top of page

Espinhaço

The massive Espinhaço cliff, rising about 70 meters high and stretching 100 meters wide, stands as an imposing granite monolith above the crashing waves below. Horizontally bisected by a basalt lode, the wall is divided into two distinct sections: a vertical lower half and an overhanging upper half.

The first ascents began in the 1980s, with climbers pounding pitons while hanging from ladders, searching for the path of least resistance up this daunting face. The audacity and determination of these early pioneers remain legendary. In the following decades, advances in gear and technique allowed a cleaner climbing experience.

Today, Espinhaço boasts a substantial number of established routes encompassing all styles—sport, trad, and aid—resulting in a complex topo filled with many lines and their variants.

Climbing here isn’t limited to the main wall. Above, on the hills, and below by the water and adjacent valley, smaller cliffs offer single-pitch routes of equally high quality. The boulders atop the cliff provide excellent summer climbing options, especially when the Serra de Sintra becomes too hot.

Henrique Cabreira produced some of the first topos of Espinhaço. A bunch of pages on paper that have been photocopied and passed on from one climber to another, until Paulo Roxo made a some booklet containing the topos of the climbs done on the south coast of Cabo da Roca. Later Nuno Pinheiro made a more elaborate topo of Espinhaço main wall, featuring all the lines opened in recent year, that was presented on an article on the online maganize Vertigem (nowadays, sadly, offline).

Espinhaço

HOW TO GET THERE

From Cascais or Sintra, head toward Cabo da Roca via EN 247. When you reach Estrada do Cabo da Roca, just before Azóia village, turn left onto a dirt road marked by a sign for "Café/Bar D. Quixote." Take another left, passing an old abandoned football field on your right. Then take the right road at a small boulder labeled "Westerra," followed by a left and another right turn. Park near the last houses and continue on foot along the dirt road toward the ruins of the old Fort of Espinhaço. As you descend into the valley, you have two options: Turn right toward the waterline, cross it, and follow the flat trail to the old fort. Or, take the trail down the south side of the valley, then turn right and descend a narrow path to reach the base of Espinhaço’s main wall.

APPROACH

To reach the base of Espinhaço’s main wall, use two 50-meter double ropes to rappel from the anchors at the top of the Via Direita route down to the first anchors of Via Normal. From there, make a second shorter rappel of about 20 meters to the ground. Alternatively, you can take the path on the opposite side of the valley that leads to the boulder field at the base of the main wall. To access Sector Perdido, pass the ruins of the old fort and descend the face facing the lighthouse via a fisherman’s trail. You will need to downclimb or scramble through a small channel where old fisherman ropes are available to assist your descent. For Sector Força na Verga, after crossing the waterline and reaching the middle of the flat trail, take a trail on your right that climbs a small hill. The sector will be on your left. Bloco Superior is located at the top of Espinhaço’s main wall. To reach its base, take a small trail on the left about 20 meters before you arrive at the old fort ruins. Vale de Ordes is the valley that leads to Espinhaço's main wall base. Follow the same directions to go to Espinhaço's base. Sergio Bruno These two sectors are located on the peeble beach just south of Espinhaço's main wall. Follow the same trail that goes to the base of Espinhaço´s mail wall and scramble down and left to the peeble beach. Sector Baieta From either Espinhaço or Pirolita parking area, follow the obvious trail. From Espinhaço parking, descend Vale de Ordes and continue south until you reach the top of the cliff. From Pirolita parking, follow the trail north, passing Baía Estreita, Gozzi, and Esquina do Vento, until you arrive at the top of the cliff.

