I have now spent nine days climbing in Cataluña and I am fully convinced that it is THE sport climbing paradise. This last weekend I climbed for two days at Montgrony and one day at Montserrat. Without a doubt Montgrony is the most spectacular place I have ever climbed. Sitting high above the valley town of Gombren, Montgrony boasts long, powerful climbs on perfectly sculpted tufas and pockets. Nature truly is the best route setter. The setting is as impressive as the climbing. Montgrony overlooks green meadows far below and steep mountains splotched with orange and red, hinting at the changing season. Inspired, I allowed myself to be talked into warming up on a long and overhanging 12a, which is several grades harder than my usual warm-up. However, to my great delight, I climbed well and clipped the chains with a slight pump. Physically and mentally I felt strong and light. After the success I had a couple weeks ago in Margalef, I made sure to be well rested for this weekend with the hope of climbing as hard as possible. With another warm-up, I decided I was ready to jump on my goal climb for the day “canyes i marro” 12c. I have consistently been trying to get my first 12c onsight, and on nearly every 12c I have completed I have come extremely close to succeeding.
Quick terminology lesson:
Onsight - climbing a route on the first try on lead from the bottom to the top without falling. The challenge lies in figuring out the moves on the fly, and it is significantly more difficult than redpointing.
Redpoint – climbing from the bottom to the top of a climb without falling, but having previously rehearsed the moves.
Nice view
Personally, I find onsighting the most fun, and getting the next grade onsight is a big deal for me. It’s funny, sometimes I am quiet about my number goals because within the climbing community (more so in the states) climbing with the goal of getting the next grade is often frowned upon. I guess for some paying attention to grades strips climbing of meaning and turns it into a superficial sport. I’ve never really understood that perspective, perhaps because I have always been motivated by goals, but also because pursuing a higher grade usually means I am challenging myself. Rising to meet a challenge is one of the most important parts of the climbing experience, and it’s why I spend many hours training and as much time possible out on the rock. I relish the unique challenges climbing presents, particularly sport climbing, and I like the fact that success and failure are clear-cut. There is no fudging success, 99% isn’t good enough. A climb is completed or it is not. I find the strict definition of success refreshing. Because of this, success on a hard climb is incredibly fulfilling, and failure can be harsh, demoralizing, and frustrating. My failure to onsight “canyes i marro” was the latter.
The climb was intimidating, overhanging at least 30 degrees for the full 80 feet. The movement was perfect, long moves between tufas, intricate and powerful. I climbed through the lower cruxes and rested below the last bolt. Slightly pumped, I pulled into the final moves. A small edge, two small two finger pockets, a high step, another bad edge and I was staring down the final move to the last big hold. I lunged for the chalked jug only to find a flat sloping edge. My fingers tried to catch the small incut at the bottom, but I was off. With the anchors in my face I slowly fell backwards and watched my season long goal slip from my grasp. I had failed. Though on the bright side I did swear in Spanish on my way down, so at least my Spanish is improving. I rested and walked the route second try.
Best 11d ever!
Tufa pinch
After finishing the day our group went to the nearby bar for a beer. I feel fortunate to have found such a great group of friends and climbers. Our group is very diverse, and even though I’m the youngest by several years, climbing and castellano connect us. When it comes to climbing we’re all fanatics, and I have enjoyed getting to know every person. Usually we camp out at night. I bivy outside and others sleep in their camper vans (which completely put my truck to shame). This time we were going to camp in an abandoned refuge so that we would be safe from the forecasted rain. Arriving at the refuge, we cooked dinner, chatted, drank some local wine (very alcoholic!), and enjoyed each other’s company until nearly 1 AM. We decided to call it a night. At this exact moment a group of about ten Spaniards, a large family, arrived and took over the refuge. With cases of beer for the “adults” and cases of coke for the kids, it was obvious they were there to party. Knowing it would be impossible to sleep in the refuge I opted to sleep under a picnic table to hopefully be sheltered from the rain. It was a bit misty and I thought the table would be fine. Despite the fact that my legs barely fit underneath the crossbar I slept quite well... at first. At 2 AM it started raining. At 3AM it started pouring. At 4 AM my table started leaking. By 4:45 AM I was soaked and the dripping was intolerable so I decided to move to the refuge. Yelling, screaming, and drunken singing were the only refuge I found. Curling up in a corner, I tried to sleep. At 6 AM the family passed out and comfortable sleep was finally achieved.
The nest day the weather was terrible, but surprisingly the rock was dry. I put down a great 12d second try. After fantastic day we drove back to Barcelona with sore shoulders and forearms and planned on going to Montserrat to climb technical, vertical routes the next day. The next morning we met in plaza Espanya, drove to El Bruc for some Moroccan mint tea and to meet with the others, and then we went climbing. Montserrat is very similar to my Colorado favorite Shelf Road. Clipping the chains requires precise footwork, correct sequencing, and pocket pulling strength. Feeling tired I still managed to climb “En boca cerrada no entran moscas” 12c on my second try, but it was a fight from the ground to the chains. All in all, it was a great weekend, and I continue to be grateful for the experiences and opportunities presented to me in Spain.
“Live whatever life you choose honestly... When you live honestly, you cannot separate your mind from your body, or your thoughts from your actions.”
-Mark Twight
No comments:
Post a Comment