Adventure in Mallorca, Spain (Big Writeup)
I feel like I should apologize because this post is going to be really big. I have spent the last 9 days in Mallorca and island off the Iberian Peninsula belonging to Spain. The island is considered a Mecca of deep water soloing which they call Psicobloc. Recently what is possibly one of the hardest routes in the world was put up by Chris Sharma on Es Pontas. It is considered to be 5.15a or 9a by Euro standards. Although he dosen´t rate the climbs himself im sure the repeats will be few and far between.
I met up with Shasta in Wales and we tooled around that country for a while before deciding to head to warmer areas. Looking at tickets we decided to head to Spain for a week and a half and have some fun at deep water soloing, we had hoped to climb a 7 pitch route on a mountain called Sa Gubia but were set back by lack of gear.
We first arrived and found a bus to S. Arenal where we trying around for a hostel finding one for 30 Euros per night. The hostels here are not your normal hostal as they are bed and breakfasts and proper dorm hostels are pretty much non existant. The beach is 4 miles long and is sand all the way. Besides the sand is thousands of bodies lined on every little area. To me that is not a fun way to spend time so we decided to bail on the crowded beach scene and see if we couldnt find something a little more pleasant. We headed to town called Cala Dòr and had to settle on a an apartment style renting accomadation for the night which was 40 Euros, as cheap as any bed and breakfast was in the area. This was a really nice place with a kitchen and a living room! Still though we knew this was more then we wanted to spend and resolved the next day to finding some proper camping accomodation. We had however heard that it is illegal on the island so figured it could be tuff. We packed our bags for the walk to Cala Sa Nau. We walked to the beach to find a beautiful area surrounded by nice looking climbing. The cliffs got bigger as they went out and there were plenty of areas we could tent.
Our apartment for the night.
around the corner of Cala Sa Nau
We hiked back after spending the night in the apartment. It probably isn´t that long but with a 50lb pack on pavement it was starting to feel long. We climbed around for a bit and was having a grand old time. there was a big cliff with a jump probably around 30 to 40 feet. There were two guys from Indiana trying to warm up to the jump off but hadnt yet and as I looked down from it I decided to give a shorter one a go first. Shasta however had other plans. She said "Im going to do it. Yup here I go", and then our jaws dropped as she walked right off. Her previous highest jump had been around 15 feet. The Indiana guys and I looked at eachother with amazement. "She went off like it was nothing" was all they could muster. I felt the need to follow in the footsteps (of course not to be left out) and decided what the heck as I tossed myself out into the water. Theres a certian rush after that first step that is Euphoric and addicting.
Shasta says goodbye to us wimpy men.
After some jumping of the course the reason we were there was to climb! This was a great route you could follow through the overhang or traverse out the right and over the top. The water was incredibly clear and beautiful and it was hard to climb over the top with the water so inviting. (This photo is completly undoctored)
Shasta described her first jump as something quite pleasurable. So it wouldnt have been easy to keep her from jumping again and again. What else to do but take pictures?
After a day or so there we met with a couple of German guys who were camping on the same beach. They were pretty daring jumpers and climbers and it was nice to climb around with them.
We jumped through most of the day and found that our fun in this single area would last about 4 or 5 hours. You can really see the clarity of the water here as I shine through like it was glass with the German looking on.
Moving around the corner from our last climbing spot the sea was a little more ruff and the climbing became harder. This route is rated at 8a and I have often struggled through a 6b. I didn´t get very far before diving off into the deep.
Although this rope looked inviting after the jump to help get onto the rock it was a climb in itself. Not very thick with little knots and soaking wet. It took a fine rest period afterwords to climb again.
