As we been almost a week under the rain, we had already a great season of multipitch climbing.
Our meeting point, during two weeks was MONTREBEI, they came from Montserrat (David and Salva and few more partys) and II’m coming from the Benasque’s valley, in the Aragon’s Pyrenees. We climbed a coupple of routs each time.
The first weekend, we went for “La Barra del Bar” (385mts ED 6a/b ) and the “Josep Elena”/ (145 mts ED, 6b) routes, both of them, beautiful and difficult in some point.
MONTREBEI: Up to 500 meters. As a traditional wall, all the routes here are an adventure, you can find pins, or bolts in some point or in some belay station, but mostly, need self protection or eventhough aid climbing.
The most difficult pitches in the first route (a sustained 7a+/A1, face climb, with small creeps and long movements). Non of us redpointed, eventough, David, who led those pitches, made a great job climbing up to the very end where he finally fall. It was really motivating to see him going to the limit.
The next weekend we wanted to climb a newer route that has some controversy, because it’s too near from the classic routes that has in both sides; and also seemed that has too many bolts.
Well, the route “Congres dels Solitaris”(395mts 6c, 6a obl) isn’t ugly at all; it is real that in some point you can almost touch the pins from the others lines, and of course that’s not good, but appart from that the climbing is nice, not real difficult. Plus there’nt that much bolts in the most difficult pitches rated as 6c and 6b, (in the topo there’re more than in the route!). The line has some terraces and discontinuous wall that makes the line not super attractive, but still we thought that the climbing was good.
The next day we climbed, a shorter route, “Sopa d’alls”, 200meters 7b+, 6a obl. (we belived that the 7b+ could be easier, I didn’t got it but it did’nt seem that hard). Has all the ingredients for a complete climbing day, face climbing, overhanging , some crack and layback climbing…in some point, on a tricky overhanging sections made me fall without even seeing the movement!
The next climbing was in other different wall the next week. The wall, called PEÑA MONTAÑESA, is an incredible limestone wall, from 150 mts to 400mts, with many different areas and orientations, mostly best during spring or autumn, in the Aragon’s Pyrenees. Ainsa would be the village reference to drive from. The area is totally wild and has an impressive look that increases while you’re climbing…
The climbings there, all of them, are demanding and really an adventure. (if you want some info about it take a look in http://albertganxets.blogspot.com). I’m just a lucky person to have these incredible talented and brave friends that take me for these kind of rides…
This time we were a party of three at last (started two partys but after the first pitch one collegue decided to rap down), after an hour and half of approach (and maybe, also after too many coffees), and all those changes of partys, we were going a bit slow.
Anyway, the route has been just put ot up this past May by a really good alpinist and rock climber together with two more climbers that I don’t know that much. I’ll insert the name and the topo on the next post. The lines goes on the right sode of the El Pilar del Sobrarbe.
Route: L1 7b/L2 6c/L3 6b+/L4 6c+/L5 6b.
Exposed, difficult to protect in some point, hard to climb and a mixture of classic climb and sportclimbing movements made us belive that should’t be call as the “next classic route of the wall” as it says in the topo,….and appart of the three first pitches, that mostly were on an excellent rock , the rest becomes more dirty, unestable rock and a bit too exposed, without being so nice; we didn’t like them that much.
