We normally don't go to Montsant during the week because of the longer walk-in to most sectors, but flicking through the guide recently I spotted somewhere that I'd walked past two and a half years ago trying to find Raco de Missa for the first time. It was a huge boulder right next to the path, and I remember thinking it had some good-looking steep routes on but as we had no guide back then I had no idea what they were. So being in possession of the guide now, and with it having a sub 10 minute walk-in we decided to check it out properly today.
Thankfully the boulder was as good and as big as I remembered, with routes on all four faces - some better than others - with the best on the overhanging south facing wall.
I started on the more vertical west face, with a nice 6c and 6c+ up typical pocketed Montsant rock, and then Tash did some good 6a's on the east face, before we moved round onto the main event - the overhanging south face.
I did an amazing 7a which started with some steep jug pulling to a good bridge rest, before more huge jugs led out left into an overhanging flared groove where the crux was - an awesome route!
I then had a go up a really nice 8a called 'Planeta fumus' on the seriously steep wall just to the left. Feeling tired after four days of climbing and having not done anything so steep in what seems like a very long time I wasn't expecting to find it easy, and when I dogged my way to the top I was proved right. On first acquaintance there were several moves which I found hard, including one just below the top consisting of a powerful throw out right from a three finger slot with your left hand to a good undercut, from where it should all be over. I couldn't imagine having enough left to do this move after getting through all the rest of it, so I didn't expect much from my redpoint go. After belaying Tash on the 7a, I set off on my zero stress 'no expectations' redpoint, and was surprised to get through the bottom crux without too much of a problem. I was even more surprised when I didn't feel that tired when I got to the mid-height shake-out, so it was pretty frustrating when my hand got stuck in the rope when I was going for the final crux throw out right at the top, and I couldn't get my hand to the jug! Doh!
I thought that would be it for the day, as I felt pretty tired, but decided to have another go just for a bit of training and to see what would happen. So after belaying Tash again on the 7a I set off on my 'even less expectation' redpoint, and was yet again surprised to get through the lower crux and then managed to stick the move I'd fallen on last time (remembering to put my arm the right side of the rope!). From here it should be all over, but I was rapidly running low on juice and missed the next hold (the penultimate jug, just before clipping the chain!) but thankfully with a bit of encouragement from Tash I held on and had another go at the move - this time catching the jug and clipping the chain. First 8a for about a month (I've mainly been trying to onsight recently), and I was pretty pleased to get it third go and in a day - hopefully if I can keep the motivation up it should be a productive trip to St Leger next month!
Thankfully the boulder was as good and as big as I remembered, with routes on all four faces - some better than others - with the best on the overhanging south facing wall.
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| The steep south face of the Totxo de la Morera boulder. |
I started on the more vertical west face, with a nice 6c and 6c+ up typical pocketed Montsant rock, and then Tash did some good 6a's on the east face, before we moved round onto the main event - the overhanging south face.
I did an amazing 7a which started with some steep jug pulling to a good bridge rest, before more huge jugs led out left into an overhanging flared groove where the crux was - an awesome route!
I then had a go up a really nice 8a called 'Planeta fumus' on the seriously steep wall just to the left. Feeling tired after four days of climbing and having not done anything so steep in what seems like a very long time I wasn't expecting to find it easy, and when I dogged my way to the top I was proved right. On first acquaintance there were several moves which I found hard, including one just below the top consisting of a powerful throw out right from a three finger slot with your left hand to a good undercut, from where it should all be over. I couldn't imagine having enough left to do this move after getting through all the rest of it, so I didn't expect much from my redpoint go. After belaying Tash on the 7a, I set off on my zero stress 'no expectations' redpoint, and was surprised to get through the bottom crux without too much of a problem. I was even more surprised when I didn't feel that tired when I got to the mid-height shake-out, so it was pretty frustrating when my hand got stuck in the rope when I was going for the final crux throw out right at the top, and I couldn't get my hand to the jug! Doh!
I thought that would be it for the day, as I felt pretty tired, but decided to have another go just for a bit of training and to see what would happen. So after belaying Tash again on the 7a I set off on my 'even less expectation' redpoint, and was yet again surprised to get through the lower crux and then managed to stick the move I'd fallen on last time (remembering to put my arm the right side of the rope!). From here it should be all over, but I was rapidly running low on juice and missed the next hold (the penultimate jug, just before clipping the chain!) but thankfully with a bit of encouragement from Tash I held on and had another go at the move - this time catching the jug and clipping the chain. First 8a for about a month (I've mainly been trying to onsight recently), and I was pretty pleased to get it third go and in a day - hopefully if I can keep the motivation up it should be a productive trip to St Leger next month!
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| The awesome 'Taló dret' (7a) on the Totxo de la Morera boulder - it continues up the flakes above then heads out left to the hanging groove. 'Planeta fumus' (8a) goes up the right hand side of the steep wall to my left. |
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| Tash is in training for St Leger too! |
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