Mallo Colorado, Riglos · Riglos & Agüero (Mallos) · Spain
Read the cautionsEasy to bailBolting confidence: medium
Five 25 m pitches right of the deep groove on the Colorado, joining Anorexia for the last one. Mediocre rock low on the first pitch.
Fully bolted with abseil-equipped belays, but the first (crux) pitch has repeatedly been reported as loose, with a leader fall from a broken hold in 2017 and large cobbles dislodged in 2025.
The route
A five-pitch bolted route on the south-west side of Mallo Colorado, the first small mallo right of the Visera at Riglos. It starts just right of the deep groove that cuts the lower face and is marked by gold hangers. The first pitch has one or two athletic moves on doubtful rock; above, the climbing is steadier at about grade 5 and joins Anorexia for the final pitch. Bolts are close on the hard moves and spaced where it is easy. It is a short route, about 2 h to 2 h 30 of climbing.
The climbing
| Pitch | Grade | Length | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| P1 | 6a+ | – | Two hard moves: a boulder problem first, then a move that reads better slightly right of the bolts rather than left. Poor rock, and not only in the first 10 m. The belay is on a terrace. |
| P2 | 5c | – | – |
| P3 | 6a | – | – |
| P4 | 5c | 50 m | 5c climbing then walking, about 50 m in all, to a belay on two large yellow rings at the foot of the final step. |
| P5 | 5c | – | The last pitch of Anorexia: a vertical wall on small holds, then an easing slab to the top. |
Getting there
Base is Riglos (Huesca). Park at the Riglos car park by the refuge (636 m) and walk through the village. No public transport details were found in the sources read.
About 20 to 30 min from the car park. Walk into the village, take the first street on the right and at its end turn right onto the track signed GR-1 / Camino Natural de la Hoya de Huesca. About 800 m past the village, turn left up the signposted Camino del Cielo path. When level with the Mallo Colorado walls, leave it on faint trails to the foot of the face; the Camptocamp crag page warns that this last path is unclear and often hidden by low vegetation. A 2017 party found it simplest to follow the circular path and then the blue marks, even though it feels like a detour. Martola is the leftmost route before the big groove/crack that scores the south face. Look for gold hangers.
Loading map
The point marks the crag, not the exact start of the route.
Point from OpenStreetMap node 659541730 (Mallo Colorado)
Contains the route point. Opens in most mapping apps and GPS watches.
Points are compiled from published sources, with the precision stated above. They were not surveyed on the ground: check them against a current topo.
Coordinates: 42.35051, -0.72391 (crag)
Getting down
From the summit, abseil from the large juniper fitted with a cable and ring on the far (east/north) side. The Martola page gives 35 m. Pages for the neighbouring routes describe the same anchor as a 20 to 22 m abseil to a slightly sloping stony ledge, then a fixed rope to the col and the walking path. A third source gives about 40 m to the foot of the north face. The path then leads back round to the base of the route and to Riglos; the abseil lands almost on it.
Retreat
Easy to bail
Yes. Camptocamp states the belays are equipped for abseiling and the pitches are about 25 m, so you can go down from any of the first three belays. The fourth pitch ends with a walk across a terrace to a belay on two large rings, so from there it is simpler to climb the last 5c pitch to the summit abseil. Pitch 1 is on loose rock and other parties are often close by, so abseil with care.
Partly inferred from the route facts
Safety
Sun and weather
South-west facing. The Camptocamp crag page lists March to June and September to October. Several reports mention wind, particularly at the abseil; one party climbed in 90 km/h gusts and rated conditions poor.
Sun on the wall · SW-facing
Working out the sunlit hours for this month.
Sun on the wallDaylight, wall in shade● Usual season
Estimated from the wall's aspect only. Ignores surrounding terrain, gullies and the wall's exact shape. Clock times are local to the wall (Central European time), for the 15th of each month.
Climate figures for Riglos & Agüero (Mallos) are not available yet
What to carry
The 2×50 m listed here covers every abseil variant reported. 12 quickdraws are enough if you stop at every belay (2025 report). Helmet. Belays are equipped for abseiling.
Derived from the route data; check it against a current topo
From climbers
Reader reports are not being collected yet. Until they are, check a current topo and the local club or guidebook publisher for recent changes to Martola.
Worth knowing
Open questions
Provenance
Same area
Spain · Riglos & Agüero (Mallos)
This is the gentlest way to sample Riglos. Polished pockets and two bulging 'panzas' lead to a 6a crux that can be pulled through on the bolts (A0). The upper spur is easy, and the Pisón towers loom close by.
6a7 pitches175 m
Read the cautions
Spain · Riglos & Agüero (Mallos)
A long beginner's big route on good conglomerate at a moderate angle. Pitches can be linked in pairs with a 60 m rope. A four-pitch headwall with a couple of panzas finishes high above the Gállego valley.
5c14 pitches375 m
Spain · Riglos & Agüero (Mallos)
An airy spur with sustained 5b–5c climbing, a single 6a step on pitch 7, and big views over the Mallos de Riglos and the Pyrenees.
6a9 pitches230 m
Spain · Riglos & Agüero (Mallos)
A morning-sun route at the quieter Agüero mallos. Easy slabs separate two fine steep walls, including a superb vertical 5c plaque on pitch 4. Take care with some loose cobbles on the last traverse.
5c5 pitches145 m
Around 6a+ · about 5 pitches
Spain · Montserrat
A modern linkup over two pinnacles on excellent conglomerate. Overhanging 6a and 6a+ walls alternate with easy 'potato-field' slabs. The new bolting makes it one of the most reassuring long lines in the massif.
6a+5 pitches185 m
Croatia · Paklenica
A short, high-quality modern line: a clean straight first pitch, then a steep crack crux and magnificent water grooves.
6a+5 pitches100 m
Read the cautions
Croatia · Omiš
Sharp, coral-like rock mixing slab and steep juggy walls, finishing up a crack system. It has the best views in Omiš, over the sea, the river and the old town.
6a+5 pitches200 m
Read the cautions
Greece · Kalymnos & Telendos
A varied, consistently sustained line on good rock with long pitches (25–38 m): vertical walls and a superb corner on P3. Quieter than the Masouri classics.
6a+5 pitches200 m
Compiled from published sources and last verified October 2026. Bolts, anchors and access change. Climbing is dangerous and you are responsible for your own decisions: check a current topo and read the disclaimer.