Germany + Netherlands + UK + Phantasialand = Mallorca

Mallorca... where to start?

I`m on Mallorca right now (around Porto Cristo, Porto Collom San Millor, Santanyi). The island that is know for beach, party and holiday. Climbers know it more for deepwatersoloing. (climbing over water and if you fail/fall you fall into the refreshing sea)

I always wanted to try that kind of climbing. Pretty easy! Only shoes, chalk, pants and a partner. No rope, no crashpad, no harness, no quickdraws, nothing that stops your flow... but kind of fear and for sure new experience in dealing with height if you`re not at the save end of a rope! Now I`m here with my car, camping close to the cliffs if possible, sleeping with the sound of waves in the background, drinking coffie in the moring at the cliffs, waking up in the sun.

wake up

first view

every morning!

Starting easy to get used to the DWS is possible in Cala Barques. Low cliffs, good landings, many people to watch how not to fall and a lot sun to dry after a try. The blue and well tempered water here is mostly calm even if there`s strong wind on the open sea. Compared to the water in the swiming pool it is really soft and even a fall on the head from 7 meters (yes, I landed on my head from 7 meters, fortunately my head isn`t an important part of my body) isn`t painful!

There are some climber who have problems with the height and the water, that they can`t move without shaking like Elvis just 2 or 3 meters over the water. Luckily I`m not that kind of climber. (I had the felling that I can deal with that.)

Feels great. Just climbing, really pure, relaxing and if you fall you have to enjoy it, get into the entry position for the splashdown. No splits! No belly flops! Don`t fall on your back! Don`t look don`t! SPLASH!

Swim to the surface, breathe, floating a bit on the back carried by the waves, while looking up to the point where it went wrong, already thinking over a new solution for finally topping out at the wall.

After that you swim back to a water exit, sitting in the sun, drying your chalkbag and shoes, talking to other climbers and after some rest you try it again.

That`s deepwatersoling in Cala Barques!

smash it in (crux)

smash it in (crux)

smash it in (crux)

smash it in (crux)

smash it in (crux)

smash it in (crux)

smash it in (crux)

smash it in (crux)

 Other cliffs we`ve been to till now:

Cova del Diablo... nice name! It is different at this cliff. Exposed to the open sea and higher. 18 meters almost everywhere and not so much easy routes. Climbing is steep and powerful. Falling can be bad and getting out of the water is also a bit more demanding than in Cala Barques.

We went here on our 3 day of DWS. Standing at the top: "I won`t jump don`t here!" Caine did it on his first day, but I didn`t dare.... why should I? pretty shure I`ll fall down somewhere from the top, so I don`t have to test it :-)

For almost every line you have to down climb first to get to the start of some routes, a traverse to left or right brings you to other routes. Swmming with a dry-bag is also an option to get to the start, climb up one of 3 ropeladders to reach a rest point to dry again. It`s more work to start climbing. After getting used to the heights here I wanted to try a route which is kind of a dreamroute for me: Loskot and two smoking barrels.

The route starts in the middle of the slightly overhanging wall (Lobster area). First part is easy (around 6b+/6c), followed by a rest and after that 2 harder moves to bring you into the position for a dyno. The dyno isn`t that hard, but the fact that you have to jump 11 or 12 meters over the water and all 4 points cut loose is pretty demanding for your mind. After that you can rest in the dynoholds to get some powerback for the last hard moves at the top.

shortfacts: The first 6 goes I always hit the dynohold but my mind always screamd: "what the fuck? are you crazy? don`t stick that holds!" The hold is good!

my mind hates me!

After some falls from there you get used to the landing and getting wet is quit annoying. So on one moment I stuck it could try the upper part. After 2 falls from the top I could finally top out. Really happy not to fall anymore from there. Perfect line!

here is a little video over the route (I`m not climbing):

Ryan smashing in "Loskot and Two Smoking barrels" 8a+, at Cova del Diablo, Mallorca from Gus Hudgins on Vimeo.

There are plenty of other cliffs for DWS I want to go to (Porto Cristo Novo, Cala Sa Nau, Santanyi, Cala Lombards... ), but the weather isn`t that good.

So the thats why I traveld around a bit visiting nice, little villages at the quite sea... NOT! No romance here! Only party, beach and holiday. It`s like in a big shopping mall, with music in a phantasialand!  Every village or city is the same. No spanish flair!

Even the shops are mainly custom-made for... visitiors from germany, netherlands and the UK.

