First sunburn of the year...

...sorry Mum! Yes, I got burnt today.

After a few days climbing on crimps we opted for a change and went up to Montsant and the Roca de les Hores sector for some pockets, this time approaching from the Ermita de Sant Joan by a steep 40 minute uphill walk. It was beautiful wall to wall sunshine, but with a slight breeze keeping the temperatures down, so the sun didn't feel as strong as it obviously was! That's my excuse anyway - yes I should have put suncream on!

Anyway, to the climbing, and it was a day of onsighting for us both. I was feeling quite tired after the last few days and felt heavy and sluggish right from the first route, so I stuck to 7a's all day (hopefully I can climb more than two days in a row when we go to France at Easter!). After warming up on a 6b+, I did a brilliant long 7a ('Porca Miseria') - classic Montsant pocket pulling - and then a 7a+ with a tricky start involving a really blind move on a hidden mono crimp thing, then easier but amazing climbing. It felt like 7a+ if you found the mono thing and 7b/+ if you didn't!

Tash had a good day too, doing three 6b's and a 6b+ all on sight! I then finished off with one of the better routes I've done at Montsant - a 7a+ called 'Pell de gallina'. The start was on some nice grey tufa rock with a blank section linked by some perfect two-finger pockets, then a steeper upper section on more typical Montsant pocketed rock. It felt like hard 7a+ and included some spicy runouts (only 9 bolts for over 35m of climbing), and was made even more spicy thanks to some of the pockets at the top being completely filled with water, just when I was getting pumped! After this route I was pretty tired and sunburnt so we had some lunch, before walking along the top of the Cingles de Sant Joan crags and down the far side, to make a nice loop and avoid walking back down the same way - amazing views from the top of the ridge and a good view of the 7c+ I want to get on at Cingles de Sant Joan. A nice day out in the sun - but next time I'll listen to Tash and slap on some suncream!

Tash enjoying the sun and views from the base of Roca de les Hores.

The amazing wall at Cingles de Sant Joan with 'Espill' (F7c+) on, and also a project to the right - both of which I'm very keen to try next time we go here!

Some of the amazingly positioned crags at Montsant - Cingles de Sant Joan in front and Roca de les Hores at the back.

Looking down on Cornudella and Siurana in the late afternoon sunshine on the walk down.