We decided after talking to both the Americans and the Germans that getting a rental sounded like a neat idea. I had never drivin in a foreign country but the idea didn´t sound to bad. Plus we saw a place that would give us a car for 26 Euros per day with no extra costs. Not to bad we figured if we slept in it instead of trying to find a room. So we went out and got a nice red car which we called Little Red Devil (pics later in the the post). This would turn out to be one of the best ideas of the trip. Our first stop with our new transportation was Es Pontas. The famed rock area climbed by Sharma. The temptation of climbing on that same piece of rock was much to great and had to be done. I swam out and tried the Sharma route but never got out of the water! Looking overhead at the 7 foot dyno 35 feet above the water was a soft blow to the ego. I knew I couldnt even get close to it. I climbed an easier route which was probably about 5.10 around the corner from it and topped out. I took a jump off the rock which was probably my biggest yet at about 50 feet. Its amazing how the cheering of people in boats gets people doing crazy things. I know somewhere in their collection is a photo of me looking petrified in mid air. Shasta swam out and jumped from the same spot as well leaving her arms out to her side and slapping them real nicely. I looked a little higher, it still wasnt enough. I walked to the top of the route that Sharma had climbed out. I had heard he took falls here of 65 feet. I built all the courage I could muster and went for it. The first step stopped my heart, its that moment of "What the hell am I doing?" and then just concentration as I tried to make sure my feet werent to flat, arms were at my side, and that my face wasnt pointed down. My biggest jump to date.
Ive got to hand it to Shasta, shes not going to let me soak it up alone. She went out, climbed up, and flew with the wind.
The bay above Es Pontas is beautiful with multicolored waters and towns perched on the bank of the sea.
And this is Es Pontas. We left with smiles on our faces and thrills in our hearts.
So far the driving had been enjoyable. Quick jolts through small spanish towns, windy roads through the countryside and driving from beach to beach. We decided to head north after Es Pontas having thrilled ourselfs long on the west shore. The northernmost point on the island was called Formentor and that sounded like something we wanted to see! We hoped in the car and took the long and very hot drive north. Driving on Formentor itself was incredible! I recently read about some of the most enjoyable drives in the world and it had said that this one road had 24 hairpin turns. We would drive through sections of road that put that to shame. We drove to a point that had a small castle sitting on the top of the hill. The view was astounding and staring at it seemed like the perfect thing to do. Taking a picure took effort, I had to take my eyes from the horizon.
The mountains sloped down to kiss the sea. Whatever your passion you would find it here.
Looking down the rest of Formentor we could see large towering walls begging for climbing and seas yearning for a good dip. It was almost to much to take in at once.
Although it must have been unfortunatly to have to sit in an extremly small fort it dosent appear that the view was to bad. There have been worst places to spend the days.
Driving and winding our way around, over, and through the mountains until we reached the northermost point, a lighthouse spilling its blessing to the sailors. I road was some of the most fun I have ever had driving. What can match flying around hairpin corners in a car not to much bigger then a mini?
From the lighthouse the Sea took on another life. There were lots of people there but they all seem to float away. You can look out at the sea and it is there that they cannot touch you. We wanted to get a find a good place to see the sunset and decided on back at the castle. The sun was setting fast though and it was a good drive back through those turns; would I make it? I should have been timed, we had time to spare.
Enough in fact that we stopped on the way to take pictures of the cliffs. They are enormous and definatly have multi pitch routes and abilities. The climbing on the island is more then one person could do.
(this picture is slighty corrupt, I´ll reupload later)
We finally made it back to the castle and climbed into it and up onto the roof. Shasta ascending the metal ladder.
We were not disappointed. The sun lowered itself to another part of the Earth and we were fed with red tentacles that snaked over the sky. The beauty of a sunset always amazes me.
Shasta enjoying the last rays of the sun. We drove back to the lighthouse and slept under the lighthouse on the northermost tip of the island.
We knew that it would be tuff to beat Formentor so we decided while we were up north we would go to the Eastern side of the island and settled on heading to Sa Calobra after seeing it in a post card. They seemed to be how we stumbled on everything, postcards were our guidbooks. The road to Sa Calobra suprised me; how could anything be more twisty and windy then the roads the previous day. Taking them in Little Red Devil was superb! Every corner was a new challenge and more then a few times could I feel the rubber slip from the road. Seeing a bus in the rocks that had obviously left the road previously had made me cautious.
We finally reached Sa Calobra. The sheer walls of rock rolled down the valley and towered over everything around. It seemed as though every wall was climbable and beckoned for an ascent, which could possibly be the first.
(also minorly corrupted, will fix it too.)
