My previous overseas climbing trip to Frankenjura in July was so fun and fulfilling that it naturally led me (as a single dude with no partner/family obligations) to plan the next trip around year-end/new-year holidays. The last (and “1st” for me) solo trip was hippie and fun, but slightly inconvenient logistically and performance-wise (without having a car and accompanied partners). As much as the climbing trip to Barcelona sounded enticing, my Japanese psyche kept me from telling my boss (@ recently changed job) that I take a stretch of leave days before finishing my probation period. The cost of my indecision took me approx. 500 USD (escalation of flight tickets in the space of 1.5 months or so), but bandwagoning the trip with similarly spontaneous (2) folks expectedly turned out to be fun and memorable.
年末年始の岩旅を画策していた所、
Terradets (Paret de les Bruixes):
12/26 – 27
Whatever work-related memories have been obliterated right after a last-minute lousy handover to my boss on 25th (followed by Christmas party@office). During the flights to Barcelona, I watched “Crazy Rich Asians” (whose title seems to lack another adjective: “Chinese/Oriental”, for the sheer sake of political correctness in ethnic representations). The movie adeptly utilizes and defies stereotypes of “Chinese”, and as it features Singapore (where I stayed for an exchange program @ University), it was entertaining throughout the whole movie. Aside from that, the last strings of ups-and-downs are well composed and very moving (even though I seldom watch/enjoy romantic kinds).
It was 7:30AM and still totally dark when we landed Barcelona Airport. Headed straight to Hertz counter and by the time we went outside the car park with a compact Citroën’s C3 as our company vehicle for the trip, we were greeted with a typically and expectedly-Spanish warm sunny winter weather, which furthered our already hyped-up expectations toward our upcoming 8 days (how short!) trip.
However, after circa 1 hour into the direction of Lleida (mountain side), it got inauspiciously foggy. Having made a shopping trip at Carrefour (for foods) and Wala (sports gear shop @ south of Lleida for procuring a gas can), it was still 14:30 by the time we bumped into the ginormous curtains of rock cliffs at Terradets.
Despite slightly cold (4c) temp and ostensibly seeping rocks at the parking area, we hurried to the Bruixes wall (the approach to Bruixes is short: 10mins and obvious, once bolted ladder leading to the path is identified) purely out of excitement. As Bruixes wall gets in the sight our steps got quicker and each stride got longer till the joy culminated when we arrived at the bottom of the wall and realized it’s entirety.
The glory to go for 1st try was bestowed upon me by rock-scissors-paper result, but 7b (which seems to be a limited few of up-routes in this crag) is my OS grade in Japan, and OS trying without limber-up (moreover with the pressure to send/fall quickly by awaiting overly eager 2 climbers) added an extra hurdle (“excuse” in case of failed attempt) to me.
Nonetheless, I managed to conquer the route with excessive over 20mins of clinging to the wall (which understandably should have irritated the ensuing 2 folks) and overly pumped-up arms. By the time all 3 of us did 1 round it was getting darker, so I finished with a drenched 6b+ as a cool down. The approach-back was a bit scary under the slippery surface (even with bolted ladders), so the caution is advised (especially when it gets dark).
From the parking (next to the bridge of the dam), it takes approx. 20km to reach the small town of Salàs de Pallars where we booked a reasonable accommodation just before leaving Japan. (There are a few bookable-via-web options at Cellers and more at Tremp, but we didn’t mind driving extra 10km or so just to save some cost.)
The hotel (Alberg la Solana) looks rather chic with its antique facade and facilities are sufficiently comfy and neat. Moreover, the uncle is very nice and mellow with his peaceful dog.
