Santa Ana

Although situated a few hundred metres beyond the western borders of Lleida (and even Catalunya) in neighbouring Aragon and therefore not strictly eligible for inclusion in this guidebook, Santa Ana is actually one of the closest destinations for climbers based in Lleida’s capital city and this fact, together with the high quality of the climbing, has persuaded us to bend the rules a little. The first routes were established over 40 years ago but it is only in the last two decades that the majority of modern sport climbs have been equipped. The zone now has close to 300 routes spread across 15 separate sectors and offers extremely varied climbing, from technical walls and strenuous cracks to powerful roofs. The spread of grades runs from IV+ to 9a+, with some of the 6s being amongst the finest in the region. Thanks to the various orientations of its sectors climbing is possible in Santa Ana throughout the year. That said, even in the shade, mid-summer temperatures can be uncomfortably high, while in winter anti-cyclonic conditions often give rise to dense, freezing fog in this low-lying area.