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Montserrat - easy multipitch (Read 3780 times)

dunnyg

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Montserrat - easy multipitch
January 05, 2015, 04:32:20 pm
A few different bits of information that would be useful if anyone has been.

Has anyone got any experience of easy multipitch in montserrat? Any recomendations? The kind of thing you wouldnt mind taking a beginner up. Happy to do abseil descents if needed. Will have a car if that makes too much difference. Would prefer not to take trad gear out, but might do if it will open up loads of easy stuff.

Some of the crags appear to be bird banned, whats the deal with this?

What guidebook is best for this sort of thing - having some easy single pitch in here would be good too. Would prefer an english guide, but can cope with a spanish one.

Also possibly spending some time in a haus in Grauss, any climbing (again easy) that shouldn't be missed? Is it reasonable to do a day trip to siuana from barcalona, and is there much point for easy sport?

Any help much appreciated!

mrjonathanr

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#1 Re: Montserrat - easy multipitch
January 05, 2015, 09:31:35 pm
I can't help much as I went sport climbing there in 1989. It was an amazing place though, well worth the effort to experience. I believe the trad routes had a reputation for being quite exciting, though I imagine the burriles (golots) have improved since.

No doubt people will have more recent experiences to share. Buena suerte 😃

jwi

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#2 Re: Montserrat - easy multipitch
January 05, 2015, 10:02:34 pm
I brought my father (69 years old at that time) up a four pitch route on Gorro Frigio, just above the monastery, one of the tallest Gorros for the first rock climb of his life. The descent was a via ferrata. I don't think there are many places in the world better than Montserrat for easy multi pitch.

My father had wobbly knees at the time so the funicular between the monastery and the Golos above was quite handy.

The route we did was very clean and quite... hmm... don't know if “sustained” is the right word, but it had no section of ledge-shuffling. I no clear idea which route we did as I just climbed what looked like the easiest way up that side of the tower, but there where plenty of bolted belays to choose from.

When planning where to go I was using http://blogdelguillem.blogspot.fr/search/label/Aa%29%20Montserrat%20Central , a blog by two Catalan climber of quite advanced age. They have plenty of topos for many of the towers, and it should be enough if you're after really easy stuff.

As for guidebooks: remember that there are more than 5000 pitches of climbing in the Montserrat massive. There is no single guidebook to everything.

Depending on season, you climb either on the north or the south side. For single pitch routes, get “Montserrat Cara Sur, Vias Cortas,  volumen 1” (Alfonso) for the South side, and “Montserrat Vertiente Norte” (Alfonso/Buxo) for the North side. The latter book also have some multipitch routes, but perhaps nothing I'd bring up a beginner on.

Montserrat is a great place to climb!

kelvin

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#3 Re: Montserrat - easy multipitch
January 05, 2015, 10:12:31 pm
Montserrat Vertiente Norte” (Alfonso/Buxo) for the North side. The latter book also have some multipitch routes, but perhaps nothing I'd bring up a beginner on.

Montserrat is a great place to climb!

We had that book and tried two of the multipitches on a less used tower - terrifying. Loose, dodgy bolts and pretty solid at the grades. Abseiled off in the end, to sound of rockfall on the nearby via ferrata.

Montserrat is a scary place to climb!  ;)

jwi

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#4 Re: Montserrat - easy multipitch
January 05, 2015, 10:33:03 pm
Well, Monserrat is also the place where Sílvia Vidal and other untold Catalan hard-men and -women cut their teeth. There are quite a few routes I wouldn't bring a beginner to.

dunnyg

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#5 Re: Montserrat - easy multipitch
January 06, 2015, 10:50:10 am
Thanks for the info, that blog is exactly the kind of thing I was after, jwi. Will have to brush up on my learn catalan, but that should be fine. If im on easy stuff and the belay isnt complete junk, we should survive... What was the name of the choss tower Kelvin, so I can keep my distance.
Any not to miss routes out there? Was the rock relatively friendly to ropes?

kelvin

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#6 Re: Montserrat - easy multipitch
January 06, 2015, 11:31:10 am
I'll message my mate and get him to check his logbook - I didn't keep one. We were there Sept '13, so not that long ago.

 

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