January round-up

After a pretty amazing start to the new year in the deserts of Jordan, the remainder of January has been a bit slow on the climbing front. A combination of lingering colds, lots of things to plan and organise for the coming year, but above all pretty low levels of motivation, has meant a total of only 5 days out climbing this month (compared to 18 days in October last year and 15 in November).

After a bit of time off proper climbing (5 weeks this time - multi-pitch ledge shuffling in Rum doesn't count!) I always find it hard to get back into it. Then when you do go out it's inevitably a pretty humbling experience being weak, heavy and unfit! It's easy to get into a cycle of climbing badly, which reduces motivation levels, so you go out less, then inevitably climb worse the next time, and so on.

Anyway, we've had a few good but fairly chilled days out over the last couple of weeks at Montsant, Masriudoms, Mont-ral, Siurana, and also finally checked out the crags at Vilanova de Prades. The last few days out I've finally seen the psyche returning and I even did a few pull ups at the end of the session today for training!

Plus it's only nine weeks and counting 'til I go to Font at Easter so I better get training....

Capçanes crag - over the other side of Llaberia, which we checked out a few weeks ago.

Capçanes again - plenty of nice looking tufa routes.

Above Llaberia (the area near Santa Marina)

Vilanova de Prades - main camping area. Worth a day, but not sure I'll be rushing back in a hurry.
I did two decent routes here, which are worth a visit (Cronologia 7a, and Baya de oro 7b). The others were pretty short and distinctly average.

The 'easy classic' of Equinoxe (6b). Photogenic, but neither easy nor very classic!