Lads On Tour

The suns intensity is muffled by the breeze blowing in from the sea, I'm failing to stand on a limestone blob, it should be easy but I haven't sport climbed for almost a year. Its going to take some time to get used to this. It was the first day of a week long sport climbing holiday in Mallorca and I had failed to climb a 6a+.

My ryanair promo shot Photo by Me

It had been a spontaneously planned trip but we had everything just about in order, flying out a few days earlier than Oscar and Sam, before we knew it Myself, Freddie Cindy and Rob were landing in Palma. We were psyched to see sunshine for the first time, flying over the island you could see the mountains rising dramatically from impossibly blue waters of the Mediterranean. This was a stark contrast coming at a time where Britain had been in winter for about 8 months. Of course it wouldn't be a holiday without something going wrong straight away and that first something was a complete fnancial rinsing by the hire car company. But after Freddie was taken into the back room by the very hench car hire salesman guy something got worked out and we had a mode of transport.

Rob on the appropriatley named Juggy One Photo by Fredde

The next day we were stoked for our first crag and thinking we'd have a chill day we headed to Cala Magraner for some easy climbs by the beach. After a brief visit to the shop for all the baguettes, meat, cheese and chocolate I got in the car for my first experience driving on the wrong side of the road. After a mainly uneventful drive we pulled up, got out and started the short walk down to the beach. As we walked by the ramshackled fences made from pieces of dried wood and what ever else the farmer happened upon you could feel the warm breeze emanating from the sea, but it was still hidden only revealing itself at the last bend. Upon arriving at the beach we blitzed our way through the really easy stuff in the shade before me and Rob decided to head out of the shade to try one of the classic 6a+'s called Ses Tres Maries. In hindsight heading out of the shade into full sun to climb having not had hot weather for years was not a great plan. Setting off up Ses Tres Maries I was struggling to get back into the sport climbing way. The crux involves standing on this little limestone blob that also happened to be polished and a little seepy. Me and Rob ended up taking it in turns just trying to do this move. After we had already given to much effort I managed to get on the blob and through the next moves. I was stood under the final overhang that guarded the top I tried to move up but my body was exhausted. Having not climbed anything taller than 8mts in months this was a real wake up call. I needed to learn how to sport climb again. Also I had mild heatstroke, lowering off I ran to the bags and drank as much water as I could, returning to belay Rob who top roped to my high point then retrieved the draws. I saw Cindy swinging about on a ludicrously steep route that I thought must be at least in the high 6's, upon her return to the floor Freddie stated that it was only a 5+ so after seeing Rob crush it I went for my go. It was bonkers just really steep climbing with a massive stand up rest half way up, which I didn't fully utilise resulting in me screaming I'm so pumped all the way to the belay much to the amusement of everyone watching. It was a pretty brilliant first day and as we walked back to the car with the sun setting I was happy I had been shut down on something that should've been easy because it meant I had a goal for the week. Get back on the sport climbing horse.

Sunset Photo by Cindy

Struggling to overtake the swarms of cyclists on the small mountain road that heads up from Port de Pollenca we made our way towards La Crevata, upon cresting the hill we were greeted with a scene from avatar and a car park full of people, maybe good Friday wasn't the best day for this. Parking a little further down the road we admired the view with the tourists then walked along the trail cragward bound. Passing a sturdy group of goats we approached the edge of a cliff which according to the guidebook was the descent to the crag. It turned out to be easier than it looked but still down climbing with heavy packs, clipsticks and shopping bags really added to the adventure. The reason we had chosen this crag was due to its great selection of sub 5's with me now starting sport climbing from scratch it seemed like a good idea. As we waited for the crowds to dissipate we snacked and scrambled up a nearby chimney checking out bolts as we went. Looking at the selection of the lines on the cliff we could see only the main classics had non rusted bolts, I think the maritime location combined with a lack of bolt fund has contributed to this. However at many of the crags we visited there was always at least one route with questionable bolts maybe its the fact the climbing is plagued by access issue or maybe its the lack of established bolt fund but it something to be aware of. Anyway tangent aside the lines we were here for had good shiny bolts and the easier stuff flew by and climbed like a dream. Then as with the day before I went to try a classic 6a+ called Recode de Bunyola this one line of shiny bolts in a sea of rusted relics obviously stood out. The initial climbing was sustained and quite fingery, after a brief rest it continued in the same vein really cool thin climbing with no obvious holds and no place to rest. Then you reach a bulge this was perplexing and I had already pushed beyond what I thought I'd be able to do I shouted take and it was over. Giving the rope to Rob and Freddie I watched it get climbed and continued to question myself why had I fallen, should I have just pushed on?

