Puerto del Viento is a magnificent crag, set high on the hillside above the namesake mountain pass. We’d stumbled across it in 1995 and been enchanted by the feeling of remoteness and peace (in stark contrast to El Chorro where we’d just spent a week) and this was a 30 years delayed revisit. Nothing much had changed!

It remains a backwater, rarely visited, perhaps unsurprisingly given dire internet warnings of spaced bolts and sandbag grades. We were armed with the latest Malaga guide which adopts the somewhat weird notation of awarding the less sandbag routes a black spot. Surely it should be the sandbags that get the black spot, but more fundamentally – why not change the grades? It’s a guidebook!! (albeit that’s a question that could be asked of numerous authors covering old skool crags). In fairness, some of the worst offenders have been upgraded (the most extreme being from 5a to 6b+!)

Sticking to black spots and taking advice to nonetheless keep a grade or two in hand, Helen did a couple of III+s (partly as a trip down memory lane, having recognised one as being a route we’d done on our initial foray): Oregano and Numidia, pronouncing both to be enjoyable and fair for the grade.

I managed El Espolon Infarto, 6b and Luces de Invierno, 6a

Despite the “sun all day” advertised, the crag does angle different ways, and with a hoolie blowing we were keen to stay in the sun! Siddharta keeps the sun longest and Helen finished off with Proserpina and Artemisa, both tricky for IV+

Great van spot at the parking.

Benaoján

We’re occasionally accused at Rockaroundtheworld of only sharing sunny photos. In truth, we go to a lot of trouble to evade and outflank any other kinds of weather, but occasionally these efforts are in vain. Here’s a couple of days of damp for you…

Benaoján gets a write up as having a bunch of sunny sectors, easily accessed, and with an amenable range of grades. We’d need all those factors in our favour, and more, to clutch anything from the jaws of a forecast of 8°C and raining…

Sector Banderas – a dozen Vs and pretty roadside…

But not as roadside as Boveda (though that comes with a 6s and 7s price tag)…

Zuque and Banderas offer another few dozen routes in the 6s and IVs respectively (along with a via ferrata)…

And another 16 mostly V-6a at Carretera

All very handy, as promised, and I’m sure they’d look a whole lot more appealing with a dose of sunshine. We were about to pack up and write the day off as a learning experience when the drizzle stopped and a shaft of sunlight broke through the clouds. Despite the thermometer still reading 8°C, Helen bravely wrapped up to offer a belay for a token YECTOYD.

El Cromosoma on Sector Boveda wasn’t the obvious warm-up at 6c, but there were no complaints about the walk-in…

… and the promise of a crack spurred my enthusiasm…

Now that’s what I call belay-from-the-bumper convenience!

Sierra Ortegicar

The Sierra rises above the modest village of Serrato, offering half a dozen crags dotted across the shrub-strewn hillside. Warning, the following contains zero actual climbing but does come with a dose of hazard…

The first four sectors are accessed via a decent dirt road, starting with the eye-catching orange blob, which is Tajo Colorado. Whilst the majority of the routes are in the 7s there’s enough to warrant a return visit on a better day. Looks impressive

Further up the hill you’ve got Mixto…

and El Corral (similar story in terms of grades and likely quality)

… and finally Naranjito (more amenable with a dozen routes mostly V to 6a – no photo).

The remaining couple of sectors are on the other side of the Sierra and the guidebook advises not to try to drive the dirt track over the top unless you’re in a 4×4. Challenge accepted! It might have been sensible to factor in the recent heavy rain (not to mention the 700mm that had reportedly fallen in January). Halfway down a vertigenous slope, with no hope of reversal, it was clear we’d be traversing 50m or so of mud-upto-axles terrain at the bottom of the dip. The only hope of escape was a bravura “gun it” approach to maintaining momentum and crossing fingers we’d make it back up the other side. After a couple of very close scrapes, and some sideways slide action, we made it back to solid dirt rather than squelch, and any remaining enthusiasm for further reconnaissance had inexplicably vanished. One to come back for, as we say!