DUBLIN, IRELAND (Team Geared Up) - I’m back from a very soggy Spain (yep, you read that right) after a small group from Ireland turned up for a week in Rodellar pulling on tufas. Unfortunately, said rain got in the way so we hit the road and made the most of the week in the Siurana region. Al Sarhan and Aoife Byrne are currently on a 6-month road-trip around all the crags of Europe (using Al’s encylopedia of crags - obtained from 10 years of collecting articles and guidebooks!) which was our excuse to visit Spain…. ;)

the definite highlight was Al though, who’s now running up 7b and +’s onsight pretty regularly and ticking off 7c-8a’s in 2-3 goes. Impressive stuff. Now that he’s been persuaded onto trying some 8b’s, it’ll be interesting to see what happens over the summer…..I’ll update as I hear news! Strength definitely isn’t the issue from what I saw so hopefully he gets his fitness dialled soon.

Anyway, other inspiring news was Eoin Lawless and Sean Marnane consolidating at 7a onsights. Impressive stuff! Sean looks like the mythical 7b on-sight could happen soon too……
Lots of others ( were making their return to sports climbing so it looks like they’ll all be climbing hard over the summer season. Stay tuned on that!

As for the weather, well after turning up in Siurana and checking out Margalef, we bumped into some individuals called Chris Sharma, Dani Andrada and Thomas Mrazek. Yep, it seems Costa Daurada region was the only place to climb! Crazy, early June and there’s still rain in Europe…..15 continuous days of rain in Siurana!

Image Credit:
#1: Al Sarhan on unknown 7c, Margalef, Spain
#2: Eoin Lawless working the moves on an unknown 7b+, Margalef, Spain. See that circular rainbow around the sun in the background? that means rain…..

- Neal :) -

Flintshire, North Wales (Team Geared Up) - I read this morning on 8a.nu (one of my favourite sites) that Adam Ondra, pictured above, has just made short work of La Rambla, 9a+ in Siurana in Northern Spain… and he’s still only 15!

“On his second day and fifth try Adam Ondra walked up La Rambla, 9a(+). Dani Andrada and Edu Marin could only watch in amazement.” (http://www.8a.nu/)

For those who are not familiar with the route it was a long, long term project for years with an accepted lower off in place 2 thirds up the route resulting in an 8c+. The complete line was eventually lead by Ramón Julian Puigblanque and since has had ascents from Dani Andrada, Chris Sharma, Edu Marin, Patxi Usobiaga and Andreas Bindhammer - all top class climbers.

Also of note on 8a.nu is the mention of Dani Andrada’s constant string of new routes - just yesterday establishing a new 8c+ and today extending it to result in another 9a route! The site is really at the forefront of the cutting edge sport climbing scene and has even began to reward the top climbers like Andrada and Ondra with shares in the website itself! Plus with the increasing use of phone blogging - you are literally reading about and looking at pictures of hard first ascents 15mins after they’ve been fired!

-Dave-

DUBLIN, IRELAND (Team Geared Up) - Here’s a brief update on the last trip to Siurana in Spain with Rob. Firstly, who’d have thought we’d spend the whole trip looking for the SUN while there?! Usually it’s the complete opposite with an almost allergic reaction to sun in Siurana due to it being way too warm. I should have known it’d be different when I arrived at the crag wearing a t-shirt, two thermals, a hoodie, scarf, hat and a down jacket? :) Still though, once you’d gotten through the first few minutes of coldness (on every route you started), it was brilliant. Amazing actually!
I was only getting over an injury, and suffering seriously from a whopping cold/flu before I left so wasn’t expecting much. My only aim was to avoid Anabolica, the previous 8a which would affect the injury again, but try another one and try another harder route I’d been on only briefly previously. As for Rob, well it looked like he was game for anything which was always fun :)
Siurana was sooo quiet in comparison to last time, but we were lucky enough to bump into a small crew of Brits (Hi Dan, Tony, Sophie!) who were keen also in the cold weather to get out on rock. Due to the conditions, anyone who was motivated helped.

