Update

Too many things have been going on lately and i have been pretty lazy with my blog.  I will try to do a quick update about the past weeks as the time constraints remain very vivid during these cold spring times.

First of all - Margalef.

The picture above is from another sector i have recently discovered there - Cabernet, looking down at the Cami de la Ermita.  Cabernet is the opposite of Laboratori - the other famous sector of Margalef full of famous routes, where one usually can see Sharma, Pou, and their paparazzi friends.  Whereas Laboratori is full of  short bouldery mono routes close to the road in a rather claustrophobic canyon, Cabernet is long, sustained, and open to the winds of time.  The view is one of the best around Margalef, down the valley and up to the sun.  Lonely climbers can sleep at the old abandoned Ermita, or sit around a friendly fire if others are around.

And the routes are incredible.  Two projects remain there for me - Califato Coach (what Pau calls the little sister to Rambla), a long, sustained, and overhanging one, and the short bouldery Mar de Fons below.  Both are rated 7b, but are very different in style and project approach needed.  Like the Catalans say, I have feina there!!!

Above is the picture from the inspiring Klaas Willems, working on Pais de Monos, a neighboring 8a+ in Cabernet, a project for future days maybe, when my fingers will grow stronger..!

Second, Montserrat.  We have been going back to the Mother Mountain lately and it is as good as ever - despite the cold times, the snowy times, the sad unsunny and happy sunny days.  Several good days have seen us around the walls of Vermeil and Cova de Arcada - some projects went down, some others remain, and some rap rings are left to the more skillful climbers as bounty on a couple more 7as that i was not able to finish.  That is the circle of life, and the Mother Mountain remains immortal.

Above picture by Remi, myself working hard to lead the awesome line of Vox Populi, a 7b to the right of Ultravox - another pending project in the gold mine of Montserrat Sur sport climbing.


And third - the skiing.

I managed to get out for 2 days to Deux Alpes, and benefit from incredible sunny weather and family times there.  Skiing remains good, i got a chance to have some reminiscences from my past ski touring days.  Yes, it was good - and maybe sometime in the future i will use my old skis again...Not this season though!