I was recently chewing the fat with an old climbing acquaintance back in Sheffield. It was a miserable day in early November, with the prospect of several months of the same (or worse, as it turned out) inevitably steering the conversation towards foreign climbing trips.
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| Albert Cortés on Raiverd (6b), Collegats. |
Like many enthusiastic climbers of a ‘certain age’, my friend is a seasoned Spanish campaigner, with a number of trips under his belt: he’s ‘done’ the various different islands (Mallorca, Tenerife/Gran Canaria) and ‘Costas’ (Costa del Sol and Costa Blanca) up and down the country.
However, even though I strongly suspected it, I was still rather surprised to hear that he’d never been to Catalunya in the northeast of the country— an area which has more rock and more routes than the rest of the Iberian Peninsula put together, and the place where Spanish climbers go on holiday.
I began by waxing lyrical about the delights of the Serra de Prades (aka ‘Costa Daurada’, which is actually pretty popular with many Brits) and then moved on to my own patch, Lleida, but he suddenly stopped me in mid-flow.
“Hang on a minute” he blurted out, “Sure, it looks great in the magazines — Oliana, Terradets, Santa Linya, etc., are obviously all fantastic cliffs — but they’re not for me: I climb 6b, not 9b!"
I was completely taken aback by this statement, and even more so when other climbers on the periphery of the conversation more or less echoed these sentiments. Does everyone think this way, I thought? Perhaps they do. After all, virtually any time Catalunya pops up on the news pages of major climbing websites and magazines the content is invariably something along the lines of "Dani Andrada climbs new 9a+ in Santa Linya" or "Sharma sends Siurana 9b project". Fair enough, I suppose, after all "16 new climbs between IV and 6b equipped on superb new crag" hardly constitutes breaking news, even if it is far more relevant to the average climber.
But having spent 20 years climbing in Lleida province, and having just published a new selective guidebook to the area (Lleida Climbs, co-written with Dani Andrada) featuring more than 1,900 routes, of which 50% are below 7a, I think I’m in a pretty strong position to categorically say that Lleida is not just for hot-shots.
So what follows is an in-depth tour around the province's best crags for 5's and 6's, both single and multi-pitch, but before getting down to the nitty-gritty, a few words regarding exactly what constitutes a ‘good’ middle-grade sector are probably in order. Sure, most crags in the region, even awesomely steep pieces of rock like Contrafort de Rumbau at Oliana with its 50m 9a+’s, usually have a handful of 6's lurking in the lower, less steep 'wings', but these are really just sideshows to the main event, maybe OK for the weaker member of mixed ability teams while their more accomplished partner is resting from attempts on a harder project, but hardly warranting a special visit for the majority of climbers. No, for the purposes of this article we are looking at crags where the V's and 6's are the main course (or at least a very substantial starter) rather than just a bit of garnish on the side.
And despite earlier references to “sun rock” and “escaping the dreary British winter”,
Lleida shouldn’t be considered as merely a cold weather venue: in fact, owing to orientation or altitude (or sometimes a combination of both) climbing in several of it’s major zones is only possible during the summer months, so we’ll be talking about those too.
Note (1): In this region routes below 6a can be graded either using Roman numerals i.e. 'V', or the standard French system of numbers and letters i.e. '5b', depending on the zone (and preferences of the local activists). The equivalents are: IV+ = 5a; V = 5b; V+ = 5c.
Note (1): In this region routes below 6a can be graded either using Roman numerals i.e. 'V', or the standard French system of numbers and letters i.e. '5b', depending on the zone (and preferences of the local activists). The equivalents are: IV+ = 5a; V = 5b; V+ = 5c.
Note (2): All the zones and sectors featured in this article are covered in more detail in the Lleida Climbs guidebook. The guidebook is broken up into 3 different geographic ‘areas’ (plus a coulple of outlying zones) and the article will follow the same format: consult the map below for more details.
Area 1
CAMARASA
This impressive gorge, the meeting point of the rivers Segre and Noguera-Pallaresa, has long been a favourite with Lleida climbers. The crags are scattered across a picturesque wooded hillside and overlooked by the mighty walls of Mont Roig (Red Mountain) on the opposite side of the gorge. But the really great thing about Camarasa is the rock: rough, red and grey limestone, littered with juggy pockets and pleasingly in-cut edges. You find stunning, blank-looking walls where 6b's rub shoulders with 7c's, and until you actually get on them, visually there's very little to distinguish one from the other.
