Best Catalonia/Barcelona Guide book

Hey everyone, just wondering what the best guidebook for the Catalonia region of Spain is. Areas that I definitely want included in the guide include Siurana, Terradets, Margalef, and Oliana.

Also looking for recommendations for other great locations to climb that may be less well known. I'll be going in a few weeks and plan on sport climbing up to 8a, mostly focusing on easier 7s though.

The Llieda guidebook covers some of those areas.

Siurana guide.

Big area with a bunch of crags...hard to find one guidebook that covers it all.

Montserrat.

Brian in SLC wrote:The Llieda guidebook covers some of those areas. Siurana guide. Big area with a bunch of crags...hard to find one guidebook that covers it all. Montserrat.

Thanks Brian! I was just curious if there is some catalonia select guide, but there may not be.

kennoyce wrote: Thanks Brian! I was just curious if there is some catalonia select guide, but there may not be.

Yeah...keep hoping the Rockfax folks would work their way north...!

Brian in SLC wrote: Yeah...keep hoping the Rockfax folks would work their way north...!

yeah, that would be awesome. I guess I'll just have to get multiple guides, whatever, I love guidebooks anyways!

Was a couple of editions of Rockfax Costa Daurada that could have been useful...but, out of print and pricey used if you can find one.

This is pretty good:

climb-europe.com/RockClimbi…

Seems like I've been to a climbing store in Barcelona that had a good selection of local guidebooks. Can't recall the location, except I dimly recall it was central-west of downtown and near a metro stop.

Edit to add: Useful website:

climbinspain.com/area-overv…

Fun area!

Brian in SLC wrote:Was a couple of editions of Rockfax Costa Daurada that could have been useful...but, out of print and pricey used if you can find one. This is pretty good: climb-europe.com/RockClimbi… Seems like I've been to a climbing store in Barcelona that had a good selection of local guidebooks. Can't recall the location, except I dimly recall it was central-west of downtown and near a metro stop. Fun area!

Thanks again Brian, if you remember the name of the shop let me know!

Vèrtic is the climbing store in Barcelona. They have a guidebook selection, not sure how comprehensive.
Carrer de Rocafort, 135, 08015 Barcelona, Spain

We were there last year and used the "Tarragona Climbs" guidebook. It shows selected climbs from a variety of areas, so it's nice if you want to explore various crags. BUT (a big but) it doesn't use star ratings and it shows you all the climbs on a given wall - so you might end up getting on some zero-star stuff by accident. This will cause you to be very grumpy. And your star-whore partner will grumble because he can't chase the classics. Pretty sure Vèrtic carries this book so maybe you can compare it with the other offerings. amazon.com/Tarragona-Climbs…

There are specific guidebooks (or booklets) for Margalef and Siurana you probably want if you plan to spend much time in either place. (Get them at the climbing refugio in Margalef or the bar at the Siurana campground.) For just a few days, the Tarragona Climbs book was good enough.

We really liked Arboli, which is near Siurana. My partner liked La Riba; it can be polished but maybe not so bad if you're climbing 7a and higher.

How long will you be there? We'll be in Cornudella for the month of March. PM me if you want to get together!

snobbit wrote:Vèrtic is the climbing store in Barcelona. They have a guidebook selection, not sure how comprehensive. Carrer de Rocafort, 135, 08015 Barcelona, Spain We were there last year and used the "Tarragona Climbs" guidebook. It shows selected climbs from a variety of areas, so it's nice if you want to explore various crags. BUT (a big but) it doesn't use star ratings and it shows you all the climbs on a given wall - so you might end up getting on some zero-star stuff by accident. This will cause you to be very grumpy. And your star-whore partner will grumble because he can't chase the classics. Pretty sure Vèrtic carries this book so maybe you can compare it with the other offerings. amazon.com/Tarragona-Climbs… There are specific guidebooks (or booklets) for Margalef and Siurana you probably want if you plan to spend much time in either place. (Get them at the climbing refugio in Margalef or the bar at the Siurana campground.) For just a few days, the Tarragona Climbs book was good enough. We really liked Arboli, which is near Siurana. My partner liked La Riba; it can be polished but maybe not so bad if you're climbing 7a and higher. How long will you be there? We'll be in Cornudella for the month of March. PM me if you want to get together!

Awesome, thanks for the info! The Tarragona book sounds like a good start, I do wish it had a star system though. Unfortunately I'm only going to be there for just over a week, so not a lot of time, and I'm leaving to come home on February 29th, so it doesn't sound like our trips will overlap, but have a great time in March!

If you are only climbing for a week, I'd get either the Tarragona or Lleida guides. The four areas you mentioned originally are capable of keeping you busy for the entire time. Unless weather.

I was in Terradets and used the Lleida guide in October. We got on and off the super polished classic, Smoking (6 something), next to the route on MP. The locals recommended other routes instead but we didn't have the Terradets guide. If sunny, you could do a lot here.

Siurana could take the entire week too. Great guidebook you can buy in Cornudella or peruse in the bakery and photograph the day's objective.

Margalef (a bit further away from Cornudella) is a vicious pocketed climbing area. I am not a fan. I spent a day and escaped back to Siurana and the bakery.

Oliana I don't know because I don't warm up on 12s.

Have fun and post pics!

manuel rangel wrote:If you are only climbing for a week, I'd get either the Tarragona or Lleida guides. The four areas you mentioned originally are capable of keeping you busy for the entire time. Unless weather. I was in Terradets and used the Lleida guide in October. We got on and off the super polished classic, Smoking (6 something), next to the route on MP. The locals recommended other routes instead but we didn't have the Terradets guide. If sunny, you could do a lot here. Siurana could take the entire week too. Great guidebook you can buy in Cornudella or peruse in the bakery and photograph the day's objective. Margalef (a bit further away from Cornudella) is a vicious pocketed climbing area. I am not a fan. I spent a day and escaped back to Siurana and the bakery. Oliana I don't know because I don't warm up on 12s. Have fun and post pics!

Will do, thanks for the info! Personally I think that Margalef looks awesome, but I guess I'll find out when I get there. I know I will really only have time for a brief sampling of each of the areas, but hopefully I'll be able to figure out what I like so I can visit again in more depth in the future. Thanks again.