Catalonia’s capital offers a wide variety of excellent rock-climbing opportunities
Barcelona is a busy and vibrant modern city packed with great bars, restaurants, and nightlife, but it also offers many spectacular places just outside of the city limits to get the chance to disconnect and immerse for hours in nature doing rock climbing.
In fact, climbers from all over the world visit Barcelona to experience its vertiginous pinnacles, breathtaking views, and variety of routes, enjoying the city’s all-year mild weather.
Furthermore, visitors can benefit from rock climbing, as it is a very social activity (a great way to meet locals!) and a confidence booster, especially for those who do not like to play at team sports and feel excluded.
If you intend to visit for work, tourism, spanish class in Barcelona, or any other reason and want to discover the wild side of the city, here is a list to three spectacular climbing spots in the Catalonian region.
Collegats Gorge
This is one of the best climbing spots for a short stay. It is located in a scenic area well into the foothill of the Spanish Pyrenees and boasts a wide variety of different types of climbing. Climbers of all levels (even if on the 7a max) will definitely be satisfied and enjoy the Collegats area.
From the top, you get stunning views back into the gorge and of the rest of the surrounding area.
The only downside of Collegats is the approach via steel rope tyrolean (pulley or steel biner and globes are recommended).
Getting There: Collegats Gorge is about 2.5 hours northwest from Barcelona, perfect for single-day expeditions. However, since it is actually a little far from the city, you may want to stay in La Pobla de Segur, just a few kilometers away from Collegats. The town is a meeting point for local climbers, so you will get plenty of opportunity to absorb some Spanish culture.
Gelida
Gelida is a beautiful rock-climbing venue at the north west of Barcelona, inside a wooded valley with many interesting spots. Gelida boasts more than 50 types of climbing routes, of various lengths and and angles, with everything from mild and slabby on the “Classic” sector to steep limestone gorges and taxing over much of the rest of the cliff.
Gelida may be a great climbing spot as long as you chose the right routes, since some of the lines might seem a little bit too old school – short and intense on small holds.
One of the advantages of Gelida is that it can provide an excellent escape from the busy city for a day or two, but without having to spend hours in a car or bus to get there, it is just a few minutes away.
Getting There: Gelida is just outside Barcelona. If you go by car, is just a 30 minutes’ drive. On the other hand, it is also possible to get there by public transportation. You can take the R4 Train and take the bus into Gelida. On weekends, after 10am you can also take the Funicular.
Cavallers
Cavallers is definitely one of the best places to climb near Barcelona. It is a massive granite rock inside of Central Pyrenees, based around a national park with two main sectors divided by a dam.
It has a wide range of different routes for all levels, from grainy, grippy slabs with micro-holds that require balance and concentration to windings cracks demanding good gear placement and confident jamming.
Keep in mind that climbing is not without risks. If you are new to the rock-climbing world, you should always start with low-grade routs, invest on training and be always with a more experienced climber.
Given the fantastic mild Mediterranean climate that Catalonia has, there are many rock climbing trips to Cavallers throughout the entire year. However, the summer can be quite hot with a strong sun and temperatures hitting 35°C, so you should try to avoid it.
Getting There: Cavallers is located in the northwestern corner of Catalonia, up farther up into the foothills of the Spanish Pyrenees, close to the French border. As it is a little far for a single-day trip, the best advice is to go and stay in one of the many nearby towns, such as Caldes de Boí and Erill la Vall, which are actually pretty charming. On the other hand, another great option to stay is van-camping by the river under the dam.
