Albarracin Xmas 2016, part 1, Rammstein

Meself and J had been threatening to do a big trip to Albarracin for a long time, finally we quit procrastinating, the incubation period for this idea was was well and truly over, so plans were hatched and finalised for a send filled Spanish bouldering campaign. The psyche generated for the coming battles was high as can be, we trained like beasts for 3 or 4 days a week on the plastic in The Gravity Center, I felt pretty fit and ready to try to siege my first 7C, ready for great big sandstone roofs, ready for glorious mileage, ready for beautifully sculpted holds of all shapes and sizes, ready for delish tapas and vino, ready for the mad craic ... VENGAAA !!

Our snow covered hostel 

The view from breakfast balcony in our hostel

We stayed in Alberque Rosa Brios Hostel, perched high and built into the hillside of the magnificent medieval village of Albarracin. The staff there were a really friendly family and they went above and beyond to look after us during our stay. Albarracin bouldering is the best I have found to date, the forest is so tranquil and peaceful, in contrast the blocks are pure steep savagery, physical and athletic, power bouldering at its finest. To accompany the magic climbing is the village of Albarracin itself, a sort of open air museum of medieval days gone by, stunning architecture and rustic charm around every corner, teeming with coffee shops and delish tapas bars ... its the perfect rest day remedy.

Albarracin medeival village

Albarracin and its fortress walls, a beautiful snowsacape

Delish tapas feed at our favourite place to eat, La Taba

My mission for the trip was simple, climb a quality steep gem called Rammstein 7B, which I failed on last trip, then put all my energy and efforts into attempting my first 7C, I had my eye on a few gems but finally settled on a classic crimpy line called La Fuente and finally to make sure I enjoyed lots of great mileage and sends below my limit. When we first got to the forest it was a great feeling to be back again, the smell of the pines filled our noses and there was a sense that many wars would soon be waged !! 

Me setting up for the dyno to the glory jug on Rammstein 7B

We excitedly made a bee line for Rammstein. A crimpy test piece with some tricky footwork involved whilst you are under pressure trying to hang a half pad crimper, its a short power sequence with only 3 short crimpy moves until you reach a jug via an enormous glory dyno, you set up on two opposing sidepulls and launch hopefully to the skies ready to latch and tame the swing before an easy top out. It took me 3 sessions to crack this one, J-Mo sent it impressively on his first session, I was struggling with flu but the reason I couldnt get it to go was that the beta in most videos wouldn't work for me as I was too stretched out to release the heel, when I cut loose I would just wildly swing and grease off the crimps, after two sessions I was losing hope but still keen, frustratingly it was beginning to feel like a morpho stopper move, but at last Adam and good aul video beta came to the rescue, Adam found video beta of a shorter climber using a closer heel, this was the break I was searching for !! On my third day on the problem I tried the new heel beta, I fell off screaming Yessssss !!! I didn't complete the move but I could feel it was gonna work, a few power screams later I was swinging out of the glory jug with a huge smile on me face ''What a fuckin' problem !!'' I said as I topped out :) I had my eye on doing this climb for years and when I got to the top I was so elated, it was one of those magic bouldering moments that makes all the training and frustrations along the way worth while ...