The idea

I am very fond of Siurana. It was one of my first climbing trips, and throughout the years I have often gone back. Even if I’ve spent a lot of time there, its crags are drenched in history, the landscape and rock make it always fascinating. After a period of winter training we decided to spend a few weeks there without having great objectives in mind.

The route

I had already climbed many routes in Siurana, but I still had a few routes to tick off my list, quite quickly I managed to climb routes such as “A Muerte” (8c+/9a), “Chikane” (8c+), “L’odi social” (8c/+)” and “El membre” (8c).

With still two weeks to go, I had thought of, once again, taking a look at what is considered the symbolic route of the area: “La Rambla”, to which I had always looked up with admiration and fear.

The ascent

To my great astonishment, as I gave it a go, the feelings were great right from the beginning. After a few reconnaissance rounds, I started falling right at the top, I thought I would never get to that point; motivation increased day after day and the route quickly turned into my trip’s project. Babsi (Barbara Zangerl ed) was trying another route, therefore we would alternate, living a routine which was very relaxing. The more the days went by, the closer I felt to climbing it, even if I kept falling at the same point: a few holds from the end of the difficulties, even if I got there quite well rested. The cuts on my fingers did not help me at all, so much so that I had to abandon the project for a few days waiting for them to heal.

There was not long to go before our departure, but that movement continued to reject me. Therefore I stopped insisting with the move that suited me, and out of desperation, I looked for an alternative way. It was the evening of our second to last day, I had fallen three other times, a few metres from the chain.
Right when I was about to give up, I found another solution for the move that kept rejecting me. The next morning we were meant to set off, but I could never leave Siurana without a last attempt. Trying to become estranged from external pressures, on the last rest I mentally brushed up on the move for the succession section, I placed the bidoigt and continued all the way to the chain pushed upwards by Babsi’s encouragement. I had done it.

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Article on planetmountain.com