Raco de les Espadelles  Photos:  Recent | Best | Popular Elevation:  1,834' Lat, Long:  41.3019, 0.7739 Map Page Views:  2,809. Good page?    Administrator:  Tom Erickson Submitted By:  Monomaniac on Dec 18, 2009 Make this area a Favorite What's New   Print a Mini-Guide with routes Add Route  Add Photo  Add Comment  Add Event

The Espadelles cliffline from near the highway.

Description 

The eye of every first-time visitor to Margalef is instantly drawn to the striking orange cliffband that towers above the crags of the valley below. This is Raco de les Espadelles, and its one of the best cliffs in the region. The rock is excellent, covered in beautiful colored streaks, and featuring some of the best tufa climbing at Margalef. There are over 50 routes here, ranging from 5.10 to 5.14c, with several open projects and potential for many more.

Must do routes here include Perepunyetes, 5.10+, a juggy near-vertical wall, Draculin, 5.12a, a sustained pocket route, Malasombra, 5.13a, a gently overhanging pocket line, and Transilvania, 5.13b, considered the best 8a at Margalef.

The cliff faces South-Southwest, and therefore receives sun most of the day. There are five or six routes at the far left end that begin from a grove of tall tress & receive a good bit of shade. The cliff undulates quite a bit, and has some steep overhangs, so you may be able to find pockets of shade at certain times.

Getting There 

This crag is easy to see but harder to reach. Head Northeast out of Margalef on the T713 for about 1.5 Km. Turn right onto a paved road signed for "Embassement", passing under large power lines. Follow the paved road around the first hairpin, to a set of colorful dumpsters ~50 yds beyond. Turn left onto a good dirt road at the dumpsters. This road is very steep in spots, but generally good, & no problem for passenger cars in normal conditions. Wind up the road for what seems like too long, until the road gains a big plateau at a left hairpin turn. Park at the pullout at this hairpin. There is an abandoned stone shack ~50 yds South of the parking lot.

Follow a good trail South, past the shack, to a low-angle slab. Downclimb the slab (fixed rope & metal rungs), then turn left (East) & follow the trail a short bit to another short downclimb. Continue a few yards thru trees to the cliff.

The Classics

Featured Route For Raco de les Espadelles

Draculin 5.12a  International : Spain : ... : Raco de les Espadelles

A great line of pumpy 2 & 3-finger pockets, slightly overhanging & very continuous. Begin from a short cheater tower with the left hand in a cool bowling ball 2-finger pocket. Make a big move to a mailslot, then follow big sequential pockets up & eventually right to a flake. Move back left to a square pocket below a brown bulge & an awkward shake. Work over the bulge to a big hole and another rest. Move right, then up to a horizontal break. Move left & up the tricky "slab" to the anchor....[more]   Browse More Classics in International

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The left end of the Espadelles cliffline.	Part of the right end of Espadelles. The climber ...	Raco de les Espadelles awesomeness.