We climbed and jumped a few times from this area and it is probably my biggest picture regret of the trip not to have had some pictures taken on the route which I climbed. It was a perfect opportunity with a walkway to the side and high up. A crowd had gathered by the time I took the approx 40 ft. leap off back into the water below. Unfortunatly I had pushed it a little hard the last few days and one climb was enough to pump me out. So we decided to pack it up and head on to a new place. Having a car was heaven! We drove around for a while and ended back at our original climbing spot Cala Sa Nau. We tried at Porto Cristo but the waves were growing and we didn´t like the way it looked like it was going to mash and then grate us against the rocks. Back at Cala Sa Nau it wasn´t going much better. We were to find extremely large waves turning the climbing area into a whirlpool of white. Today would not be a good day for climbing.
So when theres no climbing to do what else is there? It was time to lay down and enjoy the sun while laying on an overhanging section of rock 40 feet above the rampaging waves. We only had a day left, or so we thought, so we would camp there that night and head back the next day.
We decided to visit the southern most part of the island before heading through to Cala Dór and returning our car. We had now visited all aspects of the island. Possibly the best part about the day was the Japanese buffet we ate at to celebrate a great trip. It was time to part with Little Red Devil and catch our ride to the airport.
Shasta and our trusty friend Little Red Devil.
We caught the bus and made our way to the airport. Shasta was to leave at 12:25am and I was to leave at 7:45 am, both of us on the 22nd. Shasta went to the counter to check in her bag and came back and said she wasn´t checked on the flight. It was nice of them however to get her all set up and on her way. I took a nap and went to get on an Air Berlin flight for Berlin. After a while in the line I was directed to the counter where I was told that my flight was not booked for June but was in fact booked for July. To make it a little more of a oddity it was not actually the 22nd but was in fact the 21st. We had arrived a day early at the airport. I am attributing the messup of the month of Air Berlins site which is one of the worst I have used, they also charge you for lots of things automatically you have to deselect or else they will screw you. After submitting the booking 3 times it finally went through although it had auto reset the month for July each time I had tried to book. I caught it all but apparently the last time. Air Berlin was however nice enough to tell me I could another ticket for tomorrow for only 94€ more ontop of the 55€ I had already spent. Thanks alot. I settled with flying with Condor for 74€ and now am spending my day toasting around while I try to spend as little as possible to make up for the money I just lost in having to buy a second plane ticket with being able to get a refund on the first. Thanks again Air Berlin.
Has that diminished this trip at all? Heck no. Its been an amazing 9 days and it is an incredible place. My definate note for anyone visiting is GET A RENTAL! Its worth every penny here.
I met up with Shasta in Wales and we tooled around that country for a while before deciding to head to warmer areas. Looking at tickets we decided to head to Spain for a week and a half and have some fun at deep water soloing, we had hoped to climb a 7 pitch route on a mountain called Sa Gubia but were set back by lack of gear.
We first arrived and found a bus to S. Arenal where we trying around for a hostel finding one for 30 Euros per night. The hostels here are not your normal hostal as they are bed and breakfasts and proper dorm hostels are pretty much non existant. The beach is 4 miles long and is sand all the way. Besides the sand is thousands of bodies lined on every little area. To me that is not a fun way to spend time so we decided to bail on the crowded beach scene and see if we couldnt find something a little more pleasant. We headed to town called Cala Dòr and had to settle on a an apartment style renting accomadation for the night which was 40 Euros, as cheap as any bed and breakfast was in the area. This was a really nice place with a kitchen and a living room! Still though we knew this was more then we wanted to spend and resolved the next day to finding some proper camping accomodation. We had however heard that it is illegal on the island so figured it could be tuff. We packed our bags for the walk to Cala Sa Nau. We walked to the beach to find a beautiful area surrounded by nice looking climbing. The cliffs got bigger as they went out and there were plenty of areas we could tent.
Our apartment for the night.
around the corner of Cala Sa Nau
We hiked back after spending the night in the apartment. It probably isn´t that long but with a 50lb pack on pavement it was starting to feel long. We climbed around for a bit and was having a grand old time. there was a big cliff with a jump probably around 30 to 40 feet. There were two guys from Indiana trying to warm up to the jump off but hadnt yet and as I looked down from it I decided to give a shorter one a go first. Shasta however had other plans. She said "Im going to do it. Yup here I go", and then our jaws dropped as she walked right off. Her previous highest jump had been around 15 feet. The Indiana guys and I looked at eachother with amazement. "She went off like it was nothing" was all they could muster. I felt the need to follow in the footsteps (of course not to be left out) and decided what the heck as I tossed myself out into the water. Theres a certian rush after that first step that is Euphoric and addicting.
