Siurana, l'Olla

It has been a while since i posted something here, so it is time to go at it with a vengeance!  There, two posts in a day, that is mainly due to some camera use, good climbing, weather, and fun company out there.

The sun came out and we ran at its call - the first day vising for the first time for me the impressive conglomerate heaven of Raco de Missa, one of the sport climbing sectors developed within the Montsant mountain.  It figures already in the new Montsant guidebook, as well as in the end of the Siurana guidebook - thus the number of people visiting is rather high - despite the grueling approach of 30 min uphill walking.  The spot is spectacular, especially at sunset, with views down the valley, all the way to the Siurana 'island in the sky', the col, and the villages in the valley.  The routes are very good too - long, conglomerate monsters, using up all of the 40, or even 50 meters of rope (see picture of myself toproping Llarg, a very very long route to end the day completely pumped and useless, previous more 'mystical' post).

Today, after a long discussion, we changed the original plan from Montral to the orange Siurana.  After seeing Sharma and crue at Margalef last w-end, this w-end it was time for the Czech crowd, debarking at Siurana for Ondra's try up Golpe de Estado.  We enjoyed the show sunbathing at la Olla from the distance - but the send did not happen, at least not before we left around 3 pm...Good luck, Ondra, you are young, strong, and - the world is yours!

After accepting my own downwards-sloping climbing performance, i took to the picture taking.  The candidates were scarce, nevertheless - here is one of my best picture so far - Sergi Sol Bros, giving it all at the crux moves of the Bistec de Biceps:

(notice the shadow and the pota d'elefant (7c+) in the background of the picture - a little self-praise needed there!)

Below is myself, giving it much less, in a very strange position to clip the first bolt at Burden chuchen, my second 6c onsight at la Olla, although i preferred by far the Mayling, very good route indeed.

So...does this all t-shirt fun mean that spring is here?  I hope my tendons will stay up to the test... And the test will come, very very soon - stay tuned!