UKC

Hello,

was wondering if anyone had stayed in Cales De Mallorca and climbed at Cala Magraner without hiring a car? Is it possible to walk there in an hour?

We will have quite a large group, maybe between 20 and 30 but we are trying to make this a relatively cheap trip and not hire cars. We will be going in the last 2 weeks of June next year.

Any advice or information on any other places people think would be suitable would be appreciated too (we climb below 6b mainly)

Thanks

In reply to RBonney:

Hi,

We were in Cala Magraner two weeks ago. It was amazing.

I cannot help entirely as I did not visit Cales de Mallorca but I can make a guess. We hired a car and parked on the roadside. The walk from the road that runs parallel to the coast was about 25-30 minutes. Judging from the distance from Cales de Mallorca to Magraner on Google maps and the terrain we saw, I could guess it would take about an hour to an hour and a half.

Whilst we were climbing, there were a number of hikers who stopped to take in the beach. There is also a map on beach of local paths. This would lead me to believe that the paths (also from those that I saw) are in relatively good nick as it seems a popular hiking area. This will make your walk in easier.

Enjoy, its beautiful down there! The grades are relatively hard (well, they were for us!) but there is plenty there to keep you entertained for a few days. Take lots of suncream and swimming gear as it is a sun trap, it was the hottest place we experienced on the island, in November!

Russ

In reply to RBonney: I'd say almost certainly yes. It would be worth buying a walker's map (e.g. "Kompass") from Stanfords. Not too expensive and it shows all the paths.

From my recollection, Cala Magraner is in the shade early in the day and receives the sun later; it may get too hot in the direct sun in June.

You ask about other places we think are suitable. I'm not clear where you'll be staying - one venue or more than one? One obvious place accessible by public transport is Sa Gubia (range of grades, range of aspects so you can avoid direct sun if you need to). Fast Palma to Soller bus passes the restaurant "Can Penassa" or there's a local bus to Bunyola village or there's the veteran train also to Bunyola.
The Valledemossa crags are a tolerable walk from Valledomossa village or shorter from the first bus stop after the village.
Cala Serena (by Cala Ferrera near Cala D'Or) is accessible by bus; a massive DWS venue but the sea and requirement to rappel may be intimidating for novices.
I believe Porto Christo town is accessible by bus and it is a short walk to Cova del Diabolo and the other venue.

There is a resort just south of Porto Christo called Cala Romantica which has buses. I would expect it to be about a 40 minute walk from there to Cala Barques.

Bus times are on "TIB". Be aware that most of the holiday resort services don't run at all at this time of year so try and find the map of summer services. There a summer map on there as well as the main winter one.

In reply to RBonney: Thanks for those responses, very helpful.

we will be staying in only one location, we're just trying to find the most suitable place.

In reply to RBonney:

Agree with above poster: Couple more ideas for walking:

You could walk to Sa Gubia from Bunyola in an hour (if you put your foot down).

Also, S'estret is walkable from Valdemossa in an hour I suppose but not on the road as it is quite dicey. Perhaps there is an off road path through the valley but Im not sure. Lots of routes at your grade there though.

Sa Gubia will be better for a group of your size. You will take over S'estret with 20 people!

In reply to RBonney: With average temperatures of 25-30C some of your party may suffer from dehydration/sunburn/sunstroke.

Like the infamous thread last year where Chris Craggs guidebook author was asked if he had visited the crag in that thread maybe you would be better to look somewhere like El Chorro that could absorb that many climbers, is close to accomodation and relatively cheap to get to.