Amy´s Summer

-The reservior in Montenejos-

Now that there is one month left of summer, time for an update :) My work schedule changes a bit for our summer school program. We work in the mornings from 9-2 offering classes of math, spanish, english, art and crafts, and free time to play in our play area. I have three classes of english: 2-5 yr olds, 6-8 yr olds, and 9-13 yr olds. Oh, I also have two days a week were I meet early with a 16yr old. I also give the craft class to the 6-8 year olds which i enjoy a lot. Sometimes I run out of cool ideas but really the crafts don´t have to be anything spectacular for the kids at this age to enjoy as I found out with making a comecocos out of paper (it´s basically is a paper oragami bird´s mouth) We had to repeat it the next day cause the kids wanted to do it again! I also work three hours in the afternoon having some tutoring classes but it´s not much work. Needless to say I am really enjoying the summer. The kids are fun and it´s a great atmosphere to work in.

-Gabriel and Manu contemplating the scenary from Moral, all the green are vineyards-

-cool sunset in Moral-

-Peñarroya is a spot where we go climbing, it is next to this reservoir-

-Sunflowers!!! close to Peñarroya-

Other things I´ve been up to. . . . I started running three times a week with Gabriel. Not the highlight of my days usually but it´s good and keeps me in shape. i´ve been gaining strength climbing after a spring of not climbing to hard. Haven´t been going to far away from home on the weekends so that we can go to church on Sunday. Gabriel and i have been frequenting Moral (20km away) and Peñarroya (50km away). This past weekend we had the summer fair here in Valdpeñas which meant that we had Monday off of work. Friday night I enjoyed baked potatoes with everything on it and a high flying fair ride. Then on Saturday morning a group of us ventured off to Montenejos which is close to Castellon (above Valencia) to go climbing for the weekend. We got stuck in a two hour traffic jam entering into Valencia which made for a long trip there (normally is a 5 hour trip) Montenejos is mountainous and has a big river which is full of people on the weekends. there is a reservoir and lots of great climbing. I saw a 9a route! We stuck to the 6bs though :)

-Montenejos-

-Gabriel, Alfonso, and Fofo by the reservior in Montenejos-

-Maria-


-Ana-

I hope you all are enjoying the summer, staying cool:) It´s been hot here lately. I find myself enjoying taking long afternoon naps to escape from the heat of the day:) I am looking forward to visiting in just three weeks!!! woohooo! take care and until then, lots of love, AMY

Phil´s trip to the Pyrenees

Hey all, I have 9 days left in Spain! I went up to Panticosa last week and met up with Carlitos and Diana for a music festival. We went to the first night of Pirineo Sur which was a concert with 17 Hippies and another group. We did some light climbing around there and bouldered in the Midi Valley in France, then we headed to Tourmoulet to see the Tour de France. We camped out on the pass with a bunch of other people. A bunch of waiting around until finally the sponsor cars pass throwing out freebies and then finally the helicopters come into sight flying over the bikers and we could see them come up the hill and finally pass by us.

Next we hung out near Bielsa, back on the Spanish side. There are some good sport climbing spots there and we were joined by Hosmar and made climbing friends with Pau and Victor. We ended up working our way back over to Panticosa for another day of festival (this time the Wailers and Jasta) passing by the Valley of Ordesa. In the town of the festival (Sallent de Gallego) I had posted my car for sale on an announcement board. I showed it to a Romanian guy who lives near there and the next day he bought it. He lives in an abandoned town where to repopulate the town they have given land/ruins to a number of people to build houses and it is a quaint little town with stone houses with slate roofs.

I took the bus down from Sabiñanigo, sending half by luggage to Madrid with Carlitos and Diana. I climbed in Rodellar a couple of days and passed through Alcañiz for a final goodbye, now I´m in Teruel heading for Cuenca? Alicante? Valdepeñas?...

Phil´s journeys, June and into July

Ok, June flew by. I was hangin around Alcañiz, then I got bored one weekend and went down to Vinaroz and met up with Ruben and Dina, some church/climbing friends. After spending Sunday with them, I headed over to Montanejos, a mythical climbing spot in Spain to check it out. Being alone, mid-week I didn´t climb much, the last day I got in a couple climbs with some climbers I know from Zaragoza who happened to stop by on their way back from a job.

