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Fiesta De Los Biceps
5.11d,
Sport, 800 ft (242 m), 7 pitches,
Avg: 4 from 22
votes
FA: F. Caballe, et al
International
> Europe
> Spain
> Aragon
> Riglos
> 6. La Visera
Description
The last three pitches are the fun hard ones with a 300' overhang to overcome. Generally large holds though. The second pitch seemed difficult too with spacey bolts on smaller holds.
Location
At center of Visera, this is the second route left of cave. First pitch is a bit of traversing about to get to the good stuff above.
Protection
Fairly new bolts replaced the frightening old ones a couple of years ago.
[Hide Photo] Marc Vilaplana arriving at the start of the overhung pitches on Fiesta De Los Biceps.
[Hide Photo] Soloist Sequence Photo #9 Yes, he really is there
[Hide Photo] Climbing the final steep head wall pitch at dusk.
[Hide Photo] Soloist Sequence Photo #4 Rope-Soloist on La Fiesta del Biceps
[Hide Photo] Not my photo
[Hide Photo] Soloist Sequence Photo #1 Rope-Solo Climber on upper half of La Fiesta del Biceps
[Hide Photo] Soloist Sequence Photo #2 Zooming in on the climber
[Hide Photo] Soloist Sequence Photo #3 Rope-Soloist leading on La Fiesta del Biceps
[Hide Photo] Soloist Sequence Photo #5 Rope-Soloist leading
[Hide Photo] Soloist Sequence Photo #6 Anchor (and tied-off pack) for the Rap
[Hide Photo] Soloist Sequence Photo #7 Soloist rapping pitch
[Hide Photo] Soloist Sequence Photo #8 Soloist cleaning a pitch
Fruita, CO
Route starts up a left trending corner with fiesta written lightly on rock about 10 feet up. Obvious winding line up the left side of the steep face of La Visera above
P1 - 6A/10b First pitch follows this corner on frail rock and well spaced bolts, a few tougher moves in a corner give the grade at 6a or 10b. After this corner, step right to a ledge where you belay off three old bolts or continue on to pitch 2 which most people link together for a long 45m pitch. Skipping the first belay also seems to protect your second better by skipping the anchor and clipping the first bolt of the second pitch.
P2 - From the old bolts on the ledge, continue above trending right for a few well spaced bolts with a few tough mantle moves. Crux comes right at the end with a well protected reach/high foot to gain some better holds before reaching the anchor up and left.
P3 - 7a/11d Crux pitch for most. Follow the obvious line of chalk/bolts straight above with more closely spaced bolts through a cruxy corner requiring stems on thin/polished crimps with some additional difficult moves getting past a roof above the corner.
P4 - 6c/11b Continue up on better holds with another small corner crux on slopey holds, trend left though jugs above to bolted anchor
P5 - 6B+/11a - The beginning of the steep and super fun pitches. Snake your way up a jug hall of huge pebbles and protruding holds to a bolted anchor. Beware of the hueco's with "chalk" further back in the hueco as this is usually a huge pile of bird droppings. Best to wait on touching anything you eat until the finish.
P6 - 6c/11b - Same as last pitch with the occasional tougher/longer/bigger move thrown in but much of the same fun, pumpy, pebbling wresting through steep climbing to another bolted anchor.
P7 - 6c+/11c. Some guides call this 7a or the crux pitch but either way get ready for the best part of the climbing. Battle through a relentless overhang on jugs / crimps / slopers. Well bolted but with nearly 700 feet of air below you, you'll want to hang on and fight to the top. A few harder sequences in the middle where the pump really builds before hitting more jugs with another little crux right around where the angle lessens though a line of chalk out left bypasses this as well. Belay from anchors about 10 feet above the lip.
P8 - 6b/10d - Make a few more technical moves on the pebbles before they begin to disappear, the angle lessens and the chalk disappears. Navigate up and around a few bulges as the bolts space out. Anchors at a comfortable stance in a pod. You won't be able to see your second at this point but fortunately the pitch isn't too long and if the wind isn't bad the communication is fine.
P9 - Make a few moves above the belay on low angle rock and clip a single bolt for the ptich about 20 feet above the previous anchor. Scramble up trending up and right on 4th class terrain. Continue up to an anchor to belay right before the top of La Visera. May 11, 2016
Boulder, CO
The "first" belay on the three old manky bolts is better skipped. I wouldn't hang my petunias off them, much less belay my second. It's a judgment call of course, so do whatever you are comfortable with. If you skip it, definitely put a long draw on the last bolt as you move out of the dihedral onto the bulges - otherwise the rope drag is gonna be fierce.
When the route was re-bolted, it lost its 6b/A0 "french-free" rating/nature... The bolts are now spaced properly for a sport climb, and it's going to be tricky to aid the cruxes (perhaps still doable on the lower 7a pitch). Some guidebooks/videos/write-ups will still show that rating, but come prepared to pull enduro 7a. Especially on the upper crux pitch, it was obvious that the bolts are spaced far - the falls are clean (into the 600feet+ void), and you don't need to use precious juice for clipping needlessly. Aug 22, 2016
Boise, ID
North Conway, NH