Costa Blanca March 2010

Seven club members flew to the sun courtesy of Thomas Cook from Birmingham , and
enjoyed a week of sunshine and late nights. Climbing at Toix, Marin, Sella, 
Fontd’Axia and Calpe during the day and sampling the delights of Benidorms 
entertaining night life.

Toix was visited on three separate occasions during the week as it’s only twenty
minutes from the towers of Benidorm to the cliffs and contains a variety of 
accessible easy climbs. 

Gliber 5+,was ascended by Bill and Steve. Espolon Gris 4+, by John Clancy,
Mark Watts, and Mark Edwards. Steve and John Clancy also climbed, the recent
addition ‘Sus oma’ 4, and continued up ‘Lara’ 4+ to give five pitches of excellent
climbing to the ridge.

The main face at Marin saw ascents of the classic buttress route ’Jhonny’ 4 by all
the group including Roy Elrick

Mark Watts and John Clancy also climbed ‘Prats’ 4+ and ‘Maika’ 4+. John H and
Mark Edwards climbed the first pitch of ‘Maika’, then lowered off, to climb and
the first pitch of ‘Susetec a la cuchara’ and the second pitch of ‘Prats’ to give
a combination which lead to the top of the face at 4+.

A visit to Sella was bereft of Mark W and John C., who were still recovering from
the celebrations of Saint Patrick’s Day the night before. 

The rest of the group visited the easy climbs on Sector Ojo de Odra then investigated
the newly bolted area to the right of Sector Final. These routes are not in the guide
book , most are named but with no grades. We managed to climb the right hand route at
about 4+ but lowered off others which felt harder.

Roy Elrick and John H pursued the walking tradition of the club and completed several
fine walks including the sea cliff traverse of the Sierra Helada, the round of
Puig Campana, and the Barrancs de Racons and I’Infern., for which we were accompanied
by the rest of the squad, bar Bill, who had a day shopping. All the walks were
excellent and can be recommended.

The final activity day saw Bill and Mark W. head off to the Penon de Ifach near Calpe
to climb the ‘Diedro UBSA’, the ten pitch classic 5+ HVS with the impressive abseil;
Mark intending to lead the hard pitches. The rest of us headed for Toix

The day ended with success in all departments with the bananas going to Bill and Mark
for their fast ascent. Mark W. as the youngest member of the party emerged as the 
strongest climber and  the shareholders in Guinness felt very happy. Steve discovered
a fascination for Valencia, insisting on driving towards it every day, like Jenson
Button. John Clancy made an accomplished addition to the Kareoke evening and also 
made the Guinness shareholders happy. Mark Edwards our resident astronomer and 
interpreter took an interesting picture of Venus and the crescent moon and  cooked
a mean spaghetti something. Roy found he could still climb grade 4’s and by the end
of the week walk for six hours in the Spanish heat. Bill liked getting up early to
read his book in the kitchen, visiting the market looking for cheese; and beans.
John H would like to thank Mark W. for the grandmothers phone number.

John H