The Land of Tuffas, Pockets and damn good Cafe’

Well, I have just returned from a 3 week climbing trip in Spain! Mary was there also. We basically tried to hit as many areas as we could in that time. Some we definitely had to stay at for awhile, or go back to, more than 1 day.

I usually go climbing in Zion or “the Creek” when I take my spring trips. This year, at the last minute, I decided to meet Mary in Barcelona as she had already committed to going there. I hadn’t been on a “sport climbing” trip in about 10 years. I’ve never been to Europe at all either. I knew the reputation of the climbing there was that it was “world class” and now the “Yosemite of sport climbing”. It is!

We started out in Barcelona where I flew in and stayed 1 night so I could get some sleep after the huge fight. Barcellona is cool city that bustles with locals, students and tourists. It has tons of restaurants and historic architecture.

Iglacia in Barcellona

Barcellona.

As weplanned we then rented a car for 3 weeks and headed to Rodellar (row dee ar). I knew I would love it there, Tuffas and/or jugs on almost every route! We stayed there and cranked and drank cafe’ con leche’ ‘s for a week! Then it rained and so we moved on to the Lleida area which has “much o escalada”!

Mary on .11a tuffas!, Rodellar

“El Comino” Wall

Tuffas on the “Aquest Any SI” wall.

Last day in Rodellar Rain hike.

The bar/cafe’/cocina in Rodellar.

Camarasa Canyon.

Next we stayed in house that some acquaintances had a deal on in Lleida. Thats when we hit up some climbing in the Camarasa, Santa Ana, Santa Linya and Margalef areas. It doesn’t matter what areas you go to climb in Spain, they’re all good! Margalef is little diferent because it’s a conglomerate rock and has pockets and cobbles and cracks on the same route!

Margalef.

Multi pitch in Santa Ana, Camarasa.

We then hit a cave with the longest and hardest pitches in Spain, the Vena Cova!

The “Vena Cova” cave

Rest days in Tarragona

Then some much needed resting on the beach in Tarragona.

Then we went to Suirana to finish the trip off. Suirana is awesome! Good camping, walk to everything, and a restaurant and bar on site.

The wall with “La Rambla” on it.

Another “approach” in Suirana.

After Suirana we hit a heat wave for the last 2 days of the trip. We did do one more route. We went in search of a multi-pitch route since we hadn’t done one yet. We found the perfect route for tired and hot climbers  to do. It was a 4 pitch .10 alongside a river in Sharma’s town (yes, another Shwarma name drop). It had HUGE cobbles and was vertical and FUN! The perfect end to the month long Spain trip. I can’t wait to come back here…SOON!

The river under the route. Shwarma where are you!

Atop pitch one.

Cool grafitti in Tarragona

A cool door in Tarragona.

Old school church in Tarragona.

Good times in Suirana.

The Silverback

10/2011

Or should I say, Sunburned-back? We got to Zion late Thursday night and the next day got a noon start on the Silverback, a .12+ that faces totally, sunny,  south! With the late start we only did the first 5 pitches, but man it probably only got better! A couple pitches of chimney and off-width got us to the headwall. Pitch 3 is a sweet 5.11 mixed dihedral “outing”. The cruxes are bolted on that one because of it being thin enough not to allow any pro. The next 5.10+ is also mixed becausee of the poor, sandy rock face climbing, that takes you to a squeeze section for a bit. The next is the “MONEY” pitch of the route for quality. There are soo many #2 cam hand jams in the 100′ flake on the wall! There are few bolts so you don’t have to bring, like 8-10 #2′s! The day was getting late and the sun had been hot so we decided to head down. Next time up we will have to continue by tackling a 5.12 off-width and then a 5.12+ tips crack that ends out a roof! Another classic in Zion.

This spring we are, believe it or not, going on a sport climbing trip, to SPAIN! I think its gonna be a blast!

The start

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                                                   

The "Money" pitch

Mary on the 4th pitch

The obsession continues…

Ya, I’m pretty obsessed with the “full-on” adventure of climbing in the Black Canyon! Mary and I were able to go climb there together this weekend because our “little man” is at the grandparents house for awhile. We have to go multi-pitching separate nowadays because of our duties with Sam (Boo).

