Fifty Places to Rock Climb Before You Die: Climbing Experts Share the World’s Greatest Destinations

Images — *The Catalan term for Deep Water Soloing is* psicobloc, *which translates to “psycho-bouldering.”*

Spain

MALLORCA

It’s safe to say that Michael Call’s first visit to Mallorca made a favorable impression. “The first time I heard about Mallorca was in the early 1990s, from Doug Heinrich, who was a mentor of mine,” Mike recalled. “He said that it was one of his favorite places to go for sport climbing. This was before Deep Water Soloing [DWS] was much of a thing. I didn’t make it there until 2006, to shoot the movie King Lines for Big UP Productions, with the climber Chris Sharma. Filming Chris doing the arch Es Pontas, I was blown away—it was one of the most incredible athletic feats I’d ever seen anyone do.

“The day after Chris first climbed Es Pontas happened to be the Feast of San Miguel, and it was also my birthday. We were planning to go back out to Es Pontas, but Chris’s fingertips hurt. He suggested that we go to Cova de Diablo. We picked up a bottle of San Miguel beer. When we got to the edge of the cliff, the sun was beginning to go down. Chris suggested I climb with him. We weren’t sure who should go first; initially we thought I’d be safer if I went first so he could dive in after me if I fell, but then we decided that if he went first I could follow his line . . . and he could still come in after me. We climbed down a 5.9, then went up a 5.12c, which was pretty tricky for me on sight. But I got through it. Suddenly, we were sitting in a cave about two-thirds of the way up. The sun was setting and there were waves crashing down below. Sitting there, a feeling washed over me—this was why I had learned to rock climb. All the skills I’d gained over my climbing career, all the experiences I’d had, had led to this moment, to allow me to be in this place at this time. That’s what Mallorca is to me—why I was meant to learn to rock climb.”

Mallorca (or Majorca) is situated some 120 miles southeast of Barcelona and is the largest of the four Balearic Islands. There’s a strong sense of identity here; people see themselves as Mallorcan first, Spanish second. Though many people know Mallorca for its beaches, there’s a thriving agricultural area in the center of the island—wonderful fresh fruit and vegetables, as well as lamb and goat. Mallorca is especially well known for its almonds, figs, and olives.

And for its Deep Water Soloing opportunities.

To the vertically challenged, many rock climbing endeavors seem to verge on the edge of sanity. It’s no wonder, then, that DWS strikes even some in the climbing community as simply crazy. (As Zofia Reych has pointed out on “Up That Rock,” the Catalan term for DWS is psicobloc, which translates to “psycho-bouldering.” The term fliñar is also used to describe the activity, which translates roughly as “to crap yourself while at a height.” Enough said.) A Mallorcan climber named Miquel Riera is considered the father of DWS, though in a 2016 interview with Climbing, he demurred: “Psicobloc has been practiced since the first time there was a climber, a sea cliff, and it was hot. But it wasn’t until we began to establish routes, name them, and grade them in Mallorca in 1978 that anyone considered it a sport.” With the release of King Lines in 2007—the bestselling climbing film of all time (until Free Solo in 2018)—Mallorca would be forever associated with psicobloc. In the movie, Chris Sharma had this to say about his amazing feat: “What makes this climb so difficult is that you’re upside down, you’re hanging on your arms and fingertips the whole time. And on top of that, the wall is absolutely blank for seven feet. You have to actually just kind of leap through the air and stick another hold.” It took Sharma nearly one hundred tries to ascend the arch.

To say that Es Pontas is not for everyone is an understatement; in fact, as of this writing, only one other climber, Slovenian Jernej Kruder, has conquered the arch. But the good news is that for the aspiring DWSer, there are also less challenging—and far less daunting—climbs available. “The holds are comfortable and the routes are creative,” Mike continued. “In September and October—the prime season for climbing, as the rocks are drier—the water is bathtub warm. It seems perfectly designed for climbers. Many of the cliffs have routes that are only twenty or thirty feet above the water, though most are forty to fifty feet high. Any higher and you’d be horrified! At a place like Cala Barques on Mallorca’s east coast, there are some really low routes, and higher, more difficult routes nearby that you can progress to. [Many of the best DWS spots are on the east side of the island.] The lower cliffs are just as beautiful and dramatic, just not as high up. That being said, you don’t want to go to Mallorca to DWS as a beginner—even some of the world-class climbers who have visited don’t take to the idea of climbing above the water, and people have drowned doing this. [Buoyancy vests are becoming more popular.] But if you have good skills, common sense, and some fellow climbers to help you if you go into the water, it’s an unforgettable experience.”

Not to mention that there’s some first-rate sport climbing on the limestone walls of the island’s interior . . . and world-class paella at the end of the day.

MICHAEL CALL got his start shooting rock climbing films in 1988, when he picked up his dad’s Handycam and filmed what was going on around him. Since that humble beginning, he’s shot, produced, and directed dozens of films and hundreds of shorts, from commercials to feature films, broadcast TV to music videos. Michael’s film work includes Point Break, 127 Hours, Running from Crazy, and From the Ground Up. His television and commercial clients include the National Geographic Channel, NBC, ABC, CBS, BBC, Apple, Ralph Lauren Polo, Adidas, The North Face, and Black Diamond. Michael is based in Salt Lake City.

If You Go

▶ Getting There: A number of airlines serve Palma de Mallorca from European cities, including Air Europa (800-238-7672; www.aireuropa.com) and Ryanair (+44 8712460002; www.ryanair.com).

▶ Best Time to Visit: Later September and October offer the best rock conditions for aggressive climbers. Those seeking more modest ascents will enjoy the summer months.

▶ Level of Difficulty: Psicobloc aspirants should definitely be more seasoned climbers. Mallorca’s interior crags offers sport climbing for a wide variety of skill levels.

▶ Guides: Several guides will help you explore Mallorca’s DSW and sport climbing opportunities, including Spain: Mallorca (Alan James, Mark Glaister, and Daimon Beail) and Psicobloc Mallorca (Miquel Riera). Rock and Ride Mallorca (www.rockandride-mallorca.com) offers psicobloc instruction.

▶ Accommodations: Portocristo rests near the middle of the eastern coastline. Consell de Mallorca (www.infomallorca.net) lists a variety of lodging options.