Carl Granlund: April 2012

4/30/12

Rodellar

We spent the last week in Spain grappling tufas in Rodellar. Needless to say this place was just as amazing as the other areas. The pumpy type of climbing on long routes felt significantly harder to me than the climbing in Margalef and once again I got reminded that this is my week point and something I need work on. However I still managed to do Nanuk (7c) second go and my first 7b+ onsight.

During the six days we spent there I felt that I started to get the Idea of tufa climbing but unfortunately I got sick the last two days and had to realize that the trip was coming to an end.

My tick list for this trip ended up being beyond my expectations

Llima del quatre 7c+
Nanuk 7c
Antologica 7c
Tarragona 7c
Tros de soca 7b+
Carcamal 7b+
El Clan de los M’klau 7b+ onsight
Sopas de ajo 7b+
Montrgronyeta 7b+
Ktploptr 7b+
Jam session 7b onsight
?? (tres ponts) 7b onsight
Bimbirimboies 7b onsight
Pitus I flautes 7b onsight
Mambo del ray 7b onsight

Breakfast at the hut

Ted impresses with his send of Pince sans rire 7b+ on his second go.

Me working the crux of Nanuk 7c

Ted on the same route

Ted resting in Gran Boveda

Ted working on Sopas de Ajo 7b+

Amazing tufas

The big hold is not a good rest hold :)

Last moves before the anchor

Kalandraka at night, a very nice climbers inn. Walking distance from all the climbing you need!

4/14/12

Margalef

Margalef is one of the most beautiful places I’ve been to and especially the area around Raco de les finestres. I would recommend anyone to go here, climber or not. It just doesn’t deserve to go unnoticed!

The climbing is just as good as they make it look in the movies, if you like pockets. Because it is all pockets, pockets, pockets. I loved it though it is quite hard on your fingers.

After about three days on, me and Bengt decided to have a rest day and go and look at the newly developed areas that we had heard of... There were talk about tufas and we just had to check out if this was true.

We walked far in to the canyon and soon we were surrounded by a jungle-like forest. After a while our trail turned in to a small path and then in to nothing more than a vague evidence that people (or animals) had been there before.

Then, there we stood with a beautiful view over an enormous wall of limestone on the other side of the canyon. We could see a few people multipitching on the wall and… there they were…the Chorreras of Margalef! We couldn’t believe the size of the tufas, they were gigantic!

All of a sudden I felt something licking my hand, surprised I looked down and saw a lone black dog standing there looking at me. I couldn’t spot the owner at first, but then a guy with blond hair came around the corner and and after him a Spanish looking girl. He looked up, called his dog and said hi with a smile. As they came closer we saw that it was no one less than Chris Sharma himself and Daila Ojeda. Chris Sharma walked past me but when he saw Bengt he reached out his hand and said. – Hey I think I’ve seen you before? Bengt shooke it, a bit stunned as if he had just met his childhood hero he replied -I don’t know.. probably here..? Chris Sharma realized that he had mistaken Bengt for someone else so the rest of our conversation was short, we wished them good luck with their projects and they wished us a nice stay in

Spain

. Afterwards when Bengt came back to reality he said - Calle, you realize I can’t wash my hand for the rest of this trip!