The Cuenca Alta del Manzanares Regional Park is the perfect setting for a day of rick climbing in La Pedriza. The curious rock formations created by years of erosion offer a wealth of possibilities for both climbing enthusiasts and professional mountaineers. 

The village of Manzanares el Real, only 50 km from Madrid, is the perfect base for planning your adventure. The members of the Club de Montaña de La Pedriza (La Pedriza Mountain Club), one of the groups promoting climbing in the area, would be happy to offer you their expert advice. 

This club helped open the climbing wall in Manzanares el Real, perfect for practising basic climbing techniques or warming up before tackling the rocks of La Pedriza.

In winter, the routes are a bit more difficult, making the use of technical equipment such as ice axes and crampons, multi-pitch climbing, belaying, and mountaineering experience absolutely essential. As many of La Pedriza's rock faces are smooth, and hand holds are often few and far between, climbers must always be accompanied by expert guides. 

Plan your route 

Make sure to carefully plan your route before setting out. Consider whether you'll need anchors for snow, ice or rock. Knowledge of abseiling, or rappelling, techniques is fundamental, given that, in climbing as in everything else, what goes up must come down...with the resulting risk. As snowfalls are common in this area in winter, it is important to know the different types of snow, how they respond and techniques for moving across icy terrain.

La Pedriza has many spots and itineraries for both free climbing and sport climbing. Some spots, such as El Dedo de Dios  (The Finger of God), La Maza  (The Hammer) and El Yelmo  (The Helmet), are well-known crags perfect for catching a view of the best natural reserves in the Region of Madrid. To further discover the area around Manzanares el Real, try the routes leading to El Tranco, the Peña Sacra chapel or El Bolao.

Manzanares el Real, rich in both history and cuisine 

A perfect place for both starting and ending your outing, Manzanares el Real is a treasure in itself. Nestled between La Pedriza and the Santillana reservoir, Manzanares is home to one of the most impressive castles in Spain. Built in the 15th century for the Mendoza family, its battlements afford a spectacular panoramic view of the Guadarrama mountain range.

After a long day of climbing, there's nothing better than a delicious, replenishing meal. Try some of the typical dishes of the Madrid mountain range, such as soup infused with mint, lamb stew, charcoal-grilled grass-fed veal, redbanded seabream, cocido (typical Madrid-style stew) or potatoes and kid meat cooked in a cauldron. Reservations are taken at La Taurina (tel.: 918 539 389), Casa Goyo (tel.: 918 539 484), Casa Marga (tel.: 918 530 723) and Casa Julián (tel.: 918 530 486).

More information on the Manzanares el Real castle can be found in our section on castles.