Passing through Mendoza and looking for either plastic or rock to climb…?
Passing through Mendoza and looking for either plastic or rock to climb…?
Its potato salad conglomerate summits bulging toward the sky just 45 minutes outside of Barcelona, Montserrat is a strange geologic oddity. It is also home to the near-mythical Monastery of Montserrat and thus the spiritual aorta of Catalunya. It attracts pilgrims and tourists from all over the world by the thousands… in charter buses, by car, by bike, even walking long distances. Perhaps not as well advertised, though, is that it is also a mecca of sorts for another kind of pilgrim–rock climbers from all over the world. The climbing history is just as grand, colorful, controversial, and bold as could be found in any other major climbing mecca of the world… and some of that history can be seen as you climb–in the belay and rappel anchors, and in the fixed protection you might encounter… thus, this post.
There is so much information publicly available today about rock climbing these days it’s hard to know where to start. It certainly wasn’t that way “BITD”… back then, you usually latched on to a mentor and learned by following and watching someone more experienced… or you found a local climbing club who offered lessons… or both!
A number of friends have asked about where to go for reliable climbing info, thus this post.
This is an interesting rock formation on the north side of the Montserrat massif outside of Barcelona. One of the classic climbs on this rock prominence is the aid route (Anglada-Guillamon, IV+/A3e) up the north side..
Stuck in the city and looking for a place to climb, hang out, and meet people?
“Has this cured you of mountain climbing?”
“Hey, I don’t know.” (He answered, from the Stokes litter.)