Tarragona

__Introduction__ The autonomous region of Catalunya lies in the northeast corner of Spain, bordered by France to the north and the Mediterranean Sea to the east. It has a rich distinctive culture, its own unique language, and great pride in its history. Tarragona is the most southerly of Catalunya’s four provinces and its landscape is one of great variety and diversity, offering everything from sandy beaches on the coast to rugged and impressive mountain ranges inland. The vast majority of Tarragona’s 900,000 inhabitants live in the larger coastal cities, meaning the interior remains very sparsely populated, with few towns having more than 5,000 inhabitants. For climbers, particularly those seeking single-pitch sport-routes, Tarragona is an absolute treasure trove, and widely regarded as one of the finest venues in Europe. To catalogue every climbing area in the region would result in a book so thick as to become unwieldy and we have therefore largely concentrated on the northern part of the province, encompassing the Serra de Prades and Serra de Montsant mountains. The selection of sectors from within each zone has been limited by various factors, not the least of which is space. It is inevitable that some climbers will think we have omitted important sectors, but we feel that the majority will be happy with our choice of venues. Within these pages even a regular visitor should find enough climbing to occupy many happy years. __Climate__ Tarragona is blessed with an excellent climate for rock climbing, and given a certain degree of flexibility it should be possible to find good conditions at just about any time of year. In winter, stable conditions predominate, with very cold nights followed by clear sunny days, though some of the lower-lying areas can be susceptible to fog at this time of year. Spring and autumn weather can be unpredictable, although both seasons generally afford a high proportion of climbing days. That said, some of the zones are situated at altitudes over 1,000m and more than a few Easter visitors have been surprised by late snowfall. As with much of the Mediterranean, summers here can be extremely hot, but even at this time of year it is often possible to find reasonable climbing conditions on favourably oriented sectors. __Transport__ there are excellent motorway links to Tarragona from the rest of Spain, as well as from mainland Europe. Visitors from further afield will probably choose to fly to one of Catalunya’s three major airports, Girona, Barcelona or Reus. Of these, Reus is by far the most convenient, situated less than an hour away from many of the zones covered in this guidebook, but recent re-scheduling by one of the major low-cost airlines has meant a reduction in flights to this particular airport. Girona lies furthest away at approximately 2h15min (to the closest zone). Public transport is generally very good in Catalunya and there are excellent bus links throughout much of Tarragona province. However, we recognize that the majority of climbers will probably choose to visit the area by car, either their own or a rental vehicle. On the subject of driving, a word of warning regarding the unsurfaced tracks found on approaches to some of the cliffs in the guidebook: unless otherwise mentioned, at the time of writing, and in dry conditions all are drivable in ‘normal’ (non 4x4) vehicles, providing sufficient care is taken. However, heavy rain may change the state of a track drastically over a very short period of time, or even trigger rock slides rendering it impassable. Hire-car drivers, in particular, should bear in mind that even the ‘extended’ insurance policies offered by many companies do not cover off-road travel, nor damage to the undersides of their vehicles (it’s stated in the small print). __Accommodation__ the Tarragona region is well geared for tourism of all kinds, and the variety of accommodation on offer ranges from rural campsites to 5 star hotels. In spring, summer and autumn, camping can be a very pleasant option: the sites are generally immaculately clean and often feature amenities such as swimming pools, laundry rooms and bar/restaurants. During the colder months most visitors require a roof more substantial than canvas over their heads. Here are some of the options available: 1) Campsite Bungalows: these are usually self-catering with private sanitary facilities. 2) Refugis/Albergs: these establishments offer bed (usually dormitory-style but smaller rooms are sometimes available) as well as meals, if required. Some also have facilities for those wishing to cook for themselves. 3) Hostals and Hotels: many in the area offer surprisingly reasonable half-board rates, particularly in the off-peak season. 