A beautiful route at the top of the village of Coll de Nargo, on the right-hand side of the Paret del Grau, with fantastic views over the valley. Not overly difficult, the Del Manelet route is a local classic, just to the left of the via Africa. 3 pitches in V+ and 6a overall, excellent limestone rock, good but uneven equipment, with a few exposed passages or dangerous point placement in places. This remains a very good option in the sector, if you start out with a few stoppers to protect your progress. The topo of all the routes in the area, taken from the Sisbemessanapren blog, offers many other possibilities at the same level or slightly harder. The sporty sectors of Coll Piqué, on the other side of the pass, can also be used to complete the day. A place full of resources!
Pas en V+ au départ
Technical summary
Access to the place
Go to the village of Coll de Nargo on the C14 between d'Oliana and Organya, under the Seu d'Urgell and Andorra. Enter the village, cross it and at the exit, level with an old bell tower, turn right towards Coll Piqué. Climb up, the asphalt becomes a track and you come to a small pass, between the Paret del Grau on the left and the sports areas on the right. Park here, next to a large rocky tooth.
Itinerary description
Hiking to the start 15'
Quick and obvious. Climb up on a small path marked towards the rock, then climb up towards the base of the wall to the right of a wide orange overhang. "MAN" is lightly engraved at the start of the route, to the left of the via Africa start.
Course
The route is south-facing and 80m long in 3 pitches (30m, 20m, 30m). The equipment is generally good (parabolts), even if the start is exposed and you have to climb between nails, with a few possible returns on rock. Bring a dozen quickdraws and a few straps (L3 and L4) and possibly a few small belayers for protection. Maximum level 6a.
L1 (30m, 6a)
Rock start, 1st nail very (too) high and a nice athletic crack. A flat spot before passing a small slab and then a straight diagonal crack and a smooth exit to the R1 belay.
L2 (20m, 6a)
Climb vertically with good holds (expo exit) to arrive under a well-smoothed slab that can be passed with a fine step to the right before climbing up to catch a nice crack (small lanyard in a shrub to help just in case). Take another step to the left to get back on track and continue slightly to the left on a nice climb and some good holds to the very comfortable R2 belay.
L3 (30m, 6a)
The most sustained pitch. Climb up the axis without too much difficulty to a small overhang which you can pass again on the right using a crack, an athletic move. Return to the axis, continue vertically and finish on a mini-slab. Comfortable R3.
Back
Recall the route 2 or 3 times and take the approach path in the opposite direction.
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