Rock Climbing Albarracin
Albarracin is Spain’s most important bouldering area and, thanks to great quality sandstone and a large number of problems, it is often referred to as the Spanish Fontainebleau. Similar to the famous French destination, Albarracin is a picturesque pine forest filled with an abundance of blocs. The rock offers many problems of all difficulties and styles: roofs with big jugs, overhangs with crimps, and technical slabs.
There are fifteen different rock climbing sectors, some of which have restricted access from January to August. Luckily, there is always enough climbing open to the public and, whenever you come, you will always get a great choice of problems to climb. The boulders are about a 5-minute drive from the medieval town of Albarracin, a sleepy little tourist destination which is well worth visiting in itself. Due to its beautiful architecture, Albarracin is being discussed as a potential UNESCO World Heritage Site. The town offers lovely walks along narrow medieval streets and a variety of little bars and restaurants, where you can try the local specialities. It’s a great option for your rest days.
Getting to Albarracin is easy. The town is situated about thirty minutes by car from Teruel and two hours from Valencia International Airport. You can fly to Valencia or Alicante. It would be best to hire a car so that you can move comfortably between the campsite (or town if you stay there) and the boulders. Hiring a car will also save a lot of time, which you can spend enjoying walks through the forest and getting to the boulders themselves.. Hiring the car is usually the best option for independent visitors, but climbing with Rockbusters you don’t need to worry about transportation. Some of the boulders are very close to the main road, whilst others are more remote and will take about half an hour to walk to.
In Albarracin you can choose from a variety of accommodation options ranging from B&Bs or campsites to more luxurious hotels. The local campsite is a good choice in autumn or spring, but in winter nighttime temperatures can fall below zero and a dusting of snow often covers the ground.
Albarracin’s high bouldering season runs from late autumn to early spring when the cold, dry days offer great friction. Climbing is possible all year round but summers are definitely too hot for pushing your limits. Luckily, the boulders are scattered around the forest and you can quite easily choose to climb in the shade. The style of climbing is mostly athletic but there are plenty of boulders of every kind and for any climbing taste.
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