I`m felling really save here, because even the hospitals, doctors and dentists are specialized on germans... we're different!

german

deutsch

duits

alemàn

allemand

Finding a quiet place is really hard, every street here is used for touristic purpose or is private land that leads to a big luxury villa close to the beach.

Furthermore it is really obvious that they have a problem with the rubbish. Cans, plastic, sodabottles, couches, televisions and so on can be found along the streets that are not part of the tourist route. Trash everywhere and it seems like no one cares. Since the time I arrived it`s just getting more. Only in the cities they take care. In the morning, midday and evening they`re busy with cleaning. I`m wondering if the tourist or the inhabitants produce more, because even on the majority of private land (without a villa) it is hardly to miss that they don`t take care of it.

So we hope for better weather to stay away from there ;)

We`ll check out some more rope climbing on the northern part of the island. Many climbers say it is excellent climbing... and many tourists (yes, there`re also tourists) told me (I`m a tourist too) that the landscape and the surrounding should be fantastic.

Some things to write down:

- If someone falls on his back from 16meters. It hurts, but if he isn`t hurt it is really funny. Still dangerous! Never climb alone on a cliff (a boat to get the person out or to help him not to drown is really helpfull!)

- If you`re to weak to climb up again! Don`t go down! Otherwise some people have to save you!

- Jellyfishes hurt!

- Climbers who swim in the water where jellyfishes swim, can swim pretty fast if they touch the jellyfish!

- While climbing with pants on your butt stays white the whole trip

VAMOS!

CUT 'N' RUN!

to much skin left next stop it will change

Time is over here in Rodellar. No more work for me. Holidays in France and Spain are over and that`s why nobody wants to stay on the campground.
I could earn some money here. The last weeks I had a lot work (a bit more than I wanted. Had no time for climbing and no energie. Everyday from 13:00 till 16:00 and from 19:00 till the bars closed and everything was clean. From 14. August on everyday work till now.)
I could save some money, (even won a dynocompition on the other campground which gave me 200€ for the journey) had a good time here and now it`s clear where I go after Rodellar.

Palomera offers kid of fresh rock and fresh air in the morning

I already got my tickets for Mallorca. I will go there with Caine form the Netherlands. One month on the island. Rope climbing, deepwatersolo, swiming, relax and seeing the island.
I will be on the island in the mediterranea sea from 01.09 around 23:00 till 01.10 till 11:00. If someone wants to join me, let me know!
Already got the guidebook for climbing and deepwatersolo. To be honest it looks amazing. Everyone I talked to told me it`s amazing so I can`t wait to be there.

Big Manu

Of to the ferry!

Quickfacts!

It`s still hot.
Moscas everywhere.
Wouter and Tim came from the Netherlands to climb and to relax.
Matti and Irena went to Portugal. (Hope you enjoy your time there!)
Katinka is back in the Netherlands.

But before we had somemore icecream because Katinka climbed "L'any que ve tambe"! It is her first 7c! Pretty easy and quick! NICE! Nice finishing for her holidays and a good motivation to come back ;)

I`m working more to earn some more money for the further trip, need more sleep and could climb one route I wanted to climb here. "Colliseum". Guidebook says it`s 40 meters, 8a and overhanging. Long route for sure and pumped forearms!
Here is a video of Urko (strong climber with only one leg) climbing it. Inspiring!


Urko Carmona - Coliseum 8a from WWW.DAMECUERDA.COM on Vimeo.


Maybe I will plan the next weeks, because time here is almost over and right now I don`t know where to go. Mallorca for DWS is good idea, but who knows.
Who wants to join? Where shall we go? VAMOS!


Some people asked for an adress:
Martin Classen y Julieta Montoya 
Calle Unica Rodellar 50 
codigo postal 22144 Bierge Apart Hotel Valle de Rodella

Katinka on "pince sans rire"

in yellow

restdays in bierge

restdays

wouter climbing an unkown 7a

I C U

rock wrestling

me, katinka, wouter, irena and tim

Next post... Inglès por favor!

This time in english  (even if it is bad, but my german is also not that good, so there is almost no difference)
I asked Katinka to write a bit on my blog, to get an other point of view, by someone who is here too.
First her impressions:

Spanish climbing routine, international socializing and lots of (n)ice cream
The other day Martin asked me if I´d like to write part of his blog, so that’s why it is written in  English and from my point of view.

