Margalef

Our time at Siurana was short lived. A group decision that although a great place it didn't fit our climbing style very well and this wasn't enjoyed by all. We stayed for a week sampled most of the more popular crags & I got to do one of the climbs I had really wanted to do on this adventure, Anabolica.

Long move shut me down a lot!

Shortly after our week was up & our short but sweet time in Siurana came to an end.

Fires are cool + spanish love fires = spanish are cool

Next up on the hit list- Margalef. Due to reasonably bland & uninspiring comments on Margalef such as "It's all just pockets" & "there's not much there" & "its not very good" we at one point thought we might only stay for a few days….

Margalef is Frickin' Awsome!!

We stayed for 11 days (I could have stayed for a month!) On our very first day we did some exploration and found this fully awesome little church carved into a hillside, right next to a shit ton of climbing. On further inspection we found more and more rooms behind the church carved out of the rock it's self. I'm not normally that bothered by this sort of thing but it was totally amazing, looked beautiful & all open to let you wander about. People were even sleeping in some of the rooms and on the section of the church roof that was flat. I planned to join them for one night but are time was up just too soon.

Outside

Inside

On days where our legs were tired but our fingers weren't hurting enough, we went to 'El Lab' I get to call it that as I have climbed/hung out here & seen Chris Sharma. For the rest of you mere mortals, you may refer to it as 'El Laboratory'

Google to the rescue

By visiting this crag you are draw to First Round First  Minute, it's distinctive look and shinny petzl quickdraws being something of a give away. It's crazy short and looks crazy hard. I used to wonder how a route so much shorter could be so much harder than Realisation or La Rambla, seeing this in person is a good answer.

Another serious tick for Margalef is the free-ish camping (it says to stay for one night but no one seems to mind…). There are these car park type spaces dotted all around that you are aloud to pitch up and stay in, some have water (you can drink it but it makes your drinking water last so long) they often have tables & benches made from the surrounding stone & the pice de la resistance is the stone BBQ that are everywhere, one man's BBQ is another warm shower shed.

I ain't going hippy

With all of this amazingness & a vast potential for new routes that goes on for valley after valley, coupled with a new guide book in the works from Pete O'Donovan. The popularity is sure to rocket. Most of europe seems to already be aware but if your not go and check it out before the secret truly breaks….

Sátiva Patática 8a

One caveat to this is the shop. Theres only 1 and its open 6-8. You may be thinking that most of the day whats the fuss. Well it's 6pm-8pm. Totally crazy, this is the reason spain is still a third world country! Nobody wants to make money. Maggie Thatcher & therefore also Jon Partridge(who still hasn't forgiven the miners) would be appalled.

As we leave Margalef, I've lots more to do here, things I've tried and failed & things I've failed to try. I hope we return but for now we are onto the next location. No idea where its gunna be but Robin is out in a week so properly wherever he ends up cranking.

Team.