UKC

Hi!

I am going to Mallorca on the first week of October and it would be a sin not to try some deep water solo there!

I have never done it though. I have a guide but I think in most places the approach is not too straightforward and still unsure on how sketchy it can be to go try with no previous knowledge.

So, either looking for some knowledge here or, alternatively, if anyone has ever done any guided DWS, would be good to hear with whom and how was the experience!

Thanks!

Pablo

Hang on

Forgive me for not rewriting it to exactly answer your query, but this is a post I made previously on malle:

 SE coast for DWS, but the cragging there isn't as good as the northern stuff. (Having said which , Cala Magraner  is pretty good, Tijuana is also quite good in the SE.

Last two DWS trips we did we stayed in Porto Cristo (or PC Novo), which was only a few minutes from the Cala Barques parking.  This was great for DWS, but bizarrely almost equidistant (timewise) from Alaro, Gubia, Creveta and the other main climbing areas. It was fine to drive once a day, but got to be a bit of a pain if the weather broke and we had to change plans.

I suggest starting at Cala Sa Nou and then going round to Cala Mitjana. Good way to warm up. Cala Mitjana is really sheltered even in biggish seas. It's worth printing the routes list from UKC for Mitjana before you go because there are loads of new routes not in the book. And if the sea is big then Mitjana is the only good option ( as far as I know) and so you want to have details of all the routes there, otherwise you'll run out after 2 hours.

Sorry. I'm ve made a pigs ear of this.  Wrong post....

You could stay in the cala romantica hotel just near porto christo. Not fabulous, but pretty nice and easy with restaurant etc on site.

You can then access all the best SE coast DWS but have the option of bailing out north if the seas are too high.

Go to cala sa nau on your first day. There will probably be a fair few newbs lining up nervously to work their way up through the easy routes there.

Then you walk over to Call Mitjana. If you're on  form then do terry's wall and the  6b plusses towards the flag

If you're not on form OR it's rough seas, then nip round the corner to the really sheltered bit. Can't be bothered looking up the name but its obvious. A couple of nice 5s and sixes and some excellent short sevens.

Go to Barques too. Do Hercules. And the big sevens if you can

If it's really calm then go to Serena. It never was for us so we ran away.

If you're unlucky, like we were this last year then you'll probably end up at mitjana again at some point. It is unbelievably sheltered.

DWS is without doubt the scariest thing I've ever done climbing wise. I got to the point where I think I'd rather be climbing above sheet concrete with swords sticking out of it. Least know exactly what happens when you let go! 

Thanks a lot for the very detailed information!

For sure very useful.

Cheers!

Pablo

its amazing mate. Cala Barques is the best place ti go for a first timer. easy approaches, a good spread of grades and never gets too high

There are only a handful of new climbs squeezed into the Cave which are all in the 7s so would not worry too much about printing off a list. 

We went to Mallorca on a non climbing trip but obviously took our shoes. We were staying near Cala Santanyi where there are quite a few lower, nice warm ups and varying grades in a relatively sheltered bay so perfect for starting. There were quite a few other people climbing too so it was fun. 

Hey! I am in Majorca right now, until the 7.10 for DWS.

I am travelling alone right now and I would love to find a partner, so I will be more than happy to hear from you. 

Don't think we're talking about the same bit. My description was stupidly vague as I didn't have the book handy and I hate typing on the phone. 

Got the book now.... Ok...Ritch Bitch Cave is the really really sheltered venue that has only four routes in my version of the rockfax guide but at least 3 others on the database. 

/Edit... As you say, most of them are sevens. The sixes I found don't  appear to be in the database. Was some German who told me about them. However I still stand by my view that they are worth being aware of. If you're in Malle in October and the swell is big then those other routes are well worth trying. Even if you're a punter like me. Sod all else to go at in high seas AFAIK..  would love to be corrected on that front

Regarding Barques as the best starter venue I disagree, unless you mean the first venue for someone operating solidly in the sevens who has no worries about splashdowns, swimming etc and won't use huge amounts of nervous energy staying on their first few routes.

For a punter like me who likes to start on 4s and 5s, before progressing onto 6s and might occasionally do an easy 7, Cala sa Nou followed by Cala Mitjana is objectively better.

Hi Mate,

I just noted that there are only a hand full of extra problems.

"There are only a handful of new climbs squeezed into the Cave which are all in the 7s so would not worry too much about printing off a list". 

Most of the other problems are to the left of the cave when I was there which were more in the 6's. The left side of the cave is now quite well populated with climbs now as you say but in the 7s. 

Depending on which way the swell is pushing, some times its worth heading over to the other side of the island to Sa Calobra.    

Yep, we kept wondering about sa colabra but didn't make the drive in the end.  Maybe one day.