Dan on a 7b+, Monstant, Spain

The general routine? up for 8:30ish, climbing by 9:30ish/10 until dark (5:30), and then recover for the evening. Over the week Rob successfully ticked Bistec de Bicep, the classic, short and burly 7b+, and numerous other grade 7’s. A great week considering the conditions, and the general sluggishness that came with climbing in freezing temperatures!

Rob warming up (note the gloves) for Bistec de Biceps, Sector L’Olla, Siurana, Spain

I got to follow my aim, trying a new route on the big wall in Siurana. Crimpy and technical with a disappointing drilled mono pocket to overcome a blank section of wall. The problem? I can’t reach the mono either (Who measured it?!?!) so have to do some emmmm, entertaining maneuvers to get to it :)
I also got to try my other out-there hard route in Monstant. I’m in awe, slightly humbled due to it’s difficulty, and more inspired due to the fact that I could deal with it’s difficulty. It’s the 8b+/5.14a that can be seen in the Extras of that DVD ‘E11′. I wasn’t sure I was ready to publicly mention it here as it’s pretty out there in grades (for me at least), but what the hell, it’s on the wish list for a trip next year. Lots of work required to get myself to standard though, but if I needed an incentive to continue my training, this is it! Speaking of which, if anyone wants to do some virtual training by sharing knowledge and benchmarks, do let me know……

As it happened, it was wild weather the day we landed (the worst landing I’ve ever had), and on the final day it started snowing! Talk about a perfect week. I got word that no one could climb for the next week as there was no sunshine for heat. Talk about a fluke week for us.

Since then, well it’s been back to the drawing board, sorry fingerboard ;), and a lot more running! The more I talk to Dave and some of the other runners I’ve gotten to know through TGU, I’m starting to get into the running scene. Oh oh……

By the way, Happy New Year to all!

NEWBRIDGE, IRELAND (Team Geared Up) - MomentumVM have gone live with their new site and a ton of video footage to keep you entertained. Unfortunately, you can’t subscribe, and you can’t embed movies (doh!).

Still though, some great footage for getting you motivated for the next climbing trip!

Image Credit: James Litz on possible new V15, courtesy of MomentumVM.com

- Neal :) -

NEWBRIDGE, IRELAND (Team Geared Up) - O.k., we normally don’t cover all the general climbing news, but this one deserves a special mention.
It looks like Mr. 8a/9a, Dani Andrada, is now working on the next level in the ever reliable Rodellar of Spain (For more info on Rodellar, see Stu’s write-up here).
Dani Andrada has climbed the V14 sit-start into his original 9a(5.14d) at the possible hefty grade of 9b. Dave Graham is of the opinion that it’s harder (check out his blog entry on Climbing.com). Yes, these routes are climbed without ropes as they’re essentially massively long boulder problems.

For a pretty good impression of what the strong kids (Sharma/Graham/Andrada/etc) are up to these days and how psyched they are(!), check out this video (warning, lots of - entertaining - cursing) from Rodellar:

Obviously I need to learn Spanish to climb this hard ;)

Image Credit: Dani Andrada on 9a+, Rodellar Spain. Photo:Pete O´Donovan from ukclimbing.com

- Neal :) -

DUBLIN, IRELAND (Team Geared Up) - Part 2

For part 1 if this report see this

To the Costa Daurada.
Leaving Rodellar behind we made or way back to the N240 and headed for the Costa Daurada. We had already reserved a bungalow in Camping Prades, in Prades.
6Km before the town of Montblanc there is a turn-off for Prades, however, before heading up into the mountains re-supply at the supermarket in Montblanc. I’ve pinned it on the Google Map. Then, retrace your steps for 6km and get onto that Prades turn-off (T700).
Prades itself is situated at 1000m and the views become more spectacular as you gain height. Camping Prades is about 1Km west of the town centre. There are a few shops in the village and 2 ATMs. Bread, milk, cheese and sausage can be easily found but all else is best found in Montblanc.

