ROCK & ROAD 2026
MARGALEF
Week Seven of the Rock & Road tour: six climbing days (rest day optional) on Catalonia's otherworldly conglomerate walls, where pockets range from shallow monos to entire-hand jugs, and gravity is apparently more of a suggestion.
- Margalef
- Catalan Conglomerate
- 26 September – 3 October 2026
- 7 Days
- 6a–8a
- Grade
- 3
- Min. Climbers to Run
- €950
- Week 7 of the 8-Week Tour
Margalef's conglomerate rock is unlike anything else on the tour — a matrix of rounded cobbles set in cement-like stone, studded across walls that genuinely look like they shouldn't hold weight. They do. Mostly.
This is pocket pulling in its most extreme form: shallow monos that barely accept a fingertip, deep three-finger holes that count as a rest. The deep red and orange walls rise from olive groves and pine forest, with the occasional hermitage wedged impossibly into the cliff.
Seven days climbing in a distinctly Catalan atmosphere — passionate, proud, and just as obsessed with the send as you are — evenings spent recovering by the reservoir and eating well in the village.
- Duration
- 7 Days
- Location
- Margalef
- Grade Range
- 6a → 8a
- Group Size
- Maximum 12
- Coaches
- Jan Novotny & Klemen Becan & Linda Synakova & Zbynek Michal
- Price From
- €950
Week 7 of the 8-week tour
Catalonia, near Barcelona
Sweet spot 6c – 7c
Min. 3 climbers to run
Your assigned coaching team
Guiding & coaching included
The Full Journey
Rock & Road 2026 — Full Schedule
This leg is one stop on an 8-week circuit across Europe. Book just this week, or grab the full tour and follow the sun (and the sends) from Bohemia all the way to Spain.
- Sep€950In progressMore info
- Sep€950
- Oct€950
- Aug€990
- Aug€5,990
- Aug€990
- Sep€990
- Sep€990
- Sep€990
- Sep€990
- Oct€990
- Oct€990
Real Rock, Real Conglomerate
Cobbles, Monos
& Catalan Pride
No stock photos, no staged sends — just climbers pulling on rock that shouldn't work but somehow does.
The Pull-Up Enthusiast
You've spent the tour perfecting technique, footwork, and patience. Margalef doesn't care about any of that as much as it cares whether your fingers can close around a cobblestone.
The Rock-Type Collector
Sandstone, pockets, granite, tufas, limestone crimps — you've done six kinds of rock already. Conglomerate is the one everyone talks about and nobody quite believes until they touch it.
The Travel-Hungry Climber
You want Europe's best rock without Europe's worst trip-planning admin. We've handled the logistics for eight weeks straight — you just show up and climb.
Technique
- Choosing & caring for gear that keeps you alive
- Efficient movement & precise footwork
- Balance over your centre of gravity
- Overhang tricks: drop knee, heel hooks, kneebars
- Cleaning anchors — keeping all your gear
Mental Game
- Fear-of-falling protocols that actually work
- Reading routes from the ground up
- Redpoint & onsight mindset
- Climbing calls & communication that saves lives
- Trusting a hold that looks like it shouldn't hold you
Tactics
- Belaying & lead belaying, taught properly
- Clipstick timing & pre-clipping
- Setting up top-ropes
- Conglomerate-specific pocket reading
- Long-term progression beyond the trip
- 08:30
- Morning Briefing
Crag plan, conditions check, coffee
- 09:30
- Guided Climbing Block
Movement & technique coaching on selected lines
- 13:00
- Crag Lunch & Reservoir Swim
Packed lunch, a cool-off, tactics chat with your coach
- 14:30
- Afternoon Session
Project burns or mileage — your call
- 18:30
- Pack Down & Return
Back to base, gear sorted for tomorrow
- 20:00
- Dinner & Debrief
Catalan food, local wine, and tall tales from the day
| What's Included | 1 Week | Full Tour |
|---|---|---|
| Climbing days | 6 | Coaching throughout the tour, with rest and travel days |
| Destinations | 1 (Spain) | 8 across Europe |
| Individualized coaching & guiding | ✓ | ✓ |
| Safety equipment & gear | ✓ | ✓ |
| Basic shared accommodation | ✓ | ✓ |
| Free transport between destinations | — | ✓ |
| Full road-trip community & lifelong sending buddies | — | ✓ |
Margalef, Spain
The Venue
An otherworldly landscape where thousands of routes ascend walls studded with cobblestones that seem to defy physics. Margalef's rock is a matrix of rounded stones set in cement-like conglomerate — a climbing style found almost nowhere else in Europe.
