Peace and quiet at Montsant...

After the crowds and noise of Margalef yesterday, today was a welcome change! Setting off from the beautiful little Ermita de Sant Joan, and with a half hour steep uphill approach, it was guaranteed to put off the hoards - we didn't see a single person all day up at the crag! (although we could hear someone bolting some new routes over to the left).

The Ermita de Sant Joan with the crags in view behind (and a little girl having her communion photos taken)

Tash with a steep walk-in from the parking to the Cingles de Sant Joan crags (Montsant) at the top of the hill!

We'd been to this crag once before, last year in May when it was baking hot (we had a BBQ afterwards that time) and I'd forgotten how good it was. I started on a long 7a called 'Empentes i rodolons', which was a pretty average Montsant route, but after that every route I did was fantastic and a little different from the typical pocket pulling affairs. Next I did a 7a+ called 'Pell de gallina', which climbed an amazing tufa covered wall, but they were mini tufas like dripping candle wax, not the usual long drainpipe ones. And it made for some really interesting and technical climbing. After that I did a 7b which was completely different again. It was a totally flat and vertical wall with just a few horizontal breaks and some shallow pockets in between. It reminded me of a grit route, especially as the crux involved a high rock-over and lanking between some shallow pockets! I then finished off with two more routes which, again, weren't the typical Montsant fare - both climbing a mixture of pockets, strange thin flakes and crimps.

Tash also had a pretty good day, with a couple of hard fought on-sights, but stopped climbing when her fingers started hurting (she tweaked them a few weeks ago in Siurana).

As soon as the sun went off the wall, we headed down as it was pretty chilly in the wind. But I'm pretty keen to come back here, as there's plenty of on sight potential for us both, plus an absolutely amazing looking 7c+ which I'm VERY psyched to try!

Looking down at the crag from the top of the ridge.