Pirates of the Caribbean area and getting on Parle. The abseil into the cave and the climbing out is good fun. Bit of a walk but you don't need any trad gear.

In reply to Mark Eddy:

I thought that Vía Valencianos (5c) was one of the most polished routes I’ve ever done!

In reply to Mike-W-99:

Different Via Valencianos https://www.ukclimbing.com/logbook/crags/ponoch-1690/via_valencianos-24522. The climbs I've done on Ponoch have been polish free

In reply to Mark Eddy:

Good spot, have quite fancied the other one when I’ve been over but never got round to it.

For the op, the one I linked to is a polished horror show on at least one pitch.

In reply to jkarran:

Thanks...sounds like either skip it or second it then. Shame, sounds pretty good.

In reply to nikoid:

Thanks, sufficient fixed gear for Costa Miserables or again sparse? Rockfax / logbooks seem to suggest it's better bolted...

In reply to Joffy:

Thanks...I'd downloaded Sierra de Toix but not spent much time looking simply because it's small by comparison! We're only out for a few days and I'm keen on big, but maybe being a bit blinkered, the rock looks pretty cool... 

In reply to Mark Eddy:

Now this or Viaje Espacial (6a+) looks like a proper day out - thanks Mark!

In reply to Mike-W-99:

I suspect very much much the same as Diedro UBSA (5c) given they're among the easiest lines on the rock. Still enjoyable just for the adventure, maybe not so much for the climbing.

In reply to Pottsy84:

Combining the first two pitches of Jack Daniels (6a+) with the last three of Viaje Espacial (6a+) , switching routes where they intersect, gives a good, consistent link-up with five pitches in the 6a/6a+ range. Having said that I can't recall any detail - it was twenty years ago - other than that we had an excellent day.

In reply to Pottsy84: it’s a long time since I did it but Gomez Canó is excellent  but was most definitely not a sport route back in the day. . More like two big pitches of E2 high up on a mountain . . Proper adventure . 

In reply to Pottsy84:

Gomez-Cano  Solid E2 with normal trad rack. Take normal slings to stand in on aid pitch, unless very strong.

Costa Miserables Don't underestimate pitch 5. Solid 6b+, and starts with an easy unprotected traverse, so first steep moves feel a bit spooky, with tricky climbing to follow. IMHO, if you do pitch 5 clean, nothing on the finish of Costa Blanca itself will stop you, even if you have to sit on the bolt to work out the crux of the 6c+ pitch.

Enjoy

John

In reply to Pottsy84:

It's steep and traversy over a steep approach so hard to bail off. I dropped most of our rack half way up, my partner dropped the water and suncream so I remember it as quite a big day out! Fairly committing E2/3 seems fair from memory but as I say, we were slightly hampered by gross incompetence on the day.

Jk

In reply to jkarran:

Thanks, my take-away from your comments and others is Gomez-Cano is probably not the one for me, at least not this trip!

In reply to Ian Parsons:

Awesome thanks Ian, this is definitely under consideration!

In reply to Trythallj:

Thanks John...Costa Blanca opening up new possibilities having bagged my first 6c+ today (yay for me), albeit translating 20m Portland sport single pitch to somewhere near the top of a 200m+ multi may be a stretch too far in the next week or so...but going back to Costa Miserables, is it well equipped with fixed gear or still requires a reasonable rack? What's the polish state? I can always take the even pitches and leave my (way stronger) partner to lead pitch 5...

In reply to Pottsy84:

It was a while ago, but from memory all reasonably bolted. We might have taken a few wires, as I think the guide we had advised them for first pitch shared with Via Valencianos. Polish - Not then, and haven't heard complaints since. Top tips - don't gear up directly under the start if anyone above, as the easy start of V.V is a bit loose, and don't consider abbing to descend. We planned it, but ended up walking down in rock boots, after seeing the abbing terrain. 

In reply to Trythallj:

Above applies to both Costa Miserables and Costa Blance. 

In reply to Pottsy84:

Hi mate, I think you would enjoy Costa mis start early to give time and avoid any other parties.
 Draws only is fine as it’s well bolted. Some bits are polished like Diedro but it’s mostly enjoyable, the hardest bit when we did it was the pitch up to the ledge where we abseiled down too on Diedro if you remember.
It’s dog able if need be anyhow. 

enjoy! 

In reply to Pottsy84:

Sorry, missed seeing your reply. As others have now said CM is well enough equipped. 

In reply to Pottsy84:

Thanks for all the replies - and good to hear from you Luke, hope you're well, finally getting round to going back without the golf sticks and concentrating on climbing!

Think we're gonna go for Costa Miserables (6b+) on the Penon and Viaje Espacial (6a+) (possibly with the first two pitches of Jack Daniels (6a+) as suggested) into Vía Valencianos (6a) on Ponoch. Plus a couple of days single pitch and some VF thrown in.