climbing
In climbing I do things that I enjoy and want to do not the ones that are currently in fashion.
Muriel Sarkany
 Menu
Books/Movies
Brand news
Climbandmore special
Climbers
Clips
Fotogallery
Gear
Interviews
Mags
News/Last added
Quotes
Regions
Routes/Crags
Training
Walls
 Regions
Africa
North America
South America
Asia
Europe

Sella – the gem of Costa Blanca
Climbing spots of Catalonia part 4
Climbing spots of Catalonia part 3
Climbing spots of Catalonia part 2
Climbing spots of Catalonia part 1
 Regions

Climbing


Climbing in Sella can be classified either as somethong for your arms or something for your calves. Unfortunately, with the emphasiz on the latter. If you preser technical climbing on crimps and slopers, you’ll be happy to see huge absolutely vertical or slab walls with long and nice routes on them, both easier and harder reaching even 8b level.

Whereas those who feel in their element when confronted with overhangings full of collonets and tufas should go directly to Wildside. It is a rock wall located ca. 15 minutes away from the sectors closest to the road. At Wildside you’ll find long overhanging routes with positive holds. Some of them are worth special attention: Oceano, Black is black, Watermark, Ergonometria, Keep the faith and obviously, probably the most beautiful route of the entire area, Ya somos Olimpicos 7b+ running along a system of tufas and collonets. The crucial flaw of Wildside is the temperature. The north face of the wall makes it constantly remain hidden in the shade and if we add strong winds as a consequnce we get a significant discrepancy of temperatures in comparison to other sectors.



Ya somos Olimpicos 7b+ - probably the most beautiful route in the entire spot
(photo: archiv. Monika M³odecka)



Watermark 8a (photo: archiv. Monika M³odecka)


So if the weather conditions don’t meet your expectations or contradict the forecast, as it happens more and more often nowadays, Wildside is the place where you can literally find out what snow in Spain looks like. Just for a short compare and contrast exercise you may visit the wall opposite to Wildside. Vips may not be the most impressive wall in the vicinity but it effectively functions as a good heater during sunny days whose warmth you won’t experience while climbing at Wildside anyway.



One of the 8a's at the Vips sector
(photo: archiv. Monika M³odecka)


The interesting thing is that Wildside is located on a private ground, which is signalized for the first time by a large gate at the foot of the crag. The owner’s house is visible in the distance on of the neighboring hills and when it comes to the owner himself, the only fact known about him is that few years ago he revealed a great deal of good will and gave the climbers the official go-ahead to take the advantage of the massive tufas, this way sentencing himself to inevitable outbursts of anger or happiness that seem to be reaching the house during the afternoon siestas.



Watermark 8a, Wildside (photo: archiv. Monika M³odecka)


Nevertheless, the philanthropist has already asked visitors several times to keep as quiet as possible and subsequent teams have been doing their best to respect his request for fear of closing down the sector, which he is said to have done before. Theoretically, one must also stick to the "No Kaka” rule that reportedly was also a subject of few arguments in the past. Year by year, Sella gains more new routes and the best proof for that is the guide which differs crucially each season. The good news is that Armando really takes care of all the updates and after coming to the spot you’ll most probably get a new version of the guide or an older one but with the attachement in form of detailed appendices.


Rest day

Sella won’t provide you with many rest day opportunities such as canoeing typical of French Gorge du Tarn or parties characteristic of Kalandraka in Rodellar. The best option is a hitchhiking trip to Alicante, where you can enjoy a very nice and clean beach. Of course, an eventual swim in the sea is a matter of choice but in February the water temperature is already (still?) bearable. Alicante can also boast of a picturesque market square with the city hall. Apart from that, it is a city big enough to find whatever you need but one has to remember about unpredictable Spanish siestas and fiestas.

 

The promenade in Alicante (photo: archiv. Monika M³odecka)
 

The second rest day variant is a chillout in Sella itself, for example in one of the bars run by Englishmen. And if you happen to make it for some Champions League broadcast, the excitement is bound to be intense.


