Seasonality of rockclimbing in Mallorca
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Geographically, the island of Mallorca (39°N) is located slightly south of the same well known Crimean peninsula (45°N) and has very similar climatic conditions. However, Mallorca has some local peculiarities of the seasons that should be taken into account when planning the trip to this wonderful island.
In general, the climate on the island is quite mild, not subject to extreme fluctuations and cataclysms throughout the year. For example, snow cover for Mallorca in winter is an extremely rare and atypical phenomenon, unless the peaks of the Sierra Tramontana can be covered with white caps after a charge of winter bad weather.
Of the four seasons, three are definitely suitable for rockclimbing. Autumn is considered to be the best season, mainly because autumn - that is warm sea, an abundance of fruits, lower tourist activity than in summer season, consequently - lower prices. The sea bathing season continues in Mallorca until late October, the water temperature does not drop below 20°C.
However, at the same time, autumn is a relatively rainy season. This does not mean continuous and heavy rains - this does not happen in Mallorca in principle. In any season, a large number of sunny and clear days dominate. But in autumn, with a general drop in temperature relative to the summer levels, regular formation of the cyclones and thunderstorm fronts is a quite a normal phenomenon for Mallorca.
The temperature range in autumn is very comfortable for rockclimbing and other outdoor sports - at night the temperature does not drop blow 16°C-18°C, the daytime temperature averages around 25°C - you must agree, these are just ideal conditions for any outdoor activity, not only for climbing the rocks.
The location of the climbing sectors in Mallorca allows you to choose routes that are located in the shade most of the time - a life hack in case of a particularly active sun. But in general, this problem rarely occurs in autumn - the autumn sun in Mallorca is soft and comfortable in its intensity, the “feeling of a frying pan” does not occur even when climbing in direct sunlight.
The traffic in the rockclimbing sectors in Mallorca during the autumn season is average. There are significantly fewer quantities of the rockclimbers than in spring, mainly due to the fact that the autumn season is more extended in time, it lasts about two months and does not have any significant peaks of tourist activity, as, say, in spring in May.
With all the popularity of the autumn season for rockclimbing in Mallorca, nevertheless, the peak of time in this type of outdoor activity occurs in the spring. I must say that in general, my passion for Mallorca began precisely with the spring May trips - for someone it is like socialist slogan "Peace-Work-May", but for me - May it is exclusively rockclimbing on the island of Mallorca!
The spring season in Mallorca has its pros and cons. Of the pluses - of course, this is a riot of colors and the dazzling brightness of the Mediterranean spring. Consistently good, sunny weather, fresh sea air, dry warm rocks. Of the minuses - the official tourist season in Mallorca already begins in May - this means a fairly large number of people everywhere, high infrastructure load, and higher prices.
During the spring season, peak phases of tourist activity are observed in the first two weeks of May, during the general official holidays, a large number of tourists from almost all over Europe come to Mallorca. This does not create any serious problems - there is enough space for everyone. But the general background is very different from other seasons in Mallorca because of the crowdedness of the island.
The weather during the spring season, as a rule, pleases with an abundance of sunny days and high solar activity - the May sun is sharp and angry, the use of protective creams is mandatory. The rains in May come to Mallorca only occasionally, in the form of short-term heavy showers and thunderstorms.
Due to the high intensity of the sun, all the effects of any rain pass faster than you have time to get to the climbing sector - the rocks dry up almost instantly. The air temperature in Mallorca during the spring season is in very comfortable ranges from + 20°C at night to + 30°C during the day, but the activity of the sun is much higher than at the similar temperatures in autumn.
There is almost nothing to say about the summer season in Mallorca. This is a period when rockclimbing opportunities are extremely limited due to the heat. Summer in Mallorca is a relaxed period for family holidays, without any encroachments towards the extreme sports.
The only form of the rockclimbing available in Mallorca during the summer season is DWS - deep water solo - a phenomenon very typical for Mallorca, but at the same time a very exotic form of the rockclimbing. Taking DWS into account when scheduling your regular rockclimbing is quite a risky thing, I have never considered this type of rockclimbing as a training direction. You can have fun, but there is not much practical benefit from this kind of climbing activity (in my opinion).
Although, traditionally, Mallorca is considered to be one of the most popular places in Europe for the lovers of this extreme form of rockclimbing. I even have a special guidebook in my collection with descriptions of more than hundred DWS routes in Mallorca, but we only used it a couple of times.
Finally, it is necessary to say a few words about the longest season in Mallorca - the winter season. This is the longest climatic period on the island, lasting from November to April. At this time, Mallorca is covered with winter calmness. This is the lowest, one might say “dead” tourist season on the island - the weather conditions do not correspond to the general idea of a comfortable beach holiday, for which the majority of tourists go to Mallorca.
But for the rockclimbing, Mallorca's winter season is the perfect time with the unlimited possibilities. The fact is that the Mediterranean winter has consistently dry and warm weather. The amount of precipitation and rainy days during the winter season in Mallorca is several times less than in the spring or autumn.
Due to the absence of the sudden temperature changes, the formation of rain clouds and storm fronts is extremely low. Average temperatures range from +10°C to +20°C, the water temperature is usually around +16°C.
The conditions are more than comfortable for practicing of any kind of sports, but at the same time these conditions are "Spartan" for beach tourists. Climbing rocks in such weather is a pleasure. Solar sectors do not bother with heat - the sun is warm and very “soft” in winter, the shadow sectors are cool but not cold, also very comfortable for climbing.
During the winter season in Mallorca, the load to the tourist infrastructure is minimal, respectively, this is the period of the lowest prices in Mallorca. During the winter season, there is no traffic on the rockclimbing routes - occasionally you can meet people climbing, but in general, all the sectors, even the most popular and crowded in spring or autumn, are free of people.
The author of the text and photos - Alex Trubachev
Your rockclimbing and hiking guide for Spain and Mallorca
MCS EDIT 2023