View Larger Map

On arrival there was a decidedly eerie feel to the campsite and there wasn’t a soul around, even though the reception was open from 4pm to 11pm and it was now 5.30pm. Eventually after some driving about we found a member of staff. He only spoke Spanish and French and without a Spanish speaker among us it was up to Mick and I and our faltering French to get us checked in. The words I did understand like mauvais and bof didn’t bode well with me and I was getting a sinking feeling in my stomach as he struggled to find our reservation. After a few phone calls he finally gave us a bon! and I breathed a sigh of relief.
With enough beds, a stove and a shower our new cabin filled all of our basic needs but it also had a TV! Mick, in an act of brilliance had brought along an Archos AV500 and all the cables to hook it up to the TV. After much South Park and food it was time to explore!
We met a few guys in Portland, Dorset in the months leading up to our Spanish trip and the TV Crags at La Mussara had been highly recommended by them. We decided to scope out that area for the next day and prayed that the weather would improve. By this stage it had clouded over and looked certain to pour.
On our way to the TV Crags we had gone the wrong way and instead saw a sign for Siurana. You can’t get upset when you see a sign for one of Europe’s most renouned crags only a few Ks away and we headed for a look. WOW!
Perched at 1000m on a rock fin with a sheer drop around it sits a tiny Moorish village with breathtaking views over the valleys below. We only managed a glimpse of these, however, as cloud cover and darkness settled in.

Day 1

On our first full day we awoke to a drizzly morning and began questioning our decision to move away from Rodellar. We decided that we could best use this time to locate all the crags we were interested in seeing so that when the weather did clear we could get onto the rock as quickly as possible. Being up in the mountains the weather can be very localised and better conditions can be found by driving around. We firstly headed to Siurana to see what it was like. Dismal! Arboli was next and it too was dismal. TV crags were next and after that it was La Riba, a good bit away but hopefully with better weather.
By the time we found the TV crags and had a bite to eat, the rock there was in great condition and we decided to stay. We climber mainly in Sector Roure and between us all we did a good few routes. Namely Roure 6b, Aigua Viva 6b, Shargamanta 6c, El Gat 6a, Climber Up 6a+.

Day 2

The weather was a lot better today and the sun was splitting the trees so Siurana was the destination of choice. Unfortunately before we managed to leave the cabin the receptionist informed us that we had been put in the wrong cabin (we were in a higher priced one than we had booked) and asked if we wouldn’t mind moving to the cabin next door. This was a bit of a bummer and ate into our crag time but with that resolved we hit the road.
The parking area outside the village was wedged with cars and for a moment we were thinking the worst. Thankfully the majority of the cars were not owned by climbers and the crags were pretty clear.
We started in Sector Melafots and warmed up on some routes there. After lunch we headed down to have a look at Anabolica but there were people on it so we had to go elsewhere! The day was finished off at Sector Can Marges Lower where Extremoduro 6b+, Pixapins 6a+ and Can Fange 5+ were all dispatched. Pixapins stands out in particular and is well worth doing.

On the way down from the crag we stopped off to take a look at La Rambla, the 9a+ of the area. Savage line and looks a lot harder than it does in the video (as if 9a+ ever looks easy!)

Day 3
On day 3 we decided to return to the TV Crags and go to a different sector. Also as it was our last day it would give us an opportunity to have another go at some of the routes we were on the first day. We headed to Sector Diedres Del Mig and got on Xènia 6b+, Sis de Deu 6a+, Jarto D’estar Harto 6a+ and El Canto del Gallo 6c+. Jarto D’estar Harto is a lovely line on one of the stand out features of the sector and is pretty strenuous. El Canto del Gallo is not to be missed (even if I did) and it has to be said it looks like an amazing line. Be sure to brush up on bridging and laybacking before getting on this one.
After this we headed back to Sector Roure for me to try and get Aigua Viva clean. This is a total power-house of a route and reminded me of some stuff I did in Fairhead with hand a fist jams all the way. We also got back on Shargamanta 6c and did the 7b+ finish. It hurts.
That night we ate in one of the restaurants in Prades, Casa Grisso if my memory serves me correctly. With menus in Catalan and Spanish we were rightly screwed but after a few phone calls home to get some help from google translate we ended up having a great feed and finshed our trip on a good “oak” note.

