Peñón de Ifach, south-west face (Costa Blanca pillar) · Costa Blanca (Peñón de Ifach) · Spain
Read the cautionsBail not documentedBolting confidence: medium
A sustained sport line up the pillar between Costa Blanca and the Diedro UBSA, on rock that has escaped the polish of the older classics. Five of the seven pitches are 6b+ or harder and both 7a sections go at A0. Parties single out the finger-lock crack of pitch 3 and the pillar edge of pitch 4.
Rebolted according to a 2026 report, but the start is unbolted easy ground, 6c is obligatory, and the official sheet still suggests nuts for the last pitch.
The route
Puto Paseo Ecológico, listed as P.P. Ecológico in the official guide, is one of the last sport routes equipped on the Peñón. It climbs the pillar shared with Costa Blanca, between that route and the Diedro UBSA, in seven sustained pitches. The official sheet gives it three stars and 6c+/A0; camptocamp gives 7a free with 6c obligatory. The rock is excellent and barely polished, which is rare on this wall. Allow 4 to 6 hours.
The climbing
| Pitch | Grade | Length | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| P1 | 7a | 45 m | About 15 m of unbolted steps at III+, then 6b climbing with one much harder boulder move over an overhang, 7a free or A0. Goes at 6b/A0. |
| P2 | 6c+ | 30 m | A slab followed by a sustained wall. |
| P3 | 6b+ | 35 m | A small overhang, a slab, then a very good finger-lock crack. |
| P4 | 6b+ | 25 m | Up the very edge of the pillar. |
| P5 | 5+ | 30 m | Traverse right with a step across the void, then a crack and rounded holds. Parties find one move far harder than the grade suggests. |
| P6 | 6c+ | 35 m | Steepens steadily and is very exposed. |
| P7 | 7a | 35 m | 7a free or 6c/A0. Includes the crack where the official sheet says a few nuts can help. |
Getting there
Calp is on the N-332; from the AP-7 take exit 64 (Altea/Calp) and follow the N-332 towards Calp. For the south face follow signs to the harbour (Puerto) and park there. The provincial guide gives the harbour-side parking as 38°38'16"N, 0°04'19"E.
10 to 20 minutes. From the parking at the far end of the marina, follow the seafront promenade (Paseo Príncipe de Asturias) to its end, then take the path that climbs to the foot of the wall and follow the cliff to the start. The route is on the Costa Blanca pillar, between Costa Blanca and the Diedro UBSA. A slightly easier variant (6b+, 6c) exists to the right of pitches 1 and 2.
Loading map
The point marks the crag, not the exact start of the route.
Parking
Harbour-side parking for the south face (Senderos de la Roca guide)
Point from camptocamp waypoint 249782 (Peñón de Ifach)
Contains the route point and parking. 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: 38.63389, 0.07611 (crag) · Parking: 38.63778, 0.07194
Getting down
Walk off. From the summit a footpath goes down the north side of the rock; the official guide calls it attractive and slippery. It leads back to the park visitor centre on the north side, so allow time to walk round to the harbour.
Retreat
Bail not documented
No source describes abseiling the route. One party left it above pitch 5 by crossing to Los Miserables and using the 15 m abseil at the exit of the Diedro UBSA, then finishing by easier, well-bolted ground. Below that point retreat is not documented.
Partly inferred from the route facts
Safety
Sun and weather
South-west facing and low above the sea, so a winter route. The Peñón turns greasy in humid weather. A March 2016 party found it hot at the base and cool and windy higher up.
Sun on the wall · SW-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.
| Measure | Jan (usual season) | Feb (usual season) | Mar (usual season) | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct (usual season) | Nov (usual season) | Dec (usual season) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mean daily high °C | 14 | 15 | 16 | 18 | 21 | 26 | 28 | 29 | 26 | 22 | 18 | 15 |
| Mean daily low °C | 8 | 8 | 10 | 12 | 15 | 18 | 21 | 22 | 20 | 16 | 12 | 9 |
| Rain days 1 mm or more | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 7 | 8 | 7 | 6 |
● marks the usual climbing season. Averages for 1991-2020 at about 132 m. Area climate from Open-Meteo reanalysis. Temperatures are adjusted to the height of the crag; rain comes from a grid cell of about 10 to 25 km, and summer highs on sea cliffs can read a few degrees low. The wall and valley can differ. Data: Open-Meteo, CC BY 4.0.
What to carry
Quickdraws only according to the official sheet, which adds that a set of nuts can be useful for the crack on the last pitch. Camptocamp says the same. Neither source gives a quickdraw count or a rope length; the longest pitch is 45 m.
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 Puto Paseo Ecológico.
Worth knowing
Open questions
Provenance
Same area
Spain · Costa Blanca (Peñón de Ifach)
The sport classic of the Peñón: a thin slab, a corner crack that steepens into an overhang, a pillar, then a wild exit from a big cave 200 m above the sea. Sustained at 6b with a 6c fifth pitch on polished slopers and a 6c+ last pitch whose crux can be pulled through on a bolt.
6c+7 pitches220 m
Spain · Costa Blanca (Peñón de Ifach)
Nine steep pitches up the wildly sculpted right side of the south face, overhanging almost throughout. Two long 7a pitches open the route and a third comes near the top, and even the 6a+ pitches are athletic. The rock is covered in holds and much less polished than the classics to the left.
7a9 pitches310 m
Read the cautions
Around 7a · about 7 pitches
Italy · Sardinia
Two pitches of bridging up a 60 m corner hung with tufas and stalactites (6c+, 6c), then grey water-drop walls and a short roof at 7a that goes in three moves of aid. Seven pitches of varied climbing on perfect, unpolished rock.
7a7 pitches220 m
Spain · Riglos & Agüero (Mallos)
The other great line of the Visera, on a concave wall that leans further out the higher you go. Six pitches at 6a to 6b on big cobbles lead to the vulture ledge, then one short, very overhanging crux pitch above enormous exposure. That last pitch is about 7a free, or roughly 6b to 6c with rests on its closely spaced bolts.
7a7 pitches250 m
Read the cautionsCommitting
France · Baou de Saint-Jeannet
One of the essential long routes of the Baou: seven pitches that hardly drop below the sixth grade, each with a different problem, from thin slab to a steep bulge and a superb layback corner at 6c. The single 7a section on pitch 2 is closely bolted and can be aided. Expect a few loose blocks and a scrappy link pitch across the Vernet ledge.
7a7 pitches200 m
Read the cautions
France · Chamonix valley
A direct line up the big south-facing slabs of Barberine: three pitches of friction slab to warm up, then steeper, technical walls on small holds. The two top pitches are graded 6b+ and 6c+ if you step round the bolts and 7a if you climb straight up them; 6c is obligatory.
7a7 pitches230 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.
