Los Calpes, Barranco de la Maimona · Montanejos · Spain
Bail with caveatsBolting confidence: high
Seven varied pitches in two halves split by a big ledge: vertical walls and cracks below, then an overhanging red wall and a traverse on a carpet of sharp little spikes beneath giant roofs. In the sun from the morning, unpolished, with an easy walk down.
The route
A classic of the Maimona gorge that is easier to reach than the routes deeper in the canyon. Ascents are logged in February and April, which suggests it is outside the January to June closure that applies to the Espolón de los Agujeros; confirm locally. Three pitches of 5+ to 6a+ lead to a wide ledge that can be walked off; above, a 6b+ pitch on a steep red wall is followed by a striking easy crack and traverse and two more pitches to the top. The grades are even apart from the one harder pitch. Parties in 2022, 2025 and 2026 all rate it highly.
In pictures
The climbing
| Pitch | Grade | Length | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| P1 | 5+ | 30 m | A vertical wall on pockets and edges. |
| P2 | 6a+ | 25 m | Vertical wall, then a crack. |
| P3 | 6a | 20 m | Vertical wall with short steps, arriving on the big ledge. Walk up the ledge; the route continues from stepped rock on the left, where one bolt and a ring are visible, below a rounded orange flake. |
| P4 | 6b+ | 30 m | An overhanging red wall. A hard move in the opening traverse (take the lower crack, do not go high), easier climbing, then a very hard move under a big overhanging block: reach a large round hole on the right with a small fig tree growing in it, then go slightly left without getting under the overhang. The finish is easier but still pumpy. The hardest moves can be aided. |
| P5 | 5+ | 20 m | An easy but very exposed crack, then a long traverse on tiny, extremely grippy spikes. The route page gives 5. |
| P6 | 5+ | 15 m | A corner and a small overhang. The route page gives 6a. |
| P7 | 6a | 30 m | A technical vertical wall to the top. |
Getting there
Montanejos is in inland Castellón province, on the CV-20 road up the Mijares valley from Onda; no source read gives public transport details. The starting point is the climbers' refuge (Albergue El Refugio) at the mouth of the Maimona gorge, at the entrance to the village. Water is available from the village fountain or at the car park after the bridge.
About 15 minutes. From the refuge drop into the bed of the Barranco de la Maimona and walk up it easily. After about 10 minutes you pass below a fine red pillar, the Paredón del Alguacil; Los Calpes is the next sector. A cable, partly hidden by vegetation, helps you up a gully onto the big ledge at the foot of the routes. Go up left to the top of the cone. The start is a few metres left of the route RIO, whose name is engraved on the rock.
Loading map
The point is approximate: it marks the area, not the crag.
Coordinates · area: approximate
Point from camptocamp waypoint 189249
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: 40.06100, -0.54000 (area)
Getting down
Walk off. Follow the crest to the right to reach the waymarked path, which leads quickly and easily back to the road.
Retreat
Bail with caveats
The route is cut by a big ledge after pitch 3 that joins the GR path easily, which gives a walk-off escape at mid-height. Abseiling the route is not described by any source. Once on the upper half the easiest way out is to finish, pulling on bolts on pitch 4 if necessary.
Safety
Sun and weather
In the sun from the morning, and the lower half is sheltered from the wind, so it suits cold, clear days from autumn to spring. The rock is not polished. Ascents are logged in February, April and October.
Sun on the wall · S-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.
| Measure | Jan (usual season) | Feb (usual season) | Mar (usual season) | Apr (usual season) | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct (usual season) | Nov (usual season) | Dec (usual season) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mean daily high °C | 11 | 12 | 15 | 18 | 21 | 25 | 29 | 28 | 24 | 20 | 15 | 12 |
| Mean daily low °C | 3 | 3 | 5 | 7 | 10 | 14 | 17 | 18 | 14 | 11 | 6 | 4 |
| Rain days 1 mm or more | 6 | 5 | 7 | 9 | 9 | 7 | 4 | 8 | 9 | 8 | 6 | 6 |
● marks the usual climbing season. Averages for 1991-2020 at about 700 m. Area climate from Open-Meteo reanalysis. Temperatures are adjusted to the height of the crag; rain comes from a grid cell of about 10 to 25 km, and summer highs on sea cliffs can read a few degrees low. The wall and valley can differ. Data: Open-Meteo, CC BY 4.0.
What to carry
14 quickdraws plus belay kit (camptocamp). No rope length is stated; the longest pitch is 30 m and the descent is on foot. A 2022 party mentions one or two cams as optional. Helmet.
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 Monsieur.
Worth knowing
Open questions
Provenance
Same area
Spain · Montanejos
Eight pitches up a vertical prow deep in the Maimona canyon, on orange rock full of pockets (agujeros means holes). Sustained at 6a+ to 6b and physical throughout, with a huge roof start to the crux pitch and a bench to sit on at the third belay. Closed from January to June.
6b+8 pitches235 m
Read the cautions
Around 6b+ · about 7 pitches
Italy · Sardinia
A sea-level start reached by abseil, then seven short pitches up the seaward face of Pedra Longa. The third pitch is a wildly exposed traverse above a line of roofs; two easy pitches on rock that needs care lead to a technical 6b and 6b+ finish on grey slab.
6b+7 pitches175 m
Turkey · Aladağlar
Often named as the best route in the massif: seven even pitches of 6a to 6b+ that move from delicate slabs and giant flutings through a steep, rough wall to mountain-style ground at the top. The 6b pitches are no harder than the 6a ones, but the bolts are far enough apart to keep you thinking.
6b+7 pitches235 m
Read the cautions
Italy · Bolzano & South Tyrol
Steep crack, corner and chimney climbing on porphyry, fully bolted in the middle of a trad crag. Sustained at 6a to 6b with a technical 6b+ first pitch. It stays in the shade until mid-afternoon, which makes it a summer option.
6b+7 pitches190 m
Spain · Riglos & Agüero (Mallos)
A recent, closely bolted line on the Mallo Frechín and a good way to get to know Riglos without being frightened. A stiff 6b+ second pitch that many find nearer 6c, then steep, sustained 6a and 6a+ over a succession of bulges on unpolished rock. You can abseil off from the top.
6b+7 pitches190 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.