4) Rental apartments and houses: these establishments are often the best solution for large parties wishing to self-cater. These days virtually anywhere offering accommodation has some form of web presence and a simple Internet search should yield many results. __Climbing Equipment__ In-situ gear: one of the key criteria for selecting the zones and sectors for inclusion in the guide is that the bolt protection and belays/lower-offs on the majority of routes should be of a ‘good’ standard. In practice this generally means expansion ‘parabolts’ with a diameter of 10mm or 12mm (depending on the hardness of the rock) or ‘glue-in’ bolts. A very small number of routes included still feature older 8mm ‘spits’, though these are gradually being replaced. Belays and lower-offs generally have two anchor-bolts with a connecting chain and either a ring, maillon or karabiner for threading the rope. It must be remembered that the equipping of rock climbs in Catalunya is a completely unregulated activity, and a route’s inclusion in this guidebook is NOT a guarantee of the reliability of its in-situ gear. This is especially pertinent to lower-offs, which range from devices manufactured specifically for this purpose, to home-made rigs consisting of old rope and leave-behind alloy karabiners. The good news is that at the time of writing (and to the best of our knowledge) in recent years there has not been a single serious incident of in-situ gear failure in the region covered by the guidebook. However, it is inevitable that over time in-situ gear will deteriorate and it is up to the individual climber to assess the state of fixed material at the time of their attempts: if an in-situ quickdraw (an increasingly common feature on the harder routes) shows signs of wear then back it up with one of your own; if a lower-off karabiner shows excessive wear (and it doesn’t take long with alloy krabs!) or has its gate seized open, leave behind one of your own karabiners. It is a small price to pay for peace of mind. More information on in-situ gear can be found on pages 20 - 21. __Single-pitch:__ a 70m single rope will suffice for the majority of one-pitch routes covered in this guidebook, but 80m ropes are becoming increasingly common and are, indeed, essential on certain routes. Climbs longer than 35m invariably feature intermediate lower-off points, but a growing number of ‘super-pitches’ in zones such as Siurana, Montsant, Margalef and Masriudoms are so steep that it is almost impossible to maintain any sort of contact with the rock while lowering off, and therefore require an 80m rope to reach the ground safely. Clipsticks, used to pre-protect the initial moves on climbs where the first bolt is uncomfortably high, or ‘clip-up’ projects, are becoming increasingly popular. __Multi-pitch:__ all the multi-pitch climbs in our selection feature bolt belays and protection. The use of single or double ropes is often a matter of personal choice, though for routes where rappel descents are appropriate the latter option is often preferable and sometimes essential. The wearing of helmets is strongly advised though it is ultimately a matter of personal choice. __Bouldering__ Although we do not include any specific information about bouldering in this guidebook, several of the zones featured, in particular La Riba, Arbolí and La Mussara, offer many excellent problems. __Access and Crag Etiquette__ As more climbers visit the region, pressure on the local environment will inevitably increase and we must all strive to minimise our impact. Two zones, Montsant and Margalef, are situated within the Parc Natural del Montsant, and rules and regulations concerning usage of the area (displayed on notice boards throughout the park) must be obeyed. A number of sectors in several zones are subject to seasonal bird-bans: details of exclusion dates are given on the appropriate pages, and we ask that climbers adhere rigorously to these. One or two zones also have access issues with local landowners. The following ‘Don’ts’ should be a matter of common sense, but personal experience shows that this is sadly not the case: DON’T leave any litter at the crags (and this includes cigarette butts and used finger tape!). Orange and banana peel may be biodegradable, but it takes months or even years to break down, and in the meantime is simply an eyesore. Take it away with you! DON’T let your dog run amok; you may regard your pet as utterly adorable, but it is simply not fair to assume that other crag-users feel the same way. DON’T defecate anywhere near the crag or anywhere near footpaths used by other climbers or walkers. It is incredible in this day and age that some folks still think it is perfectly fine to leave their barely covered faeces, together with streams of used toilet paper, in the middle of, or next to, footpaths, or perhaps behind a tree, just a few metres away from the route they happen to be trying. This is not only unacceptable it is utterly disgusting! Of course, the best solution is to make use of the facilities at a campsite, refugi or bar, before you set out for the day. However, if you must ‘go’ in the wild then move as far away from the crag and footpaths as possible and afterwards bury your waste so no one else has to see it, smell it, or stand in it. Dog owners should also make sure to clean up after their pets. Shit is shit, wherever it comes from. Female climbers should on no account leave discarded tampons behind: it is known that certain small mammals consume these, with invariably fatal results. DON’T block tracks or field entrances by inconsiderate parking. DON’T behave irresponsibly when dealing with the local inhabitants. Goodwill often takes years to earn but can be lost in one single stupid moment. __In Situ Equipment__ 1. 