Saturday 7 o'clock once again, I'm taking the breakfast at home in Toledo and getting ready my boulder stuffs and my inseparable mate, Marley (my dog). Looking for a perfect day, one hundred twenty kilometers driving separate Toledo from the paradise, La Pedriza. Perfect! Today me and 10 mates will go there, and I'm sure today will be a great day.

La Pedriza with the mythical Yelmo up there

It is very important to know the park rules before you go there. La Pedriza is a Natural Park 50 kilometers north of Madrid. The village close to the Park is Manzanares el Real. Almost all my boulder mates are from that wonderful village, where you can find all that you need: water, food, hotels, hostels, mail, supermarkets, etc. Climbing in the granite of La Pedriza needs cold weather, the best season is from fall to spring. During the summer, we clean and open new lines and in winter despite it is often too cold (for the Spanish people) there is the best conditions for climbing. The granite depending on the area can be aggressive. The boulder lines are usually walls with crimps and slopes, slabs and roofs. There is a predominance of high boulders but you can climb problems of all kinds.

We need to be in front the Park barrier around 9:30-10:00 hours because there is a quota of 300 cars per day. So, it is better if you get up early, if not you must wait to a car is leaving the Park and it could take 6 or 7 hours. The Park’s staff will give you a plastic bag for the waste and a flyer with Park rules in Spanish, of course (Spain is different). Into the Park, we must drive for around 3 km to take “Collado de Quebrantaherraduras” (mountains pass), once the road starts to go down there is a park area with an ascending path to “Quebrantaherraduras” boulder area. After a short ascent of 3-5 minutes, we find a area with stone tables and chairs. Right hand and close to a little tree is the problem “Pitbull” 6C, I don’t need to explain how your fingertips feel on those crimps.

Following the track you will find a long wall with lines 4-5 meters high. At the beginning of that wall there is a little cave or roof with a sit/standing boulder with a hard final, “La Cueva de Quebrantaherraduras” 7B and 7A+ stand. In the middle of the wall, two perfect and vertical lines are obligated to climb, first one “La Chapa Verde” 7A called like this because of an old green bolt at the top. The second one, 10 meters left hand, “Genny G” 6C very similar to the other
one but a little bit easier. In front of the long wall, at the other side of the track there are many interesting a high boulders as “Adrinaline” 7A and “Alicates” 6B+.

Despite all these problems are very nice and you must try and climb, following the track ahead and after a right curve and descending 100 meters, you should go into the woods to the right and still descending you will find a group of rocks with the hardest and most beautiful boulders. “Calígula” 7C a huge overhang, sit start with crimps and slopers. Nevertheless, the first hold broke off and it is unclimbed in its new state. We are sure, now it is pretty harder. Behind this boulder, on the opposite face there are two other magic lines. The first one is “New Fantasy” 7B+, I have no words to explain this line, so I will try with a picture. In my opinion, after doing this problem you will become another person. This is what I guess, because I have never climbed this monster.At the same boulder, there is a problem with a sit start, an endurance problem in the middle of the prow is called “La Atalaya” 7A+.

Perfiles on Caligula, 7c	Adri Morgan on New Fantasy, 7b+

Leaving “Collado de Quebrantaherraduras” and driving the road ahead you will arrive to the main park area where they have placed 2 “chiringuitos” (booths/cabins) where you can eat, drink and buy all that you need: cold beer, sodas, roast chicken, ice cream. The most famous place of La Pedriza is the main parking area: Cantocohino, at the heart of the Natural Park. You can sleep in a van or bivouacking inside the Park in the place that you choice (of course if it is bivouacking) in the forest, beside the river, near the “chiringuitos” or two hours walking. Depending of your mysticism and your ability to look for a lonely and beautiful place.

Javi Pec on La Atalaya, 7a+	Chiringuitos de Cantocochino

Behind the main “chiringuito”, crossing the river and taking the white-yellow millstone track at left, you will be walking to the “Bosque de Cantocochino” area, in no more than 5 minutes you will see the first boulders of this area. “El Principito” 7A high sloppy edge and in front in the alley “El Mirlo Blanco” 6C/C+ wall with crimps. Maybe this is the pioneer area of Pedriza, the first classical boulders were climbed here more than 20 years ago. Nevertheless, in the last 5 years the locals from Manzanares, other mates and me we have opened a lot of five stars boulders in the area.