So, we arrived in Rodellar (Spain) about three weeks ago and to me it feels as if we’ve been here way longer. We totally got into ‘some kind’ of Spanish routine. Some kind, in that we just took over some good Spanish climbing habits and left out the bad ones. This means we rest a lot more than we are used to between different attempts in a route, we eat a lot of fresh fruit and we encourage everyone by shouting: “venga bicho” and “ a muerte”. We furthermore learned how to sleep our way through a rest day. Not that we really have another option… because there is nothing else to do. And we are usually so tired from climbing that we don’t want to move at all. Climbing in Rodellar namely means full body climbing, with guaranteed sore muscles the next (few) day(s). However, we differ from real Spanish climbers in that we usually arrive at the crag around 11 o’clock (instead of 7 in the evening) and that we walk from campsite "El Puente" (2 km walk. First up hill to get to Rodellar and than down to get to the rocks) to get there (okay, I have to be honest, last week we didn’t have to walk because we could drive along with other people). We furthermore differ in that we not smoke after every try in a route (men, all Spanish seem to smoke) and that our basic level is not 8c (yes, a lot of really strong climbers over here).
Because Martin is working as a waiter in the restaurant of El Puente (it is funny to see a fat German walking around with a blue apron and a tray :P) every evening, I usually spend my evenings socializing with different people I meet at the crag or on the campground. In the first week I met a nice couple from England, Nick (still wonder what a alpinist/tradclimber is looking for in Rodellar. ( nicks page) and Katy. I´ve furthermore spend some evenings climbing with Kate, a nice chick from Australia. And when I´m in to pancakes with Nutella (we actually ate more than  pancakes) I visit Rachel, Tom and Matt on the Mascun campground. Where I was kind of scared I may be bored in the evenings, I’m actually having not enough time to hang around with everyone. Rodellar furthermore seems to be the place for ‘professional’ travelers in that a lot of people are just traveling and climbing. They work a few weeks/months a year and  the rest of the time they are just climbing. It is really interesting to hear how they spend their time and I think I start to belief that it is somehow possible to just “leave” everything behind and climb (which doesn’t mean I’m explicitly interested in doing so).
For my climbing level it has been a really good trip so far. We ate lots of (n)ice cream (a new term we learned from Alberto, a Venezuelan co-worker of Martin and climbing buddy if Martin has to work), which means that different personal records are killed by both Martin and me. However, in the next two weeks it will be difficult to earn (n)ice cream, because Martin has to climb 8b than or I have to climb 7c. But, we will see ! So far, I’ll finish by saying that I always said I (only) like small crimps, but here I actually fell in love with tufas. No more crimpy routes for me, just big holds and crazy tufas!

My impressions:
Gidistyle
(thats how spanish climbers use to call other europeans climbers here.Iit is easy to see who is a gidi:
1: climbing in the sun during the heat.
2: those peolpe climb mainly in the sun at midday
3: any other haircolor as black is called blond anyway
4: look like a loobster because they are burnt

3 weeks ago, we arrived in Rodellar. Shorts, shirts or no shirts. Doesn`t matter. It is hot from the first day on. When we left germany or/and netherlands it was cold and wet, but from all the posts on social media pages we know that is hot right now. I don`t think it is bad. At least no snow or rain!
The first week we got used to the heat. Every evening a litte thunderstorm helps a lot. Against the heat, the sweat, flies and makes it a lot easier to sleep at night. Eventough the nights are cool and the temperature is almost perfect for good sleeps after a day in the heat.

The days in the crags a hard for us. Getting up between 8 or 9 to climb during colder conditions. Wake up, breakfast, wash und grab our climbing stuff, run up to Rodellar (20 minutes) from there down again to the climbing areas. 40 minutes later... it is possible to climb!

The climbing here is mostly long, steep, powerful and makes you feel weak. 3 or 4 good attempts with this heat and you `re done for the day. Getting used to the climbing is easy for us in a way.
I don`t like small holds. I`m fat anyway (heavy) and I like powerful climbing in overhangs.
For Katinka it is almost the same.... almost! She likes small holds. Is kind of heavy (not really but tall and that makes you heavy. I hope she will understand it) and she likes climbing kind of faces or slab. Rodellarstyle... NOT!
But it is okay. She is starting to like it.

Every evening we`re wasted and we WANT to go for a swim or sleep to recover, but it is different. After climbing Katinkas hangs out with some friends (there are a lot of new friends) or is doing other social things and I`m doing my best in the restaurant as a waiter. French, spanish, dutch, german, english... it is a mess. Switching to different languages and not knowing the food I`ve to serve, but in works for me. Between 12 and 1 I go to bed and sleep. Next morning getting up early and climbing again. It will be hard to climb like this for some month, but we`ll see.

