La Foixarda, #1. Barcelona, 2015
A climbing “tunnel“, you ask with incredulity?
Yes, indeedy, a tunnel.
It is located atop Montjuic, in the city of Barcelona, in what was once a stone quarry. In fact, the stone to build the famous Santa María del Mar church came from this same hilltop way back in the 14th century (as well as the stone for the Barcelona Cathedral and the construction of the port). The tunnel, though, was a late 20th century addition built to access the area which now also includes a very pro rugby pitch and an indoor climbing gym, Climbat.
The Legacy of Manuel Sánchez Panera (a 2022 Update)
…or, as he is more informally, known in these parts: Manolo, “El Heavy”.
This is the guy we have to thank for this odd, strange, creative, unique, and very convenient (and free!) urban climbing area… and it seems he did it all on his own time, and with his own equipment, sweat, and resources.
IMHO, we should really just rename the tunnel after him. Why not?
Manolo started out by secretly putting in a 6b route in the tunnel some 25 years ago… and when locals began to queue up to climb it, his project gained momentum and El Heavy found his calling.
For years, he worked at night (after the police had finished patrolling the area) and was often at it until dawn, putting in the plastic holds, the bolts, and anchors. All this secretive nocturnal activity apparently awakened the latent inner vampire in him, thus the symbolism of the huge 170-pound, jet-black, volume dominating the roof at the west end of the tunnel–a giant vampire bat which also forms the finishing holds on a couple of harder routes. Yes, Manolo, the Vampire! But, as one article said, “he has no fangs, but he does have a drill.”
In 2004, the tunnel was finally officially recognized as an urban climbing site by the city government as well as several other important entities, and now there is at least some annual financial support for the maintenance of the routes, bolts, and anchors.
Manolo, though, has gotten increasingly creative over the years. He now designs and installs some really wild holds and volumes–he is really an artist… but an artist who happens to like to bolt his sculptures to the tunnel walls so folks can crimp and heel hook them!
So, if you happen to see this guy in the tunnel, perhaps atop some scaffolding gluing in bolts or attaching his latest bizarre creation to the cement roof, give him a shout out and a huge “Gracias!!!” for his efforts over the years.
[For the curious who can read Spanish, here is a 2008 article about Manolo and the Foixarda Tunnel, published in Spain’s Desnivel magazine, titled (roughly) “Secrecy, vampires, and rock climbing”.
Some of Manolo’s new holds and volumes. Note the COVID-19 influence:
Artistic Talent Meets Climbing, #1
Manolo and helpers at work–that’s him up top putting the finishing touches on a new hold:
Manuel Sanchez at Work, April 19, 2022
Finally, someone (Kopisuno and ???) has added some impressive new art panels at the east end of the tunnel:
Foixarda Tunnel Murals, April, 2022
A few observations
–It is all bouldering or sport climbing on very short (4 to 15 meters) routes. The low traverses are very popular and probably where you will start.
–You’ll likely find climbers here at just about any hour and any day of the week. You may even run into a possible climbing partner for a run out to one of the many nearby local crags.
–Being a tunnel, you can hang out and climb here even in inclement weather.
–They say there are some 80-90 possible artificial sport climbs in and just outside each end of the tunnel, from 5a (5.7) to as hard as you like (8b!?). You’ll find the route names and ratings in the little yellow squares here and there–if they haven’t been eroded beyond recognition. From the yellow box, climb up to the apex of the curved roof, then lower off the anchors.
–Most of the longer routes (just outside the east end of the tunnel) are on the artificial Disney-like cement that was used to cap and control the unstable natural rock beneath. Here, you will find glued-on and bolted gym holds as well as holds chipped directly into the concrete.
[2017 NOTE: Disregard the previous two bullet points where I talk about the routes outside the tunnel. As of Summer, 2017, all of the routes outside of the tunnel on the EAST side have been eliminated with the bolts pulled/chopped. The only remaining outside-the-tunnel routes are the handful of easier ones on the west side. Still, it is a fun place to bring a newbie and hang out–or bring an overhang master and try climbing the hard stuff on the sometimes bizarre holds inside the tunnel!]