 Following the track ahead during 5 minutes you arrive to the classical area with exceptional problems as “El Potrillo Desbocado” 7B+ an incredible high granite overhanging, “Bulnes Party” a 6C+ a little committed boulder, “El Buscamigas” 7A+ technical and crimpy and the high and exceptional “El Contorsionista” 7A swing, 7A+ stand and 7B sit. Many other boulders will be waiting for you.
In the “Bosque de Cantocochino” you will find a lot of boulders, more than 80 lines if you take both this area and the neighbor “La Pradera de Pancho” area where you can find “La Placa Infinita” 7B+ an Infinite Slab and going to the left, the edge is “Kamasutra” 6C, just do it and think about the name. So, you can spend a perfect weekend bouldering until your fingertips became absolutely slaughtered even the coldest days of the year.

 Driving 500 meters ahead from the main parking area you will find a secondary parking area where you can also access, crossing the river again, to the boulders of “Bosque de Cantocochino” since the opposite side. Here, you will find a group of boulders with a blue paint dot (nasty, of course). These boulders were opened many years ago and at the other side of the track you can find two exceptional boulders: “Seis Uñas” 7A+ roof with slopers and “El Modosito” 7A+ slab with slopers.

Diego on “El Principito” 7a	Night party in “El Potrillo Desbocado”

Anuar on Lemento 8A+/8B	Alberto on “La Placa Infinita” 7b+

In front, of this secondary park area there is a hill called “Cancho Islazo” with an ascending path that take a crossing track, where you should go to the right. After 5 minutes you arrive to a boulder group left hand to the track. Another amount of high and incredible boulders will be waiting for you. The first one youcan see is a black edge with scary look, “Alpinista Reconvertido” 7A with considerable commitment. Left hand of this line another superb line “Cambia la Hora” 7B sit start and 7A standing start.

Diego on “Alpinista Reconvertido” 7a	Pablo Broder on “Cambia la Hora” 7a

However, when you stand in front of this line another superb line will surprise you, “El Hule Superior” another 7A+ overhanging first, following a mantle with a final and easy slab, you will put on your climbing shoes as soon as you see this lines. Walk up the hillside the track at right a black rock will appear were you will be able to warm-up.
However if you follow the track for 500 m you will see a elf in the rockface of a big rock with fabulous problems and a soft rock texture. In this rock there are 5 superb problems in the opposite side. Looking down and from left to right, the down corner is “Diedro Verde” 6C a green dihedral with crimps, “El Pilar de Castefa” 6A+ a sit start pillar, “Kung-Fu Panda” 7A inverted crimps and pushing over a slab for the right food (only two moves but really nice), “Pi” 7A swing start, “Requiem por un Sueño” 7B sit startand already in the left corner the undone project, edge with crack called “La Voz de Manhattan”.

Alfon on “El Hule Superior” 7a+	Santi on “Kung-Fu Panda” 7a

Michel on “Pi” 7a	Santi on “Requiem por un Sueño” 7b

If you prefer to visit other boulder areas, in front of the “chiringuito” terrace you will see a hill called “La Foca”. First, following the parallel track to the river and later, walk between the hill and the river, and the right bank, you will find, when you are in the forest, another small “chirnguito” and some small boulders. Walking besides the river, you will see roof etc...The first roof with slopers is “Bruster” 7C, a boulder problem with hard moves. Following the river you will be in front of “Entreansias” 7A+, a sit start edge with a hard and faith move over the right foot for the final mantle. Behind this boulder, there is huge roof with the hardest line in la Pedriza “Lemento” 8A+/8B an overhanging start then a wall with crimps big like VISA credit cards to finish with a impossible dyno. This boulder has only two known repetitions and is waiting for more hard climbers that will try and do it.

Once you are below this roof go down to the river for about 10 meters, you will find the crown jewel of La Pedriza. An incredible high-ball close to the river with two formidable lines. On the center of the boulder, “Robin” 7A the best boulder, in my opinion, in La Pedriza. A crimpy wall with an obligate final dyno with a long flight down if you miss the dyno. To the right of ”Robin” there is another five star boulderproblem, “Melancolía” 7A+ 13 moves with crimps, slopers and also a final dyno. When I talk about dyno, it is just a dyno, you don’t need jump.

Two other boulder areas are situated within the limits of the park: “Laboratorio” and “La Cuesta”, nevertheless the car access is not the same, while if you walk the river down you will be at the park area of “Laboratorio” and “La Cuesta” in 15-20 minutes. If you are driving, you must arrive at Manzanares and when you are at the roundabout with the mountaineer sculpture, going into the village and crossing the river again, you must take the Av. de la Pedriza. Just drive to the road to the end, here you have both the ”Hostal El Tranco” and ”Casa Julián”, within the park limits. In front of the terrace of Casa Julian (bar) there is a hillside with a high number of boulder problems in the woods. So, after a coffee in Casa Julián you need to cross the river by the trunk bridge and go the hillside up. In “Laboratorio” you can find classical problems of all kinds of difficulty with classic problems like: “Petit Suisse” 6B+ and the high “La Sonrisa del Payaso” 6B+.