どうやら行き当たりばったりなのは他2名も同様のだが(安堵)、シュラフ、テント無しで寒空の下宿無しとなるのは是非とも避けたいのは満場一致なので、成田にて出発直前にSalàs de Pallarsという岩場基部から30km程離れた宿を抑える。WiFiと暖房環境の乏しい8時間のトランジット@北京を経て、7時ではまだ夜明け前のEl Prat 空港に到着(所謂「日の出」は8:20頃)。左ハンドル、マニュアル運転、時折のラウンドアバウトに慣れてもらい、バルセロナからLleida(スペイン語ではLが重なると「J」の発音に近くなるため「ジェイダ」がしっくり来る)に向かう。
出だしは冬晴れで気持ちの良い天気だったが内陸部に進むにつれ霧模様。道すがらのカルフールで当面の食料を買い込み、若干遠回りとなるがガス缶入手のためLleidaのWalaという馬鹿でかいスポーツショップ(80mロープも売っており、日本より安く買える)に立寄りTerradetsに向かう。
Terradets界隈に入ると、これまた馬鹿でかい岩壁に期待を膨らませながら岩場基部の駐車場に着いたのが14:30頃。ボルトラダーから続く15分弱程のアプローチを経てBruixes壁(スペイン語で「魔女」の意)に到着。幸か不幸かOSジャンケンで勝ってしまったのでいきなり7b (Jam Sesión) に取り付く事に。20分以上の奮闘(と恐らくは後続2名の苛立ち)の末、無事OS。3人でロングルートを回すとトライ数も限られるため、びしょ濡れのダウンをもう一本だけ出して登攀終了。ウェブ検索で一番コスパが良さそうな基準で選んだAlberg la Solanaにて宿泊。1人(+1匹)で宿を切り盛りするお爺さんが親身でほっこりする。
12/28
The fog was much deeper than the day before and the temp in the car indicated 1c, but that didn’t stifle our eagerness to climb, so we were at the crag by around 9AM. Having carefully observed massive (sport-routes in Japan rarely exceed 25m) overhang lines (many of which are too hard for us), we selected to try Energia Positiva 7c+. The 35m line exemplifies what hyper-strenuous route takes to be. On the flip side though, each part is relatively manageable with occasional cruxes (though concentrated after mid-end sections) and rest points. Having anticipated this much long route requires sizable time to digest, especially taking turn with 3 persons, I gladly let go the privilege to crack the beta for the other 2 folks. Thanks to this sneaky tactic, I managed to send the route on the 2nd try (possibly clinging onto the line beyond 30mins), which was a sufficient accomplishment for me to end the day. It had been all foggy and the evening temp seemed to be around freezing point, so there were only 2 other parties at the crag during the day.
期待していた冬場でも太陽が降り注ぐスペインのポカポカ陽気とは
12/29
The fog and cold temperature even furthered (lowest: -2c!!) and convinced me (with previous day’s exhaustion) to take a rest. I requested to have me dropped off at the town of Tremp, but it didn’t take more than 15mins of freezing wandering before I started to regret. It was more of seeking around AC/insulation-equipped shelters rather than sightseeing, but the rest day was well deserved and appropriate. After the climbing of the rest of party, we headed to “Siurana Camping”. As we didn’t make a booking in advance and it was after 10PM by the time we got the camping, we were almost left stranded under the freezing Siurana, but barely admitted in the “Communal room” where there are approx. 10 beds inside a cabin (with a stove).
寒さと霧は益々悪化し、レスト日和なのでTremp観光、
Siurana
12/30 (Can Melafots & Ca La Isabel)
Breakfasting outside was more bearable than I had imagined and the gradually rising sunshine helped a lot. “Can Melafots” is within 10mins walk from the camp and populated with many climbers (and general tourists alike) assumingely thanks to the south-facing warm location and relatively climbable line-ups. In contrast to Bruixes’ juggy tufas, Siurana is generally characterized by smaller and non-juggy crimps. Despite having some hard time to adjust with smaller holds and the initial bouldery moves (due to the cliff formation of the crag that has overhangs in the beginning), enjoyed some nice and technical routes.
またまた氷点下付近の寒空の下、Siuranaでは野外で朝食。
12/31 (El Pati, El Cargol & Esperó Primavera)
Combining a mandatory (as a climber) visit to La Rambla, we climbed at the crags nearby El Pati. However, my climbing pathos/eyes didn’t seem to be matured enough to be able to identify the La Rambla line. Each of us tried long routes, nearing 40m scale at El Cargol and Esperó Primavera area. Though these areas are adjacently located and there are many options, but many of manageable (around 7c or lower) are constantly populated with climbers all day long (possibly due to the soaring lines and vibes enabled by long routes). As I might have eaten too much liver pate (which I usually enjoy during overseas tours because of rare availability in Japan) at the dinner, I was too drowsy (with a slight feeling to throw up) to stay awake to celebrate the countdown, but the rest of my party didn’t bother to stay awake either.
La Ramblaの有るEl Patiに参拝させて貰う事に。然しながら、
Margalef (Racó de les Espadelles)
2019/1/1
Left Siurana Camping for Margalef in the morning, which took around 1 hour winding drive via the town of Cornudella de Montsant (where a mountain shop: Goma Ⅱ is located).
