Pirates of the Caribbean

Pirates of the Caribbean Sector, Toix sea cliffs, Calpe (Costa Blanca)

Download a printable pdf of this topo (thanks to Paul Thorburn)

Abseiling into the cave

The Pirates of the Caribbean sector is a fantastic, new climbing area on the Toix sea cliffs on the Costa Blanca, near Calpe. The first ascentists are Paul Storky Thorburn, Rich Mayfield and Marijne Lekkerkerker. The climbing here ranges from the fantastic expedition of Parle (F6a+, 3 pitches) to harder, one pitch projects above the water's edge. All of the routes require a brilliant, atmospheric freehanging 60m abseil. The rock here is of excellent quality and it is a great crag when conditions and weather can be poor elsewhere. Most of the routes stay dry in the rain and the crag is south facing, catching all the sun that's going.

Access: From the parking for Toix Ouest follow the well cairned path under the easy climbing sectors and around the headland. The path goes across a shallow valley then drops slowly to a slight gully below some smooth cliffs, where abseil bolts and old iron spikes will be found (or follow the directions given in Rockfax for the Candelabra del Sol sector). From the abseil point of this sector continue along the now fainter path above the cliff top for about 250m until two large holes are seen at flat area. The abseil point is on a grey slab on the landward side of the first and smaller hole (double bolt & chain). There is a further ring bolt just over the lip, retie your abseil rope to this to avoid rope damage, a 60m rope is just enough for this free abseil.

Routes 1-7 are accessed down a short knotted rope on the left side of the cave (looking in); the routes furthest left are in another cave which is accessed by the narrow ledge and another knotted rope. The rest of the routes are accessed from the main cave except routes 20- 22 which have individual accesses described.

Please respect the projects, that way even more will be equipped.

Conditions: This sector is useful in cold and poor weather to provide pleasant climbing conditions, but is a bit too serious to visit in really bad weather, though the hard routes will mostly be dry. It can very good on sunny days in mid winter but will mostly be too hot at other times, though good conditions can be had in late April as the sun is so high it hardly touches the steepest parts of the cliff. If it is very humid near the sea (common with Easterly winds) the routes can be intolerably greasy. Most of the harder routes have tufa and will seep badly for some time after very heavy rain. If they are black don’t try them; some of the tufas are pretty fragile.

If you are climbing the harder routes it is best to bring a small bag down with food and plenty of water and make a day of it. At the end of the day tie it to the Ab rope and plan which route you want to exit by, Bo’sun is a good one or Parle can be done in less than an hour when you know it. It is not recommended to attempt to exit from the top of routes 1-3; unequipped and loose. Stay in contact with the rope when lowering from routes 1-3 or you will end up in the sea (even the first lengths).

The extensions can be done on a 60m rope using the midway rebelay, but there is nothing left to spare – TAKE CARE. 80 m Ropes recommended.

The first lengths of the first three routes all have an in situ carabiner partway up, these are not the belays; clip them when cleaning the routes, it will stop your rope falling in the sea when you pull it. If you steal them your ropes will end up in the sea.

1) Calypso

L1 : 6c 25m; overhanging corner on big holds. Start from thread belay, not in situ.
L1 + L2 : 7b/c 40m; hard moves above first belay lead to sustained but easier upper section.

2) El Fin del Mundo

L1 : 7a/b 25m; sustained and strenuous with an unobvious crux.
L1 + L2 : 7c 40m; a powerful move directly above the first belay followed by big moves up the sustained tufa drips.

3) Perla Negra

L1 : 7a+ 25m; strenuous but less sustained than its neighbour.
L1 + L2 : ??? 40m; PROJECT, superb powerful and technical climbing up widely spaced tufa drips. The finish is on poorer but reinforced rock.

4) Bo’sun

L1 : 6a 22m; pleasant but exposed climbing up the right arte of the cave. If you want to pull your rope after cleaning the quickdraws, do it from the back of the cave, then your rope won’t get wet.
L2 : 7b+ 22m; climb up right from the belay then follow a crack up left on good holds to a hard crux move into a hole. The climbing above is sustained on big holds. There is both a lower off belay and another fully bolted one over the top (take care with sharp rock). The bolts are a bit rusty but Ok at present.

5) Bo’sun’s Chair

7c 20m; climb up leftwards from the belay to hard and bouldery crux, from the shallow cave exit left to the big hanging tufa. Continue direct to a tricky finish.

6) Tia Alma

7c 22m; start up the first bolts of Bo’sun then pull left to sequency climbing up the bubbly rock leading to the shallow cave. Exit direct to gain a flake and sustained climbing above.