–With the passage of many, many feet over the decades, you’ll often find the holds polished down to a virtual verglas state–especially the foot holds on the low traverses along the 50-meter length of the tunnel. You will be using a lot more hand, finger and upper body than would normally be necessary otherwise.
–The “onda” is very grunge-urban with plenty of graffiti, the light noise of the passing traffic above, and the soundtrack beat from the odd portable boom box.
–Gear you should bring: Just shoes and chalk if you stay on the low traverses. For roped climbing, also bring a 30m rope, maybe 8 quickdraws, your harnesses, belay devices, and a sling or PAS (if you use one).
–For a completely different [indoor] experience, try the Climbat climbing gym just a few hundred yards away on the same road.
–I bring my “trash tongs” and a bag when I come here. I feel like keeping the place cleaned up reflects on us as climbers (even though the City rolls through fairly regularly to pick up the trash).
Some images
…most from the tiny, but very impressive, Sony RX100iv)…
The graffiti…and creativity with route names. Here you have “Dangerous María”, “Chalk Addicts”, and “Crazy Gomez”:
La Foixarda, #2. Barcelona, 2015
Entering the tunnel of unearthly delights:
La Foixarda, #3. Barcelona, 2015
On the traverse. It may be 5.10+ or so to complete the whole thing in one direction without resting, given the very snot-slippery feet you’ll be forced to use. No individual move is that hard, it’s the buuuuuurn!
La Foixarda, #4. Barcelona, 2015
A look at the routes as they curve up to the apex of the tunnel roof:
La Foixarda, #5. Barcelona, 2015
Some philosophy, with translation:
“I am made of conviction, not of mud.
I am made of sweat, not of arrogance.
I am made of teamwork, not of individuality.
I am made of the next step, not the last.
I am made of a life of training, not only of victory.
I am made of looking toward the future, not to the past.”
Below, in red ink, is a more sobering note and I think the translation would be (poetic/poorly spelled Spanish?):
“We can all be raped… and the stains don’t go away. –Arnold Schwarzenegger“.
La Foixarda, #6. Barcelona, 2015
More graffiti… this time an “I was there” note from the Slovaks. You never know who you might meet here:
Foixarda Tunnel, #1, Montjuic, Barcelona, 2021 (iPhone X)
Some fun holds:
La Foixarda, #7. Barcelona, 2015
Stalactite:
La Foixarda, #9. Barcelona, 2015
A close-up of that dude on the ceiling:
Foixarda Tunnel, #2, Montjuic, Barcelona, 2021 (iPhone X)
The traverse, again:
La Foixarda, #12. Barcelona, 2015
Polished holds… and an, uh, interesting route name (“Goya’s Dick”):
La Foixarda, #14. Barcelona, 2015
The batman…. nice bicycle rest:
Batman, #1. La Foixarda, Barcelona, 2017
Bouldering higher up than I would be comfortable. I’ve seen this guy here a number of times and he pretty much has every hold memorized, every move wired:
Soloing. La Foixarda, Barcelona, 2017
The easier sport routes are outside the west end of the tunnel. It is actually possible, but not at all necessary, to place pro in the natural rock area that you see. In fact, I recently (2017) spotted a mangled pink tricam wedged deep in one crack between the stones:
La Foixarda, #15. Barcelona, 2015
A look at the artificial “Disney” walls outside of the east end of the tunnel [NOTE: As of summer, 2017 these routes have been removed, bolts chopped]:
La Foixarda, #16. Barcelona, 2015
Another, more comfy, option is available just a couple hundred yards away. It’ll cost somewhere around 50 Euros a month–cheap by Boulder, Colorado standards:
La Foixarda, #17. Barcelona, 2015
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