Pared de Molondro, Baños de Panticosa · Aragonese Pyrenees (Tena & Canfranc valleys) · Spain
Bail with caveatsBolting confidence: high
Ten short pitches of easy-angled Panticosa granite beside the Caldarés stream, twenty minutes from the car. Mostly friction slabs at 4b to 5a linked by walking-angle ground, with one polished bulge given 5b on the topo. A very gentle first granite multipitch, and a climbing approach to the walls above.
The route
An easy slab route on excellent granite just above the first bridge over the Barranco de Caldarés. Ten pitches of 20 to 35 m alternate short walls with positive holds, friction slabs and three sections that are little more than a walk. The friction moves at the start of pitch 5 and the rounded bulge on pitch 8 are the only places that make you think. One visitor calls the 5a 'very easy, modern 5a'. It is well bolted and has a walk-off, and parties often continue to El Libro de la Selva or Arista Mowgli higher up the valley.
The climbing
| Pitch | Grade | Length | Bolts | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| P1 | 5a | 30 m | 7 bolts | A vertical start on protruding holds (5a) leads onto an easy-angled slab, then a wall with positive holds and another slab (4a). Belay on the right behind a pine. One party counted 8 bolts. |
| P2 | 2/3 | 35 m | 5 bolts | An easy-angled slab climbed diagonally from left to right. A trickle of water crossed it in June 2022. |
| P3 | 4b | 20 m | 3 bolts | A friction slab that steepens a little and passes a large block on its right. |
| P4 | 3b | 25 m | 2 bolts | Friction slab, then a wall of blocks with good holds and a horizontal traverse to the foot of the next wall. Two bolts and one thread. |
| P5 | 5a | 30 m | 7 bolts | A steeper friction slab for 15 m (the first three bolts are the thoughtful part), then the angle eases. The pitch of the route. |
| P6 | 4c | 20 m | 4 bolts | A short wall with a crack and clean holds, then an easy friction slab. |
| P7 | 5a | 20 m | 5 bolts | A wall, then a slab on small holds and friction. |
| P8 | 5b | 20 m | 6 bolts | Steps left of the belay lead to a rounded bulge of polished granite with an S-shaped crack on its right; you climb the slab on the left (5b on the topo, 4c obligatory), then an inclined slab. |
| P9 | 2 | 20 m | 2 bolts | An easy slab into the trees. |
| P10 | 2/3 | 30 m | 2 bolts | A stepped rise from left to right, finishing up a very rounded slab. |
Getting there
Base is Baños de Panticosa (Balneario de Panticosa, about 1,640 m) at the head of the Tena valley. Park near the Casa de Piedra refuge; parties in 2024 report no trouble parking there.
15 to 20 min and about 100 m of ascent. From the Casa de Piedra refuge follow the GR11 (the path to the Bachimaña refuge and the Paseo de los Miradores) to the first bridge over the Barranco de Caldarés at about 1,705 m. The wall is beside the bridge on the true left bank, above a clump of pines; go up the bank to the start.
Loading map
The point marks the crag, not the exact start of the route.
GPS line: a line of the whole day, including the climb and the descent drawn by its source, not a recorded track. Line attached to the camptocamp route page (it matches a GPS track recorded in August 2021): walk-in from Baños de Panticosa, the climb, and the return on the Bachimaña path. Elevations were not recorded. Do not follow it blindly.
GPS line: camptocamp contributors · CC BY-SA 3.0Parking
Baños de Panticosa (camptocamp access point)
Point from camptocamp waypoint 1458542
Contains the route point, parking and a GPS line. 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: 42.76578, -0.22963 (crag) · Parking: 42.75957, -0.23461
Getting down
From the last belay a cairned path goes down to the right and joins the path to Bachimaña and Brazato. Follow it down to the Caldarés bridge and the GR11 back to the car park. About 25 min.
Retreat
Bail with caveats
No source describes a retreat. The route is easy-angled and broken by wooded ledges and walking sections, and the belays are bolted (one report mentions rings), so abseiling or walking off sideways from part-way up looks feasible, but it is not documented.
Partly inferred from the route facts
Safety
Sun and weather
South-west facing at 1,700 to 1,900 m. A summer and early autumn route: reports are from June and August, with the granite dry and the temperature rising quickly once the sun arrives. Friction slabs, so avoid it when wet; pitch 2 can carry a seep.
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.
| Measure | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun (usual season) | Jul (usual season) | Aug (usual season) | Sep (usual season) | Oct (usual season) | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mean daily high °C | 4 | 4 | 7 | 9 | 14 | 19 | 22 | 22 | 17 | 13 | 7 | 5 |
| Mean daily low °C | −3 | −3 | −1 | 1 | 5 | 9 | 11 | 12 | 8 | 5 | 0 | −2 |
| Rain days 1 mm or more | 14 | 13 | 14 | 18 | 18 | 16 | 14 | 14 | 13 | 14 | 14 | 13 |
● marks the usual climbing season. Averages for 1991-2020 at about 1564 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
7 quickdraws plus belay gear. Any single rope long enough for 35 m pitches; no abseils. Helmet. Radios help low down, where the stream makes it hard to hear your partner.
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 Vía del Molondro.
Worth knowing
Open questions
Provenance
Same area
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Spain · Aragonese Pyrenees (Tena & Canfranc valleys)
High-mountain granite slabs and dihedrals above the Panticosa spa. Three 6a cruxes mix friction slab with a short flaky roof on pitch 7.
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Spain · Aragonese Pyrenees (Tena & Canfranc valleys)
A mountain-style line on dark, weathered granite twenty-five minutes above the spa of Baños de Panticosa. It links ramps, a short overhanging break, slabs and a rounded boulder, with one well-bolted 5c move and the rest 4b to 5b. The rock between the good sections is earthy and lichenous, but the friction is excellent and the bolting generous.
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Switzerland · Orny (Champex, Mont Blanc massif)
Nine pitches up a granite spur and the final tower of the Aiguille d'Orny to a 3150 m summit, on rough, cracked rock with superb friction. Two moves of 5b, the rest 4b and 4c, closely bolted since 2016 and easy enough to climb in boots. The three steep pitches on the summit tower are the highlight.
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A west-to-east traverse of the six towers of the Florets crest, alternating short pitches with five short abseils and ending on a knife-edge. First climbed in 1928, it is the classic introduction to ridge climbing in Provence. The moves of 5 are short but polished and cannot be avoided, and all the rope work makes it slower than its length suggests.
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France · Ariège Pyrenees
Consistent, low-angled slab climbing on compact granite, with 10 pitches of 5a–5b+ on the big east face. Above all it is a long, sunny-morning moderate.
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Read the cautions
Italy · Lecco & Valsassina
The first route opened on the Zucco dell'Angelone, following the natural line of the fourth spur by corners, cracks, a chimney and friction slabs. Eight varied pitches at 5a to 5b with an easy crest to finish. Never hard but never trivial either.
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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.