Other things worth mentioning

Sella as well as the neighboring villages/towns are the grounds inhabited mostly by British pensioners who very reasonably decided to put a stout veto on the chill and rainy island climate and moved to the Spanish part of the continent. In what way does it relate to climbers? It’s very easy. The aforementioned residents are quite climbers-friendly, which means that not only do they find dirty hooded people with huge backpacks rather normal but also it often happens that they willingly give climbers a lift. Most of them run a café or a restaurants and let rooms to visitors. So if you need some help or information, Sella is one of these few places in south-western Europe where one can actually communicate in English.
 

Sounds good? If it does, book your flight and enjoy warm and sunny winter in Costa Blanca! :-)


 
1 2  
See also
 Brand news
Wild Country Helium - recall notice!!
Product of the week - Asolo Distance M
Wild Country Ropeman 3 - recall notice!!
Product of the week - SALEWA Couna W/M
 Climbandmore special
Humbles stays home - Maja Vidmar onsighted 8b+
 Fotogallery
Aleksandra Taistra in Rodellar - Gallery
TNF Kalymnos Climbing Festival
adidas Rockstars - FINALS
adidas Rockastars - Isolation Zone Gallery
Build Your Boulder Gallery
adidas Rockstars - Superfinal Gallery
adidas Rockstars - Media Brunch Gallery
Black&White Semifinal Gallery
adidas Rockstars - Backstage Gallery
adidas Rockstars - Qualification Round
 Interviews
Muriel Sarkany - Portrait
Mélissa Le Nevé on bouldering, competition, grades and the enjoyment of climbing
François Nicole on FA Amazonie 9a
 News/Last added
Hannah Midtboe and Sachi Amma going strong in Spain!
Alex Puccio in Chironico, Nalle Hukkataival and Jan Hojer in Val Bavona
Farewell to 2012 Lead World Cup series
Leslie-Wujastyk, Puccio, Koyamada and Kassay rock in the rocks!
9a for Jacopo Larcher and another 8c+ for Mélissa Le Nevé
A run of good RRG luck continues – Mélissa Le Nevé + Cardwell and Ondra
A wave of great ascents and... downgrading in Red River Gorge
Adam Ondra knocks down Red River Gorge - 2 x 8c+ (9a) OS
FFA of Punks in the Gym 8b+
Adam Ondra takes the lead in Red River Gorge and... flashes 5.15a/9a+ (?)
Another boulder conquests by Carlo Traversi and Dai Koyamada
Ines Papert and Lisi Steurer free Schwarze Madonna 8a+
Ashima in Red River Gorge – 2 x 5.14c/8c+ UPDATE
Shiraishi flashes Omaha Beach 5.14a/8b+
Echo from the rocks – Söderlund, Sharma, Harnden, Fineron
Stefan Glowacz frees Golden Shower
Change 9b+ by Adam Ondra
Smith-Gobat and Astorga's records in Yosemite Valley
World Championships 2012 - main results
Jakob Schubert claims the World Champion title !!
Mélanie Sandoz takes Gold !!
World Championships 2012 - exciting Women's Bouldering Semi-final
World Championships 2012 - Saturday's finals
World Championships 2012 - we know the first finalists!
Arco Rock Junior
Baston la Baffe by Metteo Della Bordella and Fabio Palma
Huber Brothers and Mario Walder successful on Mount Asgard
Stephan Siegrist at Cerro Stanhardt
adidas Rockstars - FINALS
adidas Rockstars - Semi-finals
adidas Rockstars 2012 - Qualification Round
Arco Rock Legends 2012
IFSC Lead World Cup - Briançon
IFSC WC Chamonix 2012 - Lead
IFSC WC in Speed Climbing - Chamonix 2012
Get ready for the 2012 IFSC Lead World Cup !!
 Regions
Climbing spots of Catalonia part 4
Climbing spots of Catalonia part 3
Climbing spots of Catalonia part 2
News | Fotogallery | Clips | Interviews | Gear | Quotes | Climbers | Training/Tech Tips | Regions | Walls | Routes/Crags | Books/Movies | Mags | Links |
All texts and photos copyright (C) 2005-2020 Piotr Dro¿d¿ - ClimbandMore, unless otherwise credited
Editors: Monika M³odecka, Janusz Szymik