Distance: 71.3 miles / 114.7 km
Elevation: 8,061 feet / 2,457 m
Colls: Coll de Femenia (515m); Coll dels Reis (Sa Calobra) (682m)
The climb from the small town of Sa Calobra to the summit of Coll dels Reis is probably the most popular on the island. In my quest to explore as many different roads on the island as possible, I was yet to tackle it. Since yesterday was quite an easy day, I decided that I’d climb the winding road today.
The weather was forecast to be quite cold (for Mallorca) until lunch time, and the clouds in Port de Pollenca were thick and dark. There was a cycling race (The Ciclismo Masters) starting at 4pm, and I wanted to be back in time to see the first stage. This meant setting off early (08:15). Luckily, to even attempt Sa Calobra involves significant climbing, and this kept me relatively warm.
Since all shops were closed in the morning, I raided the supermarket for supplies last night. I settled on three custard filled croissants, which I forced down my gullet before leaving for the day. I was aware that I seemed much slower up every climb I’d attempted on this trip versus previous bests. The croissants were a great tonic for me as I felt good almost straight away. I managed to beat my PB up the Coll de Femenia by almost a minute (35:55) which was very encouraging.
In order to attempt Coll dels Reis, you first have to climb to the summit (682m) from the easier side. Since I already knew the orange juice shack was closed, I had a break in Lluc to recharge my batteries. My food of choice today was a large packet of crisps designed for children, which were shaped like pandas.
After reaching the Coll dels Reis summit, what follows is a winding descent for 9.5km with -7% gradient. This is the famous climb – and after reaching sea level the only way out is to repeat your steps.
Cala Tuent
About 1km before the turnaround point, there is a small detour you can take to Cala Tuent. This road takes you to another tiny village by the sea – like Sa Calobra, but much quieter. I was a bit apprehensive before taking the turn, because in doing so I was committing myself to +~250m climbing. I’m glad I gave it a try as it’s somewhere I haven’t explored on previous trips to Mallorca. The cloud was starting to clear and the views of the village below were stunning.
The village itself was incredibly quiet and I did not see another person nor vehicle. I believe that normally there’s a small café you can eat at should you need to refuel. I cycled down to the beach and noticed the 682m mountain I needed to climb to get out of here. It would take a lot of time and energy to succeed.
After this, I retraced my steps back to the detour point. Whilst this was a fairly significant climb in itself, I made a conscious effort to save my energy for later.
Coll dels Reis
The small village of Sa Calobra is a picturesque coastal resort. There are a couple of café options here but in general I wouldn’t recommend staying for too long. Essentially there’s no way out except to summit Coll dels Reis.
After breaking my personal record up the Coll de Femenia earlier on, I wanted to repeat this. My previous best time up the Coll dels Reis was 62 minutes and 13 seconds, and I set myself a target of less than an hour. My Wahoo told me that I was already 2m13 ahead after 15 minutes of climbing, so I was pretty confident I could manage this.. as long as the panda crisps didn’t let me down. I am happy to say that they worked a treat, and I managed to reach the summit more than 7 minutes better than my previous best.
About 15km from the end, the climbing was taking its toll on my energy levels. Luckily, the remainder of the ride was mostly downhill or flat. I was close to missing the start of the race, so I just made a quick stop for more crisps (cylinder shaped this time). Certainly the sheer volume consumed was starting to compete with my burger eating. They saw me through back to Port de Pollenca, where I managed a beer before racing began.
A most excellent day out – though very challenging!
