Majorca from a different angle

ROCK-CLIMBING kit doesn’t do wonders for your sex appeal. The harness, tight shoes, helmet and pouch of chalk dangling from your waist are even less flattering than the luminous Lycra of a keen cyclist.

Yet, clinging halfway up a sheer rock face, in the heat of the Majorca sun, this is the last thing on my mind. Now all that matters is finding the next minuscule toehold that can be used as a brief platform to hoist myself up. I am breathing hard, legs fluttering against the rock, when my right foot eventually finds a welcome fissure. Finally, it’s done — I’ve clawed the way to the top of my first proper climb.

I couldn’t have picked a better place than Majorca to learn. Forget all you know about sun-starved Britons drinking and roasting themselves red: the island is a climber’s paradise. From grade five rock faces that are ideal for the novice (me) to grade eights that should be tackled only by experts, the variety of climbs is vast. And since you can still drive from one side of the island to the other in less than an hour, it is easy to experience all of them. With the chance of sea views as you dangle from a craggy outcrop and tapas at the end of the day to look forward to, this is the ideal destination for a beginner’s foray into the sport.

But there is also another compelling reason why Majorca is perfect for those who are new to climbing. Perched high in the hills, only half an hour from the capital Palma, is the hotel Scott’s Galilea. It is ten minutes from some of the best climbing on the island, but a world away from your usual grotty climbing hostel. This former artists’ colony consists of three cottages and seven studios, a pool, sauna and a tiered garden set over three levels. The manager, Ben Scott, is a keen climber who is qualified to instruct beginners and offer the experienced advice on climbing sites. It was under his tutelage that I had my weekend crash course.

On Saturday morning, Ben and his climbing partner James took me to S’estret — a leafy old quarry that has been abandoned to leave a wildly overhanging wall considered one of the easiest climbing spots on the island. While James scooted up a patch of rock to thread a rope into the bolts, drilled in to delineate a good climbing route, Ben handed me my harness and instructed me on the basics. “Try to keep as close to the wall as possible so that you distribute your weight equally. That way gravity won’t be acting against you,” he advised.

I wasn’t really listening. The rock face looked unfeasibly steep and my “cats’ shoes” (special trainers for rock climbing) — donned at the last moment because they were so tight — were pinching my toes. But minutes later, my harness was tied by Ben to the rope in a “figure of eight” knot and I was told to get on with it. After the initial wave of panic subsided, climbing up was surprisingly straightforward — it was the coming down that proved more challenging. Ben reassured me that the “grigri” device (used to prevent you from plummeting if you slip) was foolproof and there was no chance of me slipping out of control as he belayed me down. But it still took a leap of faith to lean back at right angles to the rock face and descend by bouncing my feet against it.

My first climb left me trembling, a normal reaction, I was told. “It’s just the strain to your muscles.” By the time we moved along to another stretch of rock and a different route, I was more relaxed, both scrabbling upwards and leaning back to be lowered down. Yet at the end of the day of similar routes at S’estret, I felt exhausted and ready to return to Scott’s, to swaddle myself in the Ralph Lauren sheets and sink into the comfortable bed.

The next day we went to a more challenging spot at Andratx, west of Palma. Getting to the rock face was a climb in itself, but the view was magical: a sweep of sparkling sea, blueish mountains and — if you squinted slightly — the mansion that Claudia Schiffer had just sold. The route up the baked yellow rock looked much harder this time and even Ben struggled as he went up to put the rope in. But thanks to the efforts of the previous day, I was prepared to give it a go.

Despite this, there was a tense moment when I failed to negotiate a tricky overhang of rock. Sweating, with throbbing hands and burning calves, I felt like giving up, but finally managed to haul myself past the obstacle.

It was then that I realised why people get addicted: every climb is a tangible achievement. It felt so good that I even vowed to make a visit to my local climbing wall, although I doubt that an indoor centre in East London will have the same appeal as the sun-soaked rocks of Majorca.

NEED TO KNOW

Getting there: easyJet (0905 8210905; 65p/ minute, www.easyjet.com) flies to Palma from Belfast, Bristol, Newcastle, Stansted, Luton and Gatwick, from £30.98 return.
Getting around: Hire a car from Palma airport through www.easycar.com. Prices start at around £25 a day.
Where to stay: Scott’s Galilea (0871 7174227, www.scottsgalilea.com) costs about £120 a night for a double self-catering studio.
Getting the kit: Foracorda, a good climbing shop in Palma, has English- speaking staff (Carrer Miquel Marques, 20, Palma, 00 34 971 463 004, www.foracorda.com).
Practise before you go: Mile End Climbing Wall (020-8980 0289, www.mileendwall.org.uk), The Castle (020-8211 7000, www.castle-climbing.co.uk), The Edge Climbing Centre (0114-275 8899, www.sheffieldclimbing.com), Glasgow Climbing Centre (0141-427 9550, www.glasgowclimbingcentre.co.uk), Bristol Climbing Centre (0117-941 3489, www.undercover-rock.com).
Further information: British Mountaineering Council (0870 0104878, www.thebmc.co.uk).



MAJORCA, AN ADVENTURE PARADISE
by Malika Rodrigues

Balearic Discovery has adventure trips to the north of Majorca that let you pick a day each of sea kayaking, sailing, diving, mountain biking, trekking or horse-riding. Three days’ B&B is £309, a week £635, including activities, transport from the airport, car hire, but not flights.
Details: Balearic Discovery (0870 2432272, www.balearicdiscovery.com).

Mallorca Muntanya organises hiking packages with an English-speaking guide. Trekkers can select hikes of different fitness levels in the Tramuntana mountains. Group sizes range from eight to 20, and prices start at £144, including local transport and lunches in local restaurants.
Details: Mallorca Muntanya (00 34 649 470497, www.mallorcamuntanya.com).

The annual balloon regatta at Cala Millor is held from October 24-29, with hot-air balloons from around Europe competing. Mallorca Balloons (www.mallorcaballoons.com) has 30-minute or one-hour flights from £103 for adults and £62 for children.

Elysian Holidays has a water-sports package based at Colonia St Jordi. One week in a villa sleeping up to eight costs from £1,290. Boat hire is from £103 a day, and a scuba excursion to the island of Cabrera costs £68pp, plus £205 for boat hire.
Details: Elysian Holidays (01580 766599, www.elysianholidays.co.uk).