On my last trip to Spain I got tantalisingly close to completing my objective La Puta Rue F8b+. Hungry for success I booked another visit through late February into March with Dave Mac. The winter nights flew by, but sadly my motivation wasn’t up for the same rigorous training regime I endured through the autumn. On leaving I was aware my performance wasn’t at the same levels as the autumn being heavier and unfitter. Still I hoped I could make quick gains while out and a slightly longer trip would work to my advantage. This timeMichael also managed to make it out along with Rick and Andy, so we had a psyched team in the flat ready to tear up the Costa Durada. I was glad to arrive healthy after last years nightmare four day sickness. On this trip my objectives were to climb La Puta Rue F8b+, try another F8b+/c for future reference, onsight/flash some F7b/c’s and redpoint three F8a’s. Conservative enough goals for a two week trip.
Flashing Voladerum F7b+, Margalef.
February 26th – 28th. Our first destination was Margalef’s Sector Laboratori. After our own quick warm-ups we got stuck into a F7b+ called Voladerum. Dave wobbled up onsight unfamiliar with his new shoes and chalk bag (that he bought to replace his late arriving baggage). I went for a flash ascent afterwards. Taking some time to commit to the initial move off a crap two finger pocket I launched up through the jugs onto the tricky headwall. As elbows lifted I had to knuckle down on the final moves. Mike sailed up easily first redpoint.
I then got stuck back into my main objective La Puta Rue. On putting the clips up the top section the moves didn’t feel easy. The bottom section as usual felt ridiculously powerful. After a quick run through I had a couple of redpoints, both of which ended well below the crux. I put my bad performance down to maxing out my energy reserves earlier on the 7b+. Dave worked out the moves on another 8b+ to the right. After a short rest he nearly managed it first redpoint but painfully ripped off one of the holds.
We returned the next day with Rick and Andy to show them some of the routes around Raco de la Finestra in the neighbouring valley. After a few warm-ups we returned to Sector Laboratori. After failing on a 7a warm-up I decided to take a rest day. Mike tried a short 8a called Sarau Nocturn (that Dave had onsighted last year) and made all the moves bar the last to the LO that Dave commented “were jugs”. Dave had more luck on the 8b+ despite the hot sun. He held it together well through some minor wobbles to get it second redpoint.
A local close to sending Doble Lluna F8b.
After a rest day I returned with Mike to try La Puta Rue. The weather felt a lot cooler with the cloud blocking out the sun. Perfect for hard redpointing. After warming up properly I felt better and managed four redpoints up to the crux. I also worked out a better sequence through to the hand jam that had been annoying me. However, the foot jam was failing me. On the crucial clip third redpoint I could feel it slipping and was unable to adjust it and had to jump off. The heatwave of annoyance pulsing through me felt good so I decided to lower straight away for another go. Properly warmed up for once the moves felt fluid and easier. On the lip I tried to ignore the sliding felling from the foot jam. As I pulled out slack to clip it popped out and I flew off skimming the ground.
It was good to feel zoned on the route. I’m not sure if I needed the psyche up for the moves or to endure the pain of the sharp holds. The cold starts after belaying were hard going and often resulted in hotaches. The sharp pockets felt painful on my soft office skin which disparately needed thickening. I hoped I’d see some proper progress after a rest day.
Good late afternoon conditions, Margalef.
March 1st-2nd. On Saturday I was rewarded after my rest day with cool temperatures at Margalef, while the rest of the group rested after four days on. Overcast skies and a gentle breeze made conditions perfect for an attempt on Puta Rue. I managed to shift some minor morning aches by warming up with a brisk run, stretching and a link of the top section of the route. This time I managed to reach the crux on two redpoints, but was frustrated not to improve on my November high point. After a quick rest I threw myself between the holds to the lip, this time I managed to badly latch the crux hold. Knowing it was over I managed a token stab at the next hold to a least come away with my November high point. I started to doubt again that I could complete the route on this trip. Even after two sessions on and a rest day I still didn’t feel like my power endurance was improving on the route. The moves still felt hard, the holds sharp and the traffic from the near by road just as annoying. I longed to complete the route and move onto another crag. Done for the morning we took a drive round to the Monastery crags in the adjacent valley. After a steep walk in we reached the crag which had a fantastic aspect hanging right at the top of the valley. The wall had a good looking F7c and F8a that I really had to come back an try.
The afternoon heat wipes out the team.
On Sunday we returned to Margalef under clear skies. It was apparent from our warm-ups that it was going to be a very warm day, unsuitable for hard climbing without in built AC and leather skin.
