Peña Sola, Mallos de Agüero · Riglos & Agüero (Mallos) · Spain
Read the cautionsBail with caveatsBolting confidence: high
The 1947 route up the free-standing tower beside the Mallos de Agüero. The first three pitches are athletic, with an aided start and short 6a to 6a+ steps that go at 5 and A0 on close bolts, and the last three are easy and pleasant. A quiet summit a long way from the Riglos crowds.
Fully bolted and recently checked, but the start is aid on a high first bolt, the first three pitches are stiff for the grade and the abseils are long and wandering.
The route
Peña Sola is the tower that stands apart from the main mass of the Mallos de Agüero, and its normal route is the classic way to a summit with no easy side. Difficulty decreases with height: an aided start, two more athletic pitches with moves of 6a to 6a+ that can be pulled through on the bolts, then three easy pitches on greying conglomerate. Camptocamp gives it TD, 6a+ free with 5c obligatory and A1 for the start. You abseil the route. The setting is remarkable and you are likely to have it to yourself.
The climbing
| Pitch | Grade | Length | Bolts | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| P1 | 6a | 20 m | 5 bolts | A very athletic start: the first bolt is high and the move to it is aid (A1). In March 2025 an old cord hung from it; otherwise use a clip-stick or a shoulder. One move of 6a before a comfortable belay. Five bolts and one peg. |
| P2 | 6a+ | 25 m | 5 bolts | A move of 6a+, or 5 and A0, on close bolts at the start, then trend well right over ledges (grade III) to find the belay. |
| P3 | 6a+ | 35 m | 8 bolts | An athletic start (6a to 6a+), damp in March 2025. At the peg go left towards the tree. After mid-height extend the runners well, because the pitch ends with an easy horizontal traverse right; you can also take an intermediate belay at the juniper. Eight bolts and one peg. |
| P4 | 4c | 30 m | 5 bolts | Straight up on easy, pleasant rock to a belay in a niche. |
| P5 | 5a | 25 m | 6 bolts | Traverse right, then straight up on conglomerate that turns grey. This belay is not rigged for abseil. |
| P6 | 4b | 25 m | 6 bolts | Traverse right and straight up to a belay just below the summit. |
Getting there
From Huesca take the A-132 towards Murillo de Gállego; about 1 km before Murillo turn left on the Z-534 to Agüero and park at the village.
About 20 to 25 minutes from the village by the path towards Peña Sola. Climb onto a broad platform at the far left of the visible face, which has a 15 to 20 m drop behind it. Follow a faded red fixed line and go round a big boulder on the right to reach belay 0, which has two bolts.
Loading map
The point marks the crag, not the exact start of the route.
Point from camptocamp waypoint 233598 (Peña Sola summit, same point as the Mallos d'Agüero crag waypoint)
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: 42.35920, -0.79598 (crag)
Getting down
Abseil the route. All belays are equipped for abseil except belay 5. With 2×60 m ropes: belay 6 to belay 4 (50 m; pull towards the west, the belay is in a niche), belay 4 to belay 2 (40 m), belay 2 to the ground (30 m). The Spanish text gives 48 to 49 m for the first abseil and advises lowering the first person for safety.
Retreat
Bail with caveats
Abseiling the route is the normal descent, so retreat from belays 1 to 4 and from belay 6 is on rigged anchors. Belay 5 is the exception and is not set up for abseil. The abseils are long and do not hang straight, so you need two 60 m ropes and some care to reach the lower belays.
Safety
Sun and weather
East and south-east facing, about 700 to 870 m. Camptocamp gives March to June and September to October for Agüero; one party climbed it on an unusually cool August morning with a 7:30 start. The start of pitch 3 can be damp after rain.
Sun on the wall · E-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 | Feb | Mar (usual season) | Apr (usual season) | May (usual season) | Jun (usual season) | Jul | Aug | Sep (usual season) | Oct (usual season) | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mean daily high °C | 9 | 10 | 14 | 16 | 20 | 26 | 29 | 29 | 24 | 18 | 12 | 9 |
| Mean daily low °C | 1 | 1 | 3 | 5 | 9 | 13 | 16 | 16 | 12 | 9 | 4 | 2 |
| Rain days 1 mm or more | 9 | 7 | 9 | 10 | 10 | 7 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 9 | 8 |
● 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
Quickdraws for 8 bolts per pitch plus belays (no source gives a number; a dozen covers it), with some long ones for pitch 3. Camptocamp suggests an étrier and fifi hook, or slings and an adjustable lanyard, for the aided start. 2×60 m ropes for the abseils. Cams are not needed (camptocamp, and the March 2025 party says the same against an older guidebook).
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 Vía Normal a la Peña Sola.
Worth knowing
Open questions
Provenance
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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.