The down side being that those showers were moving in rather quickly as I belayed on the second to last pitch of the “Llobet/Bertomeu” in the Mascarat Gorge. I’d just finished the crux pitch, a polished corner with good gear, and fixed an anchor using a crack, a flake and a rusted bolt that looked to be from the first ascensionists. I’m lost as to why the two new bolts had been chopped. Nonetheless, my climbing partner, this time a risk taking Swede, had been pondering the airy traverse to the right for some 20 minutes as I hesitantly watched the storm moving toward us. It was already raining as I clambered up to the anchor.

Moving on, I cursed as I dropped a nut, only to catch it before firing upward with the thunder letting loose all round. Reaching the top we scrambled on wet slopes, wary of the precipices below and the thunder above for a good hour before reaching a comforting pine above a gated community which would provide another hour’s worth of obstacles. Good luck getting to Altea should you want to climb there!

The “Espolón Central” is a 400 m trad route up the Puig Campana via a long slender ridge. Known to be of interest for guests at the Orange House, we intended to start early, alpine early, the only problem being that after an hours trek and with dawn breaking we were headed toward the descent gully on the north side of the massive South face. Knowing this after having kept an eye on the Puig for some years I tried in vain to convince my Swedish companion. He’d have none of it, knowing just where he was.

Defeated by the gully, we raced back along the face. I did not want to climb with anyone above, mostly to maintain the adventure but also to avoid the danger of Brits and loose rock. And in my hurry, running and pressed up against the face I missed the telltale slab that marks the direct start. Loss of perspective can do that. We would end up being second in line and then soon enough, third as another team edged ahead via the normal start. The climbing was easy and the adventure maintained through building anchors below the occupied bolted belays. The route made obvious by the parties ahead I stopped at the belay before the 10^th pitch allowing the team above to gain the next belay, we were moving smoothly and effectively, swinging leads in good style, and with the sky clear and just three pitches to the top there was time to allow for some adventure.