A weekend in Vilanova de Meià...

I can happily report that the new coffee maker works a treat, so the rest day on Friday was a pleasure!!

With an amazing forecast for the whole of Cataluña over the weekend, and temperatures set to be in the high teens, we started thinking about potential places to go. Top of the list was some more mid-winter multi-pitch, after the success of the Riglos trip last month. But where to go? So many new places to choose from!! Roca Regina, Paret de les Bagasses, Collegats, Montserrat, Àger...the list goes on...

We finally plumped for Vilanova de Meià, in the Catalan pre-pyrenees (mainly due to the inspiring cover photo of one of the guides - more on that later!). But even after deciding on the location, thumbing through the guidebooks for the area it was so hard to choose some objectives beyond the cover photo route. There is just so much rock there!! So a last-minute e-mail to Pete O'Donovan on Friday (local-ish resident and author of the latest selective guide to the Lleida area) and we had some recommended routes for the weekend.

Saturday

We set off just after 6am, and apart from hitting the dreaded fog around Lleida again (reminiscent of the drive to Riglos last month) it was a really clear run and took less than 2hrs. We came out of the fog just before Vilanova de Meià and arrived at the parking to see the sunrise while we had a cup of tea and breakfast, shivering in the shade. Today's objective was one of the routes on Roca dels Arcs - the biggest and most impressive cliff in the area. It was hard to tell how warm it was going to be so we opted to be on the warm side with base layers, t-shirts, jumper - big mistake!!! As soon as we got into the sun at the base of the route (9am) we were sweating! As you don't descend back down to the base of the route it meant we had to carry it all up with us, despite climbing in just a t-shirt and even then being too hot!

The sun just hitting Roca dels Arcs with the Lleida fog over the plains below.



Tash climbing the Verdon-style rock after the initial roof of the 6c+ pitch.



We set off up 'El Señor de los Bordillos' with no-one else in sight. I ran the first two pitches together (5+ and 6c+). These were both really nice, with the 6c+ pulling through a small roof then a bit of technical climbing on Verdon style water-worn limestone. It was so nice to be climbing in the sun with the fog below us over the plains, even if it was a little too warm!! At the belay after the 6c+ pitch lots of people started arriving - all aiming to do one of the classic 'trilogy' routes (of which ours was one), but by this time we were well ahead and out of the way of the crowds.

The rest of the route was easier climbing (6a-6b) but was still on amazingly solid rock and really interesting right to the top. The final 6b pitch actually had some pretty tricky slab moves which felt just as hard as the 6c+ pitch!!

  



One of the 6b pitches high up the route.



Tash just arriving at one of the belays - the fog still in the background!





After sweating our way up the route for the last few hours in full sun we popped over the top of the ridge about 1pm to find snow!!! And also some amazing views across to the pyrenees!

  

Walking around the final ledge to get to the very top.



On top of the final ridge with snow behind!





Unfortunately the descent down the north side was pretty unpleasant with all the snow and ice. We ended up sliding down icy mudslopes in places and then got to within 10m of the road to find a 45degree ice sheet across the whole slope! So there was only one way to get down!...



We eventually got back to the car at 2.30pm and drove down into the sun for some tea and lunch while we watched the other parties finish their routes and sorted our gear for tomorrow.

We then did the tourist thing and drove up to a beautiful little church on a promontary overlooking the village of Vilanova de Meià and relaxed in the afternoon sunshine and cooked some curry.

The refuge and church, with the buttress of Roca Alta inbetween.



'Foc de regle' - basically a huge fireplace in the middle of a room with benches round the outside...



Next stop was our B&B in the tiny village of Sant Marti de Barcedana. The narrow windy road through the gorge to get there was really icy so it was a little worrying, but we made it! The B&B was in an amazing old farmhouse from the 15th century, full of really old rustic features:

...and the whole ceiling is just one big chimney with stalagtites of soot hanging down!!





Grape press in the entrance hall!



When we first arrived, the village and house was deathly quiet...then around 9pm it seemed like everyone from the whole valley came to the house for dinner and to shout at the TV while Barça were playing...so much for rustic charm!! ;-)

Sunday
Sunday morning we drove back round through the gorge past Roca dels Arcs and got a few early morning shots.

Early morning in the valley with the village of Sant Marti de Bacedana and our B&B in. Snowy pyrenees in the distance.

Just some of the Vilanova de Meià crags. Roca dels Arcs on the right and Roca Alta far left - the destination for today.

Walking in to Roca Alta - our route takes the wall to the right of the obvious crack on the right-hand buttress.

We drove up the very long, rough and finally muddy track towards Roca Alta. The very last part of the track was too muddy to drive so we abandoned the car and started the walk-in. It turned out not to take very long at all - 30 mins up the track then scree to the base.

It was another super hot day, but this time we were more prepared with less clothes!!



Running the first two 5+ pitches together.



The route for today was one called 'Amadeus' - a choice inspired purely by the front cover photo of the local guidebook which made it look amazing.

The first pitch was a little scrappy, with very spaced bolts and slightly dubious rock in places, but as soon as you got onto the second pitch it changed completely, with totally solid limestone and a really cool groove feature to climb. The guide said to take some nuts and cams, but I didn't end up placing anything (which I was a bit disappointed about having dragged nuts and some cams up with me!!)



Pulling through the steep but very juggy band at the start of the 6c pitch.
Tops off for power...or just 'cos it was so hot!!



The 6c pitch started through a really nice steep and juggy band, then continued up the more vertical wall with a sting in the tail just before the belay.

The final pitch was definitely the highlight of the route though, and was what caught my attention from the guidebook on Friday. And it didn't disappoint!! It follows a perfect, gently overhanging grey and orange streaked wall. It started with a few technical moves from the belay which made the crux of it, then it was just amazing jug hauling all the way to the top, yarding between sharp and incut horizontal breaks and seams. It was one of the most enjoyable pitches I've done in a very long time. Everything about it was just perfect!! Felt a little like a Spanish bolted version of 'Right Wall' or something.

The photos say it all I think:




The vertical wall on the 6c pitch.

  


Starting up the final 7a pitch on 'Amadeus' at Roca Alta



Higher up on the awesome 7a pitch.





Almost there...




Tash posing for a photo where it slabs off just before the very top of the route. Happy days :-)

We topped out about 1pm again and sat around in the sun for ages admiring the views. There was a full panorama from the Lleida plains in one direction to the spikey ridge of Montserrat in another and the snowy pyrenees further round. Again, the photos and video say it all really!!

Tash at the top of the beautiful wall of 'Amadeus' (F7a), Roca Alta

The inspiration behind the whole trip - the route was just as good as it looked in this pic!!
I just wish there'd been some people following us up so I could get my own shot like this.

Looking across the misty Lleida plains.

The obligatory summit shot with snowy pyrenees in the distance!

The descent was an absolute pleasure after yesterday's snowy nightmare. 15/20 mins from the summit down to the bags on a well-made track and then another 15 back to the car. Another fairly short climbing day (we could quite easily have done another route) but it was nice to go and have some lunch in the sun and a mooch around the village before driving back...and no traffic or fog to contend with so it only took 1.5 hrs! Bonus. Another fantastic chilled out weekend - not huge amounts of climbing, but what we did do was immaculate quality and in such an amazing location. Yet another to add to the growing list of places that we need to go back to!!.....

The church in Vilanova de Meià.



A nice tasteful advert for the days hunt that was going on below us all day!!