La Costanera

This cliff is the north side of Sierra de San Vicente. It is 11.4 km north of town on the road toward Puerto Esperanza and the north coast. Usually, the ocean can be seen from the upper belays of La Costanera routes. Most recently, the area at the base of La Costanera was a lumber yard--really a staging area for logs; before that, it was an asbestos factory. Locals refer to the entire area for a long distance, including the nearby bohios, as La Costenera. Thus, when getting a ride, rather than ask to be taken to La Costanera, say that you are going to the "planta de asfalto", the old asbestos factory, which locals seems to call the open area near the base of the wall. There is little traffic on the road. Hitching back to town from La Costanera can be difficult. It is best to take a cab, and arrange a pick-up time.
La Costanera has the greatest number of long routes: 9 multi-pitch routes and 50 pitches of superb climbing. La Costanera has only early morning sun. It is a very good place to climb when it is hot.
After taking the left fork at the juncture with the road to La Palma, look for the wall's distinctive cathedral cavern on the left and pull into the large open field. Near the forest, there is a rise, which was made to load asbestos onto trucks. This is a good vantage point to scout routes. A trail through the forrest begins at that point on the other side of a fence. The trail meets the wall at its right edge, at the start of "Visado Familiar". To the left, the 12M root that is the start to "Flyin' Hyena" should be obvious. Up and left from there is the overhanging alcove of "Have a Cigar". Scramble up and out its left side to reach the start of "Mucho Pumpito".
The family of Silvia Rivera lives in the bohio, which is on a hill slide across the road from La Costanera. Silvia and her two daughters have been extraordinary generous, even bringing hot food to climbers and permitting the Cuban climbers to camp and cook at her house. In a country where finding daily food is the first priority, generosity such as that is surprising yet common. Electric power lines going to the houses a few hundred meters away are strung over Silvia's bohio. She is not allowed to plug in. When she has light, it is only from candles. She cooks on wood, or when she is fortunate, with kerosene.

Madam Silvia
A smaller wall to the left of the main cathedral, partially hidden, but prominent from the ridge across the road on which Silvia small house rests. It was while camping at Silvia's that the Cubans spied the wall and explored the routes on it. A trail that starts to the right of the main group of building at the base of La Costanera.

1. Entro Mocos. 5.12c / 7b+
One pitch <30M
Bolted 9 bolts
First ascent: April, 2002. Abel Pérez
The route climbs the left edge of the wall, about 8 to 10M left of Filosofia Barata y Zapatos de Goma.

2. Filosofia Barata y Zapatos de Goma. 5.12c / 7b+
One pitch <30M
Bolted 12 bolts
First ascent: January, 2002. Aníbal Fernández
The route is 2M left of Caliente, and starts up a crack.

3. Caliente. 5.10c / 6a+
One pitch
Bolted
First ascent: January, 2002. Aníbal Fernández and Abel Pérez
Caliente and Coppelia are the first routes on the wall that is to left of La Costanera. It starts up a tufa column and ascends through caves.

4. Da Vinci. 5.12b / 7b
One pitch 30M
Bolted 13 bolts
First ascent: April 22, 2002. Aníbal Fernández
The route is between the two tufa columns, which Copelia and Caliente ascend. It starts up knobs.

5. Coppelia 5.11b - c / 6c - c+
One pitch
Bolted
First ascent: January, 2002. Aníbal Fernández and Chino (José Luis) Gómez.
Coppelia is about 5M to the right of Caliente. It ascends a tufa column.

La Costanera: Main Wall
The trail to the wall begins along the fence separating open field from forest near a rise which was made to load asbestos onto trucks. The trail meets the wall at its right edge, at the start of "Visado Familiar". The routes start along three descending levels at the base of La Costanera. A new, fourth starting area has developed at the ledge atop the first pitch of Mucho Pumpito-Wish You Were Here: the first four routes below begin from or join the ledge. The ledge and wall above it are called Diedro de Ochún/Mosquito, or the dihedral of the Santeria diety or orisha of senuality. The first pitch of Wish You Were Here, Mucho Pumpito, and Pssst end at the ledge; also, a third class trail circles around the left to the ledge from the base of Mucho Pumpito. The third level, from which Mucho Pumpito begins, involves third class climbing up left and around corner which is the start of Pssst. Pssst to Pablo's Squirmfest are in the cavernous alcove with the hanging stalactite of Have a Cigar in the center. Mercenario to Costanegra are at the level where trail meets wall.

Diedro de Ochún

6. Diedro de Ochún. 5.11d / 7a
1 pitch
Bolted
First ascent: Aníbal Fernández.
Starts at a free standing column from left edge of Diedro de Ochún ledge.