So a conclusion…Rodellar and Siurana etc. are excellent places to climb, that’s not going to be news to anybody. They do have totally different atmospheres though. Rodellar is harder to get to, in that its further away, but once there all the crags are within walking distance. The crags in the Costa Daurada are much more spread out and a car is pretty necessary to access them all. If I were coming out again I think I’d have to decide on one area and stay there for the whole week but I would certainly reccommend seeing both areas on your first visit to get a feel for both of them. I think I prefered Rodellar if I’m honest with myself. The crags were all beside eachother and there is a great range from slabs to uber-overhangs to satisfy any need. The campsite was also a little better and the bar provided a good place to chill out and have a beer in the evening. That’s not to say that Costa Daurada isn’t a world class area either and if I was forced to stay here for a week I certainly wouldn’t be complaining.

DUBLIN, IRELAND (Team Geared Up) - Part 1 - Rodellar - Myself and 5 others headed off to Spain for our annual Euro sports climbing trip in October. Four days in Rodellar and 4 days in the Costa Daurada. Here’s a quick (well not so quick) trip-report/how-to of what we did. A Google map relating to the trip can be found here.

Arriving in Reus Airport (€125, ryanair.com) just after 1pm on Saturday with a few of us feeling the effects of the previous night on the town, our first task was to collect our hire cars. We had already reserved 2 ford focus’s with Solmar online (€190 per car for 8 days). With a little luck there were no focus’s available that day so we were given free upgrades. One Citroen Picasso and one Seat Altea XL later it was time to make tracks!

Rodellar was our first point of call and according to Google maps we had a three hour drive ahead of us. We got ourselves set up on the N240 north and settled in. Rodellar is served with good roads right up to the walk-in to the crag and although the drive was a little longer than expected it passed relatively easily. It’s worth pointing out that if you are taking this trip yourself stop for supplies in the hypermarket in Barbastro (on the map). You can get all your shopping here and it even has a little sports shop where you could pick up a harness/rope if someone has forgotten theirs.

Take a right off the N240 AFTER a turn off for Perpetilla, the road at Perpetilla only leads to funny looks from the locals and much confusion, this will bring you through the towns of Azara, Azlor and Abiego and on to Rodellar.
Church on the way to Rodellar.

We had already booked a 6 person bungalow in the Camping El Puente campsite (€74.50 per night) and were promptly shown to our home for the next few days. The campsite itself is well kitted out and has internet access, a restaurant, a bar, a small supermarket (get there early for fresh bread) and an arcade machine BUT be warned; if you get the high score it won’t be there the next day as they unplug the machine at night deleting your new found glory! You can also pick up the Rodellar Guide book here for €17.

Day 1
There are several crags in the Rodellar area and the most visited areas are accessed from the main town in Rodellar. (2Km from El Puente and right beside Camping Mascún) Walk past the bar and the water font and take the path down on the right.

On our first day we dropped right down to the riverbed thinking it was the best approach, however, the more frequented crags can be more easily reached by staying on the path.
Mikey on the dry riverbed.

Rodellar is an awe-inspiring place. Surrounded on both sides by some of the most breathtaking crags we found it hard to get anywhere without tripping over our jaws. If you took one of the bigger sectors out of Rodellar and planted it in Ireland we would have a world class sports climbing destination without doubt. The overhangs that make climbers appear ant like are truly something to behold.
Spot the climbers.

We came across Sector Bikini but decided to move on as the grades were quite steep and we stopped at sector Rigole. By no means does this place rate on the Rodellar scale but we were so eager to climb we decided to stay. Neal McQuaid summed it up best on climbing.ie when he said “Don’t even think about it!!!!! Polished glass is easier to climb”. I saw this remark after the trip incidentally. We did Gabachito Show 6b with its thin tricky start and had a go at the defining route of the sector Abrázame Mucho 7b with its cruxy roof section. Probably not the best warm up to be had but we were off the start line in Rodellar none the less.
Jamie on Gabachito Show.