We went to the South Rim, which is the north facing shady side. We jumped right in, after sleeping in, and did the top pitches of  Astro Dog .11+. The next day we got on an older route put up by Leonard Coyne and Keith Reynolds, Dragon Rider .12-. This is one of the best routes I’ve done there because of all the “perfect hands” pitches on the route. The hardest, and crux pitch of it, was the .12- off-width. That thing beat us done a little but we got up it. Another memorable pitch (they were all good! except for one crumbly peg pitch) was a .10 that traversed left under a roof and then exited the roof via perfect hands! The route was in the shade all day too. It was a perfect outing, lots ‘o hands, a beat down by a wide crack, and a “last minute of  light”  top-out!

The free bivy spot

The approach/decent

Starting the .11- (really .10) off-width

Mary leading the .12- O.W.

 

Mary on a .11 hands pitch

Sunset "artsy" belay shot

 

The 9 p.m. top-out

The 9 p.m. top-out

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mary follows the .11 O.W.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Some climbing photos…

These are some of the best climbing pics I have so far. Some are from very reputable “photogs” and are noted.

Indian Creek Portrait, photo-Celin Serbo

Comic Relief .12-, photo-Rob Keply

F.A. of La Nueva Esperanza .12+ trad, photo-David Clifford

Indy Pass .12a, photo-Jordan Curet

Morning Coffee on Moonlight, photo-Mary Harlan

Veterans…

Recently I got the chance  to do another route in the Black Canyon. It was surprisingly good temps in the shade, but we did start climbing at 5:45 a.m. The route was Veterans With Vertigo IV 5.11+. I thought, why doesn’t this route get any talk or hype? It had long crack pitches and a 5 star face climbing crux that was more like .12-. The route can go quick for a 1200′ outing and is in the shade until about 2 p.m. So here are some pics and it now on Mountain Project too: http://www.mountainproject.com/v/veterans-with-vertigo/107222256

The 2nd pitch .11a R

The crux .12-

Last pitch .10- R

Sunrise

Another Fine “Black” Route!

Recently, I got the chance to climb another Black Canyon route, Twisted 5.12, which was once an aid route. This one spins out left after the first pitch of Journey Home 5.10-. The first real pitch is a sick layback up a #5 cam sized flake that continues up till it tips out, but the last 12′ are on the broken off tip of the flake! That pitch ends with a 2 bolt section of 5.11c. A sweet 5.10 is next and then the 5.12 crux of a “power-stemming” corner. Three more good 5.11′s, one of which has awesome hands out a roof, then an easy choss “shorty” and your done. I think this route should become well traveled as it is clean and climbs well!

A 15 degree night!

David follows the .11c pitch.

The crux pitch.

David follows another .11 pitch.

The last .11 pitch.

Perfect weather!

Spring in Zion: Full Moonlight !

I just got back from Zion a few weeks ago. Mary and I were there to get a break from being parents and work on our project, Moonlight Buttress 5.12+! We also did a couple other routes to warm up to the trip. A good newer route called Cracking the Emerald 5.11+. Only the first 4 pitches are good though. Then we tried to do an older route called Equinox 5.10. Day one on the route ended with a core-shot right in the middle of our rope on the first pitch! The second day we arrived at the .10b crux and ended up bailing off of the route do to the pin(s) on that pitch being missing. The consequence of a fall on that spot would plant you on to the ledge.

The real goal was to get on Moonlight and try to redpoint some of the higher pitches that each of us hadn’t sent yet. So we rapped in after hiking to the top. No luck that mission, but it was awesome anyway of course! The next mission we also rapped in from the top, but only brought 3 ropes and some cams for the last .10 pitch, to lead out. Our tope-rope day on the route was perfect! No stress, no other climbers, and perfect temps again. We got our beta dialed for the fall attempt on either a ground-up try at sending or, at least, the redpointing of the individual pitches. We do need to get on that nasty little crux too. There was a full moon while we were there too.

Mary is now about to guide clients up Denali for May and I am taking care of Sam, looking for work for the summer, and trying to get out and train on some rock.

Top of Moonlight

The view from P8 Moonlight

Mary leading P8 .12a Moonlight, a climber is above

Bryce Canyon

2nd P of Equinox, 5.8 chimney

Checkerboard Mesa