7. Sosa Cáustica. 5.11d / 7a
1 pitch
Bolted
First ascent: Aníbal Fernández and Josué Millo.
This a left variation of the first section of the next route, Mucho Mosquito, joins it and continues to its anchor.

8. Mucho Mosquito. 5.12b / 7b
1 pitch
Bolted
First ascent: January, 2004. Brad Lynch and Ned Harris.

Diedro de Aventura, Adrenalina, y Conquista

9. Wish You Were Here. 5.11 b - c / 6c - c+
3-4 pitches 60M
Bolted P1: 8 bots. P2: 8 bolts, nuts, tricams, Friends, and #2 Bri Bro
First Ascent: March, 2000. Cameron Cross, Craig Luebben
60M ropes required. Descent: leader ties 60M rap line to lead line. Belayer locks off lead line and leader rappels rap line to ground, then belays second to top and lowers second to ground.

10. Mucho Pumpito. 5.10b / 6a
P1: 5.10b. P2: 5.10b. (P3: 5.11c)
2 pitches 50M
bolted P1: 6 bolts. P2: 10 bolts + 2 threads. (P3: 5 bolts)
First Ascent: March, 2000. Cameron Cross, Craig Luebben, David Ryan Rappel from second belay is 60M; 50M if a trail rope has been anchored to the start. Mucho Pumpito feels like the most overhanging 5.10 anywhere. It may be one of the best route of its grade. The second pitch overhangs more than 30', but the handholds are not just jugs, they are handles. And there is a no-hands rest behind a stalactite and another on a ledge. The route is an amalgam of a direct first pitch, done by Dave Ryan and the second pitch of Pssst done by Cross and Luebben. Later Jim Donini was leading the second pitch, pushing to reach the stalactite before he flamed, and he yelled a warning to his belayer, John Middendorf, "mucho pumpito". The name stuck.

11. Pssst. 5.11d / 7a
P1: 5.11a. P2: 5.10b. P3: 5.11d
3 pitches
Bolted P1: 8 bolts. P2: 10 bolts + 2 threads. P3: 6 bolts.
First Ascent: March 20, 2000. Cameron Cross, Craig Luebben
Same 2nd pitch as Mucho Pumpito. Rappel from second belay is 60M; 50M if trail rope anchored to start.

12. Have a Cigar. 5.12c - d, A 0 / 7b+
P1: 5.12c/d. P2: 5.11. P3: 5.11c. P4:?
4 pitches
Bolted
First Ascent: March 20, 2000. Cameron Cross, Craig Luebben
One of the more funky than gymnastic climbs you will ever see. And you can see it in Criag Luebben's slide show. Use charred tree limb (if still there) to reach first holds (A-0). In April, 2002, Neil Gresham added three bolts for a right-from-the-back start (8a). The first pitch of Have a Cigar is itself a free standing climb, since the second should probably lead the pitch; if followed, unclipping could result in a grounder. To do the upper pitches as a continuous climb, it is possible to climb Pablo's Squirmfest as an alternate to the 1st pitch of Have a Cigar.

13. Pablo's Squirmfest. 5.10a / 5+
1 pitch 15M
Bolted 7 bolts
First Ascent: March, 2000. David Ryan
Start on right edge of cavern at base of column-like feature. Two additional bolts after anchor link to 2nd pitch of Have a Cigar

Bóveda de Las Españolas

14. La Preferida. 5.11a / 6b+
1 pitch
Gear/bolts
First Ascent: March 23, 2000. Rosano Boscarino
Although the first bolts of this route were visible, and the cave where it finished was known, it was never repeated and, as most gear routes in Cuba, was on its way to obscurity and history. Then, Fernández and Millo used this pitch as the first for their climb Mercenario.

15. Mercenario. 5.12d / 7c
P1: 10d / 6c. P1: 11b / 6b. P3: 12d / 7c.
Bolted
4 pitches
First ascent: 2003. Aníbal Fernández, Josué Millo, and Gianni Faggiana.
The first pitch is the original La Preferida, but with gear placements replaced by bolts. Fernández and Millo then added a second pitch. Fernández says he practically "hired" a visiting Italian climber, Faggiana, to go up with him to do a third pitch; thus the route's name. Fernández finally did the last pitch alone.

16. Variante Compota. 5.12d / 7c
Variation of 3rd pitch of Mercenario
Bolted
First ascent: Aníbal Fernández and Italianos.
This variation of Mercenarios' third pitch goes left to new anchors.

17. Ruta Italianos. 5.13c / 8a+ A 0
First ascent: Gianni Faggiana y Massimo Iacolare.
This route crosses Flyin' Hyena, starting on its left, meeting it at the second belay, then finishing to its right at the edge of La Costanera's cathedral roof. Little more than the route's location and difficulty is known. Until we can learn it's name, it is the Italians' Route.