Adri Morgan on “Robin” 7a	Carles on “Melancolía 7a+

There are also a lot of classical problems that are graded 6C, like: “Los Guerreros”, “Los 3 Mosqueteros”, “El Matiz”. If you prefer slabs, you can also find slabs here like “El Duelo” 7A, “MagicMorgan” 7A or “El Coleccionista de Uñas” 7A+. Hard boulders like “Digeridoo” 7B, “Bloque Sharmático” 7B a surprising dyno and “El Belén” 7C are also waiting for strong people to be climbed. To sum everything, there are a lot of nice and good boulders for everybody, independently of the difficulty. Boulder problems for all people: beginners, strong people, etc. Past weeks, we opened six new lines there. One of those is the nice problem “No Boulder for an Old Man” 7A. 

Lega on “Bloque Sharmático” 7b	Carles on “No Boulder for an Old Man” 7a

In the same hill to the left of “Laboratorio” is a place called “La Cuesta”, this area has a low number of boulders and the place is not as comfortable as you would like, however there are some problems that you must climb. “El Filo de Francés” 7B+ an edge with a faith move over a scary heel, “Frankenstein” 7B technical boulder that need good technique with both hands and feet. Easier boulders and non less the beautiful “First Impression” 6C, a wall with sharp crimps, “Second Impression” 7A the same standing start but go to the slopers to the right, and below these problems “Tritalon” 7A a triple heel hook boulder problem in a roof with slopers.

Crossing Manzanares el Real from west to east, leaving the village in the last roundabout, there is a black cat sculpture, you must turn left and go up to the Park again. There you can find “La Dehesa”. This is the newest area were locals from Manzanres are opening and climbing new problems during the cold winter. Here, the granite is not as good as in the other areas, nevertheless there are a lot of very nice problems as “El Último Tanga en París” 7B, “Chino Loco” 7A+, “Caballito de Mar” 6A an incredible sea-horse on the rock and the formidable “El Árbol del Ahorcado” 7C+ jump or 7A+ static version with Gillette-crimp. The landscape here is beautiful, the precious views of the lake will give you a calm feeling. The only negative thing for this area is that you can only climb here during winter exclusivity, if you try to climb there on sunny and warm days you will feel as you would do during a holiday trip to the Caribbean without sun protector. However, the coldest winter days there are fabulous. It is important to know that “La Dehesa” is a private farm and probably have cattle, so please be respectful with the area and the cattle and if you have a dog with you keep him under supervision.

Another small areas as “El Rodaje” famous for the 8A problem “Far West” a huge granite overhang with no easy lines and “La Ermita” with low number of lines although some attractive lines as “Tercer Ojo” 7A and “Los Martínez” 7A+ could be a solution for the rainy days.

Edu on “Frankenstein” 7b	Nu on “Caballito de Mar” 6a

Santi on “El Árbol del Ahorcado” 7c+

If you are planning to visit the boulders of La Pedriza, I suggest you that you should take 5 minutes to translate the boulder names because almost all of those will tell you something about the line. In Entreansias we have a boulder search function where you can enter the name that you are looking for and it will show you all the old posts where that boulder has been mentioned (photos, videos, text). We also have a topo/guide with boulder areas and problems free download.

In this article we present a selection of nice problems, our selection of the best boulder problems, like a wine tasting . These are the classical and new boulder problems that we should recommend to the people who visit La Pedriza for the first time, almost all of those have been opened by our Manzanares mates and the Ansia people. So, this article doesn’t pretends to be the Bible, of course. When you are in La Pedriza, surely you will find an amount of interesting lines that will tell you: climb me, climb me now!. So, you are free to climb whatever you want. After two days climbing maybe you will feel that your fingertips burn, so maybe you will need a repair cream like Climb On! Remember you are in a Natural Park, carry out your waste, try to be as clean as possible. Sure, I don’t need to remark it.

Up to this date a lot of bouldering people are still opening new problems, however with regard to the work, in almost all of mentioned boulders, done as opening, brushing, prepairing tha landings, non-stop exploring and climbing the responsible people are the Ansia people, Manzanres locals and mates from everywhere: Adri Morgan, Mortis, Manolito, Chulo, Javi, Perfiles, Diego, Pacha, Lomo, Edu, Santi, Michel, Alberto, Perrillo, Niñato, Tron, Lega, Javi Pec and me, Carles.

Finally, if you are planning to climb in La Pedriza you can contact us easily by email or comment via this website or in our site, Entreansias. We normally to climb 4 o 5 days at week and we will show you the La Pedriza wonders. We will be very grateful if you leave your opinion about your visit.

So, come to La Pedriza, climb those boulders and enjoy yourself!

Carles

Photos by Javi Pec, Diego, Chulo and Manu Prats.