COMMENTS

Bolts condition The most popular routes at Espinhaço main wall have been rebolted, either with tittanium glue in or 316L expansion bolts. Sector Perdido, Sérgio Bruno, Vale de Ordes, Força na Verga and Bloco Superior have also been rebolted. Route height 80-90m aprox. Restrictions Climbing on the Espinhaço main wall is not allowed from January 1st until June 14th due to seasonal restrictions. Other sectors January 1st to July 14th - a maximum of 4 climbers is allowed in these sectors; July 15th to December 31th- a maximum of 10 climbers is allowed in these sectors.  Other comments A / FORÇA NA VERGA A small sector located on the northwest side of the hill above the ruins of the old fort, featuring five short but challenging routes around 8 meters high. B / BLOCO SUPERIOR This sector includes excellent routes for learning to place cams and wires, such as Fendinha and Diedro. Palácio da Lua stands out as an exceptional overhanging crack, perhaps the best of its grade and style in Lisbon. C / ESPINHAÇO A large cliff boasting some of the best granite multi-pitch routes in Lisbon. The extensive topo of this wall can be overwhelming due to the many routes, making it hard for newcomers to pick a good introduction line. Classic routes include Direita, Normal, Miradouro, Transatlântica, Mancha Branca, Lunática, and Imaginária. These lines mainly follow natural crack systems and offer excellent climbing. All have been rebolted with titanium bolts—especially important for belays and sections difficult to protect with gear. D / SECTOR PERDIDO A hidden wall with very compact rock, located just around the corner from the main Espinhaço wall. Filled with magnificent routes primarily established by Paulo Roxo. Most routes have also been rebolted with titanium. E/ VALE DE ORDES Vale de Ordes is a sub-sector of the Espinhaço main wall, located in the valley that descends from the hills down to the main wall and eventually to the sea. Some climbers rappel from the anchors of Turboescalador after climbing the Espinhaço main wall to return to their packs hidden at the base. F/ SERGIO BRUNO This sector, situated in the small bay south of Espinhaço, was developed by Sérgio Bruno, a Brazilian climber who lived in Portugal for a few years in the late 1990s. Only climbable at low tide. All routes were rebolted by Luís Fernandes. The original route names were not recorded. G/ BAIETA Small sector south of Espinhaço, developed by Fernando Pereira and Nuno Pinheiro. This area features vertical routes above the sea. These climbs were established some time ago and, to date, have likely never been repeated. The routes start directly above the sea. It’s best to set a fixed line for abseiling and to build a hanging belay. Using a fixed line helps avoid dropping ropes into the ocean. Bear in mind there are no bolts; you will need to bring your own gear to set up belays both above (bellow a big boulder and with rope extensions) and below the routes (subject to tides and sea conditions). All routes were established during a single visit to this sector. The rock is said to be of great quality, regularly washed by the sea, but the cracks are uneven (offsets cams and stoppers work best here).
#
Sub Sector
Route Name
Grade
Quality
Style
Type
Rock Type
Opened by
Date
Bolt Conditions
Rebolted
1
Força na Verga
?
6b+
3
Traditional
Single
Granite
?
?
Good
Yes (Titanium 2022 RR)
2
Força na Verga
Hard-grito
6c
3
Traditional
Single
Granite
Vitor Viana
6/1/00
Good
Yes (Titanium 2022 RR)
3
Força na Verga
?
6c+
3
Traditional
Single
Granite
?
?
Good
Yes (Titanium 2022 RR)
4
Força na Verga
Festival porno de Barcelona
6b+
3
Traditional
Single
Granite
Paulo Roxo
6/22/05
Good
Yes (Titanium 2022 RR)
5
Força na Verga
?
6b
3
Traditional
Single
Granite
?
?
Good
Yes (Titanium 2022 RR)
1
Bloco Superior
Aresta sem nome
6a+
5
Sport
Single
Granite
Paulo Gorjão
?
Bad
No
2
Bloco Superior
Fendinha
V+
5
Traditional
Single
Granite
?
?
Good
Yes (Titanium 2018 RR)
3
Bloco Superior
Diedro
V
5
Traditional
Single
Granite
?
?
Good
Yes (Titanium 2018 RR)
4
Bloco Superior
Palacete
7b+
5
Traditional
Single
Granite
?
2008?
Good
Yes (Titanium 2018 RR)
5
Bloco Superior
Palácio da lua
7b
5
Traditional
Single
Granite
?
?
Good
Yes (Titanium 2018 RR)
Page 1 of 11

Legends

bottom of page