Cova Gran De Santa Linya

This year I was working hard to finish my Masters degree in Physical Therapy by writing my thesis research.

It was crazy lasts three months and that is why I have not climbed outside Israel as I usually do.

Although I was busy with studies I still managed during the summer months to bolt and open a bunch of new routes in north Israel.

The list includes “Goliath” 8a+, “Dr. lek” 8a, “Rolex direct” 8c and “Cinderella” 7b and some more. It was satisfying but I was missing the experience of climbing abroad which always help me to get new level of personal development and to  also help me to bring new ideas to the Israeli climbing scene.

When December was finally here and i finished my Masters it was my time to go, this time to Santa Linya.

Santa Linya is a small village in Catalunia Spain, under the village situated a huge cave

which is very famous for its world-class hardcore routes, with more hard routes then any other crag in the world and that is why no wonder  that the best climbers in the world visiting the cave each year. You usually can find there climbers like Dani Andrada, Chris Sharma, Magnus Mitboe and lots other famous names.

The cave climbing style is very unique, it very athletic bouldery and powerful, the moves are reachy explosive and dynamic and the routes tend to be long 30 meters and up till 50 meters, it a great place to climb if you wanna get strong or if you are strong climber already. For me  it was definitely  a place I needed to get use to.

The area of Santa Linya village is beautiful, the area surrounding is a vast farm land spotted with small medieval villages with roman building and old castles.

In the area of Santa linya village it is worth visiting the villages of St. Llorenc montgai and Camarasa which are  nested on the Segre river which crosses Catalonia.

Those towns are also a good option for accommodation, because they are close to most of the sectors, and nice to stay in.

In the first week I tried two routes: “Rolito Sharma" and “Ruta del sol”. I decided to invest  some time in “Rolito Sharma" although I want to do the other one as well, but later.

The route “Rolito Sharma” traverses right, and has some boulder moves and a big dyno, till the first anchor it is 8b+, but the route has two extension- if you go to the second anchor it 8c, and if you are brave enough to climb the whole roof of the cave (50 meters long) you get to a third anchor and it 8c+ (some says 9a) the third extension by it self is an 8b+ route, so  the math is 8b+ into a 8c into an 8b+ =8c+/9a? I don't know, but its fun.

Well any way I decided to invest in this project some time. The first 8b+ I red pointed  in two work sessions and  the 8c extension I did on my second go, but now its a mental battle to climb the 8c again clean and then continue for another 35 meter of 8b+ to the anchor at the top of the cave, what a epic climb.

Each time it taking an hour or so to climb the whole route, pretty exhausting job so the plan for the next few days is to rest get some motivation back and then go A muerte to the top of the cave, in the meanwhile it just fun hang out with good friends.