Catalan Decree Bans Climbing at Roc del Rumbau to Protect Prehistoric Paintings

A Catalan government decree has banned climbing, camping, and fires in the protected area around the Roc del Rumbau, a rock formation in Peramola municipality renowned for its prehistoric rock paintings.

The measure, outlined in the decree from the Generalitat, establishes a protection zone for the archaeological site, which includes rupestrian art. Favorable reports from the Catalan Cultural Heritage Advisory Council and the Institut d’Estudis Catalans supported the decision, and no objections were filed during the process.

The ban has sparked strong opposition from climbers and local politicians, given the site's status as a top international climbing destination that draws elite athletes. Peramola recently opened an indoor climbing facility to promote the sport and support training during poor weather.

Toni Mas Buchaca, a Compromís councillor and local official, has tabled a resolution for the municipal council to reject the climbing prohibition. He warns of a potentially "devastating" economic impact, noting that climbing in Oliana and Peramola drives sustainable, year-round tourism that fills accommodations and shops.

Mas argues the activity occurs in sectors without physical contact with the high-altitude or separate rock paintings, and no technical reports show damage over decades. He criticises the decision as unilateral by the culture department, lacking input from the town hall or local stakeholders, and points to a "flagrant" disparity: while climbing is banned here despite no contact, concrete infrastructure and mass tourism operate near paintings at El Cogul (Lleida), a site with identical BCIN and UNESCO protections.

Without climbers' informal monitoring, he adds, the site risks vandalism and neglect. Mas calls the decree "disproportionate, unjustified, and arbitrary," urging outright rejection and dialogue with the council, the Catalan Hiking Entities Federation (FEEC), and climbers to develop a management plan balancing heritage protection and sport.

He also suggests a potential legal challenge at the Superior Court of Justice of Catalonia (TSJC). For now, climbing continues normally amid growing climber concerns.