7) ??????? ??

22m; PROJECT not fully equipped.

8) ??????? ??

22m; PROJECT not fully equipped. Starts by 7 and moves diagonally right to finish by 9.

9) Tortuga Approach

7a 22m; the shallow crack/ pocket line up gently leaning wall. Moving left at the top. Move left at top, tricky clip. Don’t pull your ropes from this belay as they will probably end up in the sea. Good first pitch for routes 4 and 10.

10) Tortuga Island

7c+ 22m; climb up to and follow a flake crack leading diagonally left, tricky moves lead to the left end of a tufa fringe; move right then climb direct past more hard moves to a belay below the roof.

11) Captain Barbossa

L1 6b 22m; make difficult moves over a small overlap then leftwards to gain and climb a shallow right facing groove.Take the first belay for Captain Barbosa L2 or lowering off. There is a second belay up and left for routes 10-14.
L2 7a(+?) 45m; thin moves up rightwards on broccoli rock lead to some very poor rock. From here better climbing on diagonal cracks leads to a junction with Parle, continue direct until joining Parle to finish.

12) ????? ??

22m; PROJECT breaking left from the first tufa on AnnaMaria. Inox hanger bolts.

13) AnnaMaria la Pirata con Cojones

L1 7c 22m; climb the small black tufa then move right to a tufa blob. Increasingly difficult climbing leads up and slightly leftwards to a belay below the roof or a lower off belay just to its right. Inox hanger & ring bolts.
L2 6b+ 15m; Climb rightwards from the belay then directly up the wall to the top . Non Inox bolts but still Ok. It is possible to link this pitch with the one before, but it is not equipped for lower off (quick draws can be picked up from above afterwards if you want to).

14) Off the Edge of the Map

8a 40m; follow Anna Marie to the tufa blob then branch off rightwards up the very edge of the main cave. A crux at half height leads to the tufa stalactites, follow the lip until it is possible to pull up through a red bulge ( just past a small bush, ignore the last bolt on the lip of the cave, there was once a big jug there). Easier climbing leads to a lower off just below the top, clean the route in two sections. It is worth carrying prussiks as there is nowhere to lower to. Inox ring bolts.

15) Keelhauled

7b 50m; start 2m left of Parle, direct up to base of small groove, then diagonally left across wall to cross 11 and continue up steepening wall to belay in roof. Maillon on bolt for intermediate lower off (70m rope required). It is also possible to pull right from the belay and exit by Parle (15a 60m+).

15b) Keelhauled Extension ??

70m; PROJECT; the extension through the 20m roof on the inside of the cave to exit through the large hole.

16) Plank Walk

6b+/c 33 m; climb Keelhauled to the groove, then follow this to a double ring lower off in 11. With 60m ropes use the maillon at the junction. Take care pulling your ropes !!

17) Parle

L1 : 5+ 25m; climb the left wall of the cave rightwards up bulging rock above the sea crevasse. Traverse right to belay on a rock bridge.
L2 : 6a 20m; leftwards on positive holds up the wall above the belay then follow the right facing groove until a traverse right leads to a belay. An excellent pitch with good climbing.
L3 : 6a+ 25 m; make awkward moves off the belay then make a rising traverse leftwards to an exciting and exposed finish through the smaller hole.

18) Miss Swan

L1 : V+ 45m; the large slabby rib inside the cave is followed over various steepenings but with very few bolts (Inox rings) to a belay below the overhanging wall.
L2 : 6b 20m; traverse left to the second belay of Parle, awkward and can often be greasy.

19) Aztec Gold

6b+ 25m; the bulging arte below Welcome.... gained by a traverse and abseil from inside the main cave. Follow the bolts up the overhanging brain coral jugs to the belay of Welcome to the Caribbean.

20) Welcome to the Caribbean

7c 35m; this route up the stunning right arte of the cave is gained by abseiling on a fixed rope (not in place) from a belay 15m East of the biggest hole (marker stone). Abseil through a gap in a large bush and swing left at the bottom (clipping bolts) to gain the belay. Follow Inox hanger bolts up the superb tufa dripped arte to the last cluster of tufa. From a big jug make the final difficult moves rightwards to gain an easy slab which leads to a bolt belay (not for lower off, if returning to belay lower from an earlier bolt before the slab).

20a) Welcome to the Caribbean Extension

??? 15m; OPEN PROJECT following the hanging arte of the cave. Still requires more cleaning. Inox ring bolts. From Lower off clean quick draws back to original line and finish up this.

