Multipitch Atlas

Reina de los Mallos

Peña Rueba south face (Mallo Varella), Murillo de Gállego · Riglos & Agüero (Mallos) · Spain

Bail with caveatsBolting confidence: high

A varied and unusual route: polished cobbles, a chimney belay in an old vulture nest, and an ochre corner. It is recent and not fully cleaned, and two earthy gullies are crossed on pitches 4 and 7.

Photo-topo of Reina de los Mallos on Mallo Varella, Peña RuebaPhoto: janic · CC BY-SA 3.0

Topo

Photo-topo of Reina de los Mallos on Mallo Varella, Peña RuebaPhoto: janic · CC BY-SA 3.0
Hardest pitch
6a
Pitches
8
Length
260 m
Approach
50 min
Aspect
S
South-facing
Rope
1×60 m
walk-off

The route

Overview

An eight-pitch, 260 m bolted route up Punta (Mallo) Varella, the rightmost sector of the south face of Peña Rueba above Murillo de Gállego. It is unusually varied for conglomerate: water-polished cobbles in a gully, a tree-filled chimney with a belay at a cave that was once a vulture nest, a vertical ochre chimney-corner and a spur with two bulges. The bolting is very generous and both 6a passages are short; the one on pitch 2 can be pulled through. The route dates from 2021 and still has some loose rock and two earthy gully crossings.

In pictures

Photos

  • TopoPeña Rueba above Murillo de Gállego seen from the south, with its mallos labelled (La Calva, Punta Blanca, La Estrella, La Mora, Varella); the red outline marks Mallo Varella and the approach.Photo: janic (camptocamp.org) · CC BY-NC-ND 3.0

Approach photo

The climbing

Pitch by pitch

PitchGradeLengthBoltsNotes
P15b25 m7 boltsUp the left side of the gully on polished cobbles, over two small bulges with some doubtful cobbles. At the second bolt and after, follow the red 'RM' marks and the bolts going right; the line on the left is Vía del Lukas. Belay at the trees (a thread at the base of a trunk was used in 2024). Camptocamp gives 30 m, the Spanish blogs 25 m and grade V.
P26a35 m13 boltsAn earthy start with a fixed blue rope past the trees, then a vertical wall with bulges. The 6a is one move on a bulge protected by three close bolts, and you can pull on a bolt. Easier stepped spur to a comfortable ledge belay.
P34b35 m8 boltsGrade IV. Easy rising traverse left, then steeper, on fine pink conglomerate. Belay on slings round a multi-trunked tree.
P45b35 m13 boltsGrade V. Cross the earthy gully to the left, then up sound rock on the spur into the chimney with large trees. Belay on two bolts at the mouth of a cave, in an old vulture nest.
P55c25 m16 boltsV+. A vertical chimney climbed by bridging, turning into a corner, with a bulge to finish. The left wall is fine ochre rock. Comfortable belay. Rated the best pitch.
P66a25 m16 boltsA vertical spur with two well-protected bulges beside a line of junipers, then a last steep step and an exit left to a ledge. Several parties think it is nearer 5c than 6a, though one shorter climber found a reach hard. The belay has plain hangers only, no rings.
P75c35 m13 boltsV+. Rising traverse right on easy ground across a damp, very earthy gully, then a short steep wall with one move at the top (optional belay just above), then a slab curving slightly left to a ledge. Manage rope drag from the start.
P84c45 m8 boltsIV+. A step on poor conglomerate, pass right of a bush, then a rising leftward traverse on broken, fragile ground with blocks ready to go. Belay on two unlinked bolts a few metres below the top.

Getting there

Approach

To the parking

Base is Murillo de Gállego, across the river from Riglos. From the village follow the sign for Hotel Real Posada de Liena; after about 290 m turn right at a bend, and at a house about 700 m in take the dirt track beside it. Pass the first water pond and park on the left in a clearing by the second pond, where a sign bans further traffic, about 2.1 km from Murillo (590 m). Camptocamp notes the track was impassable to normal cars in 2019 but was rebuilt in 2022 with a parking area by the second pond. A track from Agüero also reaches the area.

On foot · about 50 min

45 to 50 min. Walk about 450 m along the track and take the path on the right towards the walls. Near the Cueva Calva overhang keep right at the fork, pass under the walls and continue below Mallo de la Mora to the foot of the south via ferrata (Ferrata Sur). Where its cable starts, a cairned path with red-and-white posts leads off horizontally to the right, round the foot of the big mallo. Cross a steep section on a ledge with a fixed rope (blue) used as a descending handrail, then drop into a gully (barranco) with water-polished rock. The route starts on the left side of the gully; 'RM' is painted at the base. Vía del Lukas shares the start.

Finding the route · 3 photos

  • OverviewPeña Rueba seen from the pond where you park, with the summits labelled (Mallo la Calva, Punta Blanca, Mallo la Estrella, Mallo la Mora, Mallo Varella) and the party's day drawn in red: approach along the base, climb and descent.Photo: janic · CC BY-NC-ND 3.0
  • Walk-inThe ledge with the fixed rope on the traverse round the foot of the mallo towards the gully; the ponds by the parking are visible below.Photo: janic · CC BY-NC-ND 3.0
  • Start of the routeThe letters 'RM' painted on the rock at the start of the route.Photo: janic · CC BY-NC-ND 3.0

Approach photo

Map of the walk-in

  • Crag
  • GPS line

Loading map

The point marks the crag, not the exact start of the route.

