Baptising the PRC-229 - Montjuic 360

Taking kids up to La Foixarda in the summer I noticed the freshly-painted but familiar yellow and white PRC markings up on Montjuic. A bit of research finds that it was a newly minted 'sender homologat' of the FEEC; the PRC-229, aka Montjuic 360. A tour of our favourite urban mountain. At around 11km, supposedly it manages to get less than 30% of the route on tarmac. It seemed like just the thing for a casual walk before we take a summer break. But remember - don't underestimate Montjuic...

Meeting at around 1830 and with darkness falling by 2200, we should have had plenty of time to finish the walk (estimated at around 3h for a standard walker) and reward ourselves with a cold clara. The problem was we stopped for a drink a third into the walk, half the team dropped out and then the remainder finished well after dark at 2240. Surprisingly it seemed to actually take us the three hours. Don't underestimate Montjuic!

HIKERS (dropouts are crossed out):

* in retrospect, it was perhaps to be expected that in the only hike we do where people actually have the option to just give up and go home, they might just do so *

PEZ

TOMO

MIX

NATI

DR. DRE

K3

ROUTE

We met at MNAC by the Greco-Roman bums, huddling in the shade on what was still a brutally hot day at 1830. We set off and chose to head seaward first, joining Avinguda del Estadi, dropping down to the Font del Gat and Jardins de Laribal and then back up. 

The path then dipped down to Poble Sec, the only poorly marked stretch, but somehow we managed to stay on to do the panhandle to the Tres Ximeneas in Poble Sec. (Not everyone shared the commitment to follow every mark and do the panhandle, it must be said). From there we went back up to BCN's Most Deadly Junction™ and up towards the castle. As we passed the Sardana statue the path cut across the road but we took a short detour to the little shack for a drink with music and the setting sun. But we stayed a good while and ultimately lost Nati and K3, who was not feeling too well. 

To follow every mark of course we had to go back down the hill (over the objections of some) and through the little pine wood and up to the castle. Unfortunately for us it was a night with a film showing in Sala Montjuic and the ticket buggers stopped us following the marks. This was all too much for Dr. Dre, who bowed out after we dipped down a little path down past the funicular.

Luckily we could quickly pop back up on the track and round the castle wall, passing by a busy crowd dining at the Caseta de Migdia. Just by the Mirador de Migdia, we had a nice surprise, with a large snake ("a metre and change", says Tomo) crossing our path just a metre or two in front of us to slither off down towards the cliffs. Later we identified it probably as a ladder snake, one of two species on Montjuic.

As we went round the cemetery, it was getting dark, and by the time we got to what I have always called 'the Meadow' (by the old Castell del Port) it was pretty hard to see. Yappy dogs harassed as we went, but luckily on the way down and around the Cami de l'Esparver around the meadow the floodlights of the nearby playing field illuminated our path. Once past there it was pretty difficult to spot the marks! Anyway, on we went through the nameless park, finding a fat and cheerful cicada on the way, and along to the Teatro de los Sentidos. From there, through the climbing tunnel and past its satirical phallic monarch. 

From there, we realised the path wasn't *really* intended for proper night time as it passed through a dodgy unlit space behind the rugby field where people sometimes live rough. Anyway, after that we went through the municipal riding school at La Foixarda, up behind Poble Espanyol where a live band was doing some rocking out and finally back to the escalators by the historic botanical garden where we had joined the route, at 2240. 

Cue three-way high five and happy summers all round. 

HIGHLIGHTS

The sunset drink

Zebra crossings cleverly repurposed as PRC markings

The snake!

PHOTOS

Ladder snake at the 'Fauna de Montjuic' exhibit up at the castle

Very bad photo of Cicada