For two months or more in this horrible new summer climate we've done nothing but pullups and hang boarding with a few board sessions sprinkled in. So that's the context for our daytrip to Agulles de Comalestorres in Cavallers in Vall de Boí. Arriving the night before, we slept it and had a chill morning, because the crag is east facing, so doesn't get into the shade until a bit after two.
 |
| The crag at 1.30pm, not yet in the shade. |
As we arrived late, the higher parking was already full, so we had another 10 minutes to walk from the lower parking to the dam. The dam is at 1700 m above sea level and the base of the wall at 2200 m. The approach takes about 75 min for two office worker who haven't done any approaches or other forms of cardio for a few months. The approach is steep along a well-marked path but only partly shaded.
There was no running water on the approach. Bring lots of water for the approach. Leave superflous water and bottles at the base and pick it up on the descent.
Neither of us had done any route on the Needles of Comaletorres so we walked up from the dam with three options in mind: Blues, Dentrometi2 and John Lee Hooker. When we arrived a team just started on John Lee, so we went for Dentromedi2. I should add that on a Sunday in July, almost every route had several parties on it, but most teams starts early in the day and by the time we reached the base many teams were on the last two pitches.
 |
| Pitch 1, Dentrometidos |
Gear: 11 draws, of which 3 alpine draws for the pitches and whatever needed for the belays. One set of wires (offsets are great). A set of camming devices, Camalot 0.3, 0.4, 0.5, 0.75 and 1. Double the 0.5 or the 0.75 for comfort on the last two pitches. (We brought a cam 2 which we never placed). All belays bolted, but the bolts are not connected for rappels.
I would absolutely not haul on this crag. Clip a waterbottle and approach/descent shoes to the harness. Double ropes of 50m or more each.
 |
| Pitch 4 |
Pitch notes:
P1. 5+, 30m.. Start up the sparsely bolted slab right of the crack of P1 of Blues. When the bolts run out, tend right on ever easier climbing towards the scoop (run out) and crack (gear). 4 bolts + midsize friend.
P2 6c 20m. A few awkard pulls past two bolts to some questionable gear before a final 5+ move up to the grass ledges. Walk right to a belay on four bolts shared with Blues. 2 bolts + wire or small cam.
P3 6b+ 45m. Straight up past another akward bulge (6b to 6c+ depending on reach) with a hard to hang bolt for the short. Then easy meandering climbing (5b) placing some cams in hangin flakes. Finish up past bolts, slings and pitons with some technical moves (up to 6b+). 5 bolts, 1 fixed sling, 1 piton and camalots 0.5, 0.75 and 1.
P4 6c 40 m. Easy up to a small roof (crux) then a traverse past bolts up to a wobbly flake with easy climbing. I wouldn't place any gear in the flake; there is a solid wire halfway up. Finish up past a second roof. 7 bolts, 1 piton and a wire and possibly a cam.
P5 5b/c 45 m. Traverse left past a bolt to a layback crack up to a small roof. Keep going up the crack until an easy traverse left bring you to a bolted belay at the base of a flake. 4 bolts and a piton + wires and cams.
P6 5c 40m. Straight up flakes and dihedreals for 40 m up to a bolted rapell chain on the other side of the breche. 2 bolts + wires and cams.
Descent. From last belay rapell 50 m slightly skiers left to a ledge. Easy scrambling skiers left on ledges (cairns along a well-trodden path) down to the talus. About 20 min down to the base of the routes or 80 min down to the dam.
 |
| Top out, with the dam of Cavallers visible |
Note: the route was put up by José Soler and Luís Alfonso in 1992, but has been rebolted recently-ish. The bolts and most pitons are in a good state. The fixed sling was in a good state (July 2026).
Guidebook: Roca Caliente En Los Pirineos by Luís Alfonso, the main developer of the area.
