Rock Climbing Mallorca: Ermita de Betlem (Arta)

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
There are three (or maybe four) climbing areas in this crag. The older two are documented in the Rockfax Mallorca guide (Upper and Lower crag). The rock here is a bit chalky and the walls are north facing (e.g. can stay wet after rain).

There is a third one, which is situated on a small west facing wall a bit closer to the walking trail, with some good short and well bolted routes (easy to quite hard). There is a “Via Ferrata” style steel rope installed on top so that you can install top rope without having to lead - very convenient for beginners. The climbs here are on solid and sharp rock.

I have seen descriptions of a “new” fourth wall but I have not found it yet...

Approach
This area has to be approached from the town of Arta via the road leading to the Ermita and not via the town of Betlem (however there is a crag there too).

Just follow the road towards the hermitage after navigating through the narrow streets of Arta until you reach the pass and park here. From there follow the path towards the crag for about 15 minutes. Take care on the road as it is frequented by cyclists (like me).

The good, the bad and the ugly
With three (or four) different walls the climbing is good and varied and being situated right in the middle of the Llevant mountains the views are fantastic.

The whole area is exposed to wind, especially if it is coming in from the North. Combine that with the North aspect of the two main walls it can get pretty chilly here.

More Information
Route Information on theCrag
Route Information on UKClimbing
The area is also described in RockFax Mallorca