Next was the big, much anticipated trip to France. Maky and I drove up to Gap, France to climb at Ceuse. It was a 9 hour drive, we stayed for ten days, in the dirt parking lot at Ceuse. The climbing spot is that good. It´s a nice parking area though, trees and a cold fountain and a friendly fox. She likes to drop in without warning and she got our loaf of bread one night when Maky turned his back... The climbing spot is known as one of the best sport climbing locations in the world with one of the worst approaches. You have an hour hike up the mountain each day to climb the cliffs at the top. Also the spot is very well bolted (protected), but as you get higher the protection tends to get rather spread out making huge falls almost inevitable, lots of fun!

Back in Spain I had a day to do wash and it was over to Barcelona to meet Rachel at the airport. Rachel had selected Barcelona and Rome for her first trip to Europe and I agreed to tag along. I enjoyed exploring Barcelona more in depth, we were especially impressed with the Sagrada Familia. Also on the list of highlights, were the Palau de musica Catalana, Parc Guell, menu del dias, cafe con leche, and the beach. In the middle of the Barcelona trip, we side-tripped to Montserrat, the serrated mountain which is another mythical climbing spot in Spain and also has a famous monestary. Cataluña´s most holy mountain is what it is...

Leaving Barcelona after 5 nights, we missed our flight to Rome by less than five minutes (you must get there at least 40 minuted before takeoff) so the flight to Rome ended up being later than expected and a bit more expensive... But we had a cheap hostel to make up for it. Rome was noticeably older and dirtier than Barcelona (at least our neighborhood), but the sights were also older and just as impressive. The first day we saw the Trevi fountain, the Spanish steps and enjoyed Italian coffee. The next day it was the vatican: St. Peters and the museums (which include the Sistine Chapel). The following day the Colloseum, the Domitilla catacombs, Palatino hill, getting soaked in a Thunderstorm and the Roman Forum. The last day was little more relaxing exploring some other neighborhoods in Rome and cooking an amazing pasta in the hostel.

Now I´m back in Alcañiz, trying to get rid of my van, and live cheap... I´m heading up to the Pyrenees looking for cooler weather, climbing and someone to buy my van. Sorry but I don´t think this post is going to include pictures.

Weekend Warrior- by Amy

Following off of what Phil wrote, a few weekends ago Gabriel and I went to visit Phil in Alcañiz. We had a great time and Phil was a wonderful tour guide. We visited the main plaza where the main church is and had coffee. . . Then we explored underground in some passageways that they used to use for ice-making among other things. . . Here is Phil, Evan, and Gabriel with the church in the background. It was a hot day.

The first night we went to a hill across from the town where there are a bunch of boulder problems. We enjoyed the view of Alcañiz at night.We also went to this wonderful natural park about 45 min. away. This picture is where we are headed to to do some rockclimbing and hiking. Phil is leading the way in his furgoneta (van) Beautiful place to climb, swim, hike, and enjoy the outdoors. . .

Gabriel and I are hanging out, literally, 100 or so meters up a rock wall

Phil, the hardcore rock climber ;)

LAST WEEKEND: Cahorros, Granada

This last weekend Gabriel and I went to the city of Granada to visit our friend Angel who is currently living there. The first night we enjoyed some excellent tapas, which Granada is know for and the next day we went to one of the oldest climbing places in Spain, Cahorros. It was another absolutely beautiful place, not only for climbing but also for the views and for hiking. There was a nice river that ran through this canyon and several suspension bridges to cross. This one was the longest. That´s Gabriel and Angel in the middle and Curo and Juaquin on the other side. . .

We followed this path that is built right along the river and right against the rock wall. Very cool. You can follow it all the way to the top of the Sierras if you want.

We climbed the whole day and were exhausted by the end. Here´s a group pic of us right before we belayed down from where we had been climbing all day to the trail below by the river. Angel is living there until July so we´ll have to go back, it was a lot of fun!

People come visit me!

The past weekend Amy and Gabriel came to visit me in Alcañiz. They also picked up Evan in Madrid, a friend from the Chicago area, who had been spending some time in Spain. They arrived Saturday night and after grabbing some dinner we went to camp out by the resevoir. Sunday morning we went to one of the churches here in Alcañiz. After church I showed my guests the undergound passages/old freezer under the central plaza and the castle. That afternoon we headed to los puertos de Beceite which is the mountain range before you get to the Mediteranean coast. We climbed a 4 pitch route while Evan swam in the river below. Amy and Gabriel were quite impressed with this natural park I have 40 minutes from Alcañiz. We got Evan on the rope after our multipitch climb for a little introduction to the sport. Then we headed to the free camping area in the same area. Evan cooked up a delicious risotto utilizing some wild herbs he found while wandering around with the mountain goats while we were high up on the wall climbing.

