The Via Ferrata of the Sierra de Callosa

Long, pumpy and spectacular Via Ferrata
By sheer circumstance I got to visit the Sierra de Callosa twice in the first half of 2023. First in early march during a van tour towards the South of Spain and then while waiting for my buddies from Germany on a climbing trip in May.

During the first trip I did the two Via Ferrata de Redovan. Honestly speaking the easier lower ferrata is nothing to write home about: A series of ladders and bridges that never get high enough of the ground to be really interesting. However the main dish is the second iron way that goes straight up the sheer wall and covers about 150 meters of elevation in one strength sapping push. The higher one gets the better the views become. So the effort is definitely worth it. Even the hike down takes a scenic and not to scrambly route that just adds to the overall enjoyment.

Later in May I had to fill the day and noticed that the other Via Ferrata in the Sierra de Callosa would be just a 30 min drive from the Alicante airport. A good way to spend part of the day! While similar to the Redovan Ferrata the one in Callosa de Segura is a bit more balanced. The first lower part is still easier but with a rating of K3 and some endurance parts engaging. However the second part if the much more spectacular (and harder).

The „sport“ ferrata does make use of the steep pyramid face that dominates this part of the Sierra and features (maybe) the longest bridge in Spain (90+ meters). First a long and pumpy vertical ascent with some overhangs needs to be dealt with. Then a series of bridges and long traverses brings us over the opposite wall. Quite uncommon for Via Ferrata most of the descending is done on the Ferrata itself and not by a hike-down. And this descent also has the two hardest (K5 rating) bits: Very overhanging down climbing that did seriously challenge my biceps!
There is not much in the way of descending left after the Ferrata is done and getting back to the car takes less that 15 minutes.

The area also has some good climbing sectors on offer. I sampled „El Rut“ on the Redovan side and if the quality of rock, climbing and protection is similar in the rest of the range coming here to rock climb is definitively a good idea. Just keep in mind that some sectors are closed in the first half of the year to protect the local bird populations.

Adventurer: Bengt