Montserrat  Photos:  Recent | Best | Popular Elevation:  100,900' Lat, Long:  41.5995, 1.8177 Map Page Views:  11,934. Good page? (1 like)    Administrator:  Tom Erickson Submitted By:  Monomaniac on Jul 18, 2009 Make this area a Favorite What's New  Printer View Add Area  Add Photo  Add Comment  Add Event  Thu Fri Sat Sun Mon 72° | 50° 66° | 48° 70° | 46° 70° | 48° 72° | 52°

BETA PHOTO: Agulles: West part of Montserrat, lots of spires (...

Description 

Perched fortress-like atop the surrounding wine country sits Spain's largest climbing area, and the spiritual cradle of Catalonian climbing. The magical blunted spires of Montserrat hide literally thousands of excellent routes, with a variety of length & commitment sure to intrigue climbers of all tastes & abilities. Located only 30 miles from the bustling metropolis of Barcelona, the Parc Natural de la Muntanya de Montserrat that contains the climbing area is a popular destination for locals & tourists alike. The main attraction for tourists is the aesthetic Benedictine Monastery located among the cliffs on the East end of the park, which offers access to many of the more popular climbs.

A funicular provides access to the Southeast portion of the park, reducing the daunting approach to a meager stroll. Beware there are two funiculars, one that goes up (St Joan), and one that goes down (Santa Cova). Be sure you are in the correct station before you buy your ticket.

There are a number of Refugis in the park that provide cheap accomodations for climbers. The Monastery also offers rooms and a campground.

The Rock 

Montserrat is composed of excellent cobblestone conglomerate, not unlike the rock found at El Rito, Castlewood Canyon, or Maple Canyon in the US. The primary difference is that these formations reach heights of over 1000 feet, offering a world-class multi-pitch climbing experience. Although the cliffs may appear chossy, the rock is generally very solid, and highly featured, with many protruding knobs and sinker pockets.

The rock of Montserrat is high-quality cobblestone conglomerate. Submitted By: Monomaniac on Dec 15, 2009

When to Visit 

Montserrat is a year-round crag, but like most "year-round" crags, spring and fall are best. Shade is at a premium in the warm summer months, and in the winter many of the most challenging multi-pitch lines will be too cold to enjoy. If you are here in the winter, the Gorros get morning sun and are bear-able on warmer winter days. Additionally, the south-facing slabs of Panxe del Bisbe & other formations around L'Elefant are relatively sheltered from the wind.

Beta 

English-speaking visitors will want to check out the excellent e-guides available from RockTopo These are "supertopo"-style guides with detailed introductions, text descriptions, and high-quality topos available for download.

Getting There 

"The Loop Road" surrounds the cliffs of Montserrat & provides access to all of the climbs. There are multiple ways to reach this road, but for direct access to the Monastery area, take the A-2 out of Barcelona to the C-55. Take the C-55 to the small town of "Monistrol de Montserrat". Here get on the winding BP-1121, which joins the loop road a short distance North of the Monastery.

The parking situation at the Monastery can be troublesome, particularly on weekends. Arrive early or expect to waste a good bit of time looking for a space. There is a ~5 Euro fee if you are lucky enough to get a spot in the parking lot.

The Classics

Featured Route For Montserrat

Badalona 5.8 R  International : Spain : ... : Gorro Frigi

Badalona is a fun, classic mountaineering adventure up the ESE face of Girro Frigi. This is an old-school route in every sense. The route wanders all over the face, in search of the path of least resistance, causing ridiculous rope drag despite the virtually non-existant pro. Despite the modest grade, this is in no way a route for beginners. One 40m pitch has only two bolts, neither of which are likely to hold in the event of a lead fall. This is "Leader Must Not Fall" territory, and for th...[more]   Browse More Classics in International

Photos of Montserrat Slideshow

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A typical route of Agulles (Laponia, well bolted),...	BETA PHOTO: Montserrat: north face. Routes ranging from 300 to...	Classical "Easy rider" route. 6a- In this shot, Th...
Lotus route. About 100 mts to the right from Easy ...	Just a stop on the way to climb	From the summit of the Frare (the highest summit o...
...but before, we have climbed this route (6a+) wi...	The rock of Montserrat is high-quality cobblestone...	The NW end of Montserrat from the South.
The intimidating & chilly North Walls of Montserra...	Panxa del Bisbe offers sunny moderates.	L'Elefant (the one that looks like an elephant) an...
The South face of the Cavall Bernat is literally j...	L'Elephant (L) and the Monastery from the top of G...	The NW end of the Park from the summit of Gorro Fr...
Some short sport routes along "The Stairs" approac...	The bustling Monastery, with the Gorros formations...	This photo shows the St Joan Funicular (in the cen...
Shirley nearing the top of pitch 5 of the Punsola-...	catalonian conglomerate	montserrat illuminated
Nice hotel . . .	Pretty sunny . . .	Deep Valley . . .