Sometimes summers in Catalonia are just too hot and hiding in the
shade doesn't help a lot. We used this crazy heat for an excuse and start to explore
Aragon.
First week we drove to the Valle de Benasque two hour away from
Era Vella. Cool canyon with big walls on both sides of the road. A vista total
didn't work this time and except enjoying 2 hour approach on the sun between
the bushes, snakes and elephants we climbed one nice route. On the way back we
found the sector we were looking for and we will come back when there will be
more routes (or with the drill to make them).
Since one of us likes granite so much we had to go higher up in
the mountain. 10 minutes approach and 150m long routes on altitude more than
200 meters. Amazing climbing and enjoying the day with a nice view.
In Sant Loreç de Montgai the conditions were still good only for
swimming so we returned to Aragon. Devotas is a cool sector for easier routes.
You can climb there in the afternoon and if it's too hot you can still throw
yourself in the river.
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| Best spot for the summer :) |
Foz de Canal, Bielsa is just another one of amazing Spanish crags
whee you can find routes of all grades. Anyways the best routes start here
after 8a and best conditions at 8 am. It is a perfect place for summer mornings
but this time it just got too hot too soon (around 1 pm). Colder days are
coming, so I'm looking forward to come back and climb all this amazing projects
up there.
Our next stop was Ordesa with one of a kind big walls. Inedible
place where we were enjoying one long route with a few bolts in it. There are
also some harder things to do there but I need to practice a bit more how to
use this decorational trad gear before I return :).
The best discovery of the short trip was a long canyon which we
accidentally found on our way from Bielsa to Ordesa. One of the best walls I've
seen in a long time but without any bolts or routes. Unfortunately it didn't
look like it's possible to climb with trad gear so I need to return with my
drill. In the river below are some awesome boulders you can do Psicobloc style.
Now enough of exploring, back to the project. Winter is coming... :)
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| The projecting season starts now! |
