Some would say "why?" , I said "why not ?"
The weather was looking unsettled in Lake Louise over August long weekend this past summer. So I booked an impromptu solo 10-day trip to Barcelona. I'm not usually one to make spontaneous and last minute decisions; however, this is certainly one that paid off. It was an extremely well rounded trip that provided a perfect balance of various things that I love. Notable features include relatively reasonable cost compared to many other European cities, seamless transportation logistics and very easy to meet other solo travellers through the standard suite of online apps. This blog post will explore:
The itinerary that I created (recommended to fellow party goers and prissy climbers)
Itinerary:
I stayed at SmartRooms Hotel This was a budget friendly choice with small rooms, friendly staff and an ideal location.
There were great local restaurants, street food style stalls, markets and coffee shops nearby. Also walking distance to train to Montserrat (climbing), Sitges (beaches) and subway/metro system to readily connect to most of the major sites in Barcelona. The hotel was on a street where many taxis drive by so it was east to grab a cab whenever I needed one. Overall highly recommended.
Thursday: Left Calgary and flew to Barcelona through Frankfurt
Friday: Got to Barcelona mid-day then met somebody to pick up my circuit festival welcome pack and go to dinner with.
Saturday: Went to city beach (Mar Bella), met some people on beach to have drinks with, then pre-gamed with them prior to heading to to circuit festival welcome party.
Sunday: Took the train to Sitges for the day
Monday: Rock climbing in Montserrat
Tuesday: Circuit waterpark party (day and night). ~13hr shift of partying
Wednesday: Sightseeing around Barcelona (self guided walking tour) and remote work day in the evening
Thursday: Climbing in Montserrat, followed by Laleche pool party and then followed by pervert party
Friday: Went to city beach (Mar Bella) to hang out with a new friend and then followed by a remote work day in the evening
Saturday: Pregame in the hotel with some new friends, then Guapo pool party and then circuit main event party
Sunday: Woke up and then got the plane back to Calgary (BCN to YYC direct flight!!!)
This itinerary provided an amazing blend of a whole bunch of activities. It was a great balance and it felt good not to just be partying or rock climbing the whole time.
Rock Climbing Experience:
My objective was to do a couple of days of multipitch climbing close to Barcelona. Montserrat certainly fit the bill. Its about an hour by train from Barcelona. Climbing is on conglomerate rock. It was surprisingly overall well suited to my style in that it was incut, positive and steep. It was quite balancey and technical at times but not in an insecure way.
I hired a guide for both rock climbing days. I wanted to climb on specific days based on the above itinerary. Furthermore, I didn't wanna waste time trying to work the climbing pages trying to meet partners or spin my wheels at the climbing area trying to optimize the day. Both guiding outfits I used are highly recommended! Links below . . .
(with guide Toti Vales)
(with Guide Ferran Latorre)
Both guides were top notch. Toti had done a bunch of high end rock climbing in Canada including a trip to Cirque of the Unclimbables and Ferran has completed all of the 8,000m summits. Both guiding services cost approx ~275eur per day which included pickup at Montserrat train station, full day of climbing in the 6b/c (high 5.10 / low 5.11) range and all the gear (except harness, shoes, helmet, etc)
Day 1: I cant remember the area we were at; but, it was on the west side of the Montserrat Massif. We started with some single pitch sport climbs up to 6a (5.10a) that were quite nice. Bolting was adequate but not generous. I led one of them without much difficulty. People say Montserrat can feel sandbagged but I felt the routes were true to the grade. We then did a bolted 6 pitch 5c (5.9ish) south facing route to the top of one of the needles. The route we climbed was basically up the wall pictured in the photo. Climbing was engaging but never desperate. The guide masterfully led a very complex decent down a gully to the east via a series of about a dozen short rappels.
Day 2: We did a route called the Bishop North Face. It was a super hot day (~35degC) but the route was in the shade and temps were surprisingly comfortable. The route was world class. The lower pitches were mostly gear protected and featured crack, stemming and some chimneying. The upper pitches were very thin, steep and balancy face climbing which was well protected by bolts. The grade felt 5.11a (which is about my limit). I climbed it surprisingly well though with only a few takes and perhaps grabbed a draw once. There was an aid pitch as the second last pitch - the aid work was burly but easy. Top out was on top of a prominent needle. The descent was through a labyrinth of complex needles and gully features with aid lines. I would've gotten lost for sure if not for the guide.