We`re never alone in the crack. Everyday you meet new climbers to climb with and talk to. Or we go climbing with some climbers that work here on the campground. But there is a problem climbing with many climbers here:
Everytime we climb a new personal record, something that never happend before we have to treat icecream to the climbers we are climbing with. We like to call it nicecream now and we already had some nicecream. Katinka is crushing. First day she onsighted her first 7a+. Two weeks later she onsighted her first 7b. One week ago she climbed her first 7b+ (till today she climbed 2 more!)
I onsighted my first 7c+.
Nicecream all the time and everywhere. Could be a reason why we`re not loosing weight, which is quiet normal on climbing trips. Now it will be hard to earn some more nicecream. Katinka wants to climb a 7c and I want to climb a 8b. In both cases hard, but we`re going for it and enjoying the days here!

another post will follow just with pictures!

España

Que pasa?

Nicht viel

Wie war die Reise?

Gut angekommen, gut gefahren, aber lang.

Was ist denn jetzt in Spanien los?

Viele nette Menschen.

Was mach ich jetzt hier?

Steh aufm Camping.

http://www.campingelpuente.com/es/ 

Bin ich nur faul?

Fast.... Ich arbeite auch... im Restaurante vom Camping... als Kellner/Ober... Chrashkurs Spanisch! Hätte ich echt nicht erwartet, aber es klappt irgendwie... notfalls mit Händen und Füssen und Englisch/Deutsch/Niederländisch wenn nötig. Falls es in Spanien weiter bergab geht, dann wisst ihr auch wer es Schuld ist. ;)

Ausserdem habe ich per Zufall erfahren, dass man hier ganz toll klettern kann! Das mach ich dann auch, wenn ich Zeit habe und zwar viel!

Ist alles sehr lang und überhängend (oh... wie kann das?) Ist echt schwer zu entscheiden wo man am nächsten Tag hingeht, wiel es so viel ist und man eigentlich gut überlegen sollte wohin man geht, weil alles weit auseinander ist.

Wie ist das Wetter?

Morgens heiss und sonnig, abends dann immer ein kurzes Gewitter und Regen. Passt eigentlich sehr gut, weil man kriegt es dann nicht zu heiss und kann perfekt schlafen gehen.

 

And next?

Ich hab keine Ahnung!

VAMOS! Studium fertig, ab nach Spanien!

Was soll ich sagen?
Es ist Juli! Man glaubt es kaum, aber im Juni konnte ich meine Abschlussarbeit einreichen. 2 Wochen später sogar das "BESTANDEN!" zu hören bekommen! Mit 8 von 10 Punkten. Noch an der Abschlusspräsentation was machen und Ende Juni die Präsentation geben. Fertig! Zum Abschluss sogar noch zu hören bekommen, dass die Abschlussarbeit das beste Projket 2013 war. War der Stress es doch wert :-)
Studium abgeschlossen!

Jetzt bin ich Physio und darf arbeiten... in Spanien... aufm Campingplatz... aber nicht als Physio ;-)

Letzten Sommer bin ich schonmal in Spanien gewesen und fand es eigentlich sehr schön dort.
Für mich war es eigentlich immer klar etwas zu reisen nach meinem Studium, weil es vorm Studium nicht geklappt hat, weil man ja irgendwie das Studium bezahlen muss und da Geld noch nicht wie Laub im Herbst von den Bäumen fällt, muss man halt fleissig sein und es sich verdienen.

Jetzt hab ich Zeit, etwas Geld und die Möglichkeit etwas zu reisen.
Ab dem 1ten Jul ihab ich keine Wohnung mehr in Aachen und werd noch etwas arbeiten und hier und danoch Dinge regeln müssen und am 8ten, 9ten oder 10ten Juli geht es auf nach Spanien. Auf nach Rodellar um dort etwas Geld zu verdienen und im Herbst noch etwas das Land zu begutachten. Mehr weiss ich noch nicht und den Rest werde ich da sehen.
Was mach ich da? Arbeiten aufm Campingplatz, weitere Sachen lernen für die Physiotherapie, Spanisch lernen, Sonne geniessen und viel klettern. Meiner Meinung nach ne gute Wahl.

Wetten ich hab mehr Sonne als ihr in Deutschland :-D

RUHRTAL

Noch ein weiterer Gebietsvorschlag, den man sicherlich gerne an heissen und trockenen Tagen im "Sommer", aber auch an kalten und nassen Tagen im Frühling, Sommer, Herbst und Winter mit in die Wochenendplanung nehmen kann.

