Rock climbing at Riglos
Riglos is a picturesque village in the foothills of the Pyrenees Mountains. Behind this village are huge red conglomerate pillars that rise up to 300m high, of which “El Pison” dominates them all. These pillars provide both sport climbing and traditional climbing (using natural protection such as nuts and cams).
The photograph shows the main cliffs of Riglos. The Fire is on the left (in the background), the broad pillar of El Pison, and the Visera on the right.
Map of the rock climbing areas around Riglos and Huesca
| No | Crag | Type of Rock | Number of routes | Grade Range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Riglos | Conglomorate | 296 | F4 to F8a |
| 2 | Pena Rueba | Conglomorate | 34 | F5 to F8a |
| 3 | Mallos de Aguero | Conglomorate | 44 | F4+ to F8b |
| 4 | Foz de Escalete | Limestone | 60 | F5 to F8b+ |
| 5 | Castillo de Loarre | Limestone | 19 | F4 to F6c+ |
| 6 | Valle del Garona | Limestone & Sandstone | 49 | F5+ to F8a |
| 7 | Vadiello | Limestone & Sandstone | 410 | F5 to F9a |
The Riglos Vertical Guidebook describes all the routes at Riglos, Pena Rueba, Mallos de Aguero, and Foz de Escalete. Buy this guidebook from our shop.
The conglomerate nature of the rock provides numerous small pebbles and larger stones, which means the style of climbing is very different to other rock types (particularly limestone). Therefore Riglos offers a total different climbing experience to other parts of northern Spain. There are nearly 300 routes at Riglos across a wide range of grades from F4 to F8a on steep or slightly overhanging rock.
Virtually all the routes at Riglos are multi-pitch routes that range from 150m to 300m long, and therefore twin 60m ropes are essential. The sport routes are usually well bolted though as on multi-pitch routes it is advisable to carry a small rack of traditional gear as some sections can be exposed.
Vadiello is the closest crag to Huesca. It is very extensive with over 400 routes on a mixture of conglomerate and limestone rock. The style of climbing is also very varied from slab routes above the reservoir, to steep and overhanging routes in a sunny cave above the canyon.
The other climbing areas around Riglos (as shown on the map) are a combination of conglomerate, limestone or sandstone rock. The crags themselves have fewer routes though there is a good selection of long multi-pitch (up to 300m long) and single pitch sport routes.
During a quick fire 4-day visit Ian Wyatt discovers there are numerous tips to be learnt when climbing the 300m multi-pitch routes at Riglos. Read his article Tips for climbing the great towers of Aragon.