Mercian Mountaineering Club

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My proposed European week long meet suggestion is:

Albarracin, Spain
Possibly the most picturesque village in Spain/ Europe / the world.
And also just by chance it's the no 2. Bouldering destination (second only to Font) in Europe.

Being 900m+ above sea level it maintains ideal climbing temperatures between September - March and boasts around 1,600 problems within a small and compact area on red sandstone. A variety of climbing styles with boulders across the grades, the majority sitting in V2-V6 region.

Direct flights from East Midlands Airport to Valencia, with a 2hr drive to Albarracin offers the opportunity for a city explore either end of the holiday. A mixture of guesthouses/ bungalows or campsite as accomodation options around Albarracin. Also the option to fly to Madrid and drive from there, but my own preference is Valencia. Suggested itinery:

Day 1: Fly out, head to the boulders to not miss out on any possible extra days bouldering. Perhaps sneak in a cheeky afternoon boulder. Find some local tapas in the evening and visit the local climbers bar La Zahora.
Day 2: Check the weather. Is it good? If so stop by the local bakery then boulder
Day 3: Check the weather. Is it good? If so stop by the local backery then boulder
Day 4: Check the weather. Is it good? Just kidding. Maybe boulder only half the day. Then consider checking out the local sights including the castle, castle walls, cathedral, and enjoy walking the narrow streets, tasting the local cheeses and charcuterie
Day 5: Maybe let the arms and fingertips rest. Check out the local trails, some of the nearby forest is protected for its wildlife and prehistoric rock paintings, or stop by the town of Terule (35 min away) to find some more delicious Spanish tapas, perhaps some wine tasting, and check out the mix of Islamic and Christian architecture and UNESCO listed buildings.
Day 6: Early morning boulder. Then head back to Valencia to explore the city sights, making sure to have plenty of the local cocktail: Agua de Valencia. 1 night stay in Valencia.
Day 7: Early morning run to explore any missed parts of Valencia from yesterday. Make sure to stock up from the bakery before heading back for your flight.

Possible alternatives for those not wanting any many days bouldering or extending time in Valencia:
Hot springs day tour from Valencia
PAELLA COOKING CLASS
Valencia beaches
Consider a stop at Montanejos, Chulilla or Alto Mijares which are all sport climbing locations between Valencia and Albarracin

....shall I book the flights?

I've heard Valencia is a fab place to visit in it's own right too.

Love how the bakery is prioritised.

That sounds pretty epic Becky! And pics look lovely

I was going to propose the Bavarian Alps to hike up the highest summit, Zugspitze (2,962 m). I did this trip 10 years ago back in 2010 when I was in the reserves as part of our adventure training.

There are different options for hiking the Zugspitze and many routes from different sides and can be done in one day or as a multi-day hike. The summit can also be reached by cable car (option for those who don't want to hike but want to explore climbing/ via ferrata/traverses to other summits/ maybe even skiing depending what time of year it is).

The route I have previously done was started from Garmisch-Partenkirchen (708m) and hiked up Via Reintal. This route is approx 6+ hours one way, so we stopped at Reintalangerhütte (1,369m) overnight - there is also Knorrhütte (2,051m) further up.
We passed scenic rivers, waterfalls and gorges along the way. The following link is very similar to what we did:

https://www.theoutbound.com/germany/hik ... ia-reintal

The summit was breathtaking with 360 panoramic view of the Baravian mountain range. The Bavarian alps are beautiful and offer opportunities for hiking, rock climbing, via Ferrara. The following link breaksdown a great via ferrata route via Höllentalklam gorges and Höllentalferner glacier:

http://lesaventuresdesophie.com/2018/09 ... n-germany/

There is opportunity to do a traverse to Alspitze along the Jubiläumsgrat -The Jubiläumsgrat is a very imposant, long and exposed ridge with a length of more than 6 km. It combines the Zugspitze (2962m) and the Alpspitze (2620m)"

https://www.summitpost.org/jubil-umsgra ... sif/150731

https://www.summitpost.org/jubil-umsgrat/454503

I'd love to go again and try out this traverse to the Alspitze or the via ferrata route. On one of our days off I remember we went to Dacau concentration camp as day trip (morbid but interesting). We also checked out the cultural city of Munich too. For the rest of our trip we did some kayaking and gorge walking.

I haven't written out an itinerary as there are so many different options and places to explore but instead I have listed potential activities that could be undertaken. Here are some pics from my trip and in general. Let me know your views

Sign me up Amandeep. Sounds and looks amazing!!

I agree Lou, it looks grand, a bit like Skye in places.