Siurana
I was just in spain this past feb. but i was down on the Coast (Costa Blanca, near Alicante) It was great there and the climbing there was awesome, and the weather and scenery were perfect. The food was really good too. We actually got a hotel in a small village called Altea right on the coast. I can bring pics to Miguels this weekend. let me know
I was in Siurana a few years ago during late Feb or early March. It was nice, but that's a few months different than Dec/Jan. (If anything, I'd guess that it would be a bit warmer because it's earlier in the winter than Feb) Still, it was great climbing and the climbers 'refugio' was really cool - it's built into the side of a cliff just outside of the tiny, hilltop town. There's also a campground on the way to town. The Rockfax guide was great.
You'll probably want a car. There are several 'sectors' that are within walking distance of the town, and you can hitchhike. If you're going to be there for a long time and you aren't super worried if you miss a few days of climbing because transportation didn't work out, then you'll be fine. If it's worth about us$18 a day, then get a car from EasyCar in Barcelona - I got a really cool diesel Mercedes (small 4 seater, not available in the US) and they also have Smart Cars. For highway driving, I'd go with the Mercedes - it's a bit larger and it cruised at 140 km/h (85 mph) with no problem. But you'll need to drive stick regardless.
If you haven't been there before, plan to spend some time in Barcelona. It's a great city with amazing art and fantastic food. Also there's climbing on Mallorca (the island next to Ibiza). You can get there by flight or ferry from Barcelona. I haven't been yet, but I hear it's a great combination of island resort and good climbing.
Don't miss at least looking at La Rambla. There were draws up on it, but I didn't see anyone working it. It starts in a small cave and the first chunk of it just looks really hard. But up there is a spot that's all chalked up, but I have no idea what the hold it - it looked totally blank.
You'll probably want a car. There are several 'sectors' that are within walking distance of the town, and you can hitchhike. If you're going to be there for a long time and you aren't super worried if you miss a few days of climbing because transportation didn't work out, then you'll be fine. If it's worth about us$18 a day, then get a car from EasyCar in Barcelona - I got a really cool diesel Mercedes (small 4 seater, not available in the US) and they also have Smart Cars. For highway driving, I'd go with the Mercedes - it's a bit larger and it cruised at 140 km/h (85 mph) with no problem. But you'll need to drive stick regardless.
If you haven't been there before, plan to spend some time in Barcelona. It's a great city with amazing art and fantastic food. Also there's climbing on Mallorca (the island next to Ibiza). You can get there by flight or ferry from Barcelona. I haven't been yet, but I hear it's a great combination of island resort and good climbing.
Don't miss at least looking at La Rambla. There were draws up on it, but I didn't see anyone working it. It starts in a small cave and the first chunk of it just looks really hard. But up there is a spot that's all chalked up, but I have no idea what the hold it - it looked totally blank.
Bacon is meat candy.
cool, if we make it there this winter i dont plan on renting a car due to me not wanting to spend money. hitchhiking works for me and has proven itself to work well in other parts of europe.
from what i hear the weather is perfect if the sun is out, but it has the potential to turn to shit and be all snowy or rainy and just miserable and unclimbable.
from what i hear the weather is perfect if the sun is out, but it has the potential to turn to shit and be all snowy or rainy and just miserable and unclimbable.
The south will rise again!
It was sunny on the days that I was there, so I didn't see the 'nasty' weather, but that sounds about right.
I'm sure that you can get to Tarrogona (sp?) easily by bus or train, but I don't know how much closer you can get without hitchhiking. I'll bet that the Rockfax guide has good info on that, though. Keep in mind that the Spanish transport system isn't very obsessive about the whole 'on-time' thing. Don't count on a train or bus arriving on time in order to make connections.
Also, you'll have to hitchhike to get to the big-ish town in the area that has a couple of shops and a weekly (?) market. The Brits there told me that getting there and back can kill a whole day.
Also - save up a few Euros, take a shower, put on clean clothes, and have dinner at the little restaurant in town. I had some really good rabbit there. I don't remember what else I had, but I do remember enjoying it.
I'm sure that you can get to Tarrogona (sp?) easily by bus or train, but I don't know how much closer you can get without hitchhiking. I'll bet that the Rockfax guide has good info on that, though. Keep in mind that the Spanish transport system isn't very obsessive about the whole 'on-time' thing. Don't count on a train or bus arriving on time in order to make connections.
Also, you'll have to hitchhike to get to the big-ish town in the area that has a couple of shops and a weekly (?) market. The Brits there told me that getting there and back can kill a whole day.
Also - save up a few Euros, take a shower, put on clean clothes, and have dinner at the little restaurant in town. I had some really good rabbit there. I don't remember what else I had, but I do remember enjoying it.
Bacon is meat candy.
Here are some photos of Siurana:
http://www.redriverclimbing.com/album_p ... pic_id=756
http://www.redriverclimbing.com/album_p ... pic_id=757
http://www.redriverclimbing.com/album_p ... pic_id=758
http://www.redriverclimbing.com/album_p ... pic_id=756
http://www.redriverclimbing.com/album_p ... pic_id=757
http://www.redriverclimbing.com/album_p ... pic_id=758
Bacon is meat candy.