18. Flyin' Hyena. 5.12a - b / 7b
P1: 5.8. P2: 5.9. P3: 5.11b. P4: 5.11+/5.12-. P5: 5.12a
5 pitches 120M
Bolted P1: 2 bolts. P2: 6 bolts. P3: 7 bolts. P4: 7 bolts. P5: 8 bolts
First Ascent: April 20-21, 1999. Cameron Cross, Craig Luebben, Armando Menocal.
Flyin' Hyena has everything: a stunning setting, history, big wall rope management techniques, and acrobatic climbing. But the name? According to Luebben, "Flyin' Hyena was an expression among Silvia's (my wife) group of Italian friends for someone who was really going for it, the "flyin' (falling), but still having great fun (laughing like a hyena)." In step with Luebben's whimsical name, Fernández-Ryan named the route that ascends the right, inside corner of the catheral's roof, "Chicken Run".
At the end of the first pitch, there are two rusty pitons, a loop of tied perlon, and a carabineer. These were left, perhaps 20 years ago, by two Spanish women who were the first to attempt the route. This was probably the first climbing in Cuba. Please leave these historical artifacts in place.
Start by climbing a root that descends 12 meters to the ground. (A climber added two bolts, so the root did not need to be slung for pro; the bolts were removed.) Traverse left across a gritty-dirty ledge into an alcove. Exit left up onto wall; two bolts reach ledge-belay. Second pitch starts left and then straight up (rather than the arch-crack to the right, which was used on first ascent to reach 2nd belay). Third pitch follows the diagonally crack up and left to tufa columns and stalactites. The fourth heads up and right to other columns and stalactites at edge of roof. The spectacular fifth pitch climbs almost horizontally across under the roof. Here's Luebben's dramatic description of the loss of a key no-hands rest on the final roof: "'Oh shit! Rock-k k k k!' I screamed, as a stalactite the size of a junior high kid ripped through the sky. From the ground, 15 Cuban lumberjacks looked up anxiously as Cameron, five pitches off the deck and half through a pumpy, 40-foot roof, whipped onto the rope. . . . On the first redpoints of our new route, we wrapped our legs around the mammoth stalactite on the fifth pitch for a hands-off rest. Then the rock spear splintered off the face, sending Cameron tumbling to the sky." Craig Luebben, "Climbing on the Island of Revolution," Rock and Ice, Oct., 99, page 65.
Proper taglines are essential on this climb. Pitches 1 and 2, and 4 and 5 can be linked with a 60M rope. From top of P5, leader must jumar back to belay #4 on tagline or can pull back into belay #3 if tagline has been anchored at belay #3. A leader could easily be stranded in space here, if she/he blows the descending tactics.

19. Chicken Run. 5.12a / 7a+
4 pitches 110M
Bolted
First Ascent: April 8-9, 2001. Aníbal Fernández, David Ryan
The route climbs the inside corner on the right side of La Costanera cathedral. The route climbs the root at the start of Flyin' Hyena. Then the goes right from the tree. At the start of pitch 4 there is an off-route bolt to the left. The route ends at the same top anchors as Viernes 13 to its right. Descent: must leave a tag line from top of pitch 2 to get back into the wall from top of pitch 4. From top of pitch 3 double-50m rappels reaches top of pitch 2 of Flyin' Hyena. From there another double 50M rappel reaches the ground.

20. Visado Familiar. 5.11c / 6c+
1 pitch 30M
Bolted
First Ascent: 1999. Jose Naranjo, Carlos Pinelo.
Starts left of visible corner, about 5 meters off the deck. Climbs the corner.

21. El Lamento de los Toros. 5.11d / 7a
1 pitch
Bolted:
First ascent: Martín Moline and Ariel Pasqualeitti
Starts right of the corner and ascend to the Visado Familar anchors.

22. Nueva Vida. 5.11a / 6b+
1 pitch
Bolted
First ascent:1999. Javier Alvarez, Vitalio Echazábal

23. Viernes 13. 5.11d / 7a
4 pitches 110M
Bolted
First Ascent: April 8-9, 2001. Vitalio Echazábal
The first pitch of the route is Nueva Vida. Descent: must leave a tag line from top of pitch 2 to get back into the wall from top of pitch 4.

24. Centro de Referencia. 5.11d / 7a
1 pitch
Bolted
First ascent: January, 2005. Josué Millo and Turbo (Jusnir) Blanco
Starts about 20 meters to the right of Nueva Vida-Viernes 13.

25. Problemas de Conección. 5.11d / 7a
1 pitch
Bolted
First ascent: December, 2004. Josué Millo and Fransua Bosmenier.

26. Costanegra. 5.10d / 6b
1 pitch
Bolted
First ascent: January, 2005. Josué Millo and Turbo (Jusnir) Blanco.