Actually we had planned to spend a weekend in Andorra at an unstaffed hut in the mountains but for various reasons we changed our plans and went to Montserrat instead. This was a good choice.
On Saturday morning Mireia, Marina, and Svitlana came over to Ari’s flat for breakfast. I made pancakes and after consuming sufficient quantities, some more than others, we got in the cars and drove to the far side of Montserrat.
The sun was out, obviously, as it was Catalonia after all. The walk into the hut was short, just 45 minutes and the path took us into the hills and then through a band of rock pillars. These are the defining feature of Montserrat. All rocks there seem to be made to this same design. They look amazing and it gives the whole area a distinctive look. There must be hundred of the things and there are climbing routes all over the place although the rock is conglomerate and perhaps not as nice to climb as granite.
We unpacked our gear at the hut (Refugi d’Agulles Vicenç Barbé) and then headed off in search of a spot for our picnic lunch. We found a flat area near the track on a big rock and ate the filled rolls we’d brought with us. Afterwards, we decided to carry on and we followed the well formed track further until a junction. We opted for the shorter of the two options – shorter but steeper and marked as a dotted route on my map. It got much steeper quickly and we met some climbers coming the other way. They probably decided we looked like city dwellers as one of them asked us where we were going. Ari translated and I showed him on my phone. He was a bit skeptical but didn’t say too much more and we continued. Apparently despite it being marked on my map the track was more of a climbers route than a walking trail. It continued steeply up with loose rocks and autumn leaves to slide around on.
We came to a rock ramp, that was fairly steep and I soloed up to the top to check it was ok. It seemed alright. Perhaps it was a UIAA climbing grade 1 or 2. The others followed up cautiously, Anais at the back looking less than happy with the situation. It was an hour before sunset and I was a little nervous that we might not get back before dark. Ari, Anaïs and I had packed headlamps but the others didn’t have any. I wasn’t sure whether the route would continue as rough or whether it might be more difficult. For peace of mind, the others waited while I ran the rest of the loop to where the track was marked as being easier on the map. It seemed reasonable and easier than what we’d just done so I headed back and the others started slowly down towards me. Mireia and Marina found an amazing spot on the edge of a cliff with expansive views out over the plains below. We took photos there and I was tempted to fly my drone but opted not to due to time. We could see down to the window in the rock far below that Ari and I had visited a few weeks back on our way to Andorra.
The track was easier as we continued but still climbed up and down with narrow parts next to the rocks with drops to the side. We found our way down to where the track was marked as bigger on my map. It was indeed better formed and we followed it back to the hut, arriving a few minutes before sunset. I flew my drone after sunset capturing the moon and the dark blue sky and sat outside with Mei and Marina for a while and chatted. Then it was dinner: soup, a tasty salad thing, meat and potatoes, and then a dessert. Not bad. We didn’t sleep well as one of the kids in the hut had a tantrum around 2a.m.
It was misty and overcast the following day. We went walking again following the same track as the day before but sticking to the normal route. We looped around behind the rocks arriving at the track up to the window in the rock. Some of us went up to take a look although the weather made it less impressive. We continued, finishing the loop back to the hut. The blue sky that had been trying to make an appearance started to win out over the cloud as we ate lunch in front of the hut. We packed our bags and walked out towards the cars making a short side trip to an old ruin. By this time it was all sunshine and happiness again. Back to Barcelona and I packed for my trip back to Germany in the morning.