21) Jack Sparrow

7a 45m; locate a double bolt belay on a slab 20m West of the smaller hole, not to be confused with the exit belay of 13. Climb down 3m and traverse right under the long roof following a series of belay chains. Make a rising traverse across a steep wall then continue horizontally above the main cave to reach a broken corner where the top can be gained. Bolt and nut belay. It is possible to split this pitch at a small belay ledge at the end of the roof. Variation 6b+ 35m; from the rising traverse climb straight up the wall to a double bolt belay.

22) Orange Men

8a(+?) 45m; locate a bolt on the headland 50m East of the holes of the main sector and abseil down the overhanging wall clipping the bolts to a small stance. Climb back out up the superb, sustained fingery wall of orange rock.

Download a printable pdf of this topo (thanks to Paul Thorburn)

All Information Courtesy of Ryan Glass

The Return

Looking back the last week went very quickly, at the time I’m sure it felt very slow. We were joined in Gorge de Tarn by the same Brits as from Spain, so once more our evening where spent chilling with Ben, Charlie, Gillian, Bob and Tash. We even opened out the Uno cards, although this resulted in me breaking my chair as I attempted to sneak at peak at Tash’s last card.
I learnt a lot about my climbing in Gorge de Tarn, the first was what ‘Pump’ really means, not some dull ache in your arms, but screaming muscles which uncurl your fingers on every hold. I revisited a 7a I had failed on, normally the redpoint at this grade is just a formality, but I still pulled onto the top slab with a big question mark whether I could fight the pump in my arms and reach the chains. The other lesson was that I am a good route climber, I just need to push on through and take the falls. Because of this I am now super psyched to get back into routes and have set a few goals for the summer.Gorge de Tarn
For our last few day we headed back up through France, a short stop off at the now baking sands of Fontainebleau resulted in more sitting and looking at boulders than climbing them. A quick drink with Toby and Nicky who were down for the week and it was our last night of the trip. The plan being to grab a few hours sleep before heading off at 1 a.m for the 6.45am ferry. Those few hours sleep didn’t happen, an excessively warm van when I got my head down at 9.00 didn’t help, neither did the German van with headlights on full beam taking half an hour to park up beside me, nor the massive party happening 500m down the road at the race course. By 12.30 I gave up, woke up Steve and hit the road early. It was probably lucky I didn’t sleep as my alarm was set for 1.00 next lunch time and not in the morning.
Planet Cause, one of the best 7a+ i've ever been on
So now we’re both safely back in the UK, the van’s clutch problem has nicely been covered by the warrantee, I’ve had my first session back at Craggy which felt hotter and sweater than Gorge de Tarn in the sun and been well chewed by Mello, who seems very happy to see me again.

Gorge de Tarn

We finished off in Margalef with a playful day on an amazing 7c then down to the coast and Raul and Sabina. As always Spanish hospitality was at its best, an amazing meal, good wine, a hot shower (the first of the trip) and a soft bed; if only we could have stayed longer. But the drive to France was beckoning and up we headed, the further towards France we got the harder it rained, by the time we went over the Pyrenees it was torrent, giving the van a well needed clean.

It eased off as we came past Millau and into the valley, parking up beneath a huge rock roof which kept the remainder of the downpour off us. As often happens we pumped into another couple of Brits who we had climbed with in Siurana and Margalef. Bob and Tash, who I also knew from my days climbing in Portland are just wrapping up their trip as well, slowly heading back through France to England. Other British climbers who we met in Spain are also likely to pop in during the next few days.

Gorge de Tarn is quite an amazing place, a crystal clear river runs through the centre and the cliffs rise up vertically and overhanging on either side. We only climb on one side, on routes that are often long and draining. I’ve been working on my stamina, so working on doing multiple 7a’s and 7b’s in a day. Sometimes the 7a’s get climbed onsight, but more often than not my stamina fails me and then my exhausted arm’s struggle to get me to the chains at the top. I would love to project something harder here, but without the stamina that is unlikely.

The trip is now coming to an end, within the week (depending on when I get this blog up) I will back in England with Yvette the Puppy and everyone else. I will be relieved when it’s over, I still am amazingly psyched to climb and climb and would love to stay here in the Tarn and get good on routes. But many other parts of the trip have taken their toll of me and I am ready for home.

