Suzie and I are just back from Mallorca where we have been climbing with the Rockfax team to research some new crags for the Mallorca guide book.
The team consisted of me and Suzie, Alan James (the boss!), Mick Ryan, Sally Wheatley, Adrian Berry, Mark Glaister and Audrey Seguy.
We had a great time, with loads of routes done and crags visited. I have been to quite a few big limestone cliffs, and I have been to Mallorca before, but on this trip one crag really caught my attention. Not because of the routes that are on it, but because of the routes that aren’t on it!
Es Fumat is a big cliff (there’s loads of big limestone cliffs, I know), but it has a lot of potential. Mostly these big cliffs are too loose or too steep, or too far up a hill, or too gnarly or something, but Es Fumat is perfect – perfect for trad!
I think this place would make some great E5-8 trad lines in a Gogarth Main Cliff style, but slightly bigger – possibly 5 or 6 pitches. I do hope to go back there one day. Shown (just! he’s a tiny dot) on the photo below is Alan James on a F7a+ single pitch route. The major trad potential is to his left.
Alan James is a tiny dot on a F7a+, Es Fumat, Mallorca
As far as favourite routes from the week go, I can’t recommend Gubia Normal enough. It is a 7 pitch trad route with maximum difficulties of around VS (F4+). Suzie and I meandered up it in around 3.5 hours. We thought it was fantastic.
- There is a free full resolution topo here: Rockfax Topo.
I also did some steep tufas and things like that too – which were all fantastic. I’ll post a photo gallery soon.
