Rock Climbing Mallorca: Cas Catala (Palma West)
Tl:Dr: Plenty of easy routes in a unique almost urban setting close to the big city of Palma. However it gets busy quickly. Good for a quick two hour hit and run.
This article is part of a series in which I am reviewing the local climbing spots on Mallorca from my beginner / intermediate climber point of view.
The climbs
Even though the area is straddling the Tramuntana the rock feels like a mix of the sharp Karst you get in the mountains and the yellowish, more rounded stuff at the east coast crags.
The routes are not very long (15-20 meters) and vary in difficulty from easy 4a´s and b to hard 6c and 7a climbs. However 18 of the 33 documents routes range from grade 3 to 5c - making this a good area for beginners.
The belay stances at the bottom of the routes are not great as the whole area is on an incline. The bolts are new and well placed.
Approach
After parking in a residential area you need to first climb a long flight of stairs before hiking for maybe 15 minutes and then scrambling down to the cliff. All in all it takes about 20 minutes to get there.
There is not much space at the foot of the climbs. This is not the best area to hangout - best to get in, get climbing and get out.
The good, the bad and the ugly
The main features are the urban setting (from the top of the cliff you have a good view of part of the city) and the wide selection of easier routes.
As always with more or less south facing areas avoid in the summer months or go early / late.
As the area is close to Palma many people will go here for a quick session in the late afternoon and evening.
More Information
Route Information on theCrag
Route Information on UKClimbing
Route Information on Foracorda.com
PS: I did not take many photos on our last visit to the area but the documentation on Foracorda.com is great.