TOPO Climbing | CLIMBING7.COM

Kraken a la Pastereta, Montserrat, Spain

Publié le 6 April 2013 | Catalunya Eng, Spain

Back to Montserrat for a final rush. South face, Clot de la Monica to reach the huge funnel-shaped wall on the west face of Pastereta. After Via Apatxe, a classic in the area, we set off on its neighbor. Same climbing profile, except that it's a step up. 150m for 5 pitches of uneven difficulty. Particular mention should be made of L2 (6b) and L5 (6b+/6c): brilliant climbing, a finely tuned, hard and sustained route on impeccable rock, in an extraordinary atmosphere, all the more so as we end up under the snow for the last pitch!

Technical summary

Access to the place

Get there via Bruc or Collbato. Take the track between Vinya Nova and Collbato to find the Clot de la Monica parking lot, just below La Pastereta and Serrat d'en Muntaner.

Map & topo

Itinerary description

Hiking to the start

Take the path heading straight for the cliffs. A wide path, then a narrow path that twists upwards at En Muntaner, then reaches the foot of La Pastereta. Then fork right to reach the west base, and at sight reach the foot of the route (path a little rough, steep finish with a knotted rope).

Course

The south-facing route comprises 5 pitches and is 150m long (35m, 35m, 25m, 30m, 20m). The equipment is quite good, except on L1 (only 1 nail) and L4 (none).

L1 (35m, IV+)

No great interest other than reaching the foot of the wall. A single nail on the bulge then you can follow a sabine before finishing a little exposed at R1, on a small flat, at the foot of the big wall.

L2 (35m, 6b)

Fantastic length! Very vertical, with a slight overhang in the middle. Very fine, balanced passages. Not an easy route, you have to keep looking for the best option. Very sustained length.

L3 (25m, V+)

Time for a rest. Also a good length, well equipped, with a slightly diagonal route on the left and a small overhang to overcome.

L4 (30m, IV)

Simply a transition length. No nails, so go along the sabines to the foot of the second wall on the left.

L5 (20m, 6b+/6c)

Explosive length, the first 2 or 3 movements are very hard (6c?), athletic. Having said that, our fingers were frozen, but it was still difficult to link them together. The equipment is impeccable, but beware of falling before the 2nd nail!

Back

2 options: either climb back up the slightly lost paths to find the main path and descend through the gorge on the left (long), or link abseils on the via Apatxe. Then follow the opposite path to the parking lot.