Climb in Spain

E-Bloc – bouldering guide to Spain

Pär — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 11:03:33 +0000

Looking for a good bouldering destination with stable weather this winter? Come here to Spain and try some of our excellent bouldering areas! With the guidebook E-Bloc you get a good introduction to some of the best areas down here. These areas are covered:

Targasonne (Selected climbs only)
Savassona
Sant Joan de Vilatorrada
Belianes/Malda
Cervia
El Cogul
Albarracin
La Pedriza (Getting there & Situation)
El Esorial
Zarzalejo
Burguillo
Navalosa

I bought some of these books this spring and I still have them here in my office. In the UK they sell for £27 (32,50 €) but from us you get it for 25 € + transportation.

If you are interested, send me an e-mail and I’ll calculate the total cost: par@climbinspain.com

New house in Cornudella

Pär — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 12:54:47 +0000

The view from the house in Cornudella

Ah, finally the cold temps are closing in on Spain! Today it is 10 C colder here than just one week ago making at least my climbing psyche getting really worked up! The summer has been hot and hard with most days between 30 C and 40 C. A couple of those days was spent with fellow ex-pat Greg in his house in Cornudella. Despite harsh climbing conditions we managed to work a little and can now present another excellent lodging option for all of you out there planning a trip to Siurana, Montsant and the Prades-areas. Greg owns a 4 floor town house with space for up to 10 people. The house is is good shape with a fireplace, a big kitchen, TV, DVD etcetera. To top it off, the house has a terrace with views of Montsant and Siurana. A perfect place to stay for a group of friends going for a climbing holiday! If you are interested, read more about the house here.

Let us know if you’re interested in staying in the house as soon as possible since some of the most attractive weeks already are booked.

Tossa – Deep Water Solo in Costa Brava

Pär — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 14:31:09 +0000

Tranki resting before the crux on the 7a+

Just outside of the little coastal town of Tossa de Mar in Costa Brava, about 1½ hours north of Barcelona, some pretty fun Deep Water Solo/Psicobloc can be found. The rock is pretty grainy granite but with the closeness to water some of the holds are a little smother making it not too hard on your skin. There are only about 5 routes and they are not more than 10 meters high but for a day of fun it is for sure worth the effort to go there! My favourite is the excellent route La del Pako, 6b. Long and fun!

Pere has made a nice video showing more or less what you can expect from a day in Tossa. He has also prepared a topo and a description on how to find the climbing once you have reached the parking. Here you can download the topo.

So break away from your family vacation and get some adrenaline going!

Good winter sectors in the Costa Daurada-area

New house in Rodellar!

Pär — Tue, 13 Jul 2010 06:57:13 +0000

Looking for the best lodging option for your Rodellar stay? We are happy to present two very nice apartment in the center of the village – only minutes away from the closest climbing sectors! The house is beautiful and the flats are in excellent shape with big terraces, good kitchens, TV, AC, fireplaces, heating, comfortable beds and internet.

There is still available dates in August both for the small and the big flat. If you are interested, please let us know as soon as possible.

Read more about our apartments in Rodellar and don’t forget to check Carhire 3000 if you need a rental car for your stay!

Car rental?

Pär — Wed, 30 Jun 2010 08:15:12 +0000

During the spring we had question about where and how to find the best rental car deals. I have found that Irish company Carhire 3000 offers a really good search engine and normally can find the best deals so that’s what I normally recommend. In fact, for a two months trip to the US a few years back we rented a car through them and got the best price and a big upgrade. So I hope you don’t mind the little banner in the side bar and for your next trip down here, give Carhire 3000 a go.

(For you Swedes/Scandinavians: På svenska heter webbsidan eBilhyra.nu)

New house in Rodellar!

Santa Linya closed until 1st of August

Pär — Wed, 16 Jun 2010 16:19:26 +0000

XESCA, the climber coalition of Catalunya, informs us that the Santa Linya cave is closed until 1st of August due to archaeological works. Please respect this.

Ramonet makes 2nd ascent of Era bella

BjornPohl — Tue, 08 Jun 2010 06:57:42 +0000

Ramon Julian Puigblanque, has made the second ascent of Era bella, Chris Sharma’s recently opened 50m rig in the La Visera de la coma sector at Margalef. After messing it up a bit on the first couple of tries, Ramonet then pulled himself together and did it on his 3rd go.

Enzo Oddo repeats Victimas Perez

BjornPohl — Thu, 27 May 2010 19:59:10 +0000

Enzo Oddo has done it again. After five 9a-ish routes last year, Enzo has now done the first for the year by making the 3rd ascent of Victimas Perez, 9a, in the Raco de la finestra sector at Margalef. The route basically consists of a 30m of steep left traversing wall climb, roughly ~8c+ in its own right, up to a spicy 7C crux at the top.
Full story and more photos on Nice-climb
Photo: Enzo Oddo on Victimas Perez, by Dave Graham

Rodellar – a different experience…

Pär — Mon, 24 May 2010 14:02:58 +0000

Finger injury caught in action

Finally I had a break from work and managed to time up with a fellow Swede visiting Spain to visit Rodellar. With Monday being a bank holiday in Barcelona and the high season in Rodellar in full swing, Friday night was sure to bring a big crowd. The plan was to climb a lot Thursday and Friday, relax Saturday and then try to finish one or two projects on Sunday and Monday. Well, it all went really bad. First route, first day: my neck locked up and I couldn’t look up or lean my head to the right. I understood that the climbing was over for the day and I went out into the sun to try to relax a little. Managed to find a fellow climber with a couple of pain killers to share and belayed my friend ticking El Delfin, 7c+.

