After the first visitors comes the first review…!

It’s always a nerve-wracking experience setting off on something new, and so when our first guests arrived at Casa Quiros we were pretty excited, and also a little scared of what they would think. Asturias is different and although I haven’t met anyone who hasn’t enjoyed their stay you never know if your choice of decor or the way you’ve furnished a house will be to someone’s taste.

So Nicola and Roger stayed at Casa Quirós for three weeks in March and seemed to really enjoy their time – or at least we were hoping they did! The weather didn’t always play ball for them to get as much climbing done as possible but they enjoyed a mix of walking and climbing exploring some of the local peaks – including Pico Gorrion which is the 1200m mountain opposite the house.

The view across the valley from the house…

Happily both me and my partner Mary got out climbing with them a couple of times – I love showing off the crags – and their feedback on the climbing ‘great routes with very little polish, even on the easier routes’ and ‘very uncrowded’ was pretty heartening. I climbed with them at Muro Techo and we had a pretty sweet day, despite it suddenly being a fair bit colder than we’d expected – still in was March and these things happen.

Nicola on the first pitch of the Clasica del Muro Techo, 6a

In the end they sent us a short, pithy, feedback and vowed to return for more…

‘We turned back the clock.  Aciera is the rural village idyll where the 10 cows outnumber the cars.  The stone walled cottage is charming and full of character.  Stunning views, a very warm welcome and a fabulous location for climbing and walking. It was also great to be able to walk to the crag from the house and to find a wide selection of unpolished routes to go at. The routes themselves were all pretty good too and it was refreshing to climb on very uncrowded crags.’

We will keep publishing reviews and hope we get plenty of people to write them..