Done, dusted and ready for departure / First and last

Countdown to departure and of course it's a beautiful, balmy day. On the cards for the day is a small crag called Marin, a stone's throw from Alicante. Marin has a nice range of technically easy multipitch routes and some great single pitch lines for the team to try. It was another day of firsts: personal bests on routes, multipitch leading etc, but the last day too, sigh. The last supper was at a wonderful french-run restaurant in Finestrat called OhLaLa - we couldn't recommend it more highly!

Melissa opts for leading a couple of multipitch routes with Dom.

Dom seconding the first of the multipitch routes.

The girls at the first belay.

Dom nimbly negotiating the second pitch.

Callum gives the tough 6a+ a go.

Euan nearing the top of the steep 6b.

Dom on her first 6a lead. She took a fair amount of 'air time'. Euan also managed this climb as a lead, and in fine style too - nice one Euan & Dom!

 Douglas on the steep 6b.

Topping out on the second multipitch. And we're done.

After a quick dash in to the Orange House to dump & collect kit, we decide that the only right way to polish off our trip is a dash in to the sea in Benidorm. We were shivering before we even started!

Beautiful backdrop.

Beautiful backdrop? I guess so, if you like that sort of things. We got a few strange looks and side steps!

Team reunited at Sella

Our penultimate day threatened rain throughout, according to the forecasts. A fine and fairly local crag called Sella was in our sights. This was the second visit for some of the team, which didn't bother them: Sella is in a beautiful location, a selection of pretty crags and great lines all over. 

Dom and Callum opted for a second 'introduction' to multipitch climbing, while the rest of the team cranked out the moves on all sorts of single pitch routes beneath us.

Marion is another 'Top 50' route in the guidebook, which means it's a four star route (the most recommended a route can be). We'd been warned that it was terribly polished and may be tricky to get on at all.

The coaching and mileage must be paying off however, because Dom and Callum were straight off the ground.

This is the second pitch. What was surprising was the exposure on Marion. 'Exposure' in climbing terms refers to how much you feel the distance to the ground. This route wasn't particularly high, but it did feel like it and that's an important difference. Climbing is all about perceptions and your 'mental' approach to the challenge.

Callum looking cool and collected at the top of the second pitch.

 At the second belay.

This gives some perspective of the exposure by the top of the second pitch. The vehicle in the car park is looking smaller.

Dom cruising up the third pitch. She seemed completely unbothered by the environment, happily concentrating on working out the climbing moves.

Top of the route with the pretty valley of Sella and some of its other crags in the background.

 Time to descend back to the gang.

The requisite daily, self-imposed by Melissa, Dom and Douglas. Poor Dom: what you make yourself do huh!

 The leap took a bit of prep.

Post leap. apparently the water hole wasn't half as cold as our pool!

Mission accepted: Espolon Cantrale on Puig Campana

The team were feeling the sleepiness by Tuesday evening and generously offered that Melissa should undertake the amazing ridge line on the Puig Campana that dominates the view from the Orange House. It's truly spectacular, and by all accounts, is quite an undertaking. The rest of the team climb with Tony and have a lovely sunny, productive day - photos to follow, technology permitting.

After the 60 minute walk in, and a little botany en route, we're raring to go.

We strung three routes together: Espolon Centrale Directa, Espolon Central and the Edward's Finish; which amounts to 19 pitches of climbing, including two 175m scrambling sections.

Melissa has been waiting awhile for this outing - I promised her a big, multipitch route when she was in S4!

 The pinnacles

 Amazing exposure here.

Top of our route

 Scree running skills being mastered

 Yup, Benidorm again.

Our route takes the skyline.

Ah, road sweet road

Such fun. What a beautiful route and immaculate rock. A great, adventurous day out - just what Melissa ordered.

Dabbling with the via ferrata

Today was a day of firsts for many of the group: first via ferrata experience, first time abseiling, first multi-pitching climb. No time like the present, and all that!

The team, about to don packs and start the twenty minute walk to the base of the via ferrata route. The route is the pale ridge directly above Andrew's head (blue top).

Nearly there. The route is now the main skyline. It involves about ninety minutes of continuous climbing up ladders made from rungs in the rock.

That's the giant staple-shaped rung. Excellent for hands, feet and hooking the entire arm through for a short break! The cable is clipped in to for safety. And then, that's Callum following up behind me.

The whole team now relaxed enough to wave.

Douglas looking uncannily like he's hanging from that one hand on the rung. Nails.

 And Dom tootling along.

 And Dom.

Via ferrata is great for getting in to the most amazing landscape and scenery beneath us, and very quickly. It's fairly physical, but it's not technical - anyone can do it

 Douglas cruising along on some typically steep ground.

 Trees are looking smaller.

We've reached the end of the via ferrata, but rather than descending, we continue up to the top. The ground is too steep and so we climb pitch after pitch of rock in two teams. Our van now looks like a tiny toy.

And Callum looks pretty relaxed all things considered (such as him having never been on this sort of ground!).

Finally it's time to descend. The team do a long abseil, learning to use a prussic. Then there's a scree run, executed particularly beautifully by the girls, can-can style! And then, one last lower down on the ropes. We arrive back at the bus, ready for a sit down!