Crisp and cold conditions in Raco De Misa, but with sun it’s excellent.  Climb in the shade though…

We warm up on Nanses Del Priorat, 6c which I should have flashed but the pump got to me.  You really need to be comboing Montsant’s pocket pulling with Siurana’s crimp style climbing, otherwise you suffer.  Now on to my project, the nice Catalonia Is Not Patagonia, 7b 37mtrs of quality. 

There’s some solid 6c climbing, a delicate monofinger sequence at the half way ledge and then more 6c/+ ground till the crux at the bulge at around 30mtrs.  Fortunately, there’s a nice rest just below it, so you can recover, but the crux spat me off again.  Then trying to work the best way to do it, I rip off a flap of skin on my 3rd finger right hand on a sharp deep pocket after the crux but on hard ground.  Once stopped bleeding, I gnaw off the flapper but I don’t feel like taping it up to retry, so I’m done for the day.  Miki strips it for me, it becoming a nice project for him too.

Pedro crushes Hidrofobia, 8a and I give him a catch on Curt, 7b+ and we hike down in fading sun though you don’t notice the 4 degrees till you’re in shade.

6c   7b

Taking a recommendation from our good friends at Gold Coast Climbs – an excellent guide service for rock-climbers, Javilongo & myself head up to Barrots on this brilliant sunny day.  The approach is a good 60 minutes but the views, and the climbing are well worth it.  I warm up on the pumpy Planeta Pupazza, 6c which was very nice, then do the excellent 3rd pitch of El Monstruo Del Arbo-Ness, 7a though I hang on it, but wow… I’ll have to come back and do it in its entirety, 120mtrs, 4 pitches, 6b,6b+,7a,6b.  Javi tells me the 2nd pitch is a little chossy, but still worth doing.

After the maestro opens La Senyal, 7c , I play on the wonderful Unnamed Route #16, 7a which was long and difficult.  There’s a block start, then some thin patches in the middle, but excellent stuff.  There’s enough time, though no stamina, for Ciclop, 6b on the lower tier.  First impressions: an excellent but hard-for-the-grade sector, as they say, “no te regala nada…”

  

6c   7a   7a   6b

Pocket-pulling in one of the best sectors is a nice compliment to Siurana’s crimps.  Though the approach is steep, the routes are well worth it.  Unnamed route #27, 6b+ is a warm up, then I open my project Catalonia Is Not Patagonia, 7b and make it to the crux OK.  Last time I went left at the crux roof, three-quarters the way up, Pedro suggesting today I take the last two finger pocket with my right and go left.  Unfortunately my fingers get caught in a deep pocket, they bend back and I’m off.  Here’s Pedro on the neighbouring route La Llum, 7b:

PJ sends Púrolitic Extensión, 7a+, Montsantrrat, 7b+, and works Mea Culpa, 7b+.  There’s so many climbs here to be done, including the famous Hidrofóbia, 8a, seen here with an unknown climber:

6b+   7b   7b

The sun arrives at the easy left hand section and creeps right along the wall eventually into the corner and onto Salfores.  By 9am we are already T-shirtless and warming up on 35mtrs of quality #28, 6b.  The very cold and windy night forcing me to take measures against the cold rock temperature numbing our fingers.  I heat a medium-sized pebble on the Camping Gaz and throw it in the chalk bag.  This little heat bomb makes the climbing perfect.

The sun now fully on the rest of the sector, I mop up the missed onsight from yesterday, Rata Arraconada, 7a and then onto another long route, Catalonia Is Not Patagonia, 7b.  Again, another beautiful route, with some solid moves for the majority of its length.  There’s a thin section low down where I have to monofinger (first knuckle only) to get feet up and cross-over reach the next two-finger pocket, then it’s pocket pulling all the way to the crux.  Unfortunately the crux comes at about 30mtrs off the ground, though there is a reasonable shake-out pocket beforehand.  I need to work the crux a few times, but I’m not sure I’ll send this second go.

After a rest, I know I’m not going to send it, so to finish the day I try the difficult 7a, Purolitic.  Pumpy.

6b   7a   7b   7a

An early start for the long steep approach, but once we get there it’s so worth it.  The views are inspiring and the rock mostly top quality. 

Roughly 4 years since I was last in this sector, the absence only to get more strength and level to be able to appreciate the incredible routes here.  Xavi and Jack open #37, 7a and Cris and I open Rata Arraconada, 7a.  Climbing without T-shirts but the rock is very cold, I miss an onsight on this difficult to read line.  40 minutes later with the sun on the rock, the rock temperature is no longer hurting our fingers and I onsight #37, 7a.

  

While the boys go and play on Montsantrrat, 7b+ (block start, no thanks!), I choose to open an aesthetic 7a+, La Terra Promesa.  It starts nice, and gets better and better.  There’s a couple of difficult moves, but it is all super nice.  I need to work the little roof-bulge crux, but 16 draws and 35mtrs later of solid climbing I’m pumped but very happy.  Cristina topropes, and I send it on the second go – a brilliant route.

