Sax climbing

Crag: Sax, Alicante, Spain
Routes: Blanes (f4+,4+:sec), Andurina (f6a:led), Tupungato (f5,5+:led p.1), Carrasco (f5:sec)
This was our 'airport crag', but as the flight home was so late it gave us plenty of time to sample yet another superb venue. Quite different in atmosphere to the more mountainous crags further east, Sax is essentially a group of high pyramids of impeccable pocketed limestone. It felt rather like Tremadog in scale and feel: although the views stretched out over a baked yellow valley dotted with almond orchards. The routes are relatively long, often two long pitches. We took the classic Blanes to get a feel for the climbing: the easiest and strongest natural line on the crag. Dave led a long pitch up a slabby rib, with a short bulge overcome with a steep but positive crack. Vic then led up a steep wall, followed by a long series of wide grooves to the top. I stayed as middle-man for this route. The descent takes a narrow and briefly exposed ridge down to a steep chimney, quite entertaining. After a bite to eat, Steve, Dave and Vun arrived. I went for the harder line of Andurina, which looked technical to start. It was indeed: a steep slab gave some great sequences and thought-provoking moves to a hard crux over a mild bulge. This involved a perfect shallow finger pocket and tenuous smears: felt 6b at least. Good friction helped as there was very little for the feet, even with high steps. The route eases at 15m, but stays interesting as another bulge has to be overcome before gaining superb honeycombed rock and big jugs at the upper wall. Another long, excellent pitch. The second pitch is less interesting, so I lowered off. This gave us time for Tupungato, which the other party had done but only to the cave stance. I led the first pitch, which went at a mild f5/VS 4c but was an abolutely superb pitch up slabby rock to a glorious upper red slab on little incut holds. Just wonderful relaxed climbing, absorbing and continually interesting as it slanted rightwards towards the big cave, but never difficult. I brought Dave and Vic up to the cave, and Vic then led the steeper and dramatically contrasting top pitch. This went via exciting moves left of the overhang at the top of the cave to gain a second cave and another pulsating move round a small overhang. Above, a very rough slab with holds like shards of glass (reminiscent of parts of Chateaudouble) led in another big 40m pitch to the top. Another three star classic HVS/E1. After another descent to the base, we were tiring. But light cloud made it cooler in the evening air, and there was just time for Dave to lead one last pitch. He went for a big one: a monster 40m route up the detached pinnacle that rose from an intriguing giant cleft right of the main face. This was an old route, Carrasco, which picked its way up a fairly intimidating piece of rock. It gave yet another excellent pitch, but was at the outer limit of a feasible lower-off (with our gigantic 80m rope!). A steep initial wall was exited by way of a sharp flake crack up to the right. A long slab then gained an upper wall which was climbed on more painfully sharp flake holds and pockets. A long and awkward lower-off into the depths of the cleft. There were other mouth-watering routes on this section of crag, but our stomachs demanded a trip to the town of Sax, where cheap pork steaks and chips fortified us before the drive to the airport.