St. Llorenç de Montgai

Along with nearby Camarasa, Sant Llorenç de Montgai is one of Lleida’s oldest climbing areas. Sectors such as the twin caves of Disblia and the smooth lower walls of Paret de l’Os once boasted the most difficult climbs in the region, and while this may no longer be true, the hardest of these bouldery ‘old school’ routes — either diabolically fingery or strength-sappingly powerful (and often both!) are still considered extremely tough challenges for their grades and are rarely climbed. By contrast, most of the sport climbs equipped in the last decade, and especially those established on the gently overhanging conglomerate walls of sectors Xinxetes and Mordor, feature long, sustained pitches where stamina is key, and these routes have become justifiably popular, both with lo- cal and visiting climbers. As a further enticement, the higher cliffs of Sant Llorenç host a number of very enjoyable, fully bolted, middle-grade 3 and 4 pitch routes, of which a selection has been included here. The rock is a mixture of rough red limestone with excellent frictional properties, and bands of Conglomerate, not always a hundred percent solid but generally sound enough on our selected routes. That said, holds can and do break, and on some of the most recently equipped sectors wearing a helmet is strongly advised — if not for actually climbing then certainly for belaying. The majority of sectors have a southerly orientation and are sheltered from cold northerly winds by the high walls of Mont-Roig just to the north, factors which make winter the optimum season for climbing here. Conditions in spring and autumn may also be favourable. Summers are generally extremely hot, though at this time of year the deep, west-facing caves of sector Disblia remain shaded until mid afternoon, and evening ascents of the multi-pitch routes on the more easterly aspects of El Cilindre are also a viable proposition. Note: at the time of writing the access situation regarding sectors Xinxetes Mordor & Clasificado “S” is becoming complicated and certain routes (those nearest the metal-roofed archaeology structure at the end of the Roca dels Bous trail) may need to be disequipped. Please refer to our blog — www.lleidaclimbs.com for updates.