The Circuit Festival Review:
No pictures included in this section to respect people's privacy
This is a festival that markets itself as the largest international LGBT party in the world. It was an outstanding event that ranked highly amongst other international parties that I have been to. I ended up buying an all access pass for approx 400eur that let me into all the events. You can find out all you need to know about the festival on the circuit instagram page so this post will be geared towards providing a review of the festival and the individual parties that I attended.
Festival Overview:
Lauding:
Very well organized with buses to events outside of the core and buses between back to back parties. Taxis were always easy to flag down
No lineups to get into events with pre-purchased tickets
Efficient and reasonable prices on coat checks
Very friendly and welcoming crowds which made it easy to meet people
People from all ages and all over the world (I never felt too old)
High energy and loose (but not sloppy crowds)
Complaints:
Long lines for drink tickets - but all venues use the same tickets so you can just buy a huge stack of them if you're confident you aren't going to loose them or get them wet (which I was not)
Most bartenders don't free pour drinks
Some of the indoor events felt crowded, too loud and claustrophobic
Music was kind of repetitive and not as good as offerings in Vegas & Ibiza.
SUPER EXPENSIVE WATER
Individual Parties:
Circuit Big Opening (Venue: Down Town) - this was the first party of the festival and featured a nice sized indoor event with a good stage show and club layout. There wasn't anything outstanding about this event either good or bad but it was well worth attending to start things off on the right foot.
Water Park (Venue: Illa Fantasia) - this was an event like nothing else I have ever experienced. The entire water park (including operational slides) was dedicated to this event. The event was outside the city but there was an efficient dedicated bus service that connected Barcelona. The outdoor party started at 10:30ish am and lasted until after midnight. The conclusion of the party featured an impressive fireworks display. There was a night party that appeared to be in the indoor cafeteria of the waterpark (separate ticket required). This was fun and worth going to but relatively unremarkable.
Laleche Pool Party (Venue: Go Beach Club) - this was probably my favorite venue of the festival. It felt more like a boutique sized event in a spectacular setting right on the waterfront. There was a high energy electric dance floor but also plenty of areas to find space to relax and chat. Highly recommended !
Pervert Party (Venue: Razmattaz) - this party took place right after Laleche Pool Party and was connected by a dedicated bus service (separate ticket required). The venue was quite interesting with a main room and also separate rooms each of which played different music. This was a wild and high energy party; however, it was quite loud and crowded. I kinda felt scared and claustrophobic so only stayed for 2-3ish hours. It would have been ideal if there was a restaurant or place to grab drinks near the venue to provide a bit of a reset between the pool party and this one.
Guapo Pool Party (Venue: Go Beach Club) - similar to above Go Beach party.
Circuit Main Event (Venue: Fira Barcelona Gran Via) - this party took place right after the Guapo Party (once again with an efficient bus connection). Amazing party in an open air venue with notably good music, great stage theatrics and an impressive fireworks conclusion.
Perspective on Beaches:
The beach in Barcelona that I went to was Mar Bella. It was quite a beautiful and clean beach for an inner city beach. It was crowded but had a great atmosphere and was a good way for me to meet people to go to the circuit parties with. There was a bar on the beach and a great Mexican restaurant a short walk away. The beach was clothing optional. Many clothing optional beaches I have been to in other parts of the world tend to attract an older and uglier crowd; however, this beach and the one in Sitges (next paragraph) were certainly an exception.
I took a day trip to the town of Sitges (which was a 60min train ride from Barcelona). It was a nice day trip but I don't think I'd return for any extended amount of time. The town was quaint with lots of interesting shops, restaurants and historical landmarks. But the beaches were pretty crowded and unremarkable. I walked from town along the coast to Playa del Muerto. Same comments as above related to people watching but otherwise relatively unremarkable.
Sightseeing Tips:
Barcelona is a clean city that is quite walkable with an easy to use public transit system. Some highlights include Sigrada Familia (cliche landmark but quite impressive nonetheless), the gothic quarters and the Barcelona Cathedral (particularly) the view from the top. The restaurant scene was overall quite good, and much better than anything you'd get in Calgary; however, it is not in the same league as places such as Italy, Thailand or Greece.
Concluding Remarks:
Barcelona is one of only two or three cities (outside of Calgary) that seemed to me like a great place to live long term. Lots to do, clean, great infrastructure, not crowded and relatively inexpensive. Let me know if somebody is willing to teach me Spanish or hire me to do something in or around the city.
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