Holiday! Although it is quite a long drive, my parents and I had decided to go to Oliana in Spain. My friend Celine Cuypers came with us. Our white camper van is perfect for 3 people, but too small for 4, so we borrowed the huge Cuypers-Landrover! With its left side and roof folded out, 7 people can sleep in there! Celine’s father was going to join us 10 days later by flying to Reus.

The Cuypers-mobile

At home I had seen a movie in which Daila Ojeda climbed an 8c called ‘Fish Eye’. I heard that other women had climbed it too and I thought it would be amazing to be able to go climbing in Oliana.

After many hours of driving (and studying…), we finally reached the Spanish border. Celine and I were fascinated by the beautiful landscapes and nature of this country. We climbed on the roof of the Landrover when my father drove up the dirt road leading to the crag. Amazing view, the wind blowing in our hair…great to discover this beautiful climbing area.

Spain…

It was Sunday and there were a lot of climbers at the crag. We warmed up and then we met a Spanish girl who was going to try Fish Eye. I watched her climb and later that day I started working it out. The route is 50 meters long and I was only able to work out half of it because I was too tired to do the rest. It was really great to see Chris Sharma and Daila Ojeda in Oliana! I understood very well that living here is indeed a good choice! 🙂

Lots of climbers

The next day we had to take a rest day because of … the rain! But it didn’t matter: we did some homework, washed ourselves (important!), played some games… In the afternoon we decided to do a small walk to a chapel on top of a rock. It was the 1st of April! In Belgium it means that we can make jokes! So Celine and I invented one. I sent Celine a message (we pretended that it came from Celine’s parents) in which they said that they would join us the next day instead of the next week. Celine acted very well and my parents believed it! When my father wanted to phone Celine’s mother we had to tell them it was a joke! 🙂

The next day we went to the crag again where Celine worked out Mishi-8a and I worked out Fish eye-8c. It rained quite hard but it didn’t matter since the rock was overhanging. Late in the evening I did one attempt, just to see where I could get. I fell at a far move in the middle. I had not found how to do it yet. It was a lock-off with the left hand, but it was not possible for me. However, I was happy that I got that far! We walked down and when we came at the dirt road everyone was full of brown mud. All the climbers were splashing through it… 🙂

On Wednesday we first went to Oliana village to buy some food and bread. It was quite warm and sunny, so we had breakfast near the road where I first washed my hair. 🙂 Afterwards we went to the crag where we met Micha Vanhoudt, a very strong Belgian climber, and Nina. They are travelling through Spain in their mobile home. After having warmed up Ceci topped her 8a! I worked out my 8c again, this time to the very end. I had a lot of difficulty doing the moves in the last crux which was at the vertical end of the route. I was a bit discouraged because it was so hard with very bad footholds. But I decided to do another attempt because the next day would be a rest day. The beginning went alright, I passed the first crux, but I fell at a higher one. I had difficulty finding the right way to do it, but I was tired too. I did not know if I would ever be able to climb the route. It was so long! I had a lot of respect for all the women who had managed to climb it!

Celine in Mishi-8a

Then my dad wanted me to do another attempt that day… just when I thought we would pack our bags…. The goal was to try to climb passed the  move with the lock-off (where I had now found another method). It was already late and I thought I would fall in the very beginning. The first crux was already very difficult and I felt that I was more tired than before. I climbed higher and I came at the point where I had fallen in my attempt earlier that day. I managed to do it and I was happy about it. So I climbed on and came at the point with the lock-off. I was already satisfied that I got that far. But my dad had told me to try the move with the lock-off so I decided to go for it. I did it my way and, I had it! Now that I had this hold I knew I could do some more moves. After some small holds there was a very good rest. From that point I decided not to give up, but I knew that a very hard part was still to come. I had a good rest and continued. It was very good that I had worked it out just before. Finally I got to the rest just before the last crux. During the whole route I had been praying for help and I really felt that I was not alone. Furthermore daddy was belaying and Celine and my mom were laying on a rock watching me climb. But it was getting dark and they couldn’t see me anymore! While I was resting I put a white dot on the small foothold which I would have to use. I thought: ‘I will probably be as tired as I am now when I arrive at this point in a newt attempt.’ So I decided to give everything I had. I went on and I took the very small holds, I placed my foot on the white dot and took the small edge. I had done the hard move and I was dedicated not to fall. I grabbed a better hold and I almost fell while going to the next one. Then I took another good hold and another one and finally I clipped the chain. I was overwhelmed with joy and thankfulness! ‘Thank you Jesus!’ It was really amazing!

