Montserrat, south face. Ideal for cooler days due to its southern exposure, Via Iona is quick and fairly short, progressive and layered, with a beautiful and interesting final pitch of 6b. The route climbs up the Esperó de la Salut, right in the middle of the Codolosa wall, which forms a sort of natural amphitheatre above the village of Collbató. The rock is of good quality, even if some places are a little decomposed and you have to be careful where you put your hands and feet. A great route that's really accessible at this level.
Presque sur la Codolosa
Technical summary
Access to the place
From Barcelona, take the A2 towards Leida and exit at Collbató. Do not enter the village and continue towards the Coves del Salnitre. A little further on, fork left to reach the Ermita de la Salut parking lot, where you'll also find a picnic area with tables and benches, barbecues and chiringuitos.
Itinerary description
Hiking to the start 15'
Behind the lunch area, you can see the Font Seca torrent bed rising to the north. You can clearly see the Codolosa above and the Esperó de la Salut in the middle, easily recognizable. Follow the torrent bed for a few minutes before cutting upwards and to the left, arriving after a few improvisations at the foot of the cliff and finding the start of the route, at sight, by threading your way through the vegetation.
Course
The south-facing route, opened in 2002, is 90m long in 3 pitches (30m, 30m, 30m). The equipment with parabolts is good despite an exposed passage. Bring 8 quickdraws.
L1 (30m, V)
To reach the 1st point a little higher up, go right and then return to the guache a little higher up. Then follow the ridge and the line of nails. There's no difficulty, apart from a small, thinner V-shaped passage that's not very well protected. Relay 1 is located just below a small dihedral on the left.
L2 (30m, V+)
Climb up the dihedral with good holds (V), then a vertical section with good grabs (V+), leading to the end of a more inclined pitch (IV). A knotted rope is installed at this point to help, as the rock is rather unstable. Relay 2 is located on a small platform at the foot of the final section.
L3 (30m, 6b)
The most interesting pitch, of course. Sustained and well-equipped, especially on the first 3 points. The serious stuff starts between the 2nd and 3rd points. To reach the 4th point, you have to really get going, looking for little holes and scrapes to get out. The rock is excellent, making it easy to put your feet down. The second part is easier, on an inclined surface, just long enough to deflate the forearms.
Back
Return to the path, then take the approach path in the opposite direction, or follow the path along the foot of the Codolosa to the west, then descend on a wider, more convenient path to the left to the start parking lot.
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