Running Adventures Montserrat recce
I just got back from spending a great few days on a recce with Matt Buck and Tom Wake for a Running Adventures trip I will be assisting with in September.
It was great to have the Coronallacs gang back together. We spotted the Montserrat mountain range on the way back from that Andorra trip so it was fitting to explore together.
Matt & I met Tom at Barcelona-El Prat airport after a very early start. Overcoming the usual border control and hire-car faff we had more success than the start of the Coronallacs trip by managing to stop for lunch en-route.
Montserrat is around an hour by car from Barcelona airport, maybe less if follow directions better than Matt (he loves a round-about). Once in Monistrol de Monsterrat we dropped our bags to the accommodation, got our kit on and headed up the mountain.
Matt had three routes to recce for the trip which we’d do over two days. Both took us from town running up the mountain and making for 4800+ ft each day. We’d maybe also have time for another run Tuesday evening or Wednesday am.
Climbing to the top was steep and rocky with occasional ropes or rebar to aid you but also very easy to follow and easy going with no exposure.
Around two thirds of the way up you reach Santa Maria de Montserrat Abbey (Monastery) and town where there is also a train and cable car station. There will be the option to use the train rather than climb all the way on the Running adventures trail weekend.
There’s a few taps to fill up water flasks around the trails including in the town which is very handy to reduce what you need to carry and keep hydrated in potential heat. We had great running weather; sunny and around 20°c it felt warm and a bit sweaty when going up, but on more runnable sections it was great and there are sections within forest offering shade so all in all a great balance.
We took some forest trails around the edges of the iconic rocks and met our first Ibex of the trip. I was loving the forest single track which would often pop out to breaks in the trees offering epic vistas.
Monday’s run made for some very tired and hungry boys and once back we quickly washed up and headed out to dinner at one of the small restaurants (Bar La Roca) in the old town.
I impressed and horrified the guys by following up my main course (steak egg and chips) with a hamburger chaser (which was served in a baguette). Hungry work is trail running. What a great feed. In total our bill was 50ish Euros for the three of us, for four meals and some beers. Unbelievable value! I imagine you’d pay significantly more in the more touristy area by the Monestary.
During the day we had noticed a triangular gap in some of the rock and wondered if it would be accessible and if we could find it... we could! Roca Foradada and soon found a route on wikiloc. It became a top contender for one of our extra runs.
The next day we had plenty of running to do but an easy start aiming to leave the house 9/9:30 which we we did after a solid breakfast of ham, eggs and toast. None of my Coronallacs food issues on this trip.
We headed back up the mountain this time a different route up, a fire trail to start turning to steep steps, complete with handrail in parts and soil pipes running down from the town, familiar for us St Martha pipe goers back home in Surrey - but on a much grander scale!
Back though the town with the Monestary, a fill of the flasks and onwards up a mix of single track trail and steps all the way to Sant Jeroni (1236m) the highest point in Montserrat. I loved this viewpoint, it has a big compass at the top and views of surrounding Montserrat rocks as well as Andorra and the Pyrenees in the distance which you can see are still covered in snow.
Next we had a few summits and viewpoints on the agenda, some had trails closed (being actively worked on) and some with tricky terrain and little to add on the vista front so may be chopped from the guided route. Exactly why we recce.
A few spots were a little busy with visitors which I guess comes with the trails being so accessible but it was never long until it felt like you were remote again with the trails to yourself. It’s also fantastic to see many people enjoying the mountain range.
One of my favourite parts of the day took us south on the range and traversing single track for miles aside the mountain eventually returning to the Monestary with tired legs. A stop for more water and an ice cream in town gave me the energy I needed to enjoy the descent back to town.
Once back to the house we’d been about for about 15 miles, lots of vertical gain and 5 hours. It was 2/3pm so we decided rather than go out to eat we’d make a quick pitstop; a sandwich (and crisps, coke and whatever other snacks we’d purchased yesterday at the convenient local supermarket) and then head back up the mountain. This time in the car to explore the 5ish mile route Matt plotted to Roca Foradada. Also meaning we’d be back at a good time for another proper dinner. Dinner and food generally is high priority for me on these trips. Fuel the fun and keep grumpy Andy at bay.
We parked up the spot planned which happened to be aside a helicopter which was flying rock (and other cargo) up and down the mountain via a winch.
The trail was much lesser trodden, more remote. We passed a few Ibex along the way. One really startling Tom as he spied it on the trail just a head of us. Despite being a daunting encounter to meet a muscular Ibex; one with huge antlers, none posed a problem and just wanted us to pass or get out of our way, a bit put out by us trying to get a photo and often hoping off the side of the trail.
The route was a marked trail most the way then it deviates off up a scramble to the viewpoint. One part with a rope to aid a climb but actually if you spend a bit more time looking around there are easier safer paths. We met people on their way down as we climbed up and also at the top, just two other small groups.
The spot was awesome and well worth the run/hike there. We got some great photos.
The undulating trail to get there had taken a while and a lot of effort so on the way back we chose another trail which eventually joined the road and gave us around a mile of road running, it was safe enough and worth it to make us much much quicker. I was running aside Tom and I think both of us were keen to stop running. I found us at 7min mile pace and at one point 6:24 uphill which made a dramatic change to our pace on the trails. Between the two outings today we’d spent about 9 hours on our feet.
Another local restaurant, another steak and another exceptionally reasonable bill finished of the day well.
Wednesday was travel home day, needing to head to the airport at midday.
Despite having considered creating a VK route for the morning (in anticipation of Zegama VK I’ll be racing in May) we took the more sensible option of exploring a flatter route and the surrounding town a little better. We will be staying in the same town on the trail weekend we are recce’ing for so the more we learn, the more prepared we are in September. Our legs were pretty cooked so it made for a nice easy run and gave us plenty of time to prepare to leave.
It was great few days exploring the trails with Matt & Tom. Plenty of camaraderie and banter; which we slightly lacked in Andorra, since then there was so much fatigue and little food. No such problems on this trip, runs, food and laughs 10/10 recommend.
If you want to join us in September check out the details: Running Adventures Montserrat trail weekend.