  

7a  7a   7a+  7a+

Cingles De Sant Joan is an excellent sector, and possibly because of the steep ascent putting people off, it isn’t polished, even though the routes are brilliant.  Mau starts with #38, 6a+ followed by Hagi Pau, 6a+.  It’s a real shame that the camping posse wuss out and go back to Siurana – they missed some excellent pocket-pulling.  I onsight a brilliant 6b+, Tranquilo Majete dedicated to said posse – maybe I can tempt them back as there’s sooo many routes here I need to send.

     

I flash the 6b opened by Mau, again very nice Esperraca-Vents which has a high 1st bolt but was a gem.  Leaving 1 hour for the descent, I have time to onsight #39, 6b+ another super climb, though a tad more difficult.  Then taking the Grau descent, 54 minutes later we arrive at the car in fading light, timed perfectly.  A quality sector, a quality day.

6a+   6a+   6b+   6b   6b+

A welcome drop in temperature has arrived, but even with the improved conditions Javilongo and myself aren’t in the zone today.  It’s Friday afternoon and we’re both tired.  Taló Dret, 7a which I still can’t send, and I don’t even bother looking at Javi’s 7c+ project Fruto Di Marius.  Instead I onsight (just!) La Punyalada, 6b+ right next door (actually in Totxo Punyalada) and then struggle on another 6b+, K-K-Tua.  At least the view was on form…

7a   6b+   6b+

The story so far…

Stoked to be meeting new people, we were delighted to receive an invitation to a friend’s clam bake recently.  Thinking it might be a little soon in the relationship to get the slippers under the table, we pensively accepted with an “OK but can’t stay long, going climbing in Montsant tomorrow..”.  Thus, we went, did the social bit and left without imposing, leaving the bottle of Grininbac, and a hint that next time we might well eat everything.  So, to Montsant’s Cingles De Sant Joan.

As Fly suggested, Montsant should be on our climbing menu about once a month to keep on top of the change in climbing style.  Though not being on form, as it’s always a pleasure to be in the mountains, we did the 40 minute hike up to Cingles De Sant Joan.  Some new routes have gone up that are not in the guide, plus we didn’t have our shit together and mistakenly warm up on a 6c thinking it was 6a+.  Not usually a problem, but with my body having aches on top of aches, it cost me.

Per Art De Mágia, 6c was OK but pumped us up.  This setting the tone for the day now, we do 3 more 6a+, the last two being beautiful, and bail feeling tired.  To the right of Mágia is Racó De Món, nothing special, then further right the very recommended #38 & Hagi Pau.  A nice way to end, but today could have been so different if we had warmed up on 38 / Pau. 

6c   6a+   6a+   6a+   Photos

Thanks for the heads-up, guys.  I was left to look for a sector at super short notice for the varied abilities for The Tarraco Chicken Climbers.  And it had to be Montsant.  We meet in Morera in stunning beauty, the trees are in blossom and as you’d expect from a National Park, Montsant is clean and very pleasing to the eye.

La Cunillera, 6a is left open to try.  There’s 10 of us, and young Eoin is getting pumped on the 5+ next to me!  Welcome to Monstant!

Diego opens Taló Dret, 7a on the south face and is only 7a-ish on the final bit where you have to traverse a little to the left.  I hang on it but top it out, Diego repeating it for the redpoint.

     

Figatova, 6c on the west face was a little thin, and my foot slid off a sloper when I was chalking up.  After this to clean a couple of draws left on El Diedre De Les Follardes, 5+ before we change sector – Racó Del Vilar.  Eoin & Anthony do a 6, Alex & Ric do a new route (4?) and Diego & I do Melanina, 6c+ to finish.

6a   7a   6c   5+   6c+   Photos

The Gods weren’t with us today.  First the Good Ship Serena ran aground in the parking when Fly, realising we couldn’t drive down a narrow trail, reversed without looking astern.  It was touch and go, but fortunately she refloated easily enough, prompting me to dive into the con to stop a possible runaway.  Then Derek, in all his Derek-ness started down the wrong path forcing us to double back after 15minutes.  Then we got, er, diverted at the start of the first crag, El Camell.  Though frankly the directions in the guide were shitty.  Anyway, we arrived tired and hungry at Roca De Les Hores and flashed 4 * 25mtr routes.

Mai Al Mes, 6a+ was a tough warm-up, Montsant pumping you up really quickly.  Nice route though as was the next route Tot Al Mes, 6a+.  The style is really different to Siurana, our usual haunting ground, so much so that we decide to make Montsant a regular appearance in our climbing schedule.

Don Vito, 6b was long and sustained and we both top out ok.  Moving round to the right, the next route Esmolabec, 6b was nice too, a little dirty in the middle but with a nice overhang mini roof to get past.

It’s getting late so we shelve the other routes for next time.  A quick snack before the 25 minute walk down to the upper parking, and another 25 minute walk to the lower at Albarca.

  

6a+   6a+   6b   6b   Photos