Shasta says goodbye to us wimpy men.
After some jumping of the course the reason we were there was to climb! This was a great route you could follow through the overhang or traverse out the right and over the top. The water was incredibly clear and beautiful and it was hard to climb over the top with the water so inviting. (This photo is completly undoctored)
Shasta described her first jump as something quite pleasurable. So it wouldnt have been easy to keep her from jumping again and again. What else to do but take pictures?
After a day or so there we met with a couple of German guys who were camping on the same beach. They were pretty daring jumpers and climbers and it was nice to climb around with them.
We jumped through most of the day and found that our fun in this single area would last about 4 or 5 hours. You can really see the clarity of the water here as I shine through like it was glass with the German looking on.
Moving around the corner from our last climbing spot the sea was a little more ruff and the climbing became harder. This route is rated at 8a and I have often struggled through a 6b. I didn´t get very far before diving off into the deep.
Although this rope looked inviting after the jump to help get onto the rock it was a climb in itself. Not very thick with little knots and soaking wet. It took a fine rest period afterwords to climb again.
We decided after talking to both the Americans and the Germans that getting a rental sounded like a neat idea. I had never drivin in a foreign country but the idea didn´t sound to bad. Plus we saw a place that would give us a car for 26 Euros per day with no extra costs. Not to bad we figured if we slept in it instead of trying to find a room. So we went out and got a nice red car which we called Little Red Devil (pics later in the the post). This would turn out to be one of the best ideas of the trip. Our first stop with our new transportation was Es Pontas. The famed rock area climbed by Sharma. The temptation of climbing on that same piece of rock was much to great and had to be done. I swam out and tried the Sharma route but never got out of the water! Looking overhead at the 7 foot dyno 35 feet above the water was a soft blow to the ego. I knew I couldnt even get close to it. I climbed an easier route which was probably about 5.10 around the corner from it and topped out. I took a jump off the rock which was probably my biggest yet at about 50 feet. Its amazing how the cheering of people in boats gets people doing crazy things. I know somewhere in their collection is a photo of me looking petrified in mid air. Shasta swam out and jumped from the same spot as well leaving her arms out to her side and slapping them real nicely. I looked a little higher, it still wasnt enough. I walked to the top of the route that Sharma had climbed out. I had heard he took falls here of 65 feet. I built all the courage I could muster and went for it. The first step stopped my heart, its that moment of "What the hell am I doing?" and then just concentration as I tried to make sure my feet werent to flat, arms were at my side, and that my face wasnt pointed down. My biggest jump to date.
Ive got to hand it to Shasta, shes not going to let me soak it up alone. She went out, climbed up, and flew with the wind.
The bay above Es Pontas is beautiful with multicolored waters and towns perched on the bank of the sea.
And this is Es Pontas. We left with smiles on our faces and thrills in our hearts.
So far the driving had been enjoyable. Quick jolts through small spanish towns, windy roads through the countryside and driving from beach to beach. We decided to head north after Es Pontas having thrilled ourselfs long on the west shore. The northernmost point on the island was called Formentor and that sounded like something we wanted to see! We hoped in the car and took the long and very hot drive north. Driving on Formentor itself was incredible! I recently read about some of the most enjoyable drives in the world and it had said that this one road had 24 hairpin turns. We would drive through sections of road that put that to shame. We drove to a point that had a small castle sitting on the top of the hill. The view was astounding and staring at it seemed like the perfect thing to do. Taking a picure took effort, I had to take my eyes from the horizon.
The mountains sloped down to kiss the sea. Whatever your passion you would find it here.
Looking down the rest of Formentor we could see large towering walls begging for climbing and seas yearning for a good dip. It was almost to much to take in at once.
Although it must have been unfortunatly to have to sit in an extremly small fort it dosent appear that the view was to bad. There have been worst places to spend the days.
Driving and winding our way around, over, and through the mountains until we reached the northermost point, a lighthouse spilling its blessing to the sailors. I road was some of the most fun I have ever had driving. What can match flying around hairpin corners in a car not to much bigger then a mini?
From the lighthouse the Sea took on another life. There were lots of people there but they all seem to float away. You can look out at the sea and it is there that they cannot touch you. We wanted to get a find a good place to see the sunset and decided on back at the castle. The sun was setting fast though and it was a good drive back through those turns; would I make it? I should have been timed, we had time to spare.