It is possible to drive back and forth between Siurana and Margalef, but the abundance of accommodations at Margalef (though not many seem to be bookable online) dictated us to find some place to stay at Margalef (as the remaining last 3 days was planned to be spent here). As expected, it didn’t take much time to bump into Refugi de Margalef (El Racó de la Finestra) and booking on the spot has secured the shelter for the rest of our stay in Spain. (To be precise, this Refugi turned out to be very comfy with a very reasonable price and generous facilities)
Now that we got unencumbered by the possibility to spend a night in the refrigerated car, we headed straight to; Racó de les Espadelles, the biggest area (during winter time when another big “Racó de la Finestra” is in shade) in the crag where we eventually ended up spending the remaining 3 days. From the town to the parking, the hill-climb by car (approx. 2.4 km after the noticeable recycle bins at the skirt of mountain) is pretty steep, winding and narrow (to have a 2-way passage, so it should be safe to assume the path is practically one-way in accordance with the rest of climbers’ flow: up-morning, down-evening) . To our fortune, our apparently feebly powered car (Citroën C3) managed not to get stuck there, but the caution is advised especially during early morning and late evening when the path could potentially get icy.
The approach to Racó de les Espadelles is obvious and short (less than 10 mins until the left-edge of the area) with a bit of fix-roped slope. As obviously noticeable by exterior, the rocks here feature juggy and in-cut pockets that almost-literally bite deep into your skins. Finger skins deserve care and preservation if climbing over consecutive days is planned. Maligna 7c line was very enticing with juggy roof climbing but seems to require plenty time and dedication for me to send during this trip (so gave up after the 1st try). Nonetheless enjoyed the edgy pocket holds combined with steeply hanged walls. Dining space at Refugi de Margalef was in a festive vibe with climbers from various countries clustering around in the same room.
これまた元旦らしさは皆無で淡々と朝飯を食べ、
冬場に登れるセクターとしては最大級の Racó de les Espadellesに向かう (冬場で無ければ日陰主体の Racó de la Finestraも大きいエリアの模様)。
1/2
Blessing of sunny weather over the last few days at Siurana and Margalef had totally lowered our guard and the foggy and freezing morning inauspiciously reminded us of the hard-cold valleys at Bruixes. Nevertheless, having been pressed by the time constraint of remaining 2 days of climbing, we were at the foggy crag by 9AM. It was when I almost decided to take a rest day before the sky cleared up around 11AM. The accumulating fatigue and worn fingertips didn’t necessarily encourage me to try hard routes, so I enjoyed relatively manageable OS tries. Though our last supper during this tour would be the next dinner, but the departure to airport would be early in the subsequent morning, so we cooked a sumptuous dinner to celebrate the end of a short but cherish-able tour.
Bruixesを彷彿とさせる朝霧に戦々恐々としながらも、
1/3 – 1/4
The absence of fog in the morning assured us to go ahead to the crag and utilize the last day. The OS tries continued, but with more emphasis on grasping jugs to the point of self-inflicting the laceration on my fingers to satisfy my masochistic climber’s psyche. The 5th day of climbing in a row was more doable than I had imagined but the worn-out fingertips make it harder to grip edgy holds. Leaving aside the desire to abandon the flight ticket and just extend the stay, we mournfully left the crag to prepare the early departure to El Prat Airport in the next morning.
この日は朝から好天に恵まれ、最終日の追い込み日和。
Topo/Guidebook:
Since “Tarragona Climbs” & “Lleida Climbs” cover a varieties of crags in the region, these are more suited for hopping around multiple crags. For huge crags, such as Siurana and Margalef (that has 82 areas!), the dedicated guidebooks cover more routes and information on each area (sun/shade, recommended season etc.)