Das Ruhrtal:

Das Ruhrtal zwischen Essen und Hagen ist schon etwas Besonderes! An den Hängen der Ruhr gibt nahezu unendlich viele kleinere und größere Steinbrüche (teilweise auch natürliche Felsen) aus Ruhrsandstein, der durchaus vergleichbar mit dem englichen Grit ist, wenn auch die Felsen erheblich kleiner und weniger imposant sind.

Die liebevoll bereiteten Spots, werden über Wochen von Daniel Pohl, planiert, gereinigt und somit optimal bekletterbar gemacht. Lose Steine gibt es so gut wie keine, Terassen für ein sicheres Absprunggelände findet man eigenlich überall und das ist relatiever Abgelegenheit, ohne eigenlich das Gefühl zu haben, dass man irgendwo im Ruhrgebiet ist.

Es gibt wie schon gesagt zahlreiche kleine Gebiet, aber natürlich geibt es auch Gebiete, die sich aus der Menge hervorheben, wiel es dort viele und vorallem auch schöne Boulder gibt.
Nangijala, Hängende Gärten, Nangilima und Avalonia sind nur ein Teil davon. Ich kann nicht über jedes Gebiet etwas sagen, dazu müsste ich dann schon etwas länger ausholen um euch dazu gut zu informieren, aber fest steht schonmal, dass ein grossen Dank für die jahrelange Arbeit um die kleinen Spots so gut erreichbar wie auch bekletterbar zu machen  geht an Daniel Pohl.

Infos über die ganzen Gebiete findet ihr hier:

www.stonevibes.de

Topos:

Die Topos gibt es eigentlich vor Ort von Daniel. Von ihm könnt ihr eigentlich auch für jeden Boulder den ein oder anderen Tipp kriegen, wenn es mal nicht ganz so klappt :)

Verhalten:

Gerade in diesem Gebiet ist es nochmal wichtig an zu merken, dass ihr euch bitte absolut "umwelt und waldfreundlich" verhaltet. Ich hoffe mehr muss dazu nicht gesagt werden. Das Gebiet wird von einem Förster kontrolliert und wenn er was zu beanstanden hat, dann kann er es schliessen wenn er will.

Es gibt dort eine Toilette, benutzt sie, wenn ihr müsst.
Reinigt die Griffe nach dem Bouldern.
Nehmt euren und notfalls auch anderne Müll, den irgendwer vergessen hat, mit aus dem Gebiet.
Denk über euer Handeln nach!
Eröffnet keine neuen Boulder an bewachsenen Blöcke.

Zugang:

Durch die vielen Gebiete ist es hier schwer zu beschreiben wie es zu jedem Gebiet geht. Für den Anfang ist es sicher gut und einfach zum Gebiet Avalonia zu gehen.
Sehr einfach zu erreichen:
Herdecke, Wetterstrasse 122 (laut meinem Navi) an der Bushaltestelle "Zillertal". Parken auf dem Parkplatz, dann gut 200m zurück in Richtung Herdecke gehen und gegenüber des "Cuno-forums" den Hang rauf und folgen. An der ersten Gabelung nach rechts geht es zur Katla-Cave, wenn ihr etwas weiter lauft und dann nach rechts kommt ihr zu den weiteren Gebieten!

Videos:
Hier ein paar Videos von einigen lohnenswerten Bouldern:

Avalonia: Black smoke, white wings (7b+) from dm climbr on Vimeo.

Avalonia: Pinocchio (5a) from dm climbr on Vimeo.

Avalonia: Orange Mecanique from Nrw en Bloc on Vimeo.

Flohwalzer from stonevibes on Vimeo.

Elfenbeinturm from stonevibes on Vimeo.

Cloe by Michael from stonevibes on Vimeo.

Spring sessions: Avalonia (HD) from Sander Wenderich on Vimeo.

Avalonia: Mesa Verde (7a) from dm climbr on Vimeo.

krabat from stonevibes on Vimeo.
Gestern konnt eich selber noch einen Erstbegehung machen. Sehr atletischer Boulder mit einem sehr coolen Dyno an zwei Griffe um die Dachkante! Probieren :)
Origin of Symmetry from Martin Classen on Vimeo.


So hoffen wir auf den Sommer, aber sollte es regnen, dann findet ihr hier den ein oder anderen trockenen Boulder!