General Introduction: Fígols is a tiny village situated below the impressive limestone walls of Roca Narieda, around which a number of excellent sport climbing sectors have been developed in recent years. Mostly north or northwest-facing (the wonderful sector Xapat is a notable exception) these sectors offer climbable conditions in the hotter months of the year, a time when many other zones in the region are out of bounds. The magnificent caves of Cova Camí d’en Pep and Cova de Les Gralles offer dozens of stunning routes, many of which stay dry in showery conditions.
🧗♂️Figols a l’Ombra
Description: A good sector with routes in a wide range of difficulties. Its orientation provides shaded climbing until late afternoon, making it a perfect warm weather crag. Orientation: Northwest.
🚶♂️Approach: If approaching from Coll de Nargó, approximately 1.8km from the junction with the L-401 there is large, recently constructed carpark (complete with fresh water fountain) on the left-hand side of the road. Park here (P1). Walk 30m up the road towards the village of Fígols then turn sharply right onto an unsurfaced track (El Camí de Narieda) leading up and rightwards. Follow this for approximately 450m then, at a chain blocking the track (there is a metal sign Camí de Narieda on a wall here) turn sharply left and continue up a grassy track, passing another chain. Where the track fades out continue following a well-marked path (yellow paint marks) up and left to the base of the sector (15 minutes from P1). Note 1: routes 36-39 are situated on the lowest part of the wall, some 30m down and to the right of the main crag. Note 2: some climbers drive up the initial 450m unsurfaced track and park immediately before the chain, but a signpost stating ‘No access for unauthorised vehicles’ has recently been erected right at the start of the track so we cannot possibly condone this practice.
🧗♂️El Sòcol de Narieda
Description: A great sector, particularly for climbers looking for mid-to-high 7th grade routes. Its orientation provides shaded climbing until late afternoon, making it a perfect warm weather crag. Orientation: Northwest.
🚶♂️Approach: If approaching from Coll de Nargó, approximately 1.8km from the junction with the L-401 there is large, recently constructed carpark (complete with fresh water fountain) on the left-hand side of the road. Park here (P1). Walk 30m up the road towards the village of Fígols then turn sharply right onto an unsurfaced track (El Camí de Narieda) leading up and rightwards. Follow this for approximately 450m then, at a chain blocking the track (there is a metal sign Camí de Narieda on a wall here). Step over the chain and continue walking up the main track for a further 200m. Just after passing a sharp left-hand bend there are some fixed ropes hanging down a short steep embankment. Use these to scramble up and right to the base of the sector (10 minutes). Note: some climbers drive up the initial 450m unsurfaced track and park immediately before the chain, but a signpost stating ‘No access for unauthorised vehicles’ has recently been erected right at the start of the track so we cannot possibly condone this practice.
🧗♂️Cova Camí d’en Pep
Description: This is the first of the two mighty caves Fígols has to offer and features a selection of incredible (and hard) climbs on magnificent tufa systems. There are a number of projects still awaiting red-point ascents and the 9th grade is surely not far away on this sector. Orientation: Northwest.
🚶♂️Approach: After crossing the road bridge at the junction of the C-14 and L-401 roads, turn left and follow the local road towards Fígols. Approximately 750m from the start of this road, and 20m before an unsurfaced track turns off to the left (with a large metal signpost at the beginning) there is a large lay-by on the left (P2). Opposite the lay-by a well-marked path begins zigzagging up the steep scree slope. Follow this for approximately 100m to where the path splits: head right here, traversing across the wooded hillside and then following the path steeply up to the base of a band of rock lying below the cave. Ascend the rock band using in situ metal rungs and fixed ropes and then continue up and right on easier ground to reach a second section of fixed ropes and metal rungs. Where these end, continue up and right again to the base of the cave (20 minutes). Note: the section with fixed ropes and metal rungs is very exposed and has serious fall potential — absolutely not recommended for non-climbers!
🧗♂️Cova de les Gralles
Description: This phenomenally impressive cave sector can be clearly seen from the C-14 road. It is predominantly a sector of 7s and 8s, but remarkably offers enough high quality climbing in the 6th grade to make a visit very worthwhile for people at that level. Orientation: Northwest.
🚶♂️Approach: Approaching from Coll de Nargó, immediately after crossing the road bridge at the junction of the C-14 and L-401 roads, park in a spacious lay-by on the right (P3). On the opposite side of the L-401 an obvious path begins. Follow this steeply up through the forest. After about 10 minutes of steep ascent, and just after a section equipped with a fixed rope, the path splits. Take the left-hand alternative and continue up the even steeper path above, passing several more sections equipped with fixed ropes (they’re useful going up but even more so when descending) to finally reach the base of the cave (30 minutes). Hard work!
🧗♂️Can Sisa
Description: Not that many routes but certainly enough for a couple of days and the quality of the rock is second to none. Orientation: Northwest.
🚶♂️Approach: The first part of the approach is exactly the same as for Cova de Les Gralles — driving from Coll de Nargó, immediately after crossing the road bridge at the junction of the C-14 and L-401 roads, park in a spacious lay-by on the right (P3). On the opposite side of the L-401 an obvious path begins. Follow this steeply up through the forest. After about 10 minutes of steep ascent, and just after a section equipped with a fixed rope, the path splits. Go right here (the left-hand path goes to Cova de Les Gralles) and follow a path first horizontally rightwards and then more steeply uphill (some fixed ropes on tricky sections) to the base of the left-hand side of the sector (20 minutes).
🧗♂️El Xapat
Description: A glorious sector offering some of the very best middle-grade climbing in Lleida province. The rock quality is absolutely stunning and it’s fair to say that there is not a bad route here. The sector is split into two parts: left (‘Indian Summer’) and right (L’Alzina). Orientation: South.
🚶♂️Approach: From the upper part of the village of Fígols continue driving up a narrow road for 200m to the tiny settlement of Romanins. Pass this and continue driving up a gritted track for a further 950m to the second of two dirt parking areas on the right (P4). On foot, continue up the gritted track for 350m to a sharp left-hand bend, where an unsurfaced track cuts off to the right. Follow this downhill, passing farm buildings, to reach a streambed just above the Font de Codonyes. Where the track crosses the stream a large cairn marks the start of a path on the left. Follow this uphill and then leftwards, passing many more cairns, to reach small signpost for Fígols/Font de Codonyes (indicating the direction you’ve just come from). Continue zigzagging up through the forest on the well-marked path, eventually reaching a prominent ridge, here joining another path coming in from the left. This path (yellow paint marks) descends diagonally to the left, passing through the debris of a recent rock fall below an impressive crag (Grau de Malhivern, not described) to join the Camí de Narieda track, which is followed uphill for approximately 150m to reach a sharp right-hand bend. The twin buttresses of El Xapat are clearly visible on the hillside above and are reached via a well-marked trail starting just before the bend (35 minutes from P4). Note: apparently some local climbers owning 4 x 4 vehicles drive all the way up the Camí de Narieda track from P1 (approximately 4km) thus reducing the walking approach to 5 minutes! However, a signpost stating ‘No access for unauthorised vehicles’ has recently been erected right at the start of the track and although some locals ignore the sign and continue to drive up, we cannot possibly condone this. Walking up the track, all the way from the road (P1) is a long but quite pleasant alternative to the Font de Codonyes approach (50-55 min).
