[shoelace]

Is Margalef a good bet weather wise at this time of year?

I have also heard that the best routes are in the 7's and 8's at Margalef.Iis there enough quality in the 6's for a week long trip here? Or are there better options in spain at this time of year?

Cheers for any help/advice/experiences............

[northerngreg]

I can't vouch for the weather as I've only been in the autumn, but personally I'd rather go to Siurana for a week. There are far more routes and a wider variety of styles of climbing. Margalef is generally shorter routes all on conglomerate so it's a lot of pockets and a lot of pebble pulling. Siurana is a more traditional limestone venue, plenty of slabs and steep stuff and everything inbetween. The camping is great too, but watch out for the owner Toni - he's a little weird.

[shoelace]

Cheers for the info.! 

Seems like a good spread of grades in the UKC db did you find this?. People I have spoken too (all 2 of them) seem to indicate there is little variety and few good routes below the 7's.

[Paul B]

In my opinion the quality was lower at the lower end of the grade range and the type of rock yields similar routes. There are a few really good routes but the best areas (Finnestra) don't have much in the 6's (the one 6b+ there is however is one of the best I've done).

Having said that, Margalef, Siurana & Montsant aren't that far away from each other you could easily spread a weeks trip between them and enjoy everything from UK style limestone (siurana), power endurancy pockets (margalef) and Euro stam (Montsant).

[Fultonius]

Fiend: Margalef is fucking dire for onsighting. Unless you roll your dice well with the infinite choice of pockets. Or have an excess of stamina to try them all.

Hmm.... good to know! Not even a nice line of perma-chalk to follow?  Dice rolling it is...

We've done little to no research, other than seeing it had some routes in the 6s, should be ok weather wise and was not too far from our main plan - Montserrat for some bolt clippy multi-pitch. Happy to get stuck in to some projects. Any nice 7b+ to 7c+/8a ( ////) at Margalef to recommend, or Montsant for that matter?

[Fiend]

That was my personal experience, although I was only attempting to onsight 7a+ (briefly!). Then 7a. Then 6c+. This was in March/April so maybe winter rains had washed off the chalk, especially on the vert / just over stuff I was on. Maybe 7bs / steeper stuff gets more obvious.

It is nice climbing there though!

[Fultonius]

I take it you need an 80m rope for this:

https://www.ukclimbing.com/logbook/crags/montsant-3545/kamaleon-154728

Now, just need to spend the next 4 weeks back to back lapping 7a/+s at Ratho. 

[Ged]

The climbing in the 6s is pretty average at margalef. The 6s around siurana however are plentiful, and really good. When I was last there with my wife, we were looking for crags with 6s and high 7s,and didn't run out. She hated margalef.

[Fultonius]

Iiiiiinteresting. Well, I guess we can always move on if we're not loving it. She liked Moy when we were there, so who knows, maybe she'll be into it?

[petejh]

Some good 6s at the top of the valley where the hermitage is. One of the best 6b+s I've ever done was there.

[duncan]

The climbing in the 6s is pretty average at margalef. The 6s around siurana however are plentiful, and really good. When I was last there with my wife, we were looking for crags with 6s and high 7s,and didn't run out. She hated margalef.

Add El Falco to Siurana and I agree with all of this. Margalef has marginally better weather if this is an issue.

[IanP]

The climbing in the 6s is pretty average at margalef. The 6s around siurana however are plentiful, and really good. When I was last there with my wife, we were looking for crags with 6s and high 7s,and didn't run out. She hated margalef.

Add El Falco to Siurana and I agree with all of this. Margalef has marginally better weather if this is an issue.

Agreed, particularly on El Falco, brilliant crag for long 6b+ to 7b+s in a wonderful setting (it's shady side just round the corner also has some less visited but superb 7b+ and 7cs).  Its only 45 minutes from Margalef to Siurana/Arboli/Montsant so I've always treated it as one large area. 

I seem to have mostly been avoiding the sun when climbing at Margalef - in these circumstances Culample 4 (early morning sun) could be good crag for you, some very good high 6s and low 7s together with a big wall with a set of long stamina 7b+s and relatively stamina oriented and onsightable style.