GPS line: a line of the walk-in and the descent drawn by its source, not a recorded track. Line on the Camptocamp route page: loop from the parking by the pond to the route and back over Mallo Varella. Do not follow it blindly.

GPS line: Camptocamp contributors · CC BY-SA 3.0

Coordinates · crag

42.35409, -0.75358

Point from camptocamp waypoint 1365247

For your phone or watch

Download GPX

Contains the route point and a GPS line. 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.

Getting down

Descent

Walk-off with cables, about 1 h to the car. From the last belay go up to the top of Mallo Varella and follow the crest west, then down the far side to stainless steel cables that lead to a small col. From there you join the south via ferrata about halfway and descend it, alternating walking and cabled sections, to the foot of the walls and the approach path.

Retreat

Bailing off the route

Bail with caveats

Partly. Most belays are linked with abseil rings, but three are not: R3 is slings round a tree, R6 has plain hangers and R8 is two unlinked bolts. Several pitches traverse or cross earthy gullies, and four are 35 m, too long to abseil on the single 60 m rope the route is usually climbed with. The normal way off is over the top and down the via ferrata.

Retreat from
R1 (trees), R2, R4, R5 and R7 are reported as ring-linked. R3, R6 and R8 need your own cord or maillons. Pitch 3 is a rising traverse left, pitch 4 crosses a gully leftwards and pitch 7 traverses right across another gully, so abseils will not follow the climbing line. No escape ledge is described.
Point of no return
None is stated. High on the route going up is the easier option: R8 is a few metres below the top and the walk-off, and R6 and R8 are the unrigged belays (inference).
Carry
Two ropes of 50 m or more for the 35 m pitches (the 45 m last pitch is not one you would abseil). Cord and maillons for R3, R6 and R8; cord to back up the tree slings is on the gear list anyway.
Basis
Part stated, part inferredCamptocamp states that belays are ring-linked except R3 and R8 and the first ascensionist adds that R6 has plain hangers; the effect of the traverses and of the 35 m pitches on a single rope is inferred.

Partly inferred from the route facts

Safety

Hazards

  • Recent route, not fully cleaned: Camptocamp urges caution, and in November 2021 both climbers of one party pulled off blocks, small and large.
  • Pitch 8 is on fragile, broken rock with loose blocks on the traverse; stones roll easily from the shoulder.
  • On the last pitch there is a bolt with its hanger missing (May 2025). Go left, not towards it.
  • Route-finding on pitch 1: the start is shared with Vía del Lukas. A 2024 party followed the wrong bolts for two pitches and had to make an unprotected traverse to regain the route. Follow the red RM marks to the right.
  • Not all belays are ring-linked: R3 is on slings round a tree, R6 has plain hangers and R8 is two unlinked bolts. Retreat by abseil is not straightforward from these.
  • Two earthy gully crossings (pitches 4 and 7) and an earthy start to pitch 2 are slippery when damp.
  • The descent cables on the via ferrata were new in 2024 but had frayed strand ends; mind your hands.
  • Vultures nest nearby and the top of the chimney pitch and R5 are covered in droppings.

Sun and weather

Conditions

South facing, but the first four belays were in shade in mid-May and one party found most of the route shaded; the first ascensionist suggests checking the sun on the wall from the Murillo track. The crag page lists every month except July and August. It can be very windy near the top. The route is popular on good weekends ('the place to be' in February 2023), though a May 2025 party had the sector to themselves.

Usual season · Feb to May, Oct to Dec

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.

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Mean daily high °C9101416202629292418129
Mean daily low °C1135913161612942
Rain days 1 mm or more97910107678998

● marks the usual climbing season. Averages for 1991-2020 at about 612 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

Gear

A single 60 m rope (longest pitch 45 m, walk-off descent). 16 quickdraws; a strong party found 8 enough because the bolting is so close. Some cord to replace or back up the slings at the tree belays. Helmet. No source read asks for via ferrata lanyards for the descent cables.

Checklist

Quickdraws
16
Rope
1×60 m (walk-off)
Helmet
One each
Slings
Mentioned for retreat
Maillons or spare karabiners
To leave behind if you retreat
Cord
Mentioned for retreat

Derived from the route data; check it against a current topo

From climbers

Reader reports

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 Reina de los Mallos.

Worth knowing

Tips

  • Climbing time is about 2 h 45 to 3 h for a competent pair; car to car about 4 h 45 to 5 h 30.
  • The best pitches are 1, 2, 5, 6 and 7.
  • The move on pitch 2 goes at A0 and the obligatory grade is about V+/5c.
  • Extend runners on pitch 7 to limit drag.
  • Fast parties combine it with another route on Peña Rueba the same day.

Open questions

Where sources disagree

  • Pitch 1 length: 30 m (Camptocamp) versus 25 m (both Spanish blogs and 2024 reports). 25 m is used; the pitch lengths then add up to the stated 260 m.
  • Grades: Camptocamp gives French grades (5b, 6a, 4b, 4c/5b, 5c, 6a, 4c/5c/4c, 4c); the blogs give V, 6a, IV, V, V+, 6a, V+, IV+. They are consistent. Several repeaters rate pitch 6 at 5c.
  • Approach: 50 min (Camptocamp), 45 min (both blogs), 48 to 49 min (timed reports). The crag page's 30 min is not supported by the trip reports.
  • Belays: Camptocamp says all are ring-linked except R3 and R8; the first ascensionist adds that R6 has plain hangers only.

Provenance

Sources

Same area

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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.