There was a bit of a commotion this morning at breakfast when a cheeky Pine Martin broke into the kitchen!
He didn’t seem that bothered about me, so must be a regular visitor, but it was nice to see one so close up.
Today is a step up from the previous two in terms of distance and with nearly 1000m of height gain required to get up and over the highest Col in Mallorca and down the other side to the Monastery in Lluc. This is the hut we stayed in last night and the distant views.
For once I was happy for it to be overcast as it kept the temperature down and much better for trekking uphill in. We actually set out in light rain (less ideal), but quite cooling. Not enough to both with waterproof jackets though.
A steady up hill through the forest, then up on to the open mountainside, got us to the ‘Col du Prat’. Here we could see the sea on both sides of the island and also some very threatening black clouds, which thankfully only dropped a few drops of rain on us.
From the Col, we had to drop and then climb a further 100m of altitude to access the correct valley from our high point of just over 1200m.
A small path soon turned into a well laid track that dropped height quickly via multiple switch backs.
As we entered the forest, we could see the roof of the Lluc Monastery on the far distance. All we had to do was transport ourselves there, which we eventually did, arriving at around 5pm.
Today is a step up from the previous two in terms of distance and with nearly 1000m of height gain required to get up and over the highest Col in Mallorca and down the other side to the Monastery in Lluc. This is the hut we stayed in last night and the distant views.
For once I was happy for it to be overcast as it kept the temperature down and much better for trekking uphill in. We actually set out in light rain (less ideal), but quite cooling. Not enough to both with waterproof jackets though.
A steady up hill through the forest, then up on to the open mountainside, got us to the ‘Col du Prat’. Here we could see the sea on both sides of the island and also some very threatening black clouds, which thankfully only dropped a few drops of rain on us.
From the Col, we had to drop and then climb a further 100m of altitude to access the correct valley from our high point of just over 1200m.
A small path soon turned into a well laid track that dropped height quickly via multiple switch backs.
As we entered the forest, we could see the roof of the Lluc Monastery on the far distance. All we had to do was transport ourselves there, which we eventually did, arriving at around 5pm.
As the nearby refuge was already fully booked, we have the luxury of staying in with the nuns and monks! No bunk bed tonight and an en-suite room! Bliss! Hot showers were the first port of call followed by tea in the square feeling much fresher.
We a Spanish Omelette for dinner at the village restaurant, then took a quick look around the buildings and Basilica.
This is a wonky photo of the front - we are staying in there somewhere!
The view from the front door…
The courtyard Basilica.
A five minute walk to the cross above the grounds, gave fantastic views and an unexpected sunset treat!
Time for bed. 14.9km hiked, with 918m of ascent.
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