Wednesday, November 23, 2011

Margalef



I spent most of the picturesque 4 hour drive from Rodellar to Margalef trying not to puke every time we went around tight turn or stopped suddenly.  We rolled in around 3PM on November 1st(Day of the Dead), noticed a big party at the community center and quickly found our hotel, El Tres Pins,


which was oddly decorated(They had a couple of mounted Javalina heads),

 a bit ghetto(they had a vending machine that kids could get lighters from),



and didn't allow Wentworth(sorry Matt),


but seemed quiet.

After unpacking, we strolled the quaint, hilly streets





and checked out the Refugio/Hostel, where you can buy a Margalef climbing guidebook for 15 Euro.

They had some old school graffiti style climbing art at the Refugio.  


 This one kind of looks like me...




Life was good.

Until that night, when we sat down for dinner and realized that every evening, El Tres Pins morphs from a quiet sanctuary to a mad house complete with horrible food(like pig cheek),


paper thin walls, springy beds, slamming doors, and hoards of people that crank the television so loud you can barely think(or have a conversation).


Plus, that Day of the Dead  party I mentioned earlier, turned into a rave that blared all night long.  Until Doug stormed out of the hotel at 5:30AM, walked across town and told half a dozen teenagers to shut it down.  Go Doug!

Bleary eyed, we headed up the canyon and got out first view of this unique and stunning area.


After a short uphill approach, we reached the Racos de les Tenebres sector and got out first taste of Margalef climbing.  We warmed up on a couple of tweaky vertical 11's, and then moved down the hill to a steeper wall.


Here are some of the best pictures of me on a route called La Corva de la Felicitat 12d.



And Ted on Magic Festival 12d.




At the end of the day, Seth and I decided to try a 13b called Sativa Patatica.  This route follows the curving crack in the picture ab was one of the best routes of the trip!  Here are a couple of Seth.




And me on the same route.






After another horrible meal and a tough night at El Tres Pins, we went to the Finestra Wall.  This is one of the premier sector at Margalef and the crowds were crazy!  I tried El Fustigador 13c, and decided it was too hard to redpoint in a day, so I spent the rest of the day trying to onsight without much luck.

With rain in the forecast, and fully aware that more terrible food and rough nights at El Tres Pins awaited if we stayed, we decided to flee Margalef and drive North to Terradets.

4 comments:

wall mounted vending machines said...

Vending machine are also have the lot of items for the children. Not only the lighters but it can have candy or lot of more items.

Anonymous said...

Dear sir,
As a responsible of the "Restaurant Els Tres Pins" in Margalef I appriciate your opinion in your blog, but it's clear that to made this critic you should know our habits.
You have to know that the restaurant.was built approximetly 30 years ago and for the benefit of the village, therefore the owner of the restaurant is Margalef.
During so many years the only clients of the restaurant have been hunters and the awful decoration that you mentioned it was specifically think for them. Since no longer ago, we have a new type of clients, climbers, and if you had noticed, we have a section in the restaurant dedicated to them with some climbing stuff like guides, photos, material...and hunters and other clients have never criticized it. In this town everyone is wellcomed.
Also tell you that we try to serve the food we know best, mediterranian. Maybe our menu wasn't of your liking and maybe you prefer chinese or italian food, but not for this reason you have to categorize our food as horrible.
I would like you to visit our page in www.toprural.com and there you.could see that among more than 40 comments, your comment is the only one that disqualifies us.
The game machines that you critizies are part of our public demand and comply with current legislation of the CEE.
Referent at the noise you mentioned it was caused for a tv match of the club futbol barcelona. Our clients are very fans and they enjoy seeing the matches in our restaurant. These clients are the owners of the rocks you climed and no one of them have complained that you climbed in their propierty, used their natural resources and their roads to drive, the cost of the good.aconditionament of the climbing zone and the price of the rubbish collect.
For this reason, I think that you might change your point of view and maybe you will understand our restaurant, our food and our manners. We aren't bad people, we try to offer everything.to feel you comfortable.
I want you to know that you'll be always received in our restaurant despite of the critics you made in your blog.
Recieve from our part a friendly and cordial regards and an apology for not to keep up your desires. We will try to make our best the next time.

Sincerely,

Josep Ferrer.

Anonymous said...

A fine response Josep! Nice way to perpetuate the ugly American stereotype Taylor. Imagine how a European might see areas in the US such as the areas and people of Red River Gorge.

Unknown said...

Just to add to what has been said by Josep- we've stayed here in the past and found it really friendly, great food and plenty of it, and fantastic value. Of course, it is your blog and you are free to say what you like, but expect plenty more comments defending the Tres Pins.

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