Rocking Out

Catalunya may not be home to the world’s iconic mountains, or monster walls like Yosemite’s El Capitan, but there’s still plenty to captivate world-class climbers like Chris Sharma, who made the region his home. And with routes ranging from training-wheels to widow-maker, you don’t need to be the next Alex Honnold to enjoy the sheer variety of climbing on offer here. From limestone gorges to granite crags to sandstone boulders, Catalunya’s spectacular climbing zones and breathtaking scenery have something for everyone, often within easy reach of the city.   

Recreational climbing is a relatively young sport. While pioneering ascents were recorded as early as the 15th century, it wasn’t until the golden age of Victorian alpinism in the late 19th that climbing came into its own. The Elbe Sandstone region in Southeastern Germany, the Italian Dolomites and the Lake and Peak districts in northern England are generally credited with being its birthplaces. Since then, styles, techniques and equipment have evolved and diverged into different disciplines, each with passionate advocates and debates. Next year, the sport will take its place alongside other Olympic disciplines for the first time in Tokyo.

Today, like many outdoor activities, climbing is becoming increasingly popular. No longer the preserve of those possessed of a thousand-yard stare, at your friendly neighborhood climbing gym you’ll find wall-crawlers from tiny tots to stressed-out execs. It’s a thrilling, addictive, challenging sport that forces you to face your fears (yes, climbers feel fear). It’s physically demanding and a great whole-body workout. It’s also very sociable, a great way to meet expats and locals and something the whole family can do. Kids—so light and fearless they fairly fly up the walls—love it. As well as being fun, it teaches them focus and forward planning and is a great confidence booster, particularly for those who don’t excel at team sports. 

Perhaps the biggest draw in our tech’ed-out times is the chance to disconnect and immerse yourself in nature for hours at a time. You might grab your phone for a mother-scaring selfie but there’s no way you’re checking emails halfway up a mountain.  

Climbers come from all over the world to experience Catalunya, drawn by reliably good weather, year-round climbing and Barcelona’s proximity to spectacular zones. And local heroes don’t come much more impressive than Montserrat. With its vertiginous, otherworldly pinnacles, stunning views and variety of routes, the massif is widely held to be one of the best spots in Spain, if not Europe. 

Also on the doorstep, Sant Andreu de la Barca, Les Casetes d'En Muntaner, Castelldefels, Rat Penat and the Garraf, Gelida, Subirats and the Penedès, Centelles and other parts of Montseny. Further afield, in Lleida and Tarragona, Els Ports Natural Park, Siurana in the Muntanyes de Prades, Margalef and the Mont-rebei and Camarasa gorges to name just a few. And that’s before you even get to the Pyrenees. 

Barcelona climber Mike Handforth says, “I’ve climbed in the Dolomites, Yosemite National Park, France, Slovenia, all different places, Portugal, and the quality of the climbing in Catalunya is so consistent and so abundant and the rock here and the mountains are fantastic, especially for sports climbing.” He explains Catalunya has been described as being to climbers what Hawaii is to surfers, saying, “It’s like a Mecca, one of the best places in the world you can live to climb.”

Catalunya’s walls may not rival the heights of the Alps, but they’re perfect for sports climbing, which involves tackling a variety of differently-graded, relatively short routes in a single area. You can also do traditional climbing here, a single, continuous ascent over several hundred meters, and bouldering, short routes with no ropes and a crash mat to catch you if you fall. With spectacular coastlines, also popular is psicobloc, aka deep-water soloing or bouldering with the big blue as your crash mat. (Fun fact, psicobloc translates as “psycho-bouldering”). For the seriously experienced, there’s even ice climbing in the Pyrenees. Catalunya also has several via ferrata trails, though purists don’t consider this real climbing.  

Newbies can rock up (sorry), rent shoes and try it at one of Barcelona’s indoor walls, including La Foixarda on Montjüic, Sharma Climbing, established by the aforementioned Chris, Indoorwall and a handful of smaller gyms. If you get the bug, you can sign up for a course of sessions, instruction or membership (getting good requires putting the hours in). Joining a workout or climbing group is a good way to meet other climbers. As well as gyms, outdoor walls like the legendary tunnel by La Foixarda and the backside of Parc Güell afford would-be rock stars some free practice. 

While climbing isn’t particularly cheap, building up kit over time or sharing with a friend spreads the cost. Most people start with shoes, then a chalk bag, harness, rope, quickdraws and belay equipment. A helmet is also recommended. After that, climbing is essentially free, though you’ll generally need access to a vehicle. It’s worth joining a mountaineering club to get federation membership through the Federación Española de Deportes de Montaña y Escalada (FEDME) or the Federació d’Entitats Excursionistes de Catalunya (FEEC). Being federat gives you insurance (god forbid you ever need it, but helicopter rescue isn’t cheap), access to physio and discounts on gear and mountain refuges, among other benefits.

Obviously, climbing isn’t without risks. Beginners should start with low-grade routes, invest in training and decent gear and go with more experienced climbers (never another newbie). A little common sense should see you well on the way to experiencing a thrilling, booming sport in one of Europe’s hottest hot spots. Of course, one danger you can’t guard against is developing a sneaking appreciation for the mullet. Don’t say I didn’t warn you…

Kate Williams is a freelance writer, editor, translator and Director of The Writer Stuff. She left her native England for Barcelona in 2003 and never looked, or went, back. When she isn’t writing or discovering all the cool stuff going on in the city, she enjoys hiking in the Catalan countryside, kayaking on the Costa Brava, and volunteers at a local animal sanctuary.