Cavall Bernat, #12, Montserrat, Catalunya, 2019
I don’t typically post many rock climbing photos on my blog. But, I can’t resist in this case, even if they are but iPhone 6 snaps that I ran through a simple photo filter.
The Punsola-Reniu on Cavall Bernat is a Montserrat classic that I have had on my bucket list for some time–and on June 24 I finally got around to it with my climbing buddy, Xavi. I was thrilled and super proud to have been able to sample its odd and varied conglomerate pebbles and potatoes. Thanks, Xavi!
If you have ever driven up the narrow and curvy asphalt ribbon to the famous Montserrat Monastery (the spiritual heart of Catalunya, perhaps?), you have certainly seen this geologic marvel–a finger-like pinnacle that juts some 700-800 vertical feet up into the sky on the steep north side of the Montserrat massif. The Via Pensola-Reniu climbs straight up one of it’s ever-steepening corners directly to the top.
Those first ascensionists were pretty dern bold!
If you can climb it free, it goes at 5.11a/b or so (on tiny polished holds that likely make it harder) or you can ascend the 7 pitches at about 5.8 max on the free climbing, then A0 the two pitches of the bolt ladder and the last pitch traverse (as most parties do). On this day, I may have managed some 5.9/5.10 moves on the first of the two hard pitches before my resolve weakened and I started stepping in slings. Xavi managed a bit more free climbing before resorting to French free methods.
No matter. The company was a pleasure, the exposure was mind-mangling, the rock excellent (mostly), and the tiny summit–held down with a massively-heavy steel Virgin Mary statue–was a pleasure to relax upon whilst contemplating the surrounding Catalan universe and our small place in it–views from the Pyrenees to the Mediterranean Sea.
So, I offer up this very general route description to any of my climbing buddies who may visit from overseas and want to have a serious adventure. For a topo of the climbing route, and a more detailed description (in Catalan), see the superb Escalatroncs site.
We parked at the Santa Cecilia lot, admired the monastery founded in 945 (rebuilt in 1862 after being looted and burned by the French), then prepared our gear. We used two 60m half/twin ropes for potential retreat scenarios and also because the descent from the top involved a 40-50-meter rappel off the south side of the pinnacle. We also carried a handful of cams and actually placed three or four of them–small finger to hand-sized–although they weren’t strictly necessary. You’ll need maybe 20 quick draws unless you plan on back-cleaning a few on the longer of the two bolt ladder pitches:
Cavall Bernat, #1, Montserrat, Catalunya, 2019
From Santa Cecilia, we crossed the paved road and climbed a shaded trail toward our objective. The trail goes up initially, then contours along under the cliffs. Once directly below Cavall Bernat, look for a dry wash with a pink/purple arrow and a low tree limb partially blocking the entrance. Go up that drainage a short distance to the start of the initial scramble/climb. From the parking lot to the base of the first roped pitch (including that initial Class 4 scramble) will take you 40-60 minutes, depending how much you hurry. Here, Xavi contemplates the rather intimidating route:
Cavall Bernat, #2, Montserrat, Catalunya, 2019
Here is a view from the very start of the route. It’s a Class 3, then Class 4 scramble up that right-hand slab to the first belay (climber in blue, bottom right arrow). I asked for a rope at the top part of the “scramble”–low-quality rock and I was in my running shoes, so better safe than sorrowful. The climber with the red shirt (top right arrow) is leading the first pitch, a roughly 5.6 affair with just five bolts in 40 meters or so (although I did place a cam about 15 feet up at the start). The left arrow points to a climber just starting up the crack system that defines the Puigmal trad route (6a+/A1, 6a/A1 mandatory):
Cavall Bernat, #3, Montserrat, Catalunya, 2019
Since Xavi would lead the hardest pitch up high, it worked out (swapping leads) that I got the first pitch–easy, but very run out. This was the view looking down:
