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Go Back   Pollensa Forum > ONCE YOU'RE THERE > Walking, Cycling, Golf, Sports

Walking, Cycling, Golf, Sports A favourite with visitors to Pollensa.

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  #1  
Old 13-10-2014, 06:07
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Default Torrent de Pareis

Hi fellow forum members!

I've been keeping an eye on rainfall on the island over the past few weeks, as I'd like to do the Torrent de Pareis "gorge" hike within the next two weeks.

I've found a website that details the daily rainfall in the region (Escorca) and there has been no rain now for 10 days. However, just prior to this there was loads!!

I was wondering if anyone has visited Sa Calobra recently. This is the bottom end of the route and also where most of the water lies in the large pool. Has anyone witnessed this recently?

I'd be doing the hike from the top down, but I need to establish what the state of the bottom is before beginning. I don't mind getting my feet wet but I don't want to have to swim it Realistically it's unlikely to be possible to do this and remain dry/safe, as I understand that the rule of thumb is that there has to have been no rainfall during the previous 3 weeks.

Please let me know if you happen to be at Sa Calobra or attempt the gorge walk itself over the next 10 or 11 days.

Cheers,

Steve.
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  #2  
Old 15-10-2014, 17:24
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If you ask the staff at the Refugi Pont Romà they will let you know the conditions. Ask on Facebook? They post beautiful photos of the area everyday!
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Old 16-10-2014, 08:06
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Cheers Roig Cat!

Escorca received over 10mms of rain 2 days ago, I'm pretty sure that's enough to rule it out for a couple of weeks considering what fell 2 weeks ago too.

I did "have a win" yesterday though, finally managed to find the "window" in the Cavall Bernat, the mountain range between PP and Cala San Vicente, here's a pic of my nephew in it:



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Last edited by Brisbane; 16-10-2014 at 08:11.
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Old 16-10-2014, 09:16
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That's some achievement, well done.
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Old 16-10-2014, 09:16
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Great that you're back in PP Brisbane - so we can look forward to more fantastic photos of places which are out of reach to most of us! I've seen the 'window' many times when we have been on a boat trip so its great to see it from the other side, so to speak. Looking forward to your Sa Calobra photos when you get to do that one.
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Old 16-10-2014, 16:10
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Rosie34 View Post
Great that you're back in PP Brisbane - so we can look forward to more fantastic photos of places which are out of reach to most of us! I've seen the 'window' many times when we have been on a boat trip so its great to see it from the other side, so to speak. Looking forward to your Sa Calobra photos when you get to do that one.
Hi Rosie34, I'm only here for 2 weeks this time round and I don't think the Torrent de Pareis will be do-able due to the water filled pools at the Sa Calobra end... It's got to be about the only place on the island that I haven't walked! We had lunch today at the sanctuary up Puig Maria at the old town of Pollensa, and are about to head out walking again - on the Ruta del Tapeo
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Old 16-10-2014, 17:15
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Originally Posted by Brisbane View Post
We had lunch today at the sanctuary up Puig Maria at the old town of Pollensa, and are about to head out walking again - on the Ruta del Tapeo
Do tell us about lunch up the Puig de Maria - I'm quite keen to try that when we next walk up. Enjoy the Tapas!
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  #8  
Old 17-10-2014, 09:02
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Hi pollensa.

The lunch wasn't bad, but we didn't really test out the menu much. There were four of us (plus an eight year old who just shared) and we ordered lentil soup and chips for three and chicken and chips for me. Unfortunately nobody else in our group was up for paella or fish rice soup, which required a minimum of two persons, otherwise this would have been what I would have gone for.

The soup was very good, definitely 'home made', and LOTs of it. The chicken was poor, to be honest. However everything on the menu was very cheap, especially considering they have to use a "mechanical donkey" to get the stuff up there! Clearly there's no profit to be made as such, presumably the takings go into the fund to maintain the place.

