Rodellar- Camino, Ventanas, Surgencia and more Grand Boveda

The next few days were spent checking out the different walls at Rodellar and set the tone for the rest of the trip.  There would be no projecting on this trip.  We were on a mad dash to see as many walls as we could!

First we checked out the aptly named Ventanas(Windows) Wall.  This area is home to the classic El Delphin 13a, which climbs through the belly of the right arch in the picture below.

Below is a close up of the arch.  If you look closely, you can see the monastery on the hill in the backgroud of the first photo.

A close up of the same Monastary.  I really wish we'd had time to hike up there.

 After warming up, we all tried El Delpin.  Here's Seth crushing.

Here's a couple of me.

Seth and I also tried another unbelievable route called A Crabita 13b.  This route follows the black streaks up an overhanging blunt arete feature on perfect tufa pinches to a crux at the end and some easy but very pumpy climbing to the top.  I was tired from all the other climbing and had to climb "a muerte" to get this one done.

The next day, we decided to warm up properly(and see another wall!), so we went to the Camino Crag, a pretty, slightly overhanging wall with very slippery routes ranging from 10c to 12b.  Below is a picture of Ted enjoying a 10d at the right end of the wall.

From the Camino Crag you can also see how El Delphin got it's name.

Since the Grand Boveda is so good, we decided to return.  Unfortunately, things were still very wet.  However, this didn't stop us from finding some great routes.  After hunting around, I decided to try El Sepes 13b.  This route climbs a very big tufa past a bush, to a large roof and then continues up the headwall to a runout finish.  Since I was tired from the day before, this was another "a muerte" ascent for me. 

 I also saw my first extreme mullet.  I'd heard stories about the abundance of funky hairdos in Spain, but nothing could have prepared me for this...

 
It was the first of hundreds and I wanted to take pictures of them all, but it just felt rude.  I am currently growing my hair out so I can return to Spain with a proper mullet.

We also watched Chelsea Rude battle for a redpoint on Geminis 14a.  Here are a couple of videos of her last try on the route(I stopped filming during rests).  Keep in mind that she's about 6 days on, tried the route about 3x's a days and has been falling off the last hard move of this 30+ meter route for a couple of days.  Plus, she never used ibuprofin!  This girl is tough!

A little higer!

So close!!!

Since the Grand Boveda was soaked, and we had heard so much about La Surgencia, we decided to check out yet another crag on our last day in Rodellar.  The climbs are up to 50 meters long and about 35 or 40 degrees overhanging.  Here's a picture, with a finger for scale.

A closup of the right side.

Most of the stuff was a bit too hard to do in a day, so we stuck to "shorter, slabbier" routes.  With the clouds rolling in and rain forcasted for the next few days, we made the bittersweet decision to leave Rodellar and seek dry rock to the East in Margalef.

Rodellar- Getting there and the Grand Boveda

With sprirts high,

we flew to Madrid(Doug a little restless),

 

picked up our cars(Seth might be trying to figure out how to reverse),

figured out how to get to Rodellar(Alan looking overwhelmed),

and started driving(saw lots of anatomically correct bull silhouettes).

I hadn't even been in Spain for a day and I was already starting to miss the good old USA.  Thankfully, there was something to make me feel a little more are home.

Since we were all delirious because it was 4A.M. Boulder time, we stopped in Guadalajara(Spain) and got some much needed coffee and pastries.

After 5 hours of driving, we finally made it to Rodellar and checked into the Valle de Rodellar.  This is a new hotel/restaurant/grocery store that is about 20 minute hike from the first climbing areas at Rodellar.

 

With evening setting in, we went for a hike and saw the sleepy village of Rodellar,

the climbing (here is a video of the Grand Boveda).

and our first close up look at the rock.  Tufas!!!

We also ran into some friends from Boulder- Kynan, and Chelsea.

I was also shocked by the strong odor of poop that wafted about the crag and the copious amount of toilet paper just 5 feet off the trails.  Rodellar needs a composting toilet!

The next day we went back to the Grand Boveda and did a stunning parallel tufa route called Sopas de Ajo 12c.

Here's Ted "Muy Señor" Lanzano, lovin' his first taste of Spanish tufas.

Some of the other guys warmed up on Commander Coña 12c.  Here is a Seth Sandford on the lower half.  Apparently this is a rough warm up

After warming up, it started raining really hard and the tops of almost all the routes got soaked, so we were forced to try whatever was dry.  So we got on another amazing tufa route with a bouldery lip/mantle crux called Nanuk 12d.  Here are some pictures of Ted midroute,

and Alan "Loose Cannon" Bishop at the crux.

Seth also made an impressive ascent of a "short" 13b and I tried Colliseum 13b, but wasn't able to get to the top because it was wet.  With the light fading and the rain still coming down, we hike back to the hotel, ordered paella(which probably took over an hour to get to the table) and got our first taste of how long things can take in Spain.