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Punsola Reniu on Cavall Bernat.
In the morning, we woke up to find the entire mountain top socked in thick fog. After a leisurely coffee and pastry breakfast, we drove up and started the hike up. Things cleared up nicely and soon we were batmanning up the approach gully on fixed ropes. Punsola-Reniu route climbs the tallest aspect of the tower and reaches the summit in 7 very exposed and fun pitches. The route is very user-friendly and anything 6a and harder is essentially a bolt ladder. We freed the 6a pitches and some of the harder terrain but A0’ed much of the 6c sections (polished slick rock). Soon we were on the summit and being blasted by sudden winds. Seeing the surrounding formations from the top made us realize how large some of the walls were! Routes of 8 or 10 pitches are not uncommon, contrary to my previous (uneducated) belief. We really like the place and will return for more. We rapped the Normal Route and descended the steep gully affixed with knotted ropes.
The next morning we flew home from Barcelona. Our gear finally joined us a day later.
Photos
On the approach hike to Cavall Bernat the following morning (Sept. 2010).
Marine layer burning off (Sept. 2010).
Some fixed ropes on the scramble to the base of the route (Sept. 2010).
The imposing south face of Cavall Bernat formation (Sept. 2010).
Starting up the magical Punsola-Reniu on Cavall Bernat (Sept. 2010).
Shirley on pitch 1 (Sept. 2010).
At the first belay (Sept. 2010).
Pitch 2 (Sept. 2010).
A closer look at pitch 2 (Sept. 2010).
Shirley following pitch 2 (Sept. 2010).
Arriving at the second belay station (Sept. 2010).
Pitch 3 perhaps (Sept. 2010).
Higher on pitch 3 (Sept. 2010).
Shirley on pitch 3 (Sept. 2010).
View from somewhere high on Punsola-Reniu route on Cavall Bernat. Climbers (4) on adjacent cliffs provide a nice sense of scale…cliffs are larger than my initial assumption about the place. Click photo for full res. (Sept. 2010).
A closer look. Click for full res. (Sept. 2010).
Pitch 4 of Punsola-Reniu. Starting to get a touch steeper (Sept. 2010).
Looking back at Shirley from the lead of pitch 4 with the impressive shadow of Cavall Bernat (Sept. 2010).
Higher on pitch 4 (Sept. 2010).
Views from the route (Sept. 2010).
Shirley climbing pitch 4 (Sept. 2010).
Shirley topping out on pitch 4 (Sept. 2010).
Starting up pitch 5 (Sept. 2010).
Pitch 5 (Sept. 2010).
Can you spot the climbers? How about in full res.?
More climbers under a huge roof. Click photo for full res. (Sept. 2010).
Shirley on the spectacular pitch 5 (Sept. 2010).
Shirley arriving at the fifth belay (Sept. 2010).
Starting pitch 6 (Sept. 2010).
Looking back at Shirley from the lead of pitch 6 (Sept. 2010).
Pitch 6: some free, some aid (bolt ladder; Sept. 2010).
Another view down towards Shirley from the lead of pitch 6 (Sept. 2010).
Shirley following pitch 6 (Sept. 2010).
Shirley at the sixth belay. One more pitch to the summit (Sept. 2010).
Starting up the 7th and final pitch of Punsola-Reniu. Spectacular position (Sept. 2010).
Shirley at the final (hanging) belay on Punsola-Reniu route on Cavall Bernat (Sept. 2010).
Shirley topping out on pitch 7 and the summit of Cavall Bernat (Sept. 2010).
View is to the SE with Gorros (I think) visible (Sept. 2010).
Yours truly on the summit with a piece of modern art (good belay anchor too; Sept. 2010).
Shirley looking for the rap anchor on the “backside” of Cavall Bernat (Sept. 2010).
Windy descent down the backside (Sept. 2010).
Stalking continues. Climbers under (and above) a huge roof. Clicky clicky for full res. (Sept. 2010).
A closer look with high res. available (Sept. 2010).
Making progress. Click for full res. (Sept. 2010).
Descending the tower. The Normal Route follows the obvious dihedral to summit in three pitches (Sept. 2010).
Fixed lines in the descent gully (Sept. 2010).
An unknown party on a different route I think. Click photo for full res. (Sept. 2010).
Shirley batmanning down fixed ropes in the descent gully (Sept. 2010).
Two climbers topping out on Cavall Bernat. Click for full res. (Sept. 2010).
Heading home (Sept. 2010).
Shirley at BCN waiting for our flight (Sept. 2010).
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