The Spanish Ibex Grand Slam: How to Plan All Four Subspecies
Four subspecies, four mountain ranges, one country. Here is how the Spanish Ibex Grand Slam is actually planned — in one trip or across several seasons.
The short answer: the Spanish Ibex Grand Slam means taking all four varieties of Capra pyrenaica — Beceite, Gredos, Ronda and Sierra Nevada (Southeastern) — each in its own mountain range. Spain is the only country on earth where this is possible. Plan on two to three hunting days per animal, an eight-to-ten day trip to attempt all four, and a window between September and May.
The four subspecies and where they live
- Beceite ibex — the Beceite mountains between Tarragona, Teruel and Castellón. The largest-bodied of the four and, for many hunters, the flagship trophy. Season: October to May.
- Gredos ibex — the Sierra de Gredos, under two hours west of Madrid. Darker coat, lyre-shaped horns, high open country, with horse support when the terrain demands it. Season: September to April.
- Ronda ibex — the Serranía de Ronda in Málaga, an hour from the Costa del Sol. The most accessible of the four for a hunter travelling with family. Season: November to May.
- Sierra Nevada ibex — high-mountain stalking on the roof of southern Spain. Season: October to May.
One trip or several seasons?
Both work, and the choice is really about time and pace. Completing the slam in a single trip means moving between four ranges across the country — it is done, and we build the itinerary for it, but it puts every subspecies at the mercy of one week of weather. Splitting it over two or three seasons lets you hunt each range at its best moment and combine each trip with other game.
The practical planning number is two to three days per animal. That is not padding: mountain stalking depends on glassing, wind and light, and a hunter who has two days per ibex takes a better trophy than one who has a single afternoon.
When to go
Across the four, the combined window runs September to May. Winter is the classic choice — coats at their prime and mature males concentrated — while spring is quieter and often more comfortable underfoot. Check the month-by-month calendar to match your travel dates, remembering that firm dates come from each region's annual season order.
How the trophy is judged
Spain uses the CIC system, not Boone & Crockett or SCI. Your guide estimates the score in the field before the shot, so you decide with the fee band already known — the detail that separates a professional operation from an unpleasant surprise. We explain the differences in CIC vs SCI and Boone & Crockett.
Paperwork, rifles and getting the horns home
The Spanish ibex is not a CITES-listed species, so no CITES permit is involved. You need a regional hunting licence and mandatory liability insurance — both arranged for you — and you can either bring your own rifle on a temporary import authorisation or use one from the outfitter. See licences and trophy shipping.
What a well-built slam itinerary looks like
The best programmes are not "four ibex, ten days". They are built around your fitness, your dates and what else you want from the trip — red stag in the berrea, a montería with friends, or a programme for a partner who is not hunting. Tell us your target and your window in the trip designer and we come back with confirmed availability.