Back in the village I saw some posters for a Pablo and Daina, two physio therapists living in Rodellar. I found Pablo and talked to him about what has happened. It turns out that he has worked in a big climbing gym in Brazil for 10 years and now lives and works in Rodellar. We make an appointment for the following day. Pablo receives me in the bungalow where they do their treatments. One intense hour of stretching and correcting I can all of a sudden turn my head and hope to actually climb during the weekend. Pablo is not very cheap but not extremely expensive either and he gives a big confidence in his advice. I rest a day and then Saturday manage to top-rope some easier climbs just to get the blood flowing. It feels good and I’m happy to again start thinking about the projects I want to try!

Sunday is spent trying routes too hard for me to send this visit. A long lunch break and then over to the Ventanas where Marc on-sights the classic Bis a Bis, 7a. I remember trying this route 2 years ago when first visiting Rodellar. I couldn’t do one move on the crux. Now I try it on top-rope to feel how my neck handles it. The route feels fairly easy and I do all the moves first try. The neck cramps a little but I’m really psyched so I rest a little and then head out for the lead. Clip the third bold and gun for the one small hold on the route. I get it perfectly and start moving my feet to go for a match. A very loud POP is heard and it takes me a couple of seconds to realize that the sounds was from my finger. I stare at my hand in disbelief and then let go. I talk to my friends standing 20 meters away and they ask me: “Was that sound from your finger!?”. I get lowered down and go straight for a Voltaren-tablet. Back in the village I get really sad and, as always, googeling an injury is bad… I straight away understand that the A2 pulley has been more or less ruptured and 45 days or more of rest is what is waiting for me. Gha! A couple of beers later I’m a better mood but the thought of not climbing for a couple of months right now feels… sad.

I spend the night sleeping under the stars and in the morning pack up to head back home. On the way out of the village I swing by the camping to look for Pablo and ask for some advice on my second injury in 4 days. He calmly examines my finger and in 1 minute gives the diagnosis: “Not more than a small rupture, you’ll be climbing in one week!” The POP-sound was most probably from the ligaments getting un-tangled when I went from closed crimp to open hand. The finger is not swelled and does not hurt unless I put load it. He gives me advice on treatment (hot/cold water, massage, train the extension of the fingers) and how to tape when I start climbing. He then gives me acupuncture and slaps my shoulder and say, no problem!, you will come back here to climb in some weeks. Pablos 10 years of experience with climbing injuries is quite a difference compared to a normal medical examination. We will see in some days if the recovery goes as planned but if nothing strange happens I believe I’ll be back in the paradise of steep climbing known as Rodellar very soon, and a lot faster thanks to Pablo!

A few notes for the visiting climber:

Bring a pair of flip-flops for the river crossings. As you follow the sun/shade during the day you are bound to cross the river on at least a couple of occasions every day.
PLEASE try to avoid taking a shit in the valley. If you need to go, consider walking back into the village or at least dig a hole and make sure to bring the toilet paper back with you. This is a major access as well as a sanitary issue.
There is a new guidebook as of 2010. Oddly enough this is only sold in the very cool refugio Kalandraka and not in the camping. The new guidebook is a lot better than the old one so remember to look for the new, black guidebook. Price: 20 €.

New house in Rodellar!

Sharma’s new project: Home improvements

BjornPohl — Tue, 18 May 2010 10:29:29 +0000

I had a brief chat with Chris Sharma today, basically just to check what’s up. Chris says it seems like the season is kinda finished in the Laborati sector at Margalef “So FRFM will have to wait till the fall. At this point I feel I’ve had plenty of time and am more than happy for others to get on the thing. I’m still psyched to do it, so we’ll see if somehow we get lucky with the temps. If not, tranquilo. Next fall a muerte.”
So what’s the plan for the summer?
I’ll be at home doing some home improvements. We’re building a climbing wall and I’ll be going to the Arco rockmaster. We’ll see, maybe Ceüse or Verdon or use the summer heat to bolt some new lines and have them ready when the weather gets good again. I’ll also do my kids climbing camp in California in August with Yo Basecamp.
The kids are psyched and it’s really good for me too, to do something to give back and contribute. Also it’s cool to get a chance to spend time with my good friend Andy Puhvel, the founder of the camp, one of my best friends and the guy who gave me my first climbing class when I was 12.
Let’s hope the fall and winter will be better than the last.