Om Mani Padme Hum at Agulla de l'Arbret

The weather forecast was far from encouraging, reason why Xavi and me scratched a trip to the Pyrenees in favor of a climb in Montserrat. During our last climb there, we had made out a promising rock called "L'Agulla de l'Arbret" which translates to "Little Tree's Needle" and since then a suitable route was found in the very recommendable blog "Escalatroncs".

Line description from escalatroncs

Click here to read on

Before heading to the Agulla de l'Arbret, though, we wanted to locate a possible future climbing project I don't want to mention by name yet. After some searching we found it: it's a very odd climbing route that doesn`t look easy at all. It's so interesting, however, that I'm afraid we have to try ourselves at it. Probably not this year, but hopefully as soon as wheather conditions return to be more reliable.

Foggy morning

Some more time was lost due to a rather long approximation, dense vegetation, fog and our general inability to make out our target. Another team of climbers we met at a nearby rock pike gave us some useful hints, but even so, it wasn't until 12 o'clock, more or less, that we found ourselves at the starting point, preparing our gear. That was the moment it started to drizzle. Nevertheless we continued preperations on and moments later I began my way up the Agulla de l'Arbret, following a well visible line of anchors of the Om Mani Padme Hum route.

Luckily, the rain soon ceased without having wetted the rock surface all too much. The first pitch was 50m long and rated V-. I'm sure that more professional climbers would call the Om Mani Padme Hum - line overequipped, but I was happy to find numerous anchors while heading upward. When I was about to set my 10th draw (I mistakenly thought it to be the 11th - my last) I still couldn't make out any belay station, however was able to see a well marked hollow in the wall where I supposed to find it. From below Xavi proposed to use a sling rather than my apparent last draw, which I did. This I think is a good resource when running out of draws, however it turned out to be an unnecessary action for the belay station was in the hollow, or in other words: pretty close by. The hollow in the wall allowed me to comfortably sit down while belaying Xavi on his way up. Moments later he joined me and we were happily sharing both the increasingly better view and our impressions so far.

First belay station, other climbers in the foggy background

Me next to the name giving little tree

Next to come was the second pitch, considerably shorter but rated V, hence a little bit harder and it was Xavi's turn. Since we were close to another line called Aitor, Xavi looked out for that one, because we knew the remaining part of it's second pitch to be rated IV+ only. However he couldn't make it out, so we decided to stick to our line and confront the most difficult part of it. I didn't see Xavi climb while I was securing, but he doubtless did well, for after a surprisingly short while he let me know he'd already mounted the second belay station and was ready for me to come up.

Without further incidents of interest we soon rejoined. The last pitch was mine again. Short, easy but exposed - only 2 bolts within 25m.

L'Agulla de l'Arbret is a rock column that divides into two almost seperate pikes close to its top, the gap between the two of them being covered by a boulder that serves as a bridge. In order to get to the absolut top, one has to cross the gap and confront a last short and easy but totally unprotected scramble. The latter wouldn't be of any interest, wasn't it for the fact that from there, a clumsy climber faces a deep drop down Montserrat's north face in the worst case and still considerable falls of more than 60m to all the other sides. 

A good place for base jumping

For this very reason we decided to make summit one after the other, securing us mutually as good as we could with a little help of the before mentioned tree. The fact that we couldn't stand on the summit at the same time is the only negative point of the whole climb. Every little detail of the rest was positive and thoroughly savoured by us.

Xavi in front of the Bessones (Twins)

Really worth mentioning, I think, is that we found goat feces througout the whole climb and even on the very top of l'Agulla de l'Arbret. Somehow it makes one feel a little ridiculous to celebrate the conquest of a summit goats use to poop on, but hey, at least I'm in control of my constrictor!

Two highly enjoyable rappels later, the longer of them being exactly 30m deep, we found ourselves on the ground again, where we had something to eat before starting our way back to the car. We took a variation in our hike and so it came that we coincidentally discovered the famous "secret house". For years I had known of its existence yet never have discovered it. I don't want to explain where it can be found, but want potential readers to know that it's far cosier, more stunning and in every possible aspect surely better than they might imagine. Wow, what a place to be. What a climb to do. What a day to live!