Cavall Bernat, #4, Montserrat, Catalunya, 2019
This is an excellent example of how bad the iPhone does in contre-jour situations. Yuck, don’t try this at home! Xavi has already led the second pitch and is anchored in to the left of the climber belaying the third pitch. You can see the leader on the third pitch on the skline. Luckily, every belay station was equipped with two pairs of bolts, so it was easy to share the same spot and be safely anchored–and it made things more social! The steep, hard pitches loom above. From this point on we moved into the shade (thankfully), having started up the route at about 1:30p.m. on a warm day:
Cavall Bernat, #5, Montserrat, Catalunya, 2019
Xavi works up the fourth pitch (V+, or 5.9-ish) while the party above is on the first of the bolt ladder pitches (6b+ or 5.10d, or A0). Those are his shoes clipped to the back of his harness, by the way. As you work your way up the route, each subsequent pitch has progressively more bolts, which is nice, but progressively more difficult if free climbed:
Cavall Bernat, #6, Montserrat, Catalunya, 2019
The party above us–a young guy and gal–is finishing the 5.10d (or A0) pitch. They managed much of it free. The rock here is dead vertical–maybe even slightly overhanging here and there where it bulges. In the foreground, you get a good gander at the kaleidoscope geology of Montserrat conglomerate:
Cavall Bernat, #7, Montserrat, Catalunya, 2019
I have just led the first bolt ladder pitch (6b+ or 5.10d, or A0). The bolts are spaced close enough to simply aid your way up it–which I did after initially free climbing to about the fifth bolt. You’ll need your 20 quickdraws for this pitch, or you’ll need to back clean a few. Yes, I know, some of my draws are clipped the wrong way, but heck, I was on aiders and desperate! Xavi looks a little bored down there… am I on belay? ; )
Cavall Bernat, #8, Montserrat, Catalunya, 2019
Hem fet el cim! Aaaahhhh… it’s always nice to change out of rock shoes and into comfy running shoes at the end of a long climb. Xavi and I on top, the Virgin Mary–here, doubling as both a religious icon and a steel climbing anchor–is to the left. The big rock to our right is l’Elefant and the Montserrat Monastery would be down the valley to the right. Oh, and the gumby crack gloves protect my now thin-skinned old man hands from inadvertent damage:
Cavall Bernat, #9, Montserrat, Catalunya, 2019
There are two rappels to the south to get down. One is short, maybe 20 meters, while the other is longer, maybe 40 meters or so. Xavi prepares the ropes for the longer rap. The raps basically follow the original first ascent line of Cavall Bernat, a three-pitch sorta-trad route with a few 5.9-ish (V+) moves. Unbelievably, this “Via Normal” was first done in 1935 by Josep Boix, Josep Costa and Carles Balaguer with God knows what horrible shoes and equipment–but they made it safely up and down. Collons! Their route is now starting to get a bit polished by the passage of myriad pairs of peus de gat:
Cavall Bernat, #10, Montserrat, Catalunya, 2019
After the rappels, you follow the nearby steep gulley back down to the original approach trail. As you are looking up at Cavall Bernat from the base of the Punsola-Reniu route, this would be the tree-choked gully to your left. It isn’t any fun…rather annoying, really. Lots of fixed ropes to Batman down (hand cramps later), and loose and slippery rock. It’ll take you maybe 30 minutes to get from the rappels back down to the base of the Punsola-Reniu:
Cavall Bernat, #11, Montserrat, Catalunya, 2019
As the sun approaches the western horizon, we get a last view of an amazing piece of stone–and site of a wonderful experience had thereupon. It took us eight hours, car-to-car. That’s probably average, I’d guess. This classic climb is best as a late spring through early fall venture as it can get damn cold up there in the wind and shade during the winter months:
Cavall Bernat, #12, Montserrat, Catalunya, 2019
As a bonus, here is a link to a very amateurish (and mercifully short at 47 seconds) video taken with my iPhone 6 while we were maybe three pitches up the route.
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