As I’m a good egg and I already have it sent, I open the wonderful Barrenari, 7a+ for Chema to send on his 2nd try.  Though I try and climb it from memory (it has a few quirks) instead of just climbing what’s in front of me, I mess up both the thin bit lower down and the long reach over the roof.  Still, great fun and with 2 (or 3 if you count after the 1st bolt) hands-free rests, a fairly soft-touch 7a+.

Warm up on Tarraf! 6b – another nice line.

6b   7a+

Maybe the wrong choice of sector today as it was super hot.  There’s some nice things here though being honest it’s a crag with limited interest.  We warm up on Taraf! 6b and then onto Matsutake, 7a.  Cristian was freaking a little on the 7a and cleaned it so I decided to jump on Barrenari, 7a+ which I sent rather comfortably last year 2nd try.  A good indicator on how (bad) my form is, I come off in the middle section, flap at the start of the arete, then fight the long move a couple of times up top just before the chain.  Wow.  Pumpathon.

  

Seeing how I fought it, Cristian decides to reopen Matsutake but can’t stick the crux.  I decide to give it a go – this was my first 7a send back in the day, and I seem to remember it well. I forgot the long moves on the second slab, but it’s all good, I top out clean.  Inspired, Cristian uses my beta to retry it.  Hey, Rome wasn’t built in a day, bou.

I stay with Victor and Mari Carmen to do the horribly sharp and bouldery 6c+, El Calorro.

  

6b   7a+  7a   6c+

We were going to crush Papágora, 7b+ today.  I’d got my tripod and camera, even brushed my hair.., and it looked like a good omen, some kind sole had left their draws on it, but after a quick warm-up on Mariete De L’Ull Viu, 6a+ in cloud cover and wind, it was too cold.  Total brass monkey weather, so we decamp over to Emmanuelle in Arbolí which we saw was sunny on the drive up.  We suffered a little wind but at least it was sunny.  Complete change from Siurana’s Esperó Primavera.

We quickly send Eh, Manuel! 6c (very nice) and then we’re onto the main event, Trifástic Familiar, 7c to the right.  Some good beta from Claudio, there’s a layback crux early on, then good climbing till the crux at the 9th/10th bolt.

I clip the 10th, lower down and retry on a top-rope.  A nice little project this, but there are easier 7c around.  Claudio just misses the send, but should have it next time.

6c   7c   7c   7c

The early morning Whatsapp changed my mind so I meet Xav up at Coll De Jou.  As always, it’s blowing hard and freezing cold up top at the parking above the quarry, but descend into shelter and I’m climbing without my shirt – beautiful.  We do Opri Refu, 6a (right hand variant finish) and while Xavier and David are doing more warm-ups, I’m getting ready at the far end of the crag, I’d marked Barrenari, 7a+ to do ages ago.  It looks nice and fairly straight forward till the 10 bolt, but my onsight is ruined at a technical move at the 4th.  Then I’m up to the crux at the roof, feet up and a long move to a crimp.  Very nice route, I send it second go.  Xav works Matsutake, 7a to the right, but the short day means I strip it and they’ll try it another time.  Relaxed, but just what the doctor ordered…

  

6a   7a+   7a+

Back to cold and cloud with the threat of rain, so we’re close to home today.  Taraf! 6b and Eh, Manuel, 6c share the same anchor and are both worthwhile climbs, though I’m on a soft day today.  Cristian tries Matsutake, 7a but I pass on it. Samba D’Olla, 6b+ was an awful finish to the day.

6b   6c   6b+

A nice early 9am start in Alforja and we decide to climb Racó in Arbolí.  I have a few projects pending here, and as always the cold biting wind up top at the parking diminishes to nothing once we descend to the field of play.

Warm up on the superb Taraf!, 6b, Alvaro sends it and Felipe, trying to bluff us into believing he hasn’t got form, topropes it.  I’m distracted by the nice 6c next to it, but priorities – there’s Matsutake, 7a to redpoint.  I’d forgotten a little about this, the crux slab, and I hang after missing a tiny left foothold.  After this, I send the rest of the route, interestingly as I don’t know differently, I go direct up the dark grey and shortest part.  The holds here are half slopers, half good holds, but the gentle overhang means it’s no walk in the park.

