Costa Blanca DWS - Mike Robertson

Recent years have seen a growing number of folk scouring the globe for new Deep Water Soloing venues, with particular emphasis focusing on the Mediterranean Sea. This is no accident; its warm, minimal-tide waters, settled late summer weather and cheap flights make it one of the best and most available venues in the world – especially for the British.

Many of us are already familiar with the multitude of limestone crags found in Spain’s Costa Blanca region, with Sella, the mighty Puig Campana and the towering Penon de Ifach sea cliff being three of the most notorious. But, of course, size isn’t everything. Just up the coast to the north, near the compact and less spoilt town of Moraira, is found mainland Spain’s answer to Dorset’s Conner Cove. The discovery and cataloguing of this terrific little gem in 2005, with its many 12m-high limestone faces and walls, put the ’Blanca firmly on the DWS map!

The biggest group of routes is scattered around the isolated beach of Cala Moraig, some 10 miles east of the main A7 autoroute. The beach here is nudist, but not the more grungy variety – it’s a chilled, relaxed venue, with a bar, a decent car park and a stunning backdrop of towering, golden cliffs. The excellent Cave of Pets is a perfectly-formed cave, with rather amazing ‘blowhole access’ formed right through its centre –the classics here are the steady Trouser Snake (F6a), and the brilliant Circus Dog (F6b). And the glorious Hidden Beach Traverse (F7a+) is located just to the north; this traverse is a stunning, world-class route, and would be worth the trip on its own!

South of the beach, you’ll discover the Jellystone Buttress, the Bruce Lee Buttress, and the ludicrous Secret Lagoon – take your mask and snorkel for this incredible feature –it’s just plain unreal. Whilst, a short walk from Moraira town, you’ll find the Moraira Cliffs and the undeveloped area of Moraira Caves – this set of limestone cliffs is just poised on the brink of development, although a boat could be essential to sample its many wares…

All grades in the photo-essay are French sport grades. And comprehensive details on the region can be found in ‘Deep Water’ – the Rockfax guide to DWS everywhere. View it at rockfax.co.uk.

1.An overview of Cala del Moraig. The central section is the ubiquitous nudist beach – keep your eyes down! The central bar and cafe seems to be mainly clothed.

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2  The glorious Cave of Pets. Named after a combination of the various first ascentionists’ pets (don’t ask…). The cave is just perfectly styled for DWS action – we need more of these!

3  Jules Lines, that crazy half-Scottish soloist. If he’s not soloing gritstone extremes, he’s wandering about the Mediterranean and elsewhere, foraging for new crags above water. Someone put him on a leash, please. This shot shows Jules in fine, ‘lightweight’ fettle. Eyes down again.

4  The very talented Silvia Fitzpatrick. After polishing off the third ascent of the amazing Hidden Beach Traverse, she dropped into the Cave of Pets and dispatched an early ascent of the classic Circus Dog (F6b).

5  Marijne Lekkerkerker is seen here in the Cave of Pets area, on the left wall of the venue. The route is Trouser Snake (F6a), and was named after a Burmese python that clearly wasn’t very pocket-sized…

6  The Hidden Beach region. The Hidden Beach Traverse (F7a+) takes in the whole damn crag as you see it here, starting from the shingle beach. It is, simply, one of the best DWS traverses in the known world; it’s something like a condensed, more sustained version of Devon’s superb Rainbow Bridge.

7  That boy Rich Mayfield. As if it’s not enough to climb every route in ‘Hard Rock’ in 5 weeks. He’s seen here new-routing, on his own Jellystone (F5+). Hangs out in the Orange House, climbing guide, permanent sun tan, you know the sort of thing. You really can go off people…

8  This is a wide view of the Bruce Lee Buttress and beyond, with Lee Meadows pulling across into the bottom of Bruce Lee (F6a+). This beautiful slice of coastline has yet to be fully explored.

9  The Secret Lagoon is one of those places that is completely unlike any other place. The swim-in through the tunnel with the roaming dogfish takes some beating, but just wait until you get on this slice of rock… Shaft of Light (F7a), a bench seat, and that crazy boy Julian Lines on the very first ascent.

10  Moraira East Bay’s main face. The excellent Little Mac Traverse (F6c+) is essentially the mid height girdle. Ruth Taylor is seen here strutting her stuff – in February, would you believe. Brave or foolish? I fell in a few minutes later – yep, I’d call it very much ‘out of season’!

11  Moraira East Bay, and Ruth Taylor in action on the crux of The Hipster (F6c). Her second ascent of the route followed mere seconds after Steve McClure’s first ascent.

12  Finestrat’s Orange House. That bastion of utopian ’Blanca accommodation. But just don’t expect to want to go home…

13  This shot shows the Isla del Descobridor, and Ju Lines on the very steep Amos (F6c+). The isle is found just up the coast, close to Cap de la Nau. The isle is about 400m long, sits just a few metres off the nudist beach (yep; another one), and currently has just a handful of DWS routes. There’s lots more to go at. Oh, and take your kiddy’s playboat with you!

14  The Puig Campana. One of those most famous crags in Spain, but just one of those unfortunate inland kinda things… now where’s that garden hose?

15  And last but not least… this is a shot of ‘some’ of the completely undeveloped Moraira Caves, found some 2km from the harbour at Moraira town. The area is crying out for a well-boated team.

For more information on this summers Deep Water Solo festival see www.dwsfest.co.uk