Peña Cigal (1532 m) rises above the village of Caloca in the Pesaguero municipality of Liébana, southern Cantabria, between Potes and the Piedrasluengas pass. Its south-west face is a limestone wall over 200 m high carrying more than 16 routes of 2 to 8 pitches; most were equipped from 2006 onwards as bolted multi-pitch sport routes with ringed abseil belays. Drive from Potes on the CA-184 to Pesaguero and turn off to Caloca (from the south, come over the Piedrasluengas pass from Cervera de Pisuerga); park on the track just past the El Cigal apartments and walk about 30 minutes to the foot of the face. The face gets the sun and parties climb it from spring to autumn, but a vulture colony nests here: until 1 September (or the end of breeding) you must not walk down the ledge (the Vira), Sicigias and Amigos are closed above their first pitches, and the Agujas de Peña Cigal are closed all year.
GuidebookPeña Cigal: photo topo and route list (central wall), Grupo de Montaña Altai. Free topo. The route pages here are aggregated by AI from public sources; climb with the guidebook.
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Peña Cigal south-west face, above Caloca · 1,316 m
| Measure | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr (usual season) | May (usual season) | Jun (usual season) | Jul (usual season) | Aug | Sep (usual season) | Oct (usual season) | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mean daily high °C | 5 | 6 | 8 | 10 | 13 | 17 | 19 | 19 | 17 | 13 | 8 | 6 |
| Mean daily low °C | −2 | −2 | −0 | 2 | 5 | 8 | 10 | 11 | 8 | 5 | 1 | −1 |
| Rain days 1 mm or more | 13 | 12 | 14 | 16 | 17 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 13 | 13 | 14 | 13 |
● usual season. 1991-2020 averages at about 1316 m; rain is for a 10–25 km grid cell. Weather and climate data: Open-Meteo, CC BY 4.0.
Spain · Liébana (Peña Cigal)
Sustained 5c to 6a climbing on grey limestone slabs, cracks and corners at the left end of the Peña Cigal wall, with short harder sections up to 6b. The hardest move is the first one off the ground. Bolted in stainless steel and abseiled from every belay.
6bVII5.10c6bVII5.10c5 pitches140 m
Spain · Liébana (Peña Cigal)
Six pitches up the big characteristic corner of Peña Cigal, with a 50 m third pitch that steepens to a 6c+ finish (A0 on two bolts and a peg). The rest is sustained 6a to 6b on good rock. Stainless bolts and ringed belays throughout.
6c+VIII-5.11c6c+VIII-5.11c6 pitches200 m
Spain · Liébana (Peña Cigal)
Long, sustained 6a pitches of slab, cracks and corners, then a technical 6c wall of small crimps on the third pitch, on the left side of the Peña Cigal wall. Stainless bolts and ringed belays throughout. Above the first pitch it is an autumn-only route because of nesting vultures.
6cVIII-5.11b6cVIII-5.11b4 pitches150 m
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Spain · Liébana (Peña Cigal)
The hard neighbour of Greim: a perfect corner and a technical roof traverse (7a) on pitch 2, then a sustained, airy slab of 6b+ to 7a, before joining Greim for three pitches of 6a to 6b. The obligatory grade is 6b, so the 7a moves can be aided on the bolts.
7aVIII5.11d7aVIII5.11d6 pitches
Read the cautions