→ The Puig
Major, our highest mountain
→ The Majorcan mountain club G.E.M
→ The dry stone wall building college
→ The cabins of the
Govern Balear
→ The
mountain- rescue service
→ The
great storm of november 2001
► The Puig Major, our highest mountain
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The Puig Major is 1.445 m (4660 feet) meter high. It´s a pity for the mountaineers that the summit has been closed since 1958 when the americans built a radar station there. It controls the western Mediterranean as well as northern Africa. |
- In 1932 a company planned a cable car to the top of Puig Major and one platform was already built at the bottom (you can see it beside the road to Sa Calobra, shortly before the pass). The project was abandoned because of the high costs: 2 million pesetas (some 12,000 Euros).
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The mountain has two summits: the prohibited one and the one you can see from the Sóller valley, the Penya des Migdia ("Nooncliff " 1,398 meter). You can climb it but you aren´t allowed to walk on the military road to the prohibited summit. One possibility is the old snowhole trail which starts at Km. 37.8 of the road from Sóller to Lluc (300 meter before crossing the tunnel). You walk beside the snowholes and at the end of the steep valley you will find the military road. Then you must climb steeply to the left (no path) and shortly before the summit you have to scramble a bit. For the way down you can follow the ridge to the south and then the scree slopes to the northwest. There isn´t a path here and you have to find a key passage (marked with cairns) at the end of the scree slope. After a very stony and overgrown slope you reach the unpaved road to Binis. If you turn left you arrive at the tarmac road not far from the place where you started the hike. Only the Majorcan hiking experts can lead you there safely. |
► The Majorcan mountain club G.E.M (+ Information ►)
☻The "Grup Excursionista de Mallorca" (G.E.M.) is the most important mountain club on Mallorca with some 500 associates. The address is: Carrer Andreu Feliu, 20- baixos / E-07010- Palma de Mallorca/ Tel. [0034] 871.947.900 / E-mail: secretaria @ gemweb.org / http:// www.gemweb.org.
☻The mountain club organises hikes of varying difficulty, canyoning, conferences. Once a year there is a collective action to clear an overgrown trail.
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Trails cleared by G.E.M. : - 1997: The trail from Bàlitx to Coll de Biniamar (one section of the trail from Mirador de Ses Barques to Cala Tuent) - 1998: The fishermen´s trail from Esporles to Port des Canonge - 1999: The old trail from Estellencs to Banyalbufar - 2000: Differents trails from Sóller to Mirador de Ses Barques (Costa d´en Flassada, Costa d´en Nicó) - 2001: The old trail from Estellencs to Puigpunyent - 2002: The trail from Fornalutx to Coma de Son Torrella across the "Portell de Sa Costa" (+ Information►) - 2003: The trail "Camí des Puig" (Puig de Son Talent- Manacor) - 2004: The cleaning of Torrent de Pareis. The security was also improved |
- 2005: 70 voluntary people cleaned the trail to the old well "Pou de Binifat" on the 20. february.
- 2006: the old trail between Alaró and Orient (+ Information►)
- 2007: 140 voluntary people cleaned a section of the old trail from Alcúdia to Lluc
- 2008: old trail from Alaró to Binissalem
► The dry stone wall building college (+ Information►)
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FODESMA was started to keep alive some traditional crafts: restoration of windmills (Escola de Molins), building Majorcan fishing boats (Escola de Mestres d´Aixa) and building dry stone walls (Escola de Margers) |
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The dry stone wall building college has been in existence since 1986 : young people learn over the course of two years the traditional method of stone- building and practise it on the mountain trails. They pave the old tracks with stones and they rebuid the walls of the terraces. The hiking trail across Mallorca (GR-221) is also called the trail of the dry stone (Ruta de la Pedra seca). |
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Fodesma also worked on renovating old buildings (military stations, farms, monasteries) and turning them into mountain huts: "Tossals Verds" was completed in 1995, "Muleta" in 2002, "Can Boi" in 2006, Son Amer and Pont Romà in 2007. They are currently working in La Trapa and in Castell d´Alaró. |
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Many trails have been renovated by them: |
- Castell d´Alaró
- The pilgrims´trail from Caimari to the monastery of Lluc
- Barranc de Biniaraix
- Puig de Maria, near Pollença
- From Sa Granja to Esporles
- Two trails from Deià to Cala Deià
- The trail from Deià to Sóller "Camí de Castelló"
- Other overgrown trails have been cleared: Sa Costera, Camí des Correu (Esporles- Banyalbufar), Pas des Cossis (Galatzó), many trails around Sóller and in the "Península de Llevant" Nature Park .
