Albarracin to Dublin

3 days in Albarracin and we got our first proper spell of bad weather.  We arrrived got the tent up and the heavens opened.  We were hopeful, the forecast still looked good for the following 3 days.

On our way out of Rodellar we had saw this little guy trying to cross the road, I think this is possibly the first fox I've ever seen

Albarracin is situated between Madrid and Zaragoza and is Spain's answer to Fontainbleau.  It is not on the same scale by any means as Font, but for what it is, it is very good sandstone bouldering. 

We managed to get 3 half days climbing, dodging the rain drops.   The last day however was blissful sunshine.  

Bouldering in Albarracin

The village of Albarracin is a magnificent, if somewhat restored, walled medieval city with small, windy streets. I'll let the pictures do the talking.

On our way wandering through the village one of the evening we happened upon a bull fight.  I have to admit it I was not impressed one little bit.  To me it was one of the most barbaric cruel "sporting" (ha yeah right, nothing sporting about it at all) event I've been too.  To me it was just wrong.....

On Sunday afternoon we left Albarracin embarking on our 2600 km drive back to Dublin.  Over 4 days we traveled to Hossegor and spent the day roaming the little surf town, just missing the world championships, then onto Angers where we treated ourselves to an ETAP to prepare us for the long final day which started at 9am on Tuesday morning and which ended at 7pm on Wednesday evening hitting Epehy (to visit Andrew great uncle William Speer's grave who was killed in WWI), Calais (hmm not impressed), Dover, Llanberis (we had a bit of time to kill so we had lunch in Coed-y-Brenan the famous Welsh mountain bike park and then through the Llanberis pass to look at the rock and check out V12), Holyhead (well that's where the ferry was :) ) and finally arriving into Dublin Port on Wednesday evening to be greeted by a wonderful meal and lots of catchup banter at Viv & Beth's...

Last day in sunny France

last days in rodellar

We are starting to fade.  Monday was the first rest day that we didn't feel the need to go for a run or a long walk, or investigate some nearby piece of heritage.  In fact, all we both wanted was proper rest day and a proper rest is what we had:  we got up nice and late, had a leisurely coffee (well I did), a leisurely lunch, then a leisurely (you get my drift) stroll about 100m from the campsite to the river, where we sat/lay for the next few hours reading books, listening to music and going for icy dips in the river (well that is, I (Carole) went for a swim, it was "too cold" for Andrew, as he dipped his little finger in and thought  he would lose it to frost bite!). 

Chilled out walk around the lake

Fully rested we hit El Camino (one of the crags for all you non-climbers) with the intention of working a 6c I tried a few days prior, to find out we'd read the guide book wrong and in fact the route was 6b+, utter disappointment.   However, I got my act together and we warmed up and took a look at a couple of other 6c's, the first although I got all the moves, the crux was a huge span that I wasn't confident in wiring in a day.  The second, just suited...a polished slab to start (not the nicest of starts, but there was enough) leading to a short thin vertical with a slightly reachy move to a jug (the crux), upwards on steep overhanging terrain for about 12 meters to a bulge and then finally the chains.  3 attempts (one lead bolt to bolt, one top rope clean and my redpoint) and it was mine.  After this Andrew got onto a 7a+ he'd been eyeing up for a few days.  He got all the moves first go, but unfortunately ran out of skin, energy and green beans (ask Dave for the info on climbing green beans - for too technical to go into here!).   A multiple rest day was needed.

Lying down after belaying Andrew, I must be getting tired

Today proved too much for our muscles.... too tired to climb, we both dogged our way up a 6b we'd done the day before and then gave up.  We've no skin left on our finger tips, no energy in our muscles and my back is twinged and playing up.  A multiple rest day is needed so we went home (home to our big tent - you know you are on the road when your tent becomes your home).


So we move on tomorrow, to Albarracin, to meet up with Dave and Caroline for a little bouldering before we embark on the long, long, long (did I mention) long, long, long, long journey home - +2500km! 

Best Campsite Desert Recipe

Step 1:  Get preferred cracker or biscuit base.  I've chosen a rice cake.  (Bit boring on its own!!)

Step 2:  With nutella and a spoon, lather the rice cake with nutella, quality tasting nutella as you go is a necessity. (Getting better but not there yet!!)

Step 3: Get a small camping stove, preferred choice the pocket rocket and a titanium spork (or other sharp pronged non-flammable object).  TIP don't use a plastic spork!!

Step 4:  Squish 2 marshmallows onto the fork, light the stove and carefully rotate the marshmallows until toasty.  Again quality tasting a necessity.

Step 5:  Remove from spork and place on chocolate covered rice cake. Refrain from quality testing here, its worth the wait!

Step 6: Repeat steps 3, 4 and 5 as you need at least 4 marshmallows to make this really yummy.

Step 7: Enjoy the indulgence.

i think its time to start redpointing?!?

Hermitage in Mascun

So, we've been on the road now for about 5 weeks, we are both comfortable with in our grades.  Its time to start pushing that.  We are now in red pointing mode... I hope this is a good thing.  Today, I went back to a 6b I rested on a few days ago, and got it first attempt this time and easily.  It was a steep juggy route which I needed stamina a days rest to complete.   Happy out, I was!!  Andrew attempted his first 7a in Rodellar - unfortunately didn't send it clean in his two attempts but has the moves wired so hopefully with a fresh mind it will be his.