Camarasa also has another trick up its sleeve: the majority of its sectors face West or Northwest, meaning one can happily climb here anytime between March and October, and in a country dominated by south-facing walls, that's a very useful attribute indeed.
With so many excellent sectors it's not easy to single out just a few for special mention, but the following crags should point you in the right direction.
Marcant Estil: Lleida's most popular climbing sector — you'll never walk alone here. Chief amongst its attractions seems to be the very short approach: out of the car and onto the rock.
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| Vicky Rodriguez on Tascones Lejanos (6a+), Camarasa | |
The 56 routes here (predominantly V's and 6's) are packed Sardine-tight, allowing maximum climbing time and minimum fussing about — perfect for a couple of hour's intensive action, or giving a quick boost to your holiday route-tally.
Kuestelon la France: although actually home to Camarasa's most difficult routes (up to 8c+), this sector also boasts some very good 6's. The rock is superb and the climbing excellent, with routes like Tascones Lejanos (6a+, 25m), Papaso Ninja (6b+, 15m), Fissura Garreta (6c, 23m), Où Vous Allez? (6c+, 23m) and Encantats de la Via (6c+, 18m) all worth doing.
La Pera: a superb sector formed by an impressive, twin-peaked pinnacle (‘La Pera’) lying just a few metres in front of the main wall of rock, with routes both on the inside face of the pinnacle and the main wall itself. When it comes to warm-weather climbing conditions the gap (3-5 metres) is crucial — not so close that it feels claustrophobic, or that the routes feel artificial because you could possibly reach out and touch the other side, but narrow enough to shut out the sun's rays for the best part of the day. On summer afternoons a cooling wind often blows through the gap, doubling the cooling effect. Of the thirty routes, all are worth doing, but in the grade-range discussed in this article Xixi Park (6a+ 22m), Dancing Trip (6b 25m), Second Life (6b+ 25m) and Mexico Lindo (6b+ 35m) are standouts.
Sectors Fashion & La Selva: these two adjoining sectors were developed as recently as 2006, but offer some of Camarasa's (and Lleida's) best climbing. Sector Fashion is typical of the zone — a dead- vertical wall with sharp pockets and small edges, the distribution of which is the only thing separating the grades. It's not a big cliff and consequently some of the 6's here are rather fierce for the grade, but the four routes on the right-hand side of the wall, Vittorio & Cochino (6a+ 18m), Trolex (6b 20m), Giorgio Amari (6b+ 20m) and Dolce & Marrana (6c 20m) provide excellent climbing at accurate grades. Note the names — word-plays on the names of major fashion houses: to understand the double meaning you'll need to learn a little Spanish and Catalan!
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| Cristina Ribosa on Viagra (6b), Camarasa. |
Nearby La Selva is an impressive and atmospheric sector, where a huge open cave stretching the full height of the crag dominates the scene. A few of the routes here are actually pretty hard (up to 8a+) but the best routes are mostly in the 6's: Michumi (6a+ 32m), Tensió Anal (6b, 32m), Pasión de Talibanes (6b+, 32m), Viagra (6b+ 32m), El Rei Louie (6b+ 35m) and Gorronya Kejorronya (6c, 32m) and more, are all brilliant — enough to keep the grade 6 warrior happy for several full days.
Crestes de Conill: These splendid, narrow crests of rock are easily visible from the village of Camarasa, on the opposite side of the River Segre. There are several crests, but the area of particular interest to climbers is the south face of the first (on the left), providing excellent face climbing on perfect, near-vertical rock which, unusually for Camarasa, is at its best during the winter months. I've baked here in early January, whilst on the opposite side of the gorge the frost has barely lifted all day. A narrow ledge system runs mid-height along much of the cliff, and the half dozen, or so, V's and V+'s finish here. Continuing to the top of the wall (30m) means upping the ante slightly (6a — 6b+). Virtually all the routes here are worth doing, but Plakistan (6a, 30m) and Yin (6a+, 30m) are two of the best.
SANT LLORENÇ DE MONTGAI
Just 5 minutes down the road from Camarasa, this historic climbing area is (with the exception of the bouldering in El Cogul) the most southerly of Lleida's zones.
SANT LLORENÇ DE MONTGAI
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| Sant Llorenç de Montgai |
The crags are beautifully situated along the shores of a long, narrow lake, and while the rock is not 100% perfect throughout the zone, there’s certainly enough good stuff to keep the middle-grade climber happy for several days.
