Climbing banned at Oliana in Spain

Update 21/12/2025
After the news was published about climbing being banned at Oliana, further details have come to light. It is currently not 100% clear where precisely the ban is intended to come into effect, and which routes are affected. Equally importantly, it appears as if errors were made during the legislation stages that might nullify the decree and allow for a consultation period with affected individuals and stakeholders.

On hearing the news Catalunya Climb, one of the local organisations, published the following on its Instagram account “we are deeply shocked by the decision. At no point were we given any indication that such a ban was being considered; the public information process was not respected as required by law; and even the local municipality, which has recently received European funding to promote climbing in the area, was not involved in the decision. It is difficult to understand the outcome, as no allegations have been made against climbers, there has been no degradation of the paintings caused by climbing, and no conflict has ever been raised with the climbing community. This decision has come as a complete surprise, and we remain unaware of the grievances that could justify such a severe and unilateral measure against climbers.”

Regardless of the question of legal validity of the decree, it is clear that climbing at Oliana - and elsewhere for that matter - cannot and should not be taken for granted.

This is a developing news story and updates will be provided in due course.

Published on 20/12/2025
One of the most important high-end crags in the world, Oliana in Spain, has been closed to climbing as of yesterday by the government of Catalonia which passed a decree banning climbing, camping and lighting fires in the area in order to preserve the pre-historic rock art in the area. The news was broken earlier today by Patxi Usobiaga, former Lead World Champion and Oliana local, who shared the information on this social media handle.

The crag forms part of the Roc del Rumbau rock art site, part of the greater Rock Art of the Mediterranean Basin of the Iberian Peninsula declared a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1998. As per the new decree, a protection zone of 36 hectares has been instituted which includes the archaeological site and its surrounding landscape, with the aim "of preserving its visual, environmental, and cultural integrity."

The decree was published on December 18 2025 and, under Catalan and Spanish administrative law, regulations of this type enter into force the day after their publication in the official gazette, meaning that the ban entered force on the 19th.

The ban to this awesomely steep cliff comes as a devastating blow. First developed by local Catalan climbers in 2004, it was the arrival of American Chris Sharma a few years later that really got the ball rolling. Some of the most important chapters in modern sport climbing have been written on these walls, with cutting edge climbs and performances shaping the history of this sport. Milestones include Chris Sharma's 9b Fight or Flight (2011), the first ascent of La Dura Dura (the world's second 9b+, freed by Adam Ondra in 2013 and repeated shortly afterwards by Sharma), and the first female 8c onsights, at the hands of Janja Garnbret who waltzed up Fish Eye and American Hustle in 2021. And then there are countless 9a, 9a+ and 9b repeats, as well as boundary pushing onsights by many of the world's best, that are simply too many to mention.

Appeals are possibile, with the deadline established at 1 month for reconsideration, and 2 months for administrative litigation, but these do not suspend the application of the ban.

For more information about the ban check out Usobiaga's website pucseries.com