Mallorca Adventure Guide

Multipitch: Via Directa des Pilar on El Paredon / Puig Major

Bengt

Mar 19, 2024 • 4 min read

Quick info

A straight and proud line on the right and side of the Paredon wall that goes right to the top.
Never really easy and with some distinct crux pitches. Less sustained than La Comon but harder than Socuellamos.
Long mildly technical scrambling descend or steeper scramble and walk off descend.
Partly equipped route. Mix of new and old bolts that need to be amended with mobile protection. No bolts on the final pitches. Some of the belays need to be reinforced with Cams.
8 pitches / 285 meters.
6a or 6b+ / 5b / 5c / 6a / 5b / 5c / 5a / 5b

General

See the article on the Via La Comon for a general description of the area.

The Directa des Pilar takes a straight line up the main pillar on the right hand side of the wall and finds a fairly moderate way through the steep yellow middle mid height part of the wall.

Steep climbing most of the way. The middle picture shows the crux corner on pitch 4.

Logistics

Same as for Agulla de Frare which is right next to the Paredon wall.

Approach and descent

Same as for Via La Comon.

A party getting ready to start the climb.

Technical information

Eight pitches (up to 45 meters) with 285 meters of climbing
Full belays are far and few between on this route. However with new bolts have been put in quite recently and it is possible to build belays at many points by backing up a bolt with a cam or two. The separation in 8 pitches listed below is just one example of how to organize the belays.
Gear: Double ropes (min 60 meters) or single rope. A set of small and medium cams to the protection (Camelot 0.25 to 3 with possible doubles of number 1 and 2).
Rappelling the route without doubles of at least 60 meters is impossible with only the full belays.
The rock quality is mostly very good (especially on the steeper pitches). Beware of loose rocks on ledges and at belays.
With a south-east aspect the wall is sunny the whole day.

Climbing and pitches

The route starts by a small pillar glued onto the big slab on the right hand side of the wall (to the right of the deep cut separating the bottom part of the face).

In general the route follows a straight line to the top of the wall with only slight deviations to catch features and to avoid the very hardest bits.

Good placements for cams all the way up.

The scar marking the start of the final pitch.

The rock is very solid all along the way except the very beginning of pitch 1 and some parts of pitches 7 and 8.

Pitch	Grade	Length	Description
1	6a or 6b+	45	Start to the right hand of the small glued on pillar and climb to the top of it (beware of loose rock). From here follow the line of bolts directly above (fairly sustained and technical). At the hardest portion of the pitch (about 2/3s up) you can move out to the right and use older bolts to bring down the difficulty from 6b+ to 6a. After about 40m the bolts more to the right. Before turning left again build a belay.
2	5b	30	Follow the bolts with a tendency to the left and then straight up to a solid new bolted belay with chains. This pitch has one quite reachy move and might be harder for shorter climbers.
3	5c	35	Start straight up towards a steeper wall. Climb this wall and then move to the right towards a steep corner. Downclimb into the corner and build a belay including one of the good bolts.
4	6a	30	Steeply up the yellow corner and onto a big block with some difficult moves. A good bolted belay with chains right after that.
5	5b	30	Climb the slightly broken and vegetated canal and then with a tendency to the right to an older two bolt belay. Note that the last bolt of the pitch is slightly higher and to the left of the belay itself.
6	5c	45	Steeply and slightly to the left through an open corner then move to the right into another corner. Halfway up the second corner move onto the right hand face (exciting moves) and then straight up to a bolted belay (right under a step and then water washed rock).
7	5a	30	Climb the step and weave your way up the water washed rock until you reach a yellow scar with debris under it. A single bolt and small crack below for the belay.
8	5b	40	Up and right via a crack and then unto the face right of the scar. Through dirty and vegetated rock onto easier ground. Clip and hold belay and make your way to the left on towards the summit blocks. Cracks for a Cam belay right under the summit. Note that the bolts to the right of the scar seem to be from a time before the rock here broke off.

Move slightly to the left and over summit blocks to top.