The Catalan climbing scene here is passionate and progressive, pushing difficulty on these unique walls year-round thanks to a microclimate that allows both sun and shade sectors to stay in condition.
- Nearest Airport
- Barcelona (1h45)
- Rock Type
- Conglomerate
- Climate in Autumn
- 18–27°C
- Style
- Extreme pocket pulling
Your Coaching Team
World-Class Coaches
Jan Novotny
Meet guideFounder & Head Coach
Rockbusters' founder and head coach, with 25+ years on rock. Jan traded a career in social work for a life of pushing climbers past their limits — technically and mentally — and hasn't looked back since.
Klemen Becan
Meet guidePerformance & Mental Coach
A former World Cup podium finisher and lifelong onsight addict, Klemen brings decades of high-level competition experience to the mental side of climbing — fear management, focus, and taking a big fall without flinching.
Linda Synakova
Meet guideGuide & Coach
Part of the crew across every leg of the Rock & Road tour, Linda adapts her coaching to whatever the rock demands — and knows exactly which of Margalef's cobbled lines will teach you the most.
Zbynek Michal
Meet guideGuide & Coach
Local knowledge is everything on unfamiliar rock, and Zbyněk has it in spades — from Margalef's classic testpieces to the quieter sectors the guidebooks skip.
Results
What Past Climbers Say
One past Rock & Road climber credits Jan and the crew with pushing her far beyond what she thought her limits were — and with turning a summer spent climbing across Europe into one of the most meaningful experiences of her life.
I genuinely didn't believe conglomerate climbing would feel this different from everything else I'd done. My first mono pocket changed my entire understanding of what a "hold" is.
The Catalan climbers we met were fiercely proud of their rock and it was completely justified. Best community vibe of the whole tour so far.
Accommodation & Logistics
We Sorted the Boring Bits
Accommodation
Basic shared accommodation arranged with local climbing hosts — hostel or campsite bungalows with bunk beds, close to the village.
Getting There
Fly into Barcelona. Local transport is organised via shared rental cars once you land — no navigating Catalan backroads solo.
Gear
Bring your own climbing shoes and harness. We provide belay devices, helmets, and most safety gear, but pack a belay device, 2 screw-gate carabiners, and a 60cm sling if you have your own preferences.
Group Size
Minimum 3 climbers to run the trip. Small enough for real coaching, never a crowd-control exercise.
What's Included
Full Package
- Individualized coaching — technical, mental, and tactical
- Guiding & local knowledge — routes picked for your grade
- Climbing safety equipment — ropes, draws, helmets, slings
- Basic shared accommodation — local climbing hosts
- Free inter-destination transport — on multi-week bookings
- Post-trip support — questions answered long after you're home
Not included
- Transportation (local transport is organized by shared rental cars)
- Travel & climbing insurance
- Food & drinks (group dinner can be purchased for €15 per meal)
FAQ
Common Questions
What level do I need to be?
You should be comfortable leading 6b indoors or 6a outdoors. Margalef rewards raw finger strength and a willingness to trust unusual holds — if you're strong but new to conglomerate, you'll fit right in.
Do I need my own gear?
Bring climbing shoes and a harness you trust. We provide belay devices, helmets, and most safety gear, but a belay device, 2 screw-gate carabiners, and a 60cm sling are handy to have of your own. Full kit list sent once you book (down jacket, headlamp, sleeping bag).
Is food included?
Food arrangements and any included meals are confirmed before departure.
What if fewer than 3 people book?
We need a minimum of 3 participants to run this leg. If numbers don't add up, we'll offer an equivalent (or better) alternative trip, or a full refund. No hard feelings.
Can I join more than one week of the tour?
Absolutely — that's the whole idea. Book the full 8-week Rock & Road Tour at the current full-tour price and follow the sun (and the sends) across eight destinations.
Where do I fly in and out of?
Barcelona International Airport, for both arrival and departure.
Reserve Your Place
Ready to Trust the Cobblestones?
Spaces fill fast, and we only run this leg with a minimum of 3 climbers. Secure your spot now — or drop us a line first if you've got questions.
Questions first? Email info@rockbusters.net or catch us on WhatsApp — we reply fast.