Climbing:Portugal/Crista do Zebro

Crista do Zebro is a 40m quartzitic wall in one of the tallest locations in the area, it has 15 sport routes, some with two pitches. It was equipped by Notas Campestres and a local climber known as Zé Pataleno in 2013 for the Municipality of Oleiros. Most of the installed equipment is stainless A2 locking pins M10x70, V reunion.

Rock Type	GPS Location for main access
Quartzitic	39.958588, -7.770908 (39°57'30.9"N 7°46'15.3"W)

Information

The quartzitic rock yet very solid and of extreme hardness, is much fractured. The passages have been carefully cleaned, but still required a moderate attention to prevent any block or slab to fall. Do not climb alone. Climb with a party of experienced mountaineers. It is recommended, as in any climbing school, the use of helmet combined with the common sense of the sport practice in question.

The climbing area is accessed by track to the top and bottom of the routes.

• A 70m long rope is essential for this school and 20 quickdraws are recommended
• The full route are mostly longer than 35m. Follow the map and always climb down by the signed places

Origin of the Name

Zebro is the highest point of this cliff and has a landmark that stands for the altitude of the spot (888m). The zebro was a wild horse species possible of the same lineage of the sorraia horse, which lived in the Iberian Peninsula until the XVI century. The medieval chronicles describe the zebro as an animal similar to the domestic donkey, but stringer and taller, very fast and with a bad temper with grey and white striped hair in the back and in the paws.

The correct classification for the zebro would be like a Tarpan horse (Equus ferus ferus). In the sites where it was abundant, are kept in the Iberan Penunsula several places with names related with this animal, such as Zebreira, or Casa da Zebrera and Zebro, only to mention a the municipality of Oleiros. When the Portuguese navigators began to explore the African coast and arrived to the Cape of Good Hope, in the late XV century, they found some striped equids similar to the zebro, from which they baptized as zebras. "Zebra" is the name from which are known nowadays these African animals in almost all of the languages of the world.

How to get there

This climbing school is located at the Oleiros Municipality and one of the nearest town is Estreito. Use the national road N238 to get to the access. There is a dirt access route to the trail that leads to the climbing sector. There is free parking (GPS: 39.953303, -7.769094).

It is possible to use Estreito town facilities to take bath and arrange a place to stay the night (most probably on the town's gym), but it is necessary to contact beforehand.

Climbing Sectors

There is only one climbing sector with the routes described below.

#	Name	Grade	Notes	# Bolts	(m)	Equipped by
1.	Zebro	V;V+				Notas Campestres (2013)
2.	Estrela à gauche	V;6a				Notas Campestres (2013)
3.	Cabrito Estonado	V+;6a				Notas Campestres (2013)
4.	Callum	V+;V+				Notas Campestres (2013)
5.	Águias do Maradal	6b+				Notas Campestres (2013)
6.	A Padaria do Nuno	IV				Notas Campestres (2013)
7.	Passe Geodésico	6a+				Notas Campestres (2013)
8.	Mª de Lurdes e os Pequenos	III				Notas Campestres (2013)
9.	Meandros do Zêzere	IV+				Notas Campestres (2013)
10.	Xistos Doces	V				Notas Campestres (2013)
11.	Lisga	V+				Notas Campestres (2013)
12.	Medronho	6b				Notas Campestres (2013)
13.	Daedalus	6a				Notas Campestres (2013)
14.	Fraga d'Alta	V+				Notas Campestres (2013)
15.	Fenda Pirotécnica	6a+				Notas Campestres (2013)

External Links

• Official topo (page in Portuguese, but topo is also in English)
• Oleiros Municipal website