Monday morning we did a little hiking, being very unimpressed with Picasso´s cave, we headed up a stream which turned out to be a very beautiful little canyon with some technical rock hopping and manuvuering. Back at the cars we headed back to Alcañiz and bought some pork sandwiches for lunch and the visitors headed home. A good little visit.

It´s been a while. . .

So here are some photos from the past month or so. I went on a long weekend a little over a month ago to La Sierra de Segura. Gabriel and I went as the transfer drivers for Antonio and his mountain biking clients. We would drop them off at a point and then go pick them up somewhere else. In the meantime we went hike. . . first hike was to this big cave that we had tried going to on a previous trip but got lost.

This is from inside, it´s more like a cave/dome.

I am standing on deer poop. It is obviously the home to large amounts of animals since the floors are covered with droppings and it smells pretty bad too :)

Then the next day we saw the where a river begins. Pretty, deep, and so clear. . .

Here we are dropping the group off on the last day and the high parts of the Sierra

This is the group: two clients, Gabriel, a client, Gallardo, and Antonio. Just about to head off for a 6 hour bike ride , leaving Gabriel and I to pick them at on the outskirts of the mountain range we were in.

We didn´t know what we were in for. . . this is a picture of Gabriel when we crossed over from the Sierra de Segura mountian range to the Cazorla mountain range. It ended up taking us 7 hours to get to where we were supposed to pick them up. I think we drove on all the tiny, winding dirt roads that went up one mountain then down again, up then down, up. . . . you get the point:) Very beautiful though.

ABOUT A MONTH AGO. . .

Phil came to visit. It was rainy on Saturday so a bunch of us decided to go to Cueva Negra since we couldn´t climb. We watched this storm move in.

Here´s the cave. And what can you do in a cave?

Climb! of course! :) Here´s Blas doing a little bouldering action.

The next day was sunny so Gabriel, Phil, and I went to Puertollano (45min away) to do some routes. We had a good time and it was fun seeing Phil.

And finally, a cute little duckling that got seperated from his mommy close to where we went climbing this past weekend.

This coming weekend I have Monday off since it is a holiday in Castilla la Mancha. Gabriel and I are planning to drive up to see Phil on Saturday and stay until Monday. Should be fun. . . so stay tuned next week for some more pics from the north of Spain! Love ya all, take care

Amy

P.S. If you want to see some pics of me climbing and where I workout check out http://www.tytoalba.org/ You can brush up on your Spanish too if you want ;)

May travels

The weekend of the 9th and 10th I dropped down to visit Amy in Valdepeñas. A good little visit. I met up with Gonzalo in Zaragoza and road down with him. Amy is doing well. She bought a laptop to manage her photos and communicate with greater ease.



Last weekend I went to see the Basque country. Valentina wanted to go to Salamanca but I convinced her to come along and see the Pyrennes and San Sebastian, she wasn´t disappointed. The mountain towns and valleys were very beautiful and everything was extremely green. We ended up going up through Roncal Valley going through the Piedra de San Martin Pass entering France. Heading west, to reach the next pass, we reached Larrau and hiked to a suspension bridge which was quite impressive. We entered Spain again through Larrau Pass and headed for Pamplona. I´m not sure which is more difficult, the French pronuciation or the Basque, at least reading French I could more or less figure out what it was saying. Next stop was Estella and San Fausto for a little bit of rockclimbing. Sunday evening we ended up in San Sebastian to attend a little evangelical church. We went out to dinner afterward with a friendly group from the church. The beach/bay at San Sebastian gives the city its feel and has the ´wind combs´ sculptures by Chillida.

Plaza del Castillo in Pamplona

Monday we went west along the coast and ended up in Gernika for a menú del dia. We joined tables with a talkative, well-travelled Irish couple in their 70´s. My first plate was a whole pot of red beans with sausage which I had no hope of finishing but which was delicious, next I had the cod in the traditional red sauce, with flan for desert. Next we went to the woods near Oma to see some colorful artwork by Basque artist Agustin Ibarrola. Hiking through the woods I was excited to find a mountain bike trail with jumps and dropoffs. The art is in the middle of a forest and is made up of groups of painted tree trunks. Then we hit the road for Alcañiz stopping briefly in Vitoria and arriving at home at 2:30 in the morning.

Bosque de Oma