Balaitús - 3144m

Left: the Costillerou ridge - right: Devil's ridge

Last week, Xavi and me did some mountaineering in the Balaitús area, the most western zone of the Pyrenees where 3000m summits are to be found. Our idea was to do as many of those summits as possible and we even foresaw to try us at a ridge that includes the Torre de Costillerou, which has the fame to be the most difficult 3000m summit of the whole Pyrenees. But as always, it turned out that there's a gap between what we'd like to do and what we're actually capable of ... click here to read on

Aresta Brucs at La Saca Gran

Me and my buddies on top La Saca Gran

I think it's the first time that Xavi and me went climbing and everything turned out well: we found our way without getting lost, easily made out our climbing route, got to the summit without encountering major difficulties, got down again without getting killed and, most important, were able to recover the ropes without them getting entangled or stuck ..... even the weather conditions were ideal, so why don't you click here and read on?

Matarodona - The Flag

In late May I took a day off and together with Elisabet and Frida we went hiking. Again, it was Matarodona what most lured us, for there's a flag flying on a rock above the estate that Elisabet (and Frida) only knew from a distance.

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Up to Mata-rodona

Elisabet had never been to Mata-rodona, so the 1st of May was a nice day for going there. We took Frida (the dog) with us and made most of the rather boring earth road by car.

At Mata-rodona

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The Pharaoh's vicinity

In the eye of the Pharaoh

Xavi and me had foreseen a combined activity consisting of struggling our way up one of Montserrat's gorges, denominated Torrent de les Grutes, do some climbing then and return to the car by rapelling down another canyon, but somehow we got lost as soon as we left the car behind. 
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Advantages of having a singing girlfriend

After a quite successful gig at Bar l'Embruix in Navàs the Saturday before, last week, Coll@ge (which is Elisabet and Xevi) gave two concerts in the stunning city of Ciutadella, located on the beautiful Balearic island of Menorca. For me, too, a nice opportunity to have some short Easter holidays there. Our plane left at 7 o'clock, meaning that our vacations started with a pretty unrelaxing wake up call at 4.30 am.

Had he known he would lose the flight, I'm sure Xevi would have spent some more hours in bed. Unfortunately he didn't. 
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Attempt of La Panxa del Bisbe

 On Sunday, Xavi and me wanted to try us at La Panxa del Bisbe. As usual we consulted Escalatroncs in order to find a suitable route. The one we decided to make is a well equipped line called "Buriles Rojos", which is 140m long and consists of 4 pitches.

Line description from Escalatroncs

 Click here to read on, but be aware that we only made it to first belay station.

Coll@ge is playing at my house (MY HOUSE)

Recently, Elisabet has started two new musical projects. In both cases the groups already had existed before, so that it can be said they are not actually her projects. She rather was invited to join them.

Coll@ge playing at my house

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La Miranda de Can Jorba

After two intents that unfortunately had to be scrubbed due to adverse meteorologic conditions, on Sunday Xavi and me finally were out for a climb on Montserrat's sunbathed southside. The previous days had been bitterly cold, on Saturday we even had some snow, and although the tempereature wasn't what I'd call warm, the sun made the climbing enjoyable.

Xavi on top La Miranda de Can Jorba

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Happy New 2013 (same procedure as last year)

The same procedure as every year...
...hence just a little bit of history repeating
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Canal del Ninet / Ot el Bruixot at La Filigrana

El Ninet looking down upon the canyon

El Ninet is a rather small crag in Montserrat, but due to its location at the verge of the mountain's north face it's widely visible and because of its overhanging appearance it's a quite famous feat. El Ninet also gives name to a sort of canyon / chimney, which allows even non-climbers to conquer the otherwise prohibitively steep rock wall, that can be seen when looking at Montserrat from the North. This canyon leads straight to the upper part of the Agulles sector, where numerous spires formed of conglomerate rock offer countless climbing routes. Today, Xavi and me tried us at "La Canal Del Ninet" and since we wanted to make the most of our day, our plan also foresaw to climb a very special rock column we had made out during a previous trip - La Filigrana.

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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

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Miranda de les Boïgues

On top the Miranda de les Boïgues

Today, after a two months lasting abstinence, Xavi and me finally have found the time to do some climbing. Our initial idea was to do "La Agulla de Can Jorba" on the far side of Montserrat, but since I didn't buy a 60m alpine rope the day before, we had to change plans in favour of a route possible to climb with our shorter rope measuring 47m only. A glance in my climbing book which focusses on the area called "Agulles" revealed that "La Miranda de les Boïgues" would do as a proper alternative.
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Portella Petita and Pelada

Portella Gran as seen from Portella Petita

 Long time no climb, that's what Xavi and me thought when we went to Montserrat last Saturday. Originally we had planned to climb the Elephant, but since we were out of practice, we spontaneously decided to make some lighter routes in the Agulles sector. We first tried ourselves at the GAM line of la Portella Petita.

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Short holidays at Cap Roig

Elisabet is member of the Tr3s C Club, a Catalan club for cultural activities which gives important discounts to its members and once per year offers them a present as for example free access to a rather expensive concert. By means of those presents we twice attended the Festival at Castell de Peralada during the last years and two weeks ago saw Kiri Te Kanawa at the Cap Roig Gardens. In order to get the most out of our trip there, we took our tent with us and spend two nights on a campsite.

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