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Why should you choose Chulilla for your next rock climbing trip?
- CLIMBING! Of course.
More than 900 looong routes to climb on an orange limestone in an impressive canyon. Climbing routes range from otherworldly tufas to climbing on crimps on a vertical or slightly overhanging walls. There are plenty of climbing walls in the sun and shade and you can reach many crags on foot from the village. Overall, Chulilla is a perfect winter climbing destination.
- LOCATION! Charming village and easy to arrive to.
Chulilla town is nestled on the slopes of Cerro del Castillo, less than an hour away from Valencia. White houses, narrow streets, tiny squares with local cafeterias and bakeries. There is a Moorish castle on the top, too! And parking spots on the outskirts of the village with cliff views to stay in a a van or many apartments to rent in the town. Just below Chulilla, lies the impressive limestone canyon shaped by the river Turia with hanging bridges and beautiful hiking paths. Whether you are a climber or not, Chulilla will steal a little piece of your heart!
TOP 10 Things and Tips to Know About Climbing in Chulilla:
1. Temperature, rainy days and when to go to Chulilla?
It is said that it's perfect to climb in Chulilla during winter months and too hot to climb in the summer. For crisp sending temperatures you should choose December and January, for more mild and pleasant temperatures - October, November, March or April.
We went to Chulilla in the end of March/ the beginning of April. From our personal
experience, it was quite sweaty to climb in the sunshine during the day in El Muro de las Lamentaciones, but perfect to climb in the shade in El Oasis during the day (warm jacket was needed while belaying). It was absolutely lovely to climb in the sunshine in the morning though, when the sun was still not too hot. Below is the average min and max temperature as well as average rainy days in Chulilla (Valencia Community). Share in the comments below which is the best month in your experience/opinion to climb in Chulilla?
2. How to get to Chulilla from Valencia:
- Rental car:
If you arrive to Valencia airport - it's 54 km drive till Chulilla village. The most convenient option is to rent a car and there are many budget car rental companies to choose from at the airport. I'd recommend to book the car online before arriving, as often the prices are higher at the airport. Make sure to rent a car with the full insurance, to avoid big bills, in case you accidentally damage the vehicle (fingers crossed that it doesn't happen though!).
We paid around 20 euros per day for a Fiat 500 for a 2 weeks period in March, including insurance.
- Bus:
At the time of visiting in 2019 there was one daily bus to Chulilla from the main bus station in Valencia. Check this website for timetable. Bus that goes direction to Sot De Chera stops in Chulilla.
3. Where to stay in Chulilla:
- Climbing guesthouse El Atico:
Clean, modern facilities with absolutely breathtaking views from the property. Good place to meet other climbers, there is a cosy lounge with big windows, well equipped kitchen as well as an awesome training space (for rainy days).
Price: 15 euros for a bed in a shared room.
- Apartments in town:
Plenty to choose from! We booked an apartment in the centre of Chulilla with a lovely roof terrace that was perfect to drink coffee and eat breakfast in the morning.
If you are not on Airbnb yet, sign up here and receive €38 off your firs trip (I also receive a travel credit from Airbnb at no additional cost for you, so win-win situation for everyone).
4. Climbing Topos:
You can find climbing topos here. You can also purchase a climbing guidebook once you arrive in Chulilla: check tobacco shop or rock climbing shop.
5. Our favourite climbing sectors: El Oasis, Las Chorerras and El Muro de las Lamentaciones. Impressive view from all the crags and many long routes in various grades to choose from.
El Muro de las Lamentaciones is walking distance away from the village, sunshine till 16:00 - perfect for winter months. Routes were balancey, technical and some were sharp, too!
El Oasis sector - shade till around 17:00. Routes were also quite balancey, vertical and technical.
Routes that I'd recommend you to climb (and the names that I remember):
El Muro de las Lamentaciones (7a - crimpy and balancey!) and Las Lituanas (6b) - cruxy, not the most spectacular route, but I chose it because of the name (who knows why this route was named like that?). Both routes are in El Muro de Las Lamentaciones sector.
Plan Z Dos (7a) in El Oasis (right side) - no hard section, endurance (like most of the routes in Chulilla), and lovely moves. Soft for the grade.
Top of the Rock (personally, very hard 7a) in El Algarrobo crag. I didn't enjoy it that much, but most probably because I was very scared on that route.
Annnnnd Long Dong John (6b+) in Las Chorreras (right side) - this AMAZING route will transport you to another reality. Swimming in another galaxy, touching the otherworldly, impressive creation of Mother Nature. I want to climb it again!
6. Visit Hanging Bridges (Puentes Colgantes in Spanish) and/or Charco Azul on your rest day:
Hanging bridges route and Charco Azul will be beautiful hikes for your rest day! The highest bridge is hanging around 15 metres above the river, but they are well protected on the sides, so even if a person has fear of heights - they should feel ok(ish). Charco Azul can be easily reached on foot from Chulilla village. If you start the hike from the Plaza de La Baronía, you should see some signs indicating Charco Azul. Follow those signs, descend down towards the river from Chulilla village and go all the way straight towards Charco Azul (photo below).
7. Eat tapas, drink tea and socialise at Goscanos:
Goscanos is a lovely climbers hub/ bar located next to the parking spot on the outskirts of Chulilla village. It has an awesome terrace outside overlooking the cliffs! Perfect spot to meet other climbers after a long climbing day. They also had few vegan and veggie tapas, which were delicious. Thanks for those, Goscanos!
8. Stock up before arriving to Chulilla
Chulilla does have few tiny shops to get food essentials, but we recommend stocking up before arriving. You could go to Villar de Orzibispo (around 15 km away from Chulilla) to the supermercado Consum or there are several big supermarkets close to the airport in Valencia.
Also, every Thursday there is a local market in Plaza de la Baronía in Chullila from 8:00 till 13:00, that sell fruits, vegetables etc.
9. What to pack?
As routes are loooong, I definitely recommend to pack an 80 metre rope and around 18 quick draws!
We were using Petzl Volta 9.2mm and BD Hot Forge Quickdraws.
P.s. if you purchase any climbing gear from the above links, I will get a little commission at no additional cost for you. Thanks!
10. Have fun!
Climb loads, spend time in the nature, breathe the fresh mountain air and most importantly have fun!
P.s. Don't forget to purchase Travel Insurance that covers rock climbing activities. We used World Nomads and chose their Explorer option. Once again, to be transparant - if you purchase insurance from this link, I will get a little commission at no additional cost for you.
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