Enough in fact that we stopped on the way to take pictures of the cliffs. They are enormous and definatly have multi pitch routes and abilities. The climbing on the island is more then one person could do.
(this picture is slighty corrupt, I´ll reupload later)
We finally made it back to the castle and climbed into it and up onto the roof. Shasta ascending the metal ladder.
We were not disappointed. The sun lowered itself to another part of the Earth and we were fed with red tentacles that snaked over the sky. The beauty of a sunset always amazes me.
Shasta enjoying the last rays of the sun. We drove back to the lighthouse and slept under the lighthouse on the northermost tip of the island.
We knew that it would be tuff to beat Formentor so we decided while we were up north we would go to the Eastern side of the island and settled on heading to Sa Calobra after seeing it in a post card. They seemed to be how we stumbled on everything, postcards were our guidbooks. The road to Sa Calobra suprised me; how could anything be more twisty and windy then the roads the previous day. Taking them in Little Red Devil was superb! Every corner was a new challenge and more then a few times could I feel the rubber slip from the road. Seeing a bus in the rocks that had obviously left the road previously had made me cautious.
We finally reached Sa Calobra. The sheer walls of rock rolled down the valley and towered over everything around. It seemed as though every wall was climbable and beckoned for an ascent, which could possibly be the first.
(also minorly corrupted, will fix it too.)
We climbed and jumped a few times from this area and it is probably my biggest picture regret of the trip not to have had some pictures taken on the route which I climbed. It was a perfect opportunity with a walkway to the side and high up. A crowd had gathered by the time I took the approx 40 ft. leap off back into the water below. Unfortunatly I had pushed it a little hard the last few days and one climb was enough to pump me out. So we decided to pack it up and head on to a new place. Having a car was heaven! We drove around for a while and ended back at our original climbing spot Cala Sa Nau. We tried at Porto Cristo but the waves were growing and we didn´t like the way it looked like it was going to mash and then grate us against the rocks. Back at Cala Sa Nau it wasn´t going much better. We were to find extremely large waves turning the climbing area into a whirlpool of white. Today would not be a good day for climbing.
So when theres no climbing to do what else is there? It was time to lay down and enjoy the sun while laying on an overhanging section of rock 40 feet above the rampaging waves. We only had a day left, or so we thought, so we would camp there that night and head back the next day.
We decided to visit the southern most part of the island before heading through to Cala Dór and returning our car. We had now visited all aspects of the island. Possibly the best part about the day was the Japanese buffet we ate at to celebrate a great trip. It was time to part with Little Red Devil and catch our ride to the airport.
Shasta and our trusty friend Little Red Devil.
We caught the bus and made our way to the airport. Shasta was to leave at 12:25am and I was to leave at 7:45 am, both of us on the 22nd. Shasta went to the counter to check in her bag and came back and said she wasn´t checked on the flight. It was nice of them however to get her all set up and on her way. I took a nap and went to get on an Air Berlin flight for Berlin. After a while in the line I was directed to the counter where I was told that my flight was not booked for June but was in fact booked for July. To make it a little more of a oddity it was not actually the 22nd but was in fact the 21st. We had arrived a day early at the airport. I am attributing the messup of the month of Air Berlins site which is one of the worst I have used, they also charge you for lots of things automatically you have to deselect or else they will screw you. After submitting the booking 3 times it finally went through although it had auto reset the month for July each time I had tried to book. I caught it all but apparently the last time. Air Berlin was however nice enough to tell me I could another ticket for tomorrow for only 94€ more ontop of the 55€ I had already spent. Thanks alot. I settled with flying with Condor for 74€ and now am spending my day toasting around while I try to spend as little as possible to make up for the money I just lost in having to buy a second plane ticket with being able to get a refund on the first. Thanks again Air Berlin.
Has that diminished this trip at all? Heck no. Its been an amazing 9 days and it is an incredible place. My definate note for anyone visiting is GET A RENTAL! Its worth every penny here.
My Pictures can be seen at http://prezwoodz.smugmug.com
I Live at http://www.alaskamountainforum.com
I Live at http://www.alaskamountainforum.com
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Nicely done. Thank you!
Glad to help with any tips about travel as I have enjoyed many myself!
I Live at http://www.alaskamountainforum.com