A couples ascent of the 70 meter Agulla de Boquer spire

Sport multi pitch climbing in a beautiful coastal valley on Mallorca

The possibilities for great rock climbing on Mallorca are well documented (not least on this very website). The focus is mostly on single pitch sport climbing and deep water soloing, however there are quite a few options for multi pitch sport and trad climbing (as well as bouldering) in the Tramuntana mountains.

Still the Boquer valley nestled between the Serras de Bernat Cavall and Albercutx close to Port de Pollenca is more known for its picturesque and family friendly hike to the beach at the northern end. However the keen eye will quickly notice that there is more going on here. On the north east side there is the jagged line of the Serra de Bernat Cavall that can be traversed for a big day out of scrambling. The valley floor itself is littered with giant rocks that are frequented by locals for bouldering and also feature a few bolted rock climbs. On the opposite side of the valley there are a few free standing rock spires that draw the eye. The most visually striking is the Agulla de Boquer that stands about 70 meters tall and peeks a bit over the Serra de Albercutx.

The Agulla features a number of three pitch climbs leading to the top. Not all are fully bolted and even though it is not the easiest we selected the Direct line because it is fully equipped with expansion bolts and belay stances (the bolts are spaced fairly but not super close).

Getting to the bottom of the climb was a bit tricky as we had to scramble / bushwack our way up from the valley floor (and as far as I can see that's the only option as there is no clear path). Still the whole approach did not take more than half an hour.

Starting to climb it quickly became clear that the first pitch (billed as 5+) would be the hardest and that the very first three moves are the crux (so don't be discouraged - after the first little overhang things ease up). The first pitch is rather short (about 15 meters) and the incline eases for pitch 2 and 3 which are both longer. The second pitch is easy (grade 4) with good holds on the first half and a bit of trust-your-feet slab climbing on the second. The third pitch continues with the slabby style and is a bit harder (grade 4+). The final belay stance is right at the razors edge of the top of the tower.

To get back down you can just rappel the route (three rappels with a 60 meter rope) or maybe rappel over the edge to the other side (however the edge looks sharp).

After rappelling we made our way back to the valley floor for a nice lunch picnic before strolling out of the valley towards Port de Pollenca. The climb itselfs took us about two hours without being rushed at all and the whole activity can be done in a 3.5-4h round trip.

Regarding the whole climbing couples thing: I guess if you are happy to be locked down together and you are also happy to be out on the wall together that´s a very good sign for the future to come.

For more information on this climb take a look at the Mallorca Adventure Guide!

Adventurers: Brigitte and Bengt