  

On my second attempt, I blaze through the crux and make my way up this time going right at the last 2 bolts to the less obvious overhanging section, but with really nice deep jugs to pull up on, it’s easier than the short line to the left.  Got my first 7a redpoint, what a nice feeling.  Kudos to Alvaro for suggesting the right hand route – it was a brilliant end to the line.  I lower off wearing a huge grin.

Felipe missing the 2nd try on Mat opens the hard as nails 6c+ El Calorro.  For my money more difficult than the 7a.  Overhanging block start, thin next section, sloper terrace under a overhang blocky bulge that is very short on footholds.  Kudos for opening it.

Warm down climbs with the ugly Desertors De La City, 6a+ that needs a tree start, and the excellent watch-out-for-the-finishing-slab Opri-Refu, 6a.

6b   7a   7a   6c+   6a+   6a   Photos

Breaking in a new rope partner today, so we flash a few routes in Arbolí before Javier has to go back to work.  Gotta love the life of an English teacher – and I speak from experience!  Well, just 4 repdoints today: Upri-Refu 6a, San-Tiveri 6a+, Dos Pedres 6b+, Taraf! 6b.  All clean ascents, all nice routes.  A shame we didn’t have time to look at the seemingly beautiful 6c to the left of the mighty Taraf! but Eh, Manuel! is on the list…  As is a redpoint repeat of Matsutake 7a and Barrenari, 7a+.  Soooon, Zoltan!  Topo in the Topo page.

6a  6a+  6b+  6b

Miquel didn’t believe me when I said Arbolí’s La Vall sector in front of El Duc is in shade till early afternoon, but he agreed to try it.  We took the descent by the tower, though it’s just as easily accessed from the descent from El Duc.  The top sector I have half done, but as they were short routes we descended to the big lower sector.  Miquel onsights the nifty Náiade 6b which I should have onsighted last time, but redpoint without problem today.  Next up a dual onsight for the 6b+ St. Jordi.  Some lose rock here but a nice route.  We have a look to the end of the sector – there’s a 35mtr 6c+ D’Esquena A La Vall. Apart from the really crappy belay position, the cramped and loose ground, the prickly vegetation, the wasps’ nest at the bottom and the sun glaring into your eyes, Miquel has a look at this one.  More loose rock and after 25mtrs he leaves a maillon on this bag of shite.

We go back up to the upper sector to evade the fast approaching sun.  I have a look at the 7a super short (hence super explosive) L’Home Braç. There’s only 3 clips on it but I simply can’t block up past the roof.  Miquel runs up La Gran Diagonal which I already have, so I then look at the 6c El Monodit De Melic. Nice and thin, another style of climbing is called for.  Very fine gentle movements with balance most important, I do the lower hard part and would have onsighted this if not for my cursed scruples about using a great handhold on the 6a+ next to it to get over the roof below the belay.  Oh well, an easy redpoint next time I’m in town.  Miquel onsights.

With sun vanquishing shade we pack up and go to the car.  Miquel wants to redpoint 7a Matsutake over in Racó D’Emmanuelle.  I’d like to as well, though with my forearms a little pumped, and more importantly my raw finger tips, I don’t think it will be possible today, and I’d prefer not to spoil the pleasure that will be the re-climb.  The wind on the top of the descent to Emmanuelle is strong, but as always, once at the crag hardly a whisper is noticed.  I have a look at the 6b+ Samba De L’Olla.  I haven’t tried this before.  My fingertips are red and sore, and not reading the route well I climb where few people have climbed and do even more damage.  My feet are hurting as well which doesn’t help.  On a fresh day this would have been another onsight, the difficult part being the vertical bit up to the 3rd clip – after that it’s gentle ramp up to the shared anchor.  I hang at the crux then complete without another stop.  All the pads on my fingers are red.  I reluctantly redo the 6b to the left Cirano De Priorat but with the nasty block start I’ve already seen my last onsight or redpoint for the day.  My last climb is 6b+ Dos Pedres. Miquel finishes with Número Mágic 6c+.  A solid day climbing, lots of kilometres covered on the rock.

6b 6b+ (7a) 6c 6b+ 6b 6b+ Picasa