The force is returning...hopefully!

We've been out a few times this week and I'm actually starting to feel some kind of climbing ability returning...albeit quite slowly!

We had a well-deserved holiday this Wednesday ;-) and for a change of scenery decided to head down to Pinell de Brai for some morning shade there. I'd originally planned to return to the cave sector - the main event here - but when we arrived there were some guys climbing at sector Al.la and the routes they were on looked really good so we got a bit sidetracked and didn't actually make it up to the cave in the end. After warming up on some 6b's and a couple of awesome 7a+'s, I then managed to onsight a really bouldery 7b+. This is my first 'difficult' route since getting back to Spain and it felt nice to be able to pull reasonably hard again. I guess it must have been soft if I managed to get up it first go, but I was pretty happy with that all the same! I followed it up with a superb 6c+ up at Parvulari Strep sector - although the crux on that was avoiding the crack where a bat was hiding from the sun! Never seen one so close up before - cute little guy he was.

Bat in the crack!

Today (Thursday) we went up to Siurana and returned to El Pati. This is one sector where I've spent A LOT of time, and I've pretty much climbed everything of any worth up to 8b+ there. The one route I hadn't been on before was a 7c just right of Viagraman, so I had planned to project this today. After warming up on Viagraman though I thought 'why not' and tried for the onsight. It was thin and technical, and I got totally wrong-handed on the crux but somehow managed to get up it by the skin of my teeth. Another surprising onsight success!

Day of two halves at a new crag...

After checking out the crags of Pinell de Brai, near Gandesa, a few months ago we finally made it down to climb there today. Following a big thunderstorm on Saturday night (just like last weekend!), Sunday morning was very cool and fresh relative to how it's been in the last few weeks. But we didn't expect it to be as cold as it was! So with all the crags in the shade in the morning and no warm clothes we struggled to warm up with numb fingers (something I haven't had for several months now!). At the first sector we went to (Pared dels diedres) the climbing was variable in quality, but we picked out some of the best-looking routes. Unfortunately the cold wind meant we had to climb in blocks to try and stay warm between climbs, but even then it was still quite hard to stay motivated shivering in the shade - especially when the sun was so close behind us!

Sector 'Pared dels diedres' in the sunshine later in the day.

Fortunately the wind was blowing a bit less strongly at the next sector we went to so it was more bearable. This sector (Parvulari Strep) was much better quality than the previous, with some really nice 3* wall climbs on perfect rock.

Sector 'Parvulari Strep' just right of centre.

The rock on the right-hand side of sector 'Parvulari Strep'.

I started on a fantastic 7a+ called 'Wanadoo' which, after traversing the lip of a small cave, continued up the technical headwall on amazing thin flakes that looked like they'd been stuck on the rock. Then another brilliant 7a+ ('La Machina') on perfect orange and grey streaked rock.

The left-hand side of Parvulari Strep, with the line of 'La Machina' above Tash.

Next up, with the sun now coming round onto the wall, we went round the corner to the main event at Pinell de Brai - La Cova. Home to some amazing steep tufa climbs in the main cave, plus a few nice wall climbs on the right-hand side. I started on an unknown route on the first wall (somewhere around the 7a mark?) which followed a good line of right facing flakes.

Tash top-roping the good but unknown 7a(?) on the right-hand side of the Cova sector.

By now, with the sun fully shining on the crag and the wind gone, the temperatures were back to what we were more used to (i.e. roasting!). After all the rain we've had in recent weeks most of the tufa routes in the cave were still a little wet, but the classic easy route in the cave ('Spanish show' - 7c) was dry, so I had a go. The onsight go ended, predictably, at the initial roof crux which involves a massive and unpredictable 'drive-by' move and I missed the hold I was going for. The rest of the route was easy, except for a nasty sting in the tail rocking over onto a slopey foothold on the final slab. By this point the sun was beating down and it felt way too hot for a redpoint, so we decided to call it a day. What a contrast from this morning! A great route, and one to come back for. Hopefully all the tufa routes will be dry next time too.

Random Spanish dude on 'Spanish show' (7c) at the Cova sector at Pinell de Brai.

A good set of crags for summer mornings, and I'm definitely psyched for a return - especially the Cova sector. And the bonus is that they seem to be pretty much unknown. Apart from two other guys at the Cova sector we were alone all day - a far cry from the crowds at Margalef and Siurana every weekend!

Post-deluge exploration & sightseeing around Gandesa...

After the torrential rain all day yesterday we made a decision not to even try and climb today. Serious amounts of water fell out of the sky over the previous 24 hours, so we figured that instead of heading out with the intention of climbing and being disappointed when everything was wet, we'd go out just to explore some new crags and climb if they were dry. That way it wouldn't be a wasted day either way - can't fault the logic eh?!

I've been meaning to have a look at the crags around Pinell de Brai / Gandesa (about an hour south-west of us) for a while now, so when Pete mentioned the place again recently it reminded me that I needed to go and I thought this would be an ideal opportunity. We drove down there and first went to Pinell de Brai village, as I'd read online that the most up to date topos were kept at a certain bar there. We couldn't find this bar for love nor money, despite there being about six different ones in what was a pretty small village! Even when we asked for it by name they didn't know of its existence, or of a bakery where they were also supposed to keep the topos - so it looked like that was a red herring! Fortunately I'd found a map just with the location of the crags on someone's blog last night, so we drove there and managed to find the crags easily enough. Suffice it to say I was pretty impressed!

The sunny Mirador sector.

The Cova sector - home of some amazing looking steep tufa lines (all soaking wet today!)

Looking out from the Cova to the Mirador sector across the valley.

As we didn't have any information about the routes we decided not to climb, plus most of the good looking routes were wet today, but it was definitely good enough to warrant a return visit, especially as the best crags were shaded all morning so it'll be good for when it wams up. It still amazes me how many crags there are within the immediate area that I haven't even been to!

After checking out all the sectors in the area we drove over to a place called Fontcalda, which Tash had seen last night when we were trying to find info about the climbing and thought looked nice. The tiny road to get there was pretty spectacular, following the top of a long ridge before dropping down into the bottom of the valley where there was a deep gorge.

The awesome scenery on the drive to Fontcalda.

The gorge at Fontcalda - plenty of muddy water in it after yesterday's rain! Will be a nice swimming spot in the summer when it's a bit clearer ;-)

The overflowing gorge at Fontcalda - note the bannister on the right!

The Santuari i Balneari de la Fontcalda through the gorge.

Apparently there's a natural hot spring around here somewhere - it was overflowing with plenty of cold & muddy stuff today though!

Via Verde (disused railway line turned into a cycle path) which passes through Fontcalda.
I'm pretty keen to cycle the whole trail in summer - it passes through some pretty awesome places!

After we'd had a look around the church and gorge at Fontcalda and also the Via Verde, we drove home via Gandesa. And driving through Gandesa what did we see? - the bakery where the topos were supposedly kept! Unfortunately it was closed by now. But when I got home I had another quick look online for the topos for the crags we'd been to today and found them almost immediately! A bit too late for today, but at least I've got them for next time.

On the drive back to Montbrió we found this across the road.
I've always wondered when these normally dry river beds ever had water in them - after 24 hours solid rain it seems!