Mike persevered and tried a F7c to no avail. Dave grumbled about conditions and delays over his main objective, a solo of the F8c. I opted for shade and head to a crag by the dam to try a route called Twist a Lola F8a we had scoped out a previous evening. Warming up on the moves it seemed pheasable enough with a bouldery crux at the start and an endurancy headwall above split by some jugs in the middle. The stiff lock to the chain looked like the redpoint crux which I managed to verify. Despite initially poor beta low down I managed to hang in there to reach the crux on two occasions. On my first redpoint I fumbled around with footholds. On tensioning through the crux I missed the hold, but recovered by catching a lower intermediate. Again I repeated this manoeuvre before finally latching it. Knackered I headed for the jugs hoping to get something back. Wobbling on the next crux was touch but I made it onto the line of good pockets across the headwall before getting spat off the last move pumped. The feat was repeated a second time, sadly with the same outcome.
To finish off I squeezed a bit more beta out off the last move and discovered I could lock for it using a small intermediate. If I had know! After ripping two flappers on the side of my fingers on the sharp crux pockets it would be a few days before I could try the route again. I resigned myself to more rest to dwell on those failed redpoints.
Starting up Twist a Lola F8a.
Tuesday 4th March. On Tuesday morning we awoke to much cooler weather brought in by a northerly airmass. It was worrying to watch the cars temperature gauge fall to 4 degrees as we ascended to Margalef. Our disgust earlier at the useless south facing heat of sector Laboratori was replaced by relief. By our arrival the sun’s work raised the morning temperature to 11 degrees, perfect for redpointing. However, the strong gusty wind made life hard by quickly stripping away any warm-up, kicking up giant clouds of dust and making the quick draws dance as you went to clip them. I decided to make three quick redpoints of Puta Rue to stay warm. Moving out across the cave the moves felt easier and the holds sticky in the cold air. The first and last ended frustratingly at the same move on the lip. On my second I latched the crux pocket badly, set up a new toe hook and firmly latched the next hold. However, with my right set up so badly there was no way of making the next move. I was really frustrated with my efforts. Well into week two of the trip I was still powering out instantly on the crux when I felt fairly fresh. It looked increasingly likely that I’d again fail to complete the route on my now third visit. Looking back at experience from previous trips the only way forward I could fore see was to take two days full rest, sacrificing a climbing day and the associated objectives. I hoped this would bring the improvement I’d been searching for.
In the afternoon taking advantage of the persisting freezing wind we headed for the sunny Sector Espadelles. Dave got straight to work on Los Vampros Hippes F8c. I was less inclined to try it myself after watching Dave decode its long complex sequences on lots of mono’s. It looked like Darwin Dixit could be the F8c of choice for me in these parts. After a good rest I went for the onsight of Suduku F7c a short overhanging pocketed wall that I’d eyed up last year. As I moved upwards locking through the complex grid of pockets forearms steadily gripped. Crossing through to a good pocket I nearly managed to knock off my glasses, leaving them hanging off one ear. After restoring vision and a shake out I continued working through the next section right, left then onto the easier ground to the top. I’d got quite pumped and had to work hard, but in all it was the fight I’d been looking for on the trip do far.
Trying to onsight a F7c+, not so close.
Later I tried my luck onsighting a F7c+ but got shut down on the midheight crux. I dogged out the rest of the route which although complicated had some good rests. It wasn’t to hard to imagine that fresh and with more stamina I could onsight to this level and harder in the future. Dave finished off the day doing the F8c first redpoint after two sessions dogging. It was unexpected given it was freezing after the sun went down and he had to battle hotaches and hard cruxes high on the route. It was a true measure of the man’s tenacity that made more than a few Spanish jaws drop that day.
Pocket cuts force a rest day and extreme taping.
Friday 7-8th March. After two days I hoped I’d gathered some extra strength. On Friday morning my warm-up didn’t go according to plan and I gripped out on the F7a. With tight forearms I had two redpoints on Puta Rue but couldn’t improve on my previous high point. As the afternoon heat increased I decided to rest. Later that evening I returned after the afternoon heat had subsided. Although I felt fresher I still couldn’t break the deadlock. Frustrated at my lack of real climbing I went back to dispatch the F7a and attempt an onsight of Tsunami F7b+. This didn’t go to plan and I found myself beasting away till dark with no redpoint to show for it after two more attempts.
I’d tried to reserve my final day away from Laboratori but again I ended up on Puta Rue to try my luck one final time. However, one try confirmed I was knackered and I dropped off the midway rest unable to continue. The torture of beating body and mind raw had become overpowering. Fingers limped between quickdraws to strip the route cut and bruised. We finished our trip up on the Monastery crags managing our final routes before heading home.
Sunset of our final day at Margalef.
I had thought that this trip would bring my objective to a fore gone conclusion but I have again be proven wrong. Fifteen redpoints over 7 days with 6 days rest spread in between did not bring success. A change of sequence and psyche levels on the route still couldn’t bring me any closer. My belief dwindles in the sacrifice required to complete high level routes when I could be happily ticking through routes of a slightly lower grade. It seems satisfaction from an ascent is only maximised in finding the right ratio of effort and time. I guess the coming year will test both.