It felt like a heavenly present. I hadn’t been sure if I would be able to climb the route on this trip and I certainly didn’t expect to climb it that day! When we arrived at the car Celine phoned her parents to tell the good news. We played a game, ate dinner and went to sleep.

The next day we took a rest day. We wanted to go to a shop to buy food, but everything was closed. Of course… siësta! So we walked through Oliana watching the houses and taking pictures. At 5 pm everything changed: children came from school, shops and bakeries opened their doors, people began walking around… It was so different from Belgium!

Oliana village

Washing our hair on a rest day

On Friday we wanted to go climbing but… rain again! There was a lot of fog, so we had another day in the car. Studying, eating, painting…

Saturday was another day of climbing. Celine and I worked out La Marroncita-8b. We had already done the first length several times for warming up (7a+). While I was working out the wind was blowing extremely hard, brrr! After the 7a+ there was a rest in a cave. Then the moves became really hard and the rock more overhanging. The last part was quite vertical with sharp tufas. After a while I did an attempt and I was able to do it! 🙂 I heard from local climbers that ‘T1- Full Equip’ was a nice 8c. The 2 crux boulders are in the beginning, so I wanted to work out these. Micha gave me the beta and I worked out this first part.

The next day I tried to work out the rest of Full Equip, but there was one move higher up which I could not do. So I just climbed to the chain (with the help of the clip stick ;-)) to take out the quickdraws.

We took a rest day on Monday. Buying food again, having a meal at the river,…

🙂

We were planning to climb 2 more days in Oliana before going to Reus to pick up Celine’s father. On Tuesday I wanted to try Mishi  flash so Celine explained me the moves from below. I fell in the very beginning which was a hard boulder. I started over again and with Celine’s help I was able to climb it. Celine did an attempt in ‘La Marroncita’ and she fell a few moves from the top. It was really great that she had climbed that far, but she had been so close!

The beginning of Mishi

Our last day in Oliana! I worked out El Gran Blau-8b+/c. I was able to do all the moves, but the final part was amazingly technical with very small holds. I did not have much time left, so I decided not to do any attempts in the route. A Brazilian women living in Spain  was doing Mon Dieu-8a+ and she told us it was a nice route. I tried to on-sight it, but fell just in the beginning. While I was working it out, Celine climbed ‘La Marroncita’, her first 8b! She wanted to do another workout in the route but felt strong and just climbed to the chain. Great! After a while I did an attempt in Mon Dieu and sent it! We left Oliana hoping to come back some time. 😉

We drove to the airport in Reus on Thursday because Peter Cuypers would join us for the rest of the holiday. I had been quite cold the days before, but now the weather was changing. It was getting really warm, so we ate an ice cream and had a short swim in a river. Then we drove on to Margalef, a climbing area where we had never been before. Passing other crags like Siurana, we realised that there is still sooo much to climb in Spain! We arrived in Margalef and bumped into the Belgian Depotter family (Christophe, Babs et Léa) with their brand new hired camper van. So we stopped to say hello. Celine and I played with Léa, while mama talked to Babs. Christophe gave papa and Peter some information about the crags and a camping place. Then we drove up a steep road, cooked a meal and went to sleep.

A Landrover can do anything!

Climbing in Margalef for the first time! We went to the sector which Christophe had recommended (Racó de les Espadelles). Beautiful conglomerate rock with a lot of pockets. Celine and I warmed up and then we wanted to try Transilvania-8a. I did an onsight attempt, but fell in the crux before an overhang. I went on and was able to climb the rest of the route. Celine worked it out too and after some rest (and  a melon) she  did an attempt and topped it! I did some more attempts. I always fell in this first crux, but I finally managed to send it. 🙂 I also worked out Braguetasso-8a+. I did all the moves, but the holds were really painful…  I did an  attempt but I fell before the rest in the middle and decided to take the quickdraws out. We walked to the car enjoying the beautiful landscape with its special rock formations.

Breakfast at our camping place in Margalef

Climbing in Margalef

Help! Already the last climbing day of the holiday. We went to Cova Soleida after having done some warm-up routes in Can Verdures. I tried Doctor Feelgood-8a and was able to onsight it! Celine was able to climb the route after work-out!

Our holiday was over. We had a gorgeous diner near the small river in the last rays of the sun and then Peter and my dad drove all night while we….slept very well.