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| Climbers on pitch 3 of La Directa (6b), Sant Llorenç de Montgai. |
The multi-pitch routes here offer far more rewarding experiences for the practitioner of V's and 6's, with the likes of Isaac-Gabriel (V+, 6 pitches, 180m), Jordi Andreu (6a, 4 pitches 180m), Cristian Gutiérrez (6a+, 3 pitches 75m), La Directa (6b, 4 pitches, 95m) and Autopista al Infierno (6b+, 4 pitches, 100m) all providing highly enjoyable, if slightly adventurous climbing experiences.
Note: the multi-pitch climbs selected for inclusion in Lleida Climbs all have modern in-situ belays and protection (mostly parabolts), but may still feature occasional sections of less than perfect rock. Wear a Helmet!
CUBELLS
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| Emili Bou on Arnoleta (6b+), Cubells. |
Of the nearly 70 climbs here, there are a dozen 5's and almost three times as many 6's, though as is typical with 'only' vertical rock, the grading can feel a little harsh at times. As for recommendations, take your pick, they're all pretty nice, though the trio of routes on the extreme left-hand side of the crag, Lo Patagon (6a, 15m), Lo Sibèria (6a+, 15m) and Raskakaska (6a, 15m) make a good starting point. Further right, past the impressively smooth walls of Placa Gran, with its 7's and 8's, lies sector Braille, where Arnoleta (6b+, 20m) is one of the classics of the crag.
SANTA ANA
The crags lying just below the Santa Ana reservoir are not actually in Lleida province (nor even Catalunya) but several hundred metres inside the neighbouring Spanish province of Aragon.
However, their close proximity to city of Lleida (capital of the province) means that Santa Ana has always been considered as the ‘local’ crag and so its inclusion, both in this article and the guidebook, transcends geographic niceties.
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| Les Agulles at Santa Ana, with a climber on Pionera (6b+). |
Les Agulles is a magnificent group of pinnacles, whose south-westerly faces are home to some of the finest middle-grade climbing in the entire region. There are 25 routes, the majority lying between 6a+ and 6c, with virtually all being worth doing. Of particular note are: Planeta Gris (6a+ 35m), Pionera (6b+), Mejor que Bien (6b+ 45m!), Fals Advocat (6c 37m) and Niña Puñales (6b+ 37m) — all magnificent, long pitches on superb-quality rock.
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| Josep Maria Casals on Murisec (6c), Santana. |
Across the river on the shady side of the gorge lies El Sendero — the perfect spot for warm summer afternoons, though it also catches morning sunshine in winter. The routes here start as low as IV+, but it’s the 6's which offer the best climbing. Unusually for limestone, El Sendero has some excellent crack lines, with Hippy (6a+, 25m), El Jardi dels Deus (6b+, 2 pitches, 37m) and Murisec (6c, 20m) all providing fine, strenuous challenges.
LA PAUTA
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| Andrea Chlebova on Lapsus (6c), La Pauta. |
OS DE BALAGUER & TARTAREU
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| The main cliff at Os de Balaguer with climbers on Kin Matoa (6b+). |
However, collectively they offer a large number of 6's, all of which have been exceptionally well equipped with frequently spaced 10mm 'Parabolts', and it's amazing how solid an apparently dubious hold can feel when there's a nice, fat bolt right next to you!
Consequently 'Os' and Tartareu have become very popular, and judging by the foreign number plates on some of the parked vehicles one sees, it's not just the locals who approve.
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| Àngel Cogul on Si fas Fum no fas Grau (6a) Tartareu. |
With so many 6's on offer it's hard to single out just a few, but the adjacent trio of L'Esperó del Nico (6b 25m), Kin Tostao (6a 25m) and Kin Matao (6b+ 25m) take separate lines up the most attractive piece of rock in the zone, while Aida (6b+ 25m) and El Ball del Vent (6c 25m) also offer interesting and varied climbing.
At nearby Tartareu the cliffs face predominantly east, making it a popular summer afternoon hangout for local climbers. Si Fa Fum no fas Grau (6a 24m), El Codi Da Vinci (6b+ 27m), El Pangol Free (6b+ 25m), Frenesí al Tambó (6a+ 16m), Emental Vertical (6b 17m) and Johny Babuchas (6b 17m) are just a few of the many enjoyable 6's spread along the crag.
