The Galatzó loop

A bikepacking weekender in the southern Tramuntana mountains

To kick of the new year I went out on the mountains again for a two day exploration of the southern Tramuntana. A bit unknowingly my route was a big loop around the Puig de Galatzó, one of the higher peaks in that part of the range. As always Mallorca did not disappoint and offered up stunning views, fantastic trails and great hospitality.

Day 1 - The coastal range, Galilea and the Fita del Ram

This ride started of in the city of Palma and right into the coastal mountains towering over the holiday towns. Again I was surprised by the stark contrast of riding on a rocky trail with nobody around viewing down to the coast with its hotels, mansions and yacht harbours - to each his own I guess.

After the first 20 km the route turned inland and into the mountains proper. At this time I noticed that the Puig de Galatzó was more or less always in view. In my opinion the Galatzó is (warning pretentious mountaineering speak coming up) the most aesthetically pleasing peak on the island - and I made a point of taking photos from every angle over the next two days.

The second mayor ascent of the day followed the GR221 hiking trail up to the small village of Galilea and over a pass into the next valley with more stunning views of the peaks around. The paved road through Galilea is very well known among road cyclists but I was not aware about the alternative gravel path I now took through the valley and towards the final big obstacle of the day.

I would be staying the night in the Son Trias refuge in Esporles but first there was still the climb on the unpaved path up to Fita del Ram mountain and the rocky descent into Esporles. The most difficult stretch of the whole day was definitely the top of the Fita del Ram which (at least for my technical skills) was more hiking than riding.

The night at the refuge was quiet with only two other people staying there. Again the refuge system on the island does offer great service for very reasonable prices. For 15 Euro per night you have everything you need and stay in mostly old converted farm houses in super nice locations.

Day 2 - Cases Planicia, Coma d'en vidal and el Toro

This day started early and in the cold with a nice gravel climb out of Esporles. With the sun just coming up over the mountains and the fog still hanging in the valley this time of day has its own beautiful character.

I following a dirt road / path south along the mountain side towards the Cases Planicia - A finca publica. The route itself is perfect if you are willing to ignore the “bikes not allowed” signs along the way. The finca is situated in the middle terasses of old olive trees roamed by sheep and goats. In other words the perfect picturesque mediterranean cliche.

Leaving the finca the route turned up again first for a few kilometers on tarmac and then for another few on very steep dirt up to the pass close to refuge of  Coma d’en Vidal leading into the valley down to es Capdellá. One side of this valley is actual the west face the Galatzó. The descent itself might be great if you are a fearless enduro MTB bro but after almost crashing a few times I took it easy and hike-a-biked down there.

The final part of the loop took me down to the coast again over a peninsula known for a rock formation of the coast called el toro - the bull. This area was a military zone and is therefore full of old military installations taken over by the vegetation. Riding along the trails here does have a bit of a Mad Max vibe to it.

Coming onto tarmac after that last feature again the last 20 km was uneventful but a nice closing to two days of hard but great riding. In total the loop was 145 km long and climbed about 3.600 m. I have been raving about this place many times - I will spare you this time.

As almost always this trip led to new ideas. One would definitely be to take everything I learned in all of the trips in the Tramuntana and try to build a multiday bikepacking route covering the whole mountain range. The second one, after having looked at the mountain from all sides, is to find a climbable route through one of the steeper faces of the Galatzó.

Adventurer: Bengt