備忘録:
- 年末年始のバルセロナ界隈の日照時間は8時以前,及び18時以降がほぼ真っ暗。太陽がお出ましにならない朝夕は霧が多く温度が低いため岩場で登るのは10〜17時位が快適。山間部は朝靄や霧はしょっちゅうだが、雨は少ない模様。また霧が出ていても10時頃には好天が訪れるパターン(特に@Margalef)が多いとの事。
- 太陽は偉大。有るか無いかで夏にも冬にもなる。今ツアー1週間だけでも岩場での体感温度差レンジの振れ幅は20度以上。
- 分かってはいたが、3人だとどうしてもトライ数・時間が限られる。ロングルートだと更に顕著なので、2人か4人以上(というか3人以外）が望ましい。一方で連登するなら、3人位でのらりくらり回すのも寧ろペースを抑えられて結果オーライであったかもしれない。
- Google Mapはオフラインでも目的地履歴を残してナビ可能なので、宿でWiFiにありつければ、ロジ(宿/車/買物)関係は十二分。
- 年末年始はどこの岩場も混雑。 クライマーの出身地も点々バラバラ（大体欧州内だが）。場所によっては駐車場や宿にあぶれる可能性もあるレベルなので常にPlan Bを念頭に置いておくのが吉。
Climbing Log:
| No. | RP on | French | USA | Route Name | Result | Felt Grade (USA) | Crag | Area/Rock | Days tried | Atmps tried | ☆ |
| 1 | 12/27 | 7b | 12a/b | Jam Sesión | MOS | 11d | Terradets | Bruixes | 1 | 1 | ☆☆☆☆ |
| 2 | 12/27 | 6b+ | 11a | Madroño | MOS | 11a | Terradets | Bruixes | 1 | 1 | ☆ |
| 3 | 12/28 | 7c+ | 12d/13a | Energia Positiva | RP | 12c? | Terradets | Bruixes | 1 | 2 | ☆☆☆☆☆ |
| 4 | 12/30 | 6b | 10c | Perseidas | RP | 10d | Siurana | Can Melafots | 1 | 2 | ☆☆ |
| 5 | 12/30 | 7a | 11c/d | Pizza de Pinya | RP | 11c/d | Siurana | Can Melafots | 1 | 2 | ☆☆☆☆ |
| 6 | 12/30 | 7a+ | 11d/12a | Cromañón Climbing | RP | 12a | Siurana | Ca La Isabel | 1 | 2 | ☆☆☆☆☆ |
| 7 | 12/30 | 7a | 11c/d | Ni me n’entero | RP | V4 | Siurana | Ca La Isabel | 1 | 2 | ☆☆ |
| 8 | 12/30 | 6c+ | 11b/c | Garbatx Despistatx | MOS | 11b | Siurana | Can Melafots | 1 | 1 | ☆☆☆☆ |
| 9 | 12/31 | 7a | 11c/d | ¡Ay Mamita! | FL | 11c | Siurana | El Cargol | 1 | 1 | ☆☆☆☆ |
| 10 | 7b | 12a/b | Welcome to the Team | 12a/b | Siurana | El Cargol | 1 | 1 | ☆☆☆ | ||
| 11 | 12/31 | 7a+ | 11d/12a | La Morena del Montsant | FL | 11c | Siurana | El Cargol | 1 | 1 | ☆☆☆☆ |
| 12 | 1/1 | 6c | 11a/b | Setareh | MOS | 10d | Margalef | Racó de les Espadelles | 1 | 1 | ☆☆☆☆ |
| 13 | 1/1 | 7b | 12a/b | Draculín | MOS | 12a | Margalef | Racó de les Espadelles | 1 | 1 | ☆☆☆☆☆ |
| 14 | 7c | 12c/d | Maligna | 12c/d? | Margalef | Racó de les Espadelles | 1 | 1 | ☆☆☆☆ | ||
| 15 | 1/1 | 6c+ | 11b/c | Repós actiu | MOS | 11a | Margalef | Racó de les Espadelles | 1 | 1 | ☆☆ |
| 16 | 1/2 | 6b+ | 11a | Tastavins | MOS | 11a | Margalef | Racó de les Espadelles | 1 | 1 | ☆☆☆ |
| 17 | 1/2 | 7a | 11c/d | Qué pasa Neng? | MOS | 11a/b | Margalef | Racó de les Espadelles | 1 | 1 | ☆☆☆ |
| 18 | 1/2 | 7b | 12a/b | El carasapo | MOS | 11c/d | Margalef | Racó de les Espadelles | 1 | 1 | ☆☆☆ |
| 19 | 1/2 | 7a | 11c/d | Franja de ponent | MOS | 11b | Margalef | Racó de les Espadelles | 1 | 1 | ☆☆☆☆ |
| 20 | 1/3 | 6b+ | 11a | Turmellosi | MOS | 10d | Margalef | Racó de les Espadelles | 1 | 1 | ☆☆☆☆ |
| 21 | 1/3 | 7b | 12a/b | Amb pal no dóna pal | RP | 11d | Margalef | Racó de les Espadelles | 1 | 2 | ☆☆☆☆ |
| 22 | 1/3 | 7b | 12a/b | Zona mixta | RP | 11d | Margalef | Racó de les Espadelles | 1 | 2 | ☆☆☆ |
| 23 | 1/3 | 6c | 11a/b | abanibí | MOS | 10d | Margalef | Racó de les Espadelles | 1 | 1 | ☆☆☆ |
Cost Summary (1 EUR= 124JPY):