Area 2
ÀGER
Above the town of Àger, extensive bands of limestone stripe the vast slopes of Montsec d'Ares. The amount of bare rock here (much of which is unclimbed) is truly staggering, but the areas of most interest for the purposes of this article are two recently developed sectors: Àger 300 and Barranc de Grillons.
Àger 300: this beautifully situated crag offers fine climbing on vertical and slightly overhanging walls. The rock is very smooth and compact, so much so that many of the routes here are way beyond the 6th grade (up to 8b+), though there's certainly enough for a few days' sport. The sector is at its best on a clear, sunny midwinters' day, when the lower cliffs in the region are often fog-bound (read 'Fog') and routes such as Esencia (6b+ 30m), Orejones (6b 30m), (6b+ 25m), Pussy Cat (6b+ 30m) and Super Ratón (6b+ 25m) provide excellent climbing.
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| Apadrina un Banquero (6c), Àger (Barranc de Grillons). |
Barranc de Grillons: although generally the same angle as '300', the rock here is far rougher and more featured, offering a multitude of sharp edges and in-cut pockets together with excellent frictional properties. Consequently the sector has a far higher proportion of 6's than its near neighbour, and the slabby right-hand side of the cliff even boasts some very pleasant IV's and V’s.
Most of the routes here are worth doing, but Anticrisis Crack (6a 30m), Buidasacs (6b 22m), A ne pas Rater (6b+ 35m), Apadrina un Banquero (6c, 40m) and Chaufee qui Peut (6c+ 38m) are arguably the best. Enjoy!
TERRADETS
This mighty gorge of the River Noguera-Pallaresa is famous both for the multi-pitch routes on Paret de les Bagasses and Roca Regina, and the stunning high-grade sport-crag Paret de les Bruixes, but also offers some very fine one, two and three pitch grade V's and 6's, particularly on a section of Paret de les Bagasses known as Si fas Free no fa Fret ("if you do it free it's not cold").
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| Paret de les Bagasses, Terradets. |
VILANOVA DE MEIÀ
Some of the best multi-pitch cragging in Catalunya, if not the whole of Spain.
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| Sector Amatista, Vilanova de Meià |
Amatista (6a [6a], 120m, 5 pitches), Imágenes (6b+ [6b+], 95m, 4 pitches) and La Frontera (6c [6a+], 95m, 3 pitches) are all superb outings — perfect for a few hours’ action on a sunny afternoon.
Note: the grades in square brackets represent the hardest 'obligatory' moves, i.e. those which cannot be aided, even if you want to).
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| Àngel Arrabalí on pitch 3 of Imágenes (6b+, 95m), Vilanova de Meià. |
COLLEGATS
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| Ariadna Pallé on 7e Cel (6a), Collegats. |
Sector Cine (Collegats' earliest sport crag) is a south-facing conglomerate cliff up to 30m high offering a good selection of V's and 6's in a very pleasant setting. The rounded, blobby, pebble-like holds, typical of this type of rock, may not be everyone's cup of tea, but for those used to either gritstone or UK climbing walls, they shouldn't be too offputting. Recommended routes include Sesión Continua (6a, 20m), El Silencio del Cordero (6a, 30m), Arena y Libertad (6a, 30m) and Licencia para Escalar (6b, 25m). Rather tough grading!
A few miles up the canyon lies sector L'Argentería, taking its name from a beautiful and spectacular rock formation lying just across the river, whose water-worn curves and grooves are said to have been a major inspiration for the famous Barcelona architect Antoni Gaudí.
This south-east facing sector, at its best on spring and summer afternoons, offers only a limited number of routes in our grade range, but the lack in quantity is more than made up for in quality. Indeed, 7è Cel (6a, 32m) is one of the best routes of its grade in Lleida province — a superb corner/groove-line offering continually interesting climbing. Other fine routes include Raiverd (6b, 30m) and De Picnic (6b, 25m), while those looking for something a bit harder might enjoy getting to grips with the imposingly steep Sellui (6c+, 30m).
El Niu&Primer Vol: the fictional newsline "16 new climbs between IV and 6b equipped on superb new crag in Collegats" used in the introduction to this article, actually refers to the development of El Niu ("The Nest"), an attractive slabby crag just up the road from L'Argentería, which somehow escaped the attentions of local climbers until as recently as Autumn 2009. It is now without doubt one of Collegats' most popular low/mid-grade sectors, offering a selection of excellent IV's and V's, as well as the odd 6. The best of these are probably the two routes (+ continuation pitches) on the right-hand side of the crag: climbed as a single long pitch, Picarol (IV+, 20m) and its extension Calabruix (6a+, 15m) is an excellent combination, as is Libertad d'Expansió (IV+, 16m) and its extension Bocamoll (6b, 20m), just to the left.
