Mallo Frechín, Riglos · Riglos & Agüero (Mallos) · Spain
Easy to bailBolting confidence: high
A recent, closely bolted line on the Mallo Frechín and a good way to get to know Riglos without being frightened. A stiff 6b+ second pitch that many find nearer 6c, then steep, sustained 6a and 6a+ over a succession of bulges on unpolished rock. You can abseil off from the top.
The route
Seven pitches on the south face of the Mallo Frechín, starting 20 m right of the José Antonio Sanz route. The crux is the second pitch, a fierce and sustained 6b+ that several parties grade 6c; pitch 4 has one hard move over an overhang. The rest is vertical, continuous 6a to 6a+ with rests between the bulges. The rock is excellent and unpolished apart from the first pitch, where some holds need choosing. Unlike many Riglos classics it is bolted to modern standards.
The climbing
| Pitch | Grade | Length | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| P1 | 6a | 25 m | About 5+ with one move of 6a. The rock is the poorest on the route; recent parties say it is not as bad as older texts suggest but a few holds need care. |
| P2 | 6b+ | 35 m | The crux: 6b+ to 6c, steep, sustained and tiring, then 6a. The paper topo gives 6b+; many find it hard for the grade. |
| P3 | 6a | 30 m | Vertical climbing over bulges. |
| P4 | 6b | 20 m | One hard move at the overhang, passed with a right-hand undercling. |
| P5 | 6a+ | 35 m | The route crosses the José Antonio Sanz just above the fourth belay and then traverses a little left. Take care to stay on the right line here: parties on the Sanz have strayed onto this route. |
| P6 | 6a+ | 35 m | Sustained. The Spanish text advises watching the rock; the French text gives 6a. |
| P7 | 4 | 15 m | Easy ground to the top. |
Getting there
Riglos is about 45 km north-west of Huesca. From Huesca take the A-132 through Ayerbe towards Jaca and turn off to the village; from Pamplona or France come via Puente la Reina de Jaca and the A-132 south. Use the pay car park at the village entrance (3 EUR per day reported in 2025) and walk up through the village.
No more than 15 min from the car park: cross the village and take the easy path to the foot of the Mallo Frechín. The route starts 20 m right of the José Antonio Sanz, to the right of the big crack that splits the face.
Loading map
The point marks the crag, not the exact start of the route.
Point from camptocamp waypoint 471777
Contains the route point. 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: 42.35070, -0.72510 (crag)
Getting down
Either abseil the route in four (R7, R5, R3, R2 to the ground); a 2025 party found this quicker and notes a single anchor point at the top marked 'SOS'. Or walk off: follow the narrow path along a short ridge from the summit towards the Visera and go down the steep but straightforward gully, as for the José Antonio Sanz.
Retreat
Easy to bail
Abseiling the route is a normal descent: four abseils from R7, R5, R3 and R2. A local guide chose the route in unsettled weather precisely because you can abseil off at any point.
Safety
Sun and weather
South-facing and sheltered from the north wind: climbed comfortably at 10°C with a 60 km/h northerly in April 2024 and in mid December 2023. Warm from late spring. The Frechín is a very popular face, so start early on long weekends.
Sun on the wall · S-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.
Climate figures for Riglos & Agüero (Mallos) are not available yet
What to carry
16 quickdraws plus belay gear. Two ropes for the abseils: 60 m recommended, 45 m sufficient. Helmet.
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 Irene y la Paz.
Worth knowing
Open questions
Provenance
Same area
Spain · Riglos & Agüero (Mallos)
This is the gentlest way to sample Riglos. Polished pockets and two bulging 'panzas' lead to a 6a crux that can be pulled through on the bolts (A0). The upper spur is easy, and the Pisón towers loom close by.
6a7 pitches175 m
Read the cautions
Spain · Riglos & Agüero (Mallos)
A long beginner's big route on good conglomerate at a moderate angle. Pitches can be linked in pairs with a 60 m rope. A four-pitch headwall with a couple of panzas finishes high above the Gállego valley.
5c14 pitches375 m
Spain · Riglos & Agüero (Mallos)
An airy spur with sustained 5b–5c climbing, a single 6a step on pitch 7, and big views over the Mallos de Riglos and the Pyrenees.
6a9 pitches230 m
Spain · Riglos & Agüero (Mallos)
A morning-sun route at the quieter Agüero mallos. Easy slabs separate two fine steep walls, including a superb vertical 5c plaque on pitch 4. Take care with some loose cobbles on the last traverse.
5c5 pitches145 m
Around 6b+ · about 7 pitches
Italy · Sardinia
A sea-level start reached by abseil, then seven short pitches up the seaward face of Pedra Longa. The third pitch is a wildly exposed traverse above a line of roofs; two easy pitches on rock that needs care lead to a technical 6b and 6b+ finish on grey slab.
6b+7 pitches175 m
Turkey · Aladağlar
Often named as the best route in the massif: seven even pitches of 6a to 6b+ that move from delicate slabs and giant flutings through a steep, rough wall to mountain-style ground at the top. The 6b pitches are no harder than the 6a ones, but the bolts are far enough apart to keep you thinking.
6b+7 pitches235 m
Read the cautions
Italy · Bolzano & South Tyrol
Steep crack, corner and chimney climbing on porphyry, fully bolted in the middle of a trad crag. Sustained at 6a to 6b with a technical 6b+ first pitch. It stays in the shade until mid-afternoon, which makes it a summer option.
6b+7 pitches190 m
Spain · Montanejos
Seven varied pitches in two halves split by a big ledge: vertical walls and cracks below, then an overhanging red wall and a traverse on a carpet of sharp little spikes beneath giant roofs. In the sun from the morning, unpolished, with an easy walk down.
6b+7 pitches170 m
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.