I concluded that it was a mental barrier and that I find pushing beyond the bolt when tired quite scary, I think its a a little mental scarring from a bad sport fall I had early on in my climbing. But its mainly a  barrier I have placed within myself, because I know my endurance is not that good I already have that self imposed weakness and ingrained line on how far I think I can push it. I climb with the thought that as soon as I feel slightly pumped I should shout take at the nearest bolt because I am obviously going to get worked and fall off anyway. I had listened to a podcast a few weeks earlier with Hazel Findlay about mental training for climbing (Hazel Findlay Flow and Mental Mastery Podcast), I had thought it quite interesting at the time but with this new enlightenment that my mental training was as lacking as my physical training, I gave it another listen to see if it would help me with the weeks climbing.

On some easy climb Photo by Cindy

We awoke to a storm, rain hitting the unused swimming pool raising the question we could we get some climbing in. Santanyi is on the south coast of Mallorca and about an hour from Sa Pobla thinking it was worth a shot we loaded the bags with water and baguettes and headed south. Arriving on the wave washed platform we were taken aback by the ferocity of the waves, aided by the strong westerly winds they were lashing the rock closest to the sea. Warming up on a 5+ corner that provided pleasant corner climbing on slightly chossy rock we headed in search of Colesterol Party its a very visually attractive line a really undercut start gives way to a really nice looking corner and goes at 6a+. We had try it, after lunch obviously, finding a spot as far back from the sea as possible we stashed our stuff and sat eating entranced by the power of the sea. Rob had the first bash at the 6a+ whilst I continued to watch the sea, after a valiant effort Rob returned to the ground and started discussing beta. As we gathered round the tide built up and one extraordinary wave hit, throwing its watery arms to the back of the platform in a disconcerting effort to claim our bags, shoes and more worryingly lunch. It was over in a second and the sea retreated to its natural habitat. Checking the damage we found nothing to be missing but all of our gear was wet and the lunch was ruined. Laying our kit our in the sun and mourning slightly over the loss of a good loaf of bread Freddie got back on the climb and quickly crushed it. I tied in for my go, the initial steep section was a relatively easy but sick boulder problem and the rest afterwards was so substantial that the corner after it seemed like a different route. I have always enjoyed corners as they allow me to utilise my long legs to gain rests whenever you feel pumped. It climbed brilliantly and I was a little sad when it was over. Returning to the ground I handed the rope over and went in search of none salty food. After everyone had had their send of the route we got back in the car and headed for some adequate tapas.

Cool guys don't look at explosions Photo by Cindy

Having picked Sam and Oscar up from the airport we discussed what our transport options were. We couldn't hire another car as it would be to expensive, anyway we were still reeling from the rip off the first time around and there was only 5 seats in our car and 6 of us. Oscar suggested we hire a moped initially I think it was a joke but it was the best idea we had. So me Freddie and Oscar headed to Palma to hire a moped. It turns out its really easy to hire a moped but it also turns out they are very slow, designed mainly for citys so the top speed is around 50kph which for getting around the island means its slightly heinous and slightly longer. Our first hurdle though was getting it back from Palma seen as there was only 3 of us the car needed to give directions to the moped. Driving along these stunning country roads in a car doing 50kph was torture. The journey seemed to last forever but fortunately we learned from this mistake and whoever was driving the moped set off early each day. It added extra adventure. The journey took so long it was 3pm before we ready to go climbing so we did what everyone would do and headed to the closet crag. Les Perxes is in a stunning valley at the side of a windy mountain road. The climbs that we headed to were slabby and sharp, they were all really in my style of climbing and I found my confidence growing, it was a really great evenings climbing. Having had a relaxing day we decided the next day we should go big so we decided on heading to Sa Gubia for some multipitch action. Wanting to climb Albahida but neglecting to bring trad gear we opted for the fully bolted Supernova Spits and Giggles.

Beutful jugs Photo bu Cindy

Arriving into Sa Gubia Albahida looms in front of you our route was on the shady side the initial pitches were easy enough just a little loose in places and as you climb higher the exposure starts to kick in. The climbing was nice enough but it was pitch 4+5 where the interest lay. I was in the hanging stance at the belay before pitch 4 for quite some time whilst Freddie almost did his first 7a by going off route. But eventually Freddie and Cindy had made there way to the belay before pitch 5 and Rob had expertly dispatched pitch 4 so I set off to follow him. Wearing the rucksack that contained shoes, water and food I was made slightly off balance which was a mild hindered on a slab climb. But it was the fact I had been sat in my harness so long that my climbing was stiff and lacked fluidity. I had also made the rookie error of keeping my jacket on making me sweaty and also blocking access to my chalking bag. Eventually I fought my way to the belay 'ledge' where we ate and drank water after saying goodbye to Freddie and Cindy I set off on my lead up pitch 5. It starts up this really rough orange groove until the bolts and holds lead you back out over space to the bulge on your right making the step across feels awesome as you've got a mass of nothing below you. The rest of the climbing is straightforward only marred by the rope drag. Rob raced up the second to last patch and I scramble up the unprotected chimney that led the way to the upper ridge. Once on the ridge we could finally relax stretch our legs eat and drink before running up the ridge to the top of the mountain. This scramble was super enjoyable for me I love the feeling of moving swiftly and efficiently over rock and the location is stunning. After we had topped the summit we had the idyllic walk back down through olive groves with cowbell laden sheep as our soundtrack.