From here we walked up to sector El Camino and on the way around we saw El Delfín for the first time, stopping me dead in my tracks. Following the path from the village and not dropping to the river bed will bring you straight to El Camino! This sector is quite long with about 20+ routes to go at. Not to be missed routes are Para Mis Amigos 6a+, Vidal 6c and Bug Bunny 6a+ although each route looked great.
El Delfín.

Day 2
On the second day, we revisited El Camino for a few of us to reattempt some of the routes we had been on the previous day and then headed onto the shaded sector Furia Latina. The routes here are not as overhanging as El Camino and seemed more like what we Irish climbers are used to, bar the bolts of course! Bolt Ireland!

The stand out routes here are Siglo XXI, Bolskan and La Maldícíon ranging from 6a to 6c+. The clip at the crux on La Maldícíon really gets the heart going! There seems to be a little confusion in the guide book for this area. Bolskan is written on a stone at the bottom of the route but this is not where the guide says it is.
The day was finished as the previous day was by refilling our water bottles in the village and a little bit of indulgence in the form of ice creams from the bar/shop. Our eyes were still wide with excitement after another great day at the crags.

Day 3
The final day of climbing in Rodellar was probably the most enjoyable. We had heard from a pair of English climbers that there were some great lines to go at in sector L’école and that it was a great place to warm up for the day so we dutifully headed along. Slightly harder to find than El Camino, take the path down towards the river bed before the house on the way to El Camino and then take a right off that path about half way down. This sector is well recognised by the large slab with the short overhang/scoop to its right. L’école A was my warm-up route of choice and even though it goes at 6a it made me and the subsequent climbers really think about what they were doing. It also has a lovely little delicate traverse similar to Spailpin back home in the quarry at about three quarter height. Not to be missed are two of the three routes in the scoop, El Villareto 6b and Volver A Empezar 6b. Both short but powerful and enjoyable.
Mick on El Villareto.

We had also heard that up on the left side of El Delfín were a few new routes, one 6a and one 6b, that are not in the guide. These we could not miss so in the afternoon sun we made our way up the scree to the jewel of Rodellar. On arrival we all got a lesson in climbing from some locals hiking up the 7c+ Rodellar classic in fine form.

Hiking through 7c+.

This route looks super sequency and had some interesting rest points along the way. The 6b is immediately to the left of the arch and the 6a is to the left of that. Both were immensely enjoyable and all agreed that it was a good way to finish off our climbing in Rodellar. Ice Creams followed.

The group on the way back from El Delfín which can be seen in the background.

Part 2 of this report where we climbed in Siurana and La Mussara to follow…
In the meantime the whole gallery can be found here.

Part 2 can now be found here

- Stu -

DUBLIN, IRELAND (Geared Up Blog) - Angela Mudge and Kilian Jornet are the champions of the 2007 Buff Skyrunner World Series. Mudge retained her crown from last year and Jornet becomes the youngest ever champion Skyrunner World Series at the age of just 19. He captured his title with an impressive 4 wins out of 4 races in Andorra, Malaysia, Japan and Spain(Zegama).

The race, held in the Sierra de Aizkorri, had a marathon distance (42,195km) and an accumulated ascent and descent of 5.472m. It was a very technical and difficult route, crossing the highest peaks of Euskadi (Aratz, Aizkorri, Aketegi and Aitxuri). Jornet put himself among the leaders at the beginning of the race, along with the Segovian Raúl García, and members of the Catalan team Tòfol Castanyer and Jessed Hernàndez, and local racers Zuhaitz Ezpeleta and Fernando Echegaray. This group quickly broke away from the rest of the 450 participants, and it was predictable that they would compete for the final victory.

Sleepmonsters.com for more

-Eoinod-

(Image Credit: Sleepmonsters.com)