Dawid on a 6a+ in El Camino

Unknown climber on some of the steeper routes in El Camino

Andrew on a 6a+ in El Camino

Andrew on a 6a+ in El Camino

Unknown climber working (I think) a 6b/6c in El Camino

Dawid on a 6b in Criminal Tango

Dawid on a 6b in Criminal Tango

first few days in rodellar

Yesterday i was too tired to write, today after a rest I am still too tired, but I'll endeavour to put something down, least in my tiredness I forgot :)

Lunch on the Road

The long drive cross country from El Masnou to Rodellar

We drove to Rodellar last Wednesday and watched the clouds thicken over the mountains the closer we got.   It was a fantastic thunder storm that night but unfortunately that meant no climbing for us on Thursday as we'd planned.  After a few hours of musing in the tent drinking coffee we jumped in the car and headed for Heusca.  Really there is not much to see or do there, a short walk around the old quarter and lunch in a cute little restaurante and we'd pretty much seen it all.  Late afternoon it started to brighten so we headed back up the valley to see the clouds slowly lifting off the gorge.  Hurray, we'd be climbing tomorrow.

Funky ceramic wall in Heusca

One of the crags in Rodellar

The next two days we our first experience with Rodellar, another different crag, another style of climbing to get used to.  I found it hard these two days.  I think after the 6 days rest, it will take a day or so get the head back into it.  I certainly was having a bad head day.  With Dawid here, I found the opportunity to get a couple of shots of us climbing (and Dawid kindly took my camera while I was climbing, so now I've proof I was actually on the rock). 

Andrew climbing a 6b

Dawid on same route

 Me climbing the same 6b (photo credit to Dawid)

Today was a rest day, and as all good rest days go, we went walking / hiking, down into the valley to the river, a swim before lunch, then wander aimlessly through the gorge for the next few hours and a little expedition to get home.  Andrew suggests that its as quick to follow the river bed back to the campsite than go back to the village and by road, so off we trot... let's just say we had an introduction to canyon'ing, boulder hopping, tree hugging and water wading.... except from the fact that we'd run out of water a couple of hours earlier, we had a great time.

Roll on crag and climbing tomorrow.  This is yet another beautiful climbing destination, in fact beautiful doesn't do it justice.

Leisurely Rest Daysssss...............

Day 1: Sipping coffee, sipping more coffee ......

Andrew, Christian and Andrea chilling out by the River, its a long walk from the Coffee Shop to the Campsite you know!!

Day 2: Chilling out, reading, checking email, having lunch, watching the campsite empty, feeling tired (one rest day wasn't enough but this was meant to be a climbing day), when I thought - let's go kayaking instead.  Much less energy involved there... great day but even more tired now, new muscles involved.... but still fun fun fun and another beautiful way to see the valley.

I thought kayaking was a safe sport (ha ha not with Andrew)!!

Day 3: Deserted the ghost town of Le Rozier!!  Sunday was a usual quiet Sunday in Le Rozier.  Places / shops open late and close early. Nothing strange here.  But on Monday things were clearer, the place had shut down quite literally over night.  The local shop (a spar) was now only open on Saturdays.  All / most of the gift shops etc were closed.  The local pottery shop (:( i'd picked some pottery ) was closed until next season... it was like a ghost town.

We left.

Drove to Barcelona.   Well we have a car full of gear, so parking / staying is an issue so we are staying in El Masnou a quiet (season must be over here too - strange its still high 20's) little beach town about 15KM on the train-line into Barcelona.

On the beach in El Masnou

Day 4: Barcelona in Brief  - First stop had to be the Templo Expiatorio de la Sagrada Familia.   What a magnificant feat of engineering, or at least one day it will be when it is finished!

Sagrada Familia (Gaudi Cathedral)

A little bit of history:  It was designed by the Spanish architect Antoni Gaudi. The cathedral was started in 1883 and Gaudi became the official  architect.  Unfortunately, Gaudi died in an accident in 1926 and at this point the cathedral remained unfinished, construction ceased and did not start again in 1979, much of the current work is based on Gaudi's original plans.  The cathedral is unlike anything else from European architecture.  It is said to be a mix of neo-Gothic and Art Nouveau influenced as well by Cubism and Surrealism.

From there we got the metro back into Gothic quarter and wandered the small narrow streets and browsed in trinket shops. We reached the harbour and gazed in awe at the gigantic boats, both sail and motor, of what could only be the prized possessions of the rich and famous.

Barcelona Cathedral in the Gothic Quarter

On our way back through the harbour and over the city's new "Rambla Del Mar", a brand new wooden pedestrian bridge, we were surprised to see what looked like from behind a "naked" man with his friend the "almost naked" man wearing only a pair of underpants... no wait a minute that would be two "naked" men, one with a tattoo of underpants, two completely and utterly, all hanging lose for the world to see.  Naked men on the bridge, having a chit chat, chin wag (or what ever the Spanish equivalent would be).   What was even funnier, once we'd passed them, watching the faces of people walking in the opposite direction: the look of confusion, is that? no it couldn't be, really? to almost embarrassment, nervous laughter and averted gaze.

Rambla Del Mar (sorry not the naked men)

We ended our day with dinner in one of Barcelona central plazas.... and home to our little tent (big tent got the night off) in El Masnou.

Day 5: Swim to start the day off as all good days should start. Then the long drive east to Rodellar  ready for 3 more weeks of climbing (: (: (: (:  :) :) :) :)