Thank you so much for this detailed report!
I will be going on a tour of Portugal & Spain in a couple of days and Montserrat was one of the option excursions that I signed up for. However on closer inspection, I decided to cancel (I can always resign up on the actual tour) because I don't love heights. There is no way in the world that you could get me on that cable car and even the railway looks scary. The monastery etc look absolutely stunning and I would really love to see this but I am not sure given my fear of heights. I am pretty sure that we would be going by tour bus. From your report that seems the least scary way to get there and with no climbing (I think). I don't mind walking but being exposed on the side of a mountain would freak me out.
What do you think for someone like me?