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| Sector El Niu, with a climber on Picarol (IV+). |
For those ready to quit the nest, nearby sector Primer Vol ("First Flight") offers a trio of fine steep pitches: Quin Rampell (6c, 30m), Sac de Gemecs (6c, 30m) and A Ulls Clucs (6c+, 30m).
Area 3
OLIANA
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| Vicky Rodriguez on Lent Trepar (6b), Oliana. |
COLL DE NARGÓ
Together with nearby Perles, Coll de Nargó is amongst Lleida's finest low/middle-grade zones, offering numerous excellent single and multi-pitch climbs on superb quality rock. The different sectors are spread along an impressive crest of rock, dominating the hillside above the village, and the open aspect and southerly orientation makes the zone a perfect mid-winter suntrap.
The highest walls, just west of the main parking area at Coll Piqué, collectively form sector Paret del Grau, home to a selection of highly enjoyable 2, 3 and 4 pitch climbs, all with rappel descents, amongst which Àfrica (5b, 3 pitches, 90m), Esperó dels Maneirons (6b, 4 pitches, 100m), Montse (6c, 3 pitches, 70m) and No t'ho Perdis (6c+, 4 pitches, 100m) are all highly recommended.
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| Sector Coll Piqué, Coll de Nargó. |
Of the single-pitch sectors, the one with the highest concentration of V's and 6's is Coll Piqué: virtually all the 35 routes here in this grade-range are worth doing, but standouts include El Teorema d'en Marcel (5c, 30m), Kundalini (6b, 30m) and Ambient de Parapent (6b+, 30m), as well as a trio of fine but unnamed 30-35m, 6a/6a+ pitches (routes 25, 26 and 27 in Lleida Climbs).
Sector Del Mig is another crag worthy of attention, with a brace of two-pitch climbs, Pels Pels (5c, 50m) and Fisuteràpia (6a, 50m) joining the list of 'must-do' routes.
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| Perles, with Roc d'en Sola on the left of the picture. |
A beautiful zone in a stunning setting, hosting some truly brilliant 5th and 6th grade climbing, both single and multi-pitch. Pride of place goes to Roc d'en Solà, a fantastic wall of perfect limestone, where routes like Boixeres (5c, 22m), Noches de Bohemia (6a, 30m), Mac Gregor a su Pesar (6b, 40m, 2 pitches), Amistades Pelirrojas (6a, 90m, 4 pitches) and Tos de Gos (6c, 90m, 3 pitches) are all excellent. Just in front of the main wall a freestanding pinnacle, L'Agulla de l'Alba, offers a further selection of shorter but still fine routes, mostly in the 5b-6b range.
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| Isidre Escorihuela on Amistades Pelirrojas (6a), Perles. |
Outlying Zones:
CAVALLERS
The cliffs overlooking the Cavallers reservoir in the Catalan Pyrenees add yet dimension to Lleida climbing: mountain granite. This exceptional zone, situated within the beautiful Aigües Tortes National Park, offers a multitude of excellent single and multi-pitch sport climbs (though the longer routes often need a supplementary rack of Friends and wires).
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| Lisi Roig on Salam Alekum (6c), Cavallers. |
Of the sectors included in Lleida Climbs, Placa Xalmet and Pared Inerte have by far the most to offer 5th and 6th graders, and being situated on opposite sides of the reservoir, allow for a choice in orientations to suit prevailing weather conditions.
The west-facing Placa Xalmet is a superb steep (70-80°) slab, offering a fine selection of one and two pitch face climbs, where no amount of strength will overcome bad technique. Treking Pirineus (6b+, 35m), The Killing Moon (6b+, 35m), Cándidad Ingenuidad (6c, 30m) and L'Oveja Negra (6c+, 45m) are all excellent pitches, which will test your footwork to the utmost.
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| Jordi Alti on Directa Americana (6b), Cavallers. |
For me this is the best of Cavallers' sectors, and routes such as Pasions Quirúrgicas (6a+, 35m) Directa Americana (6b, 35m), Salam Alekum (6c, 35m) and La Babosa (6c+, 45m) are worth doing again and again.