Chicken and chips - 7.50 euros. Lentil soup - 5.10 euros. The paella and fish rice soup was less than 8 euros and there was pork chops (I think) and one or two other things on the menu. They had the soup ready, and this was pointed out as soon as I asked where we were to order, but I was told we had to wait 45 minutes for the chicken, and presumably everything else. We wondered around and returned to the dining area less than 40 minutes later, but clearly it didn't take as long as was said as the chips were almost cold!

No one else ate during the hour and a half that we were there, it makes you wonder why they even bother... There's no service on a Monday and the lunch opening times are from 1 to 3. I thought it would be more of an authentic experience than it was, to be honest.

If I've missed any info out let me know. Perhaps my head's not as clear as it should be en este momento - we did 8 bars on the Ruta del Tapeo last night then went to Mulligan's to see off Elvis for the season I made sure we got photos of all the dishes on the Ruta so I'll post these later.

¡Abrazos!

Steve.
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  #9  
Old 24-10-2014, 13:21
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Default Job done!

The Torrent de Pareis is dry as a bone so myself and my nephew (he's the one in the pics) did this yesterday.

We did it from the top down, Escorca to Sa Calobra, a descent of around 650 metres, but there is a fair amount of scrambling over large rocks to be done. Way-finding is easy, you can find route details on the web, or in various books - we had the sunflower book, but you don't really need a book at all, perhaps with the exception of the initial part.

All you really need to know is that you start at the sign, shown below, opposite the restaurant at Escorca, a few kms west of Lluc, go through the gap between the sign and the wall to the left, then immediately go through a gate. Carry on along a level stretch with a wall to the left for about 5 minutes, then continue through a gap in a wall (where there used to be a gate, mentioned in the books). It's level for another 5 minutes or so then the descent begins - just follow cairns. This takes you down into the first torrent (de Lluc), where you veer left and just keep going until you get to Sa Calobra, the second torrent (de Gorg Blau) joins on the left around 30 minutes later - then you are in the "Torrent de Pareis" proper.

There's lots of cairns, painted waymarkers and arrows - there's even a couple of official signs! Spend plenty time looking for these way-markers. There are various options for manouvring over and around LARGE rocks but the way-marked routes are the ones to follow. We went wrong on a few occasions and had to backtrack as we didn't fancy the 3 or 4 metre drops we came to. There are 3 or 4 parts where the official route takes you out of the torrent itself briefly, there's only one part where it's not possible to do it without the "detour", due to sheer drops.

It's not difficult, there were kids around 10 or 11 doing it, but you need to have a reasonable fitness level. The most tasking element is the slippiness of the rocks, it's almost as if they've been polished! It took us 4.5 hours, we got dropped off at the top and picked up at Sa Calobra, but there is a bus back to Puerto Pollensa from Sa Calobra at 3p.m. in the summer months only, it stops running a week from now.

Just to reitterate, this is dangerous to do if there is water in the pools due to recent rainfall. It shouldn't be attempted if there is a chance of rain falling whilst in the torrents/gorges. There are websites that give daily precipitation details for Escorca, it needs to have been pretty much bone dry, in terms of rainfall, for a minimum of a week or two before it's likely that you'll stay dry. The rocks were slippy enough dry, I can't imagine what it would be like wet

Enjoy the pics!









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Last edited by Brisbane; 24-10-2014 at 15:42.
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  #10  
Old 24-10-2014, 14:23
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You can now say you've walked all over the island! Well done.
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  #11  
Old 24-10-2014, 14:38
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Excellent post Brisbane, thanks for taking the time to do it .
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  #12  
Old 24-10-2014, 14:40
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Yeah!! There's more, these ones are from after the decent into the torrent. Most of the 650 metre descent has already been done but it's still hard going in the torrents:









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Last edited by Brisbane; 24-10-2014 at 15:30.
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Old 24-10-2014, 14:45
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Old 24-10-2014, 14:48
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Old 24-10-2014, 14:53
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Thanks Brisbane for yet more breathtaking photos
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