Exposure and poor rope work Photo by Me

Alaro was a crag we had been told was one of the best on the island a must visit with a must do 7a and must eat at restaurant. Obviously the 7a seemed a bit out of reach given my current performance but the restaurant sounded nice and the crag looked stunning. Freddie negotiated the ragged single track road to the car park and we hit the trail up to the crag. For such a big crag there is only a minute amount of climbing mainly due to access issues, the land owner does not allow climbing at Alaro. which is a bit mental how can someone own that much natural beauty and not allow it be utilised. But  climbing is not allowed so lets hope this part of the blog doesn't get translated into Spanish and read by a land owner who obviously has no interest in climbing. Warming up on a lovely slab route I started to read the guide to find out what else I should try. Unfortunately I succumbed to a baguette slump and needed a bit of a lie down. We ended up heading to a quieter section for some mid 6 climbing fresh out of my baguette slump I decided I needed more food. So whilst Rob was trying a dope looking 6b+ me and Freddie sat down and ate a large quantity of cheese, meat, tomato and bread. Rob put in a stellar fight on the 6b+ but didn't make it up due to heat making the small holds feel smaller and sweatier. Riding a pretty good carb high I decided to give it a bash and what happened next was totally unprecedented. I found flow state. Starting the climb I tentatively escaped the shade and climbed up the steep initial wall until I got to the crux bulge, I reached up through the bulge for what felt like a micro edge for my sweat laden finger and tried to hold on. I involuntarily let out a power scream as I dug deep to hold on, my mind was purely focused on the movement and not on anything else, I didn't even think about how far I was from the last bolt I just climbed. It was amazing pulling through the crux I reached the upper wall where the climbing was easy, but I had emerged from my flow cocoon and I could feel the lactic acid in my forearms. In my head I was thinking I am to pumped I am going to have to shout take. Then I remembered something from the Flow training podcast about how people often think they are more pumped than they are, its there mind getting a little scared and wanting to give up. You can usually climb through it, it just requires more mental training and more determination. I am paraphrasing but whatever the actual quote is popped up in my brain and I calmed down clipped the next bolt and just focused on getting to the anchor. A few easy moves remained and I clipped the chains. This was a special climb for me, it's not the best route I have done, its not especially hard, but its the first sport climb I have ever found flow on and its the best performance for me personally, because I entered that magic state of mind that I have only found before when I'm trad climbing or when I'm bouldering. Finish the day with some unbelievable slow cooked goat at the restaurant topped off an unforgettable day.

Alaro and all its potential Photo by Me

The final day we headed to S'estret for some lower grade classics, upon arrival we were greeted with a wall of bolts. It was as if someone had just drawn lines up with bolts and regard no regard for natural features making the polished loose routes seem unnatural and disjointed. It reminded me of Horseshoe. It was also in the shade and freezing, having decided this was not the crag for us we went back to the vehicles and made another plan. I was keen to head to Port d'soller to try Blobland an insane 6c that I was told was a must do for anyone visiting Mallorca, Oscar wanted to head to Sa Gubia to do a route that ended in some otherworldly runnels. So him and Cindy went to do that and myself Rob Freddie and Sam headed for Port d'Soller. Its a bizarre crag in an utterly idyllic location by the Mediterranean but it just so happens to be topped with a 5 star hotel. Blobland looks insane from the ground and in total contrast to the routes at S'estret it followed the natural line of weakness up the wall. Freddie started the day with a pretty casual onsight then it was my turn, the lower wall was well polished but really interesting then came the technical crux a step round this bulge on some super polished holds that I just couldn't trust getting frustrated I lowered off. A couple more goes and I just couldn't do it, I was back where I was at the start of the week scared to commit. I decided to give it one final go, the first moves didn't feel right and I got the crux thinking I had already messed it up. I reached over the glossy crimp and just held on harder moving my feet across I made it through. Now I was at a decent rest with the steep upper wall in front of me. I knew I had pushed myself through the lower section and my arms were waning. Pulling onto the first tufa I could feel my weak arms about give up straddling the blob I surveyed my options I could see holds I just couldn't use them I gave it a shot and I was off. I had failed, but I had pushed through I failed because I wasn't physically strong enough not because I wasn't mentally strong enough. This felt like progress to me. Annoyed I lowered to the ground and took a rest, we did a couple of 6a's both stunning routes in a beautiful place. Then Rob suggested we do the classic 6b that is there watching him do it I was sold it looked mega. As it came to my turn the sun was starting to dip into the sea I set off, the moves that I was confronted with didn't ever become hard it was just constant jug pulling, it felt cruiser I didn't feel pumped and as I clipped the chains with the sun setting over the med I couldn't imagine a better end to the week.

The end Photo by Me