8mm ‘Spit’ bolt: typical of routes equipped in the late 1980s and early 1990s. Most of these have now been replaced by modern bolts. If you see a route still featuring this type of bolt it’s usually (but not always!) a good indication of its quality... Reliability: reasonable. 2. Parabolt, 10mm or 12mm, with zinc-plated hanger: by far the most commonly used protection on modern sport climbs in Spain. Stainless steel varieties are often used on cliffs suffering from seepage. Reliability: excellent, provided the rock is good and correct installation practices have been followed. 3. Glue-in Bolt: non-expansion ring-bolt secured by resin or adhesive. Routes equipped with glue-ins often utilize a closely-spaced pair of bolts to act as the lower-off. Reliability: excellent provided the correct adhesive and fixing techniques have been used during placement. 4. In-situ quickdraw: sometimes attached with a maillon. This is an increasingly common sight on some very hard/steep climbs where retrieving self-placed quickdraws may be problematic. Reliability: recently placed quickdraws should be fine but units that have been in place for a number of years need to be treated with extreme caution! Repeated falls and/or lowering-off can wear away the rounded profiles of alloy karabiners, resulting in much sharper edges — there have been several serious incidents where leader falls onto such karabiners have actually severed the rope! 5. Belay/lower-off with ring: commercially manufactured device with two hangers connected by a heavy-duty chain, and a welded ring for threading the rope. Reliability: excellent, though correct technique is required for safely threading the rope. 6. Belay/lower-off with karabiner (1): commercially manufactured device with two hangers connected by a heavy-duty chain, a welded ring, and a fixed karabiner. Reliability: excellent when new but decreases dramatically over time as wear on the karabiner increases. 7. Belay/lower-off with karabiner (2): homemade set-up using either slings or industrial chain to connect two bolts and steel or alloy karabiners. Reliability: all non-commercially produced lower-offs should be treated with caution, but those featuring alloy karabiners especially so. Due to its inherent softness, alloy is an extremely poor material for lower-off karabiners, which may wear with alarming rapidity resulting in reduced strength and/or rope-threatening edges. If you are at all suspicious of a lower-off karabiner then leave one of your own behind (some climbers carry a small maillon-rapide for this purpose) — it is a small price to pay for peace of mind. __Using the Guidebook__ The climbing locations in the guidebook are described in terms of zones and sectors. A sector is usually an individual crag; a zone is a group of sectors. Some of the more extensive zones (Siurana, for example) have been split into several ‘sub-zones’ to help simplify approach information. Each zone has its own introduction providing information on the style of climbing, best season to visit, and approaches to individual sectors. Maps and ‘overview’ pictures of the zone provide additional visual information. For those with Satnavs or personal GPS devices, latitude & longitude co-ordinates (WGS 84 system) are given for key parking areas. These may appear on maps or overview pictures, or both. Information regarding individual sectors — orientation, approach time and difficulty, and the steepness of the rock — is displayed in symbol form (see pages 24-25 for more details). The majority of sector topos are photograph-based, but in instances where it has been impossible to obtain workable photos, for example where the tree cover is simply too great or a sector is situated in a narrow gully, we have substituted line-drawings. Routes are marked on topos using bicolour lines in various colour-combinations. The different colours have no significance in terms of grade or quality, but are simply chosen to make the line of a route easier to follow. Single colour dotted lines denote the existence of ‘trad’ routes, which are not described in the guidebook. These frequently feature bolted sections, so can easily cause confusion when trying to ascertain the correct lines of nearby sport routes. Individual routes are listed in tables displaying the route’s number as it appears on the topo, name, length in metres, and difficulty (French grading system). Where sectors feature link-up and hybrid routes, which may start up one climb, move onto another, and finish up yet another, we give information on the sequence of routes to follow. Finally, a ‘tick box’ is provided so that climbers may keep a record of their ascents.