Margalef

We left Siurana and travelled across the hills to Margalef. Although Siurana was amazing for the scenery and being able to watch Steve McClure onsight his way through an 8b and and 8b+ in a day I needed something that suited me a bit more. The village of Margalef must rate as one of the quietest in Spain, a half empty store, closed refuge and the odd trickling fountain. But we’re not staying in the village but up a wiggling track with steep roofs of rock powering their way over your head as you drive through. This is what we came here for, short steep and powerful routes in deep pockets.
Waiting to Climb
The rock is a limestone conglomerate, so limestone packed with pebbles and stones, where these fall out you have your perfect lipped pockets to pull on, where they haven’t a slopey crimp or future foothold to use. The other thing which is different in Margalef is the wind! We enjoy light warm breezes throughout the day which stop us overheating on the routes. As dusk comes down these are replaced by gales which rip through the valley, changing direction every few minutes to shake the van and toss our chairs across the campsite if we’re not sat in them.
Charlie and Gillian warming up
Moving away from Margalef and back to my last post, I think I may have been guilty for using my blog and this keyboard to vent my frustrations, sometimes on a long trip when it’s just the two of you it can feel like your only outlet, hence the bit of re-editing on my last post. But moving on, Margalef might not be as beautiful as Siurana but the climbing here has cheered me up, we have enjoyed every route we have been on from pumpy 6b warm-ups to very steep pocket pulls on 7b’s and 7c’s. I still have not mastered the art of redpointing a route where you practice the moves before linking them together from the ground up; but I’m making progress. One thing you do notice on the routes here is how much your body gets pumped by them, even a warm up, although none of the moves are harder than any other place we are climbed we find our forearms screaming with lactic acid within a few clips.
We’re finding that we are strong enough for almost anything, but just lack the stamina, I cruised my way through the crux of a 7b+ only to fail a clip from the end as my stamina failed and I couldn’t cling onto the easier climbing to finish. At the moment we are just trying to climb everything we see, we have a few goes on some of the harder stuff but if it doesn’t go quickly we move on and find more entertainment.
Ben at full stretch in Margalef
We have two more days of pocket pulling to go before moving up to see Raul and Sabina near Barcelona then onwards to France for the final week and a bit of the trip.

Siurana

Siurana; we’re parked up beneath an ancient ruined castle, its parapets straddling the small rock outcrop that makes up Siurana village, its complete with Keep, domed roofs and a tunnel underneath to sneak in by. Siurana is famous for its waves of overhanging rock and one of the world’s first 9a, ‘La Rambla’. We came here so psyched after our time in Cuenca and rest up on the beach. But so far Siurana has been nothing but disappointment. We warmed up in the sun on our first day and quickly realised that further climbing in the heat would be impossible, so we chilled till the shade covered the cliffs. We warmed up once more and I pulled onto one of the classic 7a+’s. I have nothing positive to say about the route, the bolts where all over the place, you clipped off barn door potential side pulls when there was an obvious jug below and a few feet afterwards which would have made better position for the bolt. I fought on till the 6^th clip and was then faced with a 4m run out on strenuous ground and lowered off. It put me in such a foul mood I also bailed on the next 7a, also meant to be a classic of the area.

British Van's parked up in Siurana

I promised myself a clear head and positive outlook for the next day. We warmed up on one of the most enjoyable route so far then leapt into Bitec de Biceps a 7b+ on very steep ground. I got through the first crux and then came off above the second clip trying to dig my fingers into a shallow pocket. I gave it a few more goes before lowering down for a rest. Steve pulled on and flashed it, going through some obviously run and sketchy terrain near the top. I realised that if I failed to get it then I risked leaving at least £50 of gear in the route as a present for the next climber, the bolts being too far apart to bolt to bolt it. I had to call it a day. I am now gutted that we left Cuenca, there were so many lines that were perfect for me.

Cuenca and the Med

Albarracin came to an end with shattered tips, Steve sent to amazing lines to finish off his last days. I pulled as hard as I could to nearly get my project, but was only able to tickle the hold. But we left excited for the next stage of the trip; routes! Our first stop was Cuenca, 2 hours across the mountains this larger version of Albarracin perched on top of a limestone defile is crowded with a gargoyle strewn cathedral, inquisition court and multicoloured medieval buildings and courtyards. We arrived on an over cast day and after the half hour slog uphill to reach the old quarters was not in the mood to take photos. One thing that did put us in a good mood was the routes, 30 metre tower limestone cliffs, mainly slightly overhanging or very overhanging.

