In Episode 9, I wrote that the hike from Son Amer to Tossals Verds was “the greatest most challenging most fun day of hiking for me in this life to date” and it was, that is until today’s hike from Tossals Verds to Soller. Although, today turned out to be more of an introduction to mountaineering than any hiking I’d ever done.
Fernando had described 2 options, the
first follows GR 221 (Gran Recorrido 221) which takes you on a mostly shaded and flat path around the Puig-des Tossal Verds to the Font de Noguer and the “variant” which takes you up and through a mountain pass to the Font de Noguer.
After the hike from Son Omer, I was all set to go with the less challenging GR 221 until I learned that it is a few kilometers longer and requires you to retrace your steps for several kilometers back towards Son Omer. “Retracing” like “retreating” is characteralogically difficult for me.
On the other hand, the “variant” requires you to go through the “Pas Llis” where you have to hold to a chain affixed horizontally to the mountainside and make your way along a cliff edge 15 meters or so until you come to another chain affixed vertically. At which point you have to switch your grip from the horizontal to the vertical chain, hang over the edge and feel for places to set your feet as you semi-repel 5 or 6 meters to a larger rock ledge below.
I don’t really like that sort of thing and was pretty well decided to go with the more pedestrian GR 221 and told Fernando so.
But then we met our roommate Soren from Denmark with the nice maps. Soren had done the variant in the opposite direction coming from Soller several years before, said it wasn’t so bad, that it would actually be easier from our direction, simple really, and that he would be taking that route in the morning.
Fernando said I’d be fine, that the hike up to the mountain pass was wonderful, that at the top there was a magnificent ancient stone wall that I would love, that the views were spectacular. He repeated that I’d be fine and said that he would carry our backpacks past the Pas Llis, return and step with me through the whole thing.
So on the way up to our room, after one too many Herbs de Mallorca, I thought YOLO and gave Fernando the thumbs up on the variant.
I hardly slept a wink, not because of concerns over the Pas Llis, I had been assured by the Herbs de Mallorca that the Pas Llis would be fine.
Rather because the room was stifling hot, a single window, not a hint of breeze, the frolic of the French ultramarathoners until 1:00 AM and the snoring of my roommates at times in unison, more often unsynchronized. And then the horrific non stop sounds of either “ranas” or “sapos”, Fernando couldn’t be certain, which started at 4:30 am.
Nonetheless, at 8:30 am, after a shower, breakfast and coffee we set off on the “variant.”
The guidebook, which I hadn’t read at the time, says the route is “highly recommended because it goes through an area representative of the most solitary and rugged Majorcan mountain range.”
It’s only about 1.5 kilometers to the Pas Llis but it took us over an hour and a half. You’re basically just walking on huge cobblestones zigzagging up and up.
And along the way I kept thinking about the Pas Llis, “¿Está mucho más lejos?” I kept asking Fernando like a boy who had forgotten to go the bathroom before he got in the car.
And then we were on increasingly narrow cobblestone paths zigzagging along the side of the mountain when around a turn I saw the chains of the Pas Llis affixed to the cliff face. I don’t know what expression was on my face but the first thing Fernando said when he looked at me was “Quires volver?” and he asked several times.
Retrace? Retreat? No I didn’t want to go back, those cobblestones were hell although I was wishing we had stuck with the GR 221 but we hadn’t.
So I sat down and watched while Fernando shimmied along the horizontal chain, disappeared while he descended the vertical one, dropped his back pack and then returned a second time for my back pack and a third time for me.
My palms were so sweaty but I had an extra bandanna and dried them as best I could. I took about 20 deep breaths, went face to face with the cliff face, held onto the chain and followed Fernando along.
And then I got my first glimpse of the vertical chain and well, it was, just, oh man, let’s just say I didn’t like it. But it’s only about 4 or 5 meters and Fernando was below me and I was quickly at the bottom.
But by then it was almost noon, we still had to finish zigzagging the cobblestone path along the side of the mountain, head up through the grasslands to the mountain pass, down to Font de Noguer and to and through the Barranc de Biniaraix (Biniaraix Canyon), the sun was now blazing hot and we would soon be above the tree line.
We had at least 4 hours before we would arrive at the next Refugio where thoughts of another miserable night reverberated through my mind. And suddenly I became focused on the coarse thread bare towel I was given at Tosalls Verds and the water which only stays on for about 30 seconds each time you push the button.
So criticize me if you will but my thoughts turned to the Can Alomar, their large plush bath towels and other amenities. I determined that just as soon as we descended below the tree line and I had cell service I would see if they had availability for the night.
Maybe I’d make a change of plans, rather than a last day of hiking, have a last day in Palma instead. “Retreat?” you ask. Sure why not? I guess if I’ve learned anything on my Mallorcan Adventure it’s that a “retreat” can be a good thing.
The rest of the afternoon was everything promised including panoramic breathtaking views and yes isolated and rugged. It was after 4:30 before we were through the Barranc de Biniaraix but by 5:30 I was back at the Can Alomar after a nice nap in the taxi and was happily filling the bath tub with hot water and bath salts.
So three full days of hiking, each one better than the last, “good . . . better . . . best,” was enough for me.
I have a last full day back in Palma tomorrow with not much on the agenda other than souvenir shopping.
Maybe I should go chill at the beach?