* Since 2004 the Department of Nature and Environment of the Mallorca Council has taken the functions from FODESMA.For the hut bookings: 0034 971 173700
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→ The cabins of the Govern Balear
- Refugi de S'Arenalet d'Albarca-
- Refugi de Son Real- - Refugi de la Comuna de Caimari-
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► The mountain- rescue service (+ Information►)
-The rescuers of Bombers de Sóller between Llucalcari and Cala Deià-
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Until 1995 only a voluntary service was called into action as needed. |
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Nowadays they are two professional teams: one from the fireservice (Bombers del Consell de Mallorca) and another from the rural police (Guardia Civil-G.R.E.I.M.). The phone numbers are: "112" und "062". When needed ,a helicopter takes part in the rescue operation. Up to the present the service is free of charge. |
- In 2001 , 6 people died in the Majorcan mountains (4 Spaniards, 2 tourists), 4 were severely wounded (1 from Germany, 1 from the U.K., 1 from Norway and 1 from Spain) and 9 suffered slight injuries.
- 33 hikers lost their way and were brought to safety by 11 rescue parties. 12 accidents occurred in canyons.
- In the first three months of 2002 the rescue operations increased by 160 % in relation to 2001!
► The great storm of november 2001
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The two pictures were made on the way to Penya Roja (Alcúdia). In the picture on the right picture it´s possible to appreciate that a large area of forest was lost in the great storm of November 2001. |
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The strong winds (120 km) and the heavy rainfall (300 litres in 24 hours) destroyed many forests: 300.000 pine trees were felled. The worst affected areas are in Cap Pinar (near Alcúdia), in Lluc Alcari (near Deià), Son Fortuny (Galatzó- Estellencs) and S´Alqueria (S´Esclop- Andratx). The foresters have been working very hard to clear several hiking trails, sometimes they had to walk for one hour to reach their workplace up on the mountain! |
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We will always see some fallen trees. In January 2003 it was a small storm and in February a heavy snowfall broke many branches in the following areas: Pollença, Lluc, Tomir, Massanella. An strong tornado destroyed many trees around Valldemossa and its Port on summer 2004.
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The service is very reliable. The best way is to watch the TV forecast the night before: around 9.10 pm (IB 3), 9.30 pm (TV 3, Saturdays around 9 pm, 5-day forecast) or TVE (La 1) at around 9.50 pm, 3-day forecast. |
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The weather forecast on the Internet from "WEATHERONLINE" is also very reliable. |
Castell d´Alaró,
there are 30 climbing routes in the overshadowed cliff .
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They are many climbing areas: Castell d´Alaró, Port de Valldemossa (the wall is 15 to 30 m high, 8 routes from 4b to 5c), S´Estret de Valldemossa, Sa Gúbia (near Bunyola, 20 routes, wall 20 to 200 m), Cala Bóquer (near Port de Pollença, 7 routes,10 to 100 m), Torrent de Pareis (S´Entreforc- Escorca, 10 to 200 m), Cala Santanyí (5 routes, 10 to 20 m), Cala Magraner, Gorg Blau (6b to 8b+), Andratx (4+ to 8), Sa Jonquera near Artà (6 to 8b), Es Fumat (Cape Formentor, 6 to 7c+), Port de Sóller (4 routes, 10 to 25 m), Puig Major. The climbing wall near Calvià is closed (you have to cross a private property to reach it) |
| For more information: James, Alan & Glaister, Alan: "Mallorca Rockfax 2007 (ISBN 1-8733-4161-2). In english |
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Mallorca is made of limestone, that´s why they are plenty of caves, chasms (the deepest one is "Sa Cova de Sa Campana" ,319 Meter deep) and canyons. Here are the most important: |
*Torrent de Pareis, our most famous canyon. It´s a difficult and strenuous hike, where you need a rope for your safety, but you could manage it without. For more information►
*Torrent de Mortitx, between Lluc and Pollença. The upper part ist a hike with some places where you need your hands. But for the last section you need technical equipment and canyoning knowledge. A big problem is returning when you reach the mouth of the canyon. You could either swim to the next cove (only if the sea is calm, it takes 30 minutes) or take the difficult "via ferrata" on the cliff.
*Torrent des Gorg des Diners, between Binis and Cala Tuent.
*Torrent des Gorg Blau (Sa Fosca), our most difficult canyon. The most beautiful and impressive section is "Sa Fosca": the canyon is so narrow that the light doesn´t reach the bottom.
*Torrent des Guix, between Coll de Sa Batalla (near Lluc) and Binibona.
*Torrent de Coanegra, between Orient and Santa Maria.
*Torrent de Na Mora, between Port de Sóller and Cala Tuent.
*Torrent des Lli, above the "Port de Valldemossa".
*Torrent des Salt,
*Torrent de l´Ofre, between L´Ofre and Biniaraix.
*Torrent d´Almadrà, between Cúber-dam and Lloseta.
*Torrent del Molinet, below Fartàritx, near Pollença.
· ►► For more information, there is a Majorcan book: "Els torrents clàssics de la Serra de Tramuntana" M. Trias, F. Ramon.
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Pep Barceló (0034-629 422 146) organises canyoning tours. |
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Be careful! In 2001 there were 12 rescue services in the Majorcan canyons. |
| For more information: Trias, M., Ramon, F. "Els torrents clàssics de la Serra de Tramuntana" Miquel Font Editors (ISBN 8- 4796-7081-9). In catalan |
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