We started our mission the next day with the easiest climb in the sector to warm up on a 6c overhanging crack into crimpy headwall to finish. Then the main action a 30 metre gently overhanging 7b+, not a single hard move in it, but constantly throwing you long pulls, crimpy laybacks, slopey rails and plenty of pockets. Steve made it to the 6th bolt before his lack of route fitness showed and then bolt to bolt to the top. I was determined to beat his highpoint, but as I went through the slopers above the roof greased off and had to make do with only making the fifth bolt before going bolt to bolt to the top.
Cuenca
The next day we started on other side of the river with the warm up this time having to be a 6c+. Out main candidate for the day was a seriously overhanging 7b+ on deep pockets. Every pocket was good, with long dynamic moves between, it was incredible climbing, every move flowed, your smeared your feet on small edges and perfectly stabbed your hands from pocket to pocket with a bit of extra psyche for the deep mono just before the end. Steve went for the redpoint but couldn’t find the extra energy for the first crux dyno to a large pocket. I decided to try my fate elsewhere and have a shot at a 15 metre 7b I had tried the day before. The crux moves making up the first three clips and then a pumpy finally on slopers and long reaches of under clings. I fired off the first section fine, jumping out the crux to a huge jug the reaching through the slopey rail. I was getting so pumped, a month of bouldering had done nothing for my stamina. The final move was a torturous reach from a juggy under cling to a two finger pocket. It took me three goes off undercling to reach the pocket, each time climbing down to a slopey rest to try and get enough energy. But in the end I had climbed my first 7B cleanly!

That was the end of our stay at Cuenca, we had wanted to stay for longer, but are skin was still trashed after Albarracin and neither of us liked the idea of pulling on those sharp pockets anymore. An overzealous local official had also spotted are van parked up at night and taken our details and it seemed we would struggle to find somewhere to stay for free in the area. But there is one last bit of Cuenca to pass on, my best Tapas experience in Spain. It was recommended in the lonely planet guide so we headed into the new town to check it out. It was an old, narrow, mahogany lined bar and at 8.30 already bustling with locals, are table was only a foot of the ground. Our first round of drinks came with an aperitif of chicken soup and then a plate of fried eggs, ham, crisps, bread and salad. All on the house (although the drinks are slightly more expensive here). Our first bit of Tapas was Gaspachio Pastor, a game stew with hundreds of complex and different flavours; I can’t really describe it as it’s like nothing I have had before. Almost like a risotto, but with no rice. It wasn’t a bit plate, but we couldn’t have eaten any more. Our second choice was baby squid, they where char grilled and had so much flavour compared to the usual deep fried calamari or frozen options you get in the UK. Unfortunately being skint climber our culinary adventure ended there, but Cuenca is somewhere I will have to go back to.
Orpesa del Mer
So now we’ve given the climbing a break for a few days, to let the skin recover and muscle relax. We’ve found a beach north of Valencia called Oposa, which by Spanish Mediterranean standards is fairly undeveloped. There is even a forest covered hill which they haven’t been high rise flats on. Our van is parked up by the sea and we are just doing nothing.

The Climbing

I’ve tried to write a couple of blogs, the first was during a period of very heavy rain when we were confined to the van and bars of Albarracin. It had a pretty negative and whinge ring to it. It’s now been sunny for a week and so things are looking very positive. We’ve come up to our first months anniversary of sleeping in the van and Steve still hasn’t fulfilled his promise of spending most the trip bivied out.

What I wanted to write about was the climbing. There is a lot of stuff to climb here.

To start with are the roofs, there are so many roofs to yard your way across, but usually the problem is the top out, I regularly flash the 7B roofs and then get spanked pulling through the slopey mantel. There are plenty of 30 to 40 degree overhangs on positive crimps, slopers and rails, all require maximum body tension. Every move your feet swing out and are then forced back onto the rock. We have worked through almost all the 7A’s to 7B+ here, but are cut short at the 7C’s. There are plenty of 7C’s, but often they are hideous mantels, or crazy campus moves. There is almost nothing in the style of the 7B’s which we are climbing so well on. There are plenty of 8A’s which we have made massive progress on, but we just aren’t strong enough yet in our core and back to achieve the massive throws which almost always make the crux.

Steep Walls

Another technique you quickly master here is the foot cam; with so many horizontal crack and pockets, often at the start of the problem you place your foot in the hole and torque it, taking weight of your hands which crucially let you hold those small crimps and slopers. At times these can be a bit unnerving with a high foot cam and poor holds which if you ripped off would leave your leg stuck in and then probably broken. To prevent this you often need a very close spot and I’ve had to catch Steve in my arms a few times.

Sick Mantels

With less than a week left we are frantically trying to finish off projects. Steve who has spent most of the month complaining of poor skin and often cutting short our sessions on the rock has found a new wind and is pushing for his fourth day in a row climbing. I have a line which I am certain will go, but so far has eluded me and am resting up for a big effort tomorrow. Fingers crossed the rain holds off and we can finish those final problems.