[spidermonkey09]

I take it you need an 80m rope for this:

https://www.ukclimbing.com/logbook/crags/montsant-3545/kamaleon-154728

Now, just need to spend the next 4 weeks back to back lapping 7a/+s at Ratho. 

Thats a great route, although I would take "7a+, pure aero, got bored" comments with a significant pinch of salt! The whole wall at Raco de Missa is incredible, 40m pitches between 7a and 7b for the most part. If its nice weather you could have a great trip just going to Montsant.

[abarro81]

Margalef is fine for onsighting when chalked.

In the 6s I think there's enough interesting stuff for a week but on the while Siurana is better at that level IMO

[jwi]

March/April is a great time, probably the best time, for going to Arboli - Raco de Misa - Siurana - Margalef imho.

The weather is likely great, the days are starting to be longer, the trees are in bloom. What is not to like?

As people have already pointed out, El Falco in Arboli is very good for 6s, do not miss the slab Excalibur if you are looking for something in the mid 7 range. Raco de Misa has a few great long 6b and 6c as well, but nothing easier to warm up on maybe? Kameleon and El Camino del Rey are great and unique experiences in whatever grade they are, 80 m ropes minimum I would think.

Margalef and Siruana are both great. Margalef has a very particular style that always takes a while to get used to for me, wheras Siurana is normal climbing on crimps mixed with great rest and requires a lot less specific fitness.

Seriously, anyone not having a great time around Cornudella in that time of the year has other issues than climbing.

[seankenny]

I climb in the sixes/low sevens and I think Margalef is really good. I've experienced the "infinite pockets" thing on a couple of routes but it didn't put me off, a lot of the climbing is really cool and interesting, perhaps a bit more punchy than Siurana at any given grade.

[ali k]

March/April is a great time, probably the best time, for going to Arboli - Raco de Misa - Siurana - Margalef imho.

The weather is likely great, the days are starting to be longer, the trees are in bloom. What is not to like?

You are just plain WRONG about this. IDIOT. Nov/Dec is THE BEST time to go. WAAAY more settled weather and better temps. March/April it RAINS basically every day and it’s 100% humidity so get your facts straight. Who cares about trees and daylight when you’re there to climb ROCKS. Ever heard of LAMPS?

If you don’t like the attitude have a word with Zuckburg or twitter or STAY OFFLINE.

Geez don’t you just hate it when someone’s WRONG on the internet?

[jwi]

I suspect that I do not get the reference 🤷🏼‍♂️ c'est la vie

[ali k]

Sorry jwi I was just trying to polarise the debate a bit. Got the wrong thread. Or website. Or something.

But Nov/Dec is my favourite time of year there in all seriousness. Who’s with me?

[Fiend]

Iiiiiinteresting. Well, I guess we can always move on if we're not loving it. She liked Moy when we were there, so who knows, maybe she'll be into it?

It's almost as good as Moy. Not quite!

I found it genuinely enjoyable on the stuff I actually got up. The problem was I was, unusually, going as more "goal climber" than "soul climber" (rather than my usual worst-of-both-worlds 50-50 balance between the two), and it was the wrong venue for my onsighting goal (maybe if you climb several grades harder though, it's perfectly fine?! I don't fucking know).

As JWI says the whole area is good.

[jwi]

https://www.meteoblue.com/fr/meteo/historyclimate/climateobserved/cornudella-de-montsant_espagne_3124552

[Fultonius]

Thanks all. Just wondering what subset of my shoes quiver I should take, choices are:

Chimera / Drago - I'm guessing way too soft?
Instinct VS - well...if this is the go to it means a new pair.
New Boostic - not as stiff as the old one, could be a good shout?
Vapour V - probably take these for the multi-pitch / long days
Maestro - suspect not....

[Wood FT]

Whatever had the pointiest toe

[Fultonius]

Whatever had the pointiest toe

  Probably the Boostics then. Luckily I have good ankle flexibility so I should be able to drop my heels and get the typically bulbous / steep Scarpa toe box out of the way.