A loop climb to the Puig de Galatzo from the Puigpunyent area
Walking time: 4 hrs
Difficulty: Medium
This excursion to the summit of Galatzo follows a little used trail along the southern ridge of the mountain on the way up, and returns on the well trodden Galatzo to Font de Pi footpath. You will probably only meet a couple of other people on the way up, and dozens more on the way down on the main trail, especially on weekends. There are a few steep passages/ scrambles on the way up. For those who do not feel confident off the beaten path, it is best to stick to the main path from Font de Pi both ways. The ridge way is not children (or pet) friendly, but is well worth the effort otherwise.
Difficulty: Medium
This excursion to the summit of Galatzo follows a little used trail along the southern ridge of the mountain on the way up, and returns on the well trodden Galatzo to Font de Pi footpath. You will probably only meet a couple of other people on the way up, and dozens more on the way down on the main trail, especially on weekends. There are a few steep passages/ scrambles on the way up. For those who do not feel confident off the beaten path, it is best to stick to the main path from Font de Pi both ways. The ridge way is not children (or pet) friendly, but is well worth the effort otherwise.
Getting there:
You need your own transport to get to Font de Pi, or the ridge trail. From Palma, go to Puigpunyent and exit the village on the Gallilea road. As you exit the village, follow a turnoff to the right signposted to La Reserva (an activity and nature park). Follow the signs to La Reserva on a road in poor condition that will eventually climb steeply in a series of hairpin bends, before levelling out at a col (Es Verger) where there is a crossroad. La Reserva is straight ahead and down; do not follow the sign but turn right here at the col, following an asphalted road for maybe 2,5 km. ignore a minor turnoff to the right. The next turn off will be a sharp turn to the right uphill, that you take if you want to leave the car at Font de Pi and use the main trail both ways; this is a narrow road and font de Pi is only a few hundred meter further. The fountain (Font) has been destroyed here so there is no need to search for it, but you will see many cars parked, at least on weekends.
The other parking option is close to the start of the ridge walk; ignore the turn off to Font de Pi and continue to the next crossroad less then a kilometre away. Park, take the road straight ahead (don't go up the tarmac road on the right) till you reach a dirt track with an open gate branching off to the left. This is the start of the ridge path.
You need your own transport to get to Font de Pi, or the ridge trail. From Palma, go to Puigpunyent and exit the village on the Gallilea road. As you exit the village, follow a turnoff to the right signposted to La Reserva (an activity and nature park). Follow the signs to La Reserva on a road in poor condition that will eventually climb steeply in a series of hairpin bends, before levelling out at a col (Es Verger) where there is a crossroad. La Reserva is straight ahead and down; do not follow the sign but turn right here at the col, following an asphalted road for maybe 2,5 km. ignore a minor turnoff to the right. The next turn off will be a sharp turn to the right uphill, that you take if you want to leave the car at Font de Pi and use the main trail both ways; this is a narrow road and font de Pi is only a few hundred meter further. The fountain (Font) has been destroyed here so there is no need to search for it, but you will see many cars parked, at least on weekends.
The other parking option is close to the start of the ridge walk; ignore the turn off to Font de Pi and continue to the next crossroad less then a kilometre away. Park, take the road straight ahead (don't go up the tarmac road on the right) till you reach a dirt track with an open gate branching off to the left. This is the start of the ridge path.
The Ridge Path:
Walk along the dirt track past the open gateway. A short distance further you will find a large cairn on the right. You leave the main dirt track here and follow a faint, haphazardly cairned footpath heading southwest. The way is not very clear but the location of the Pas des Ratxo leading to the ridge leaves little doubt, so aim for that and you will soon find the line of cairns marking the way. The 'Pas" presents no difficulty and you will soon arrive on the ridge spine, overlooking Finca Galatzo and Es Capdella in the distance. Follow the cairns up the ridge; there are different route options, but just following the spine of the mountain is probably the most simple one. It is steep in places, but supremely quiet and wild. After less then an hour climbing, you will reach a minor summit on the ridge; the cairns will take you slightly down the other side, a bit to the left of the ridge and up a few small scrambles after which you will reach easier ground and stroll to the summit proper. |
The classic route:
From the summit, scramble down a few rocks; there are a couple of passage options. All the ways are well cairned.
If you are up here on a weekend morning, you are very unlikely to be on your own anyway... Galatzo is probably the most popular 1000 meter plus summit in Mallorca.
The trail down is well defined, quite steep and heads more or less in a northern direction. You will reach a signpost in less then half an hour at the junction with the Font de Pi/ Estellencs footpath. Take a right here, and follow the steep flank of the mountain crossing a scree boulder area. Then it is up a bit, over the ridge between Puigpunyent and Estellencs, down to the Mirador and down to Font de Pi. If you left your car at the start of the ridge walk, it is only a 15 minutes walk away along the asphalt.
For those hiking up from Font de Pi, the way is straight forward. Just start off up the dirt track leading up from the car park and follow the cairned trail. You will first reach the lookout tower, after which it is steep climb to a ridge; the trail switches here to the north side of the mountain, crosses a scree slope and climbs some more till you reach a signpost. Follow the arrow for the summit, leading you up a busy steep trail. There is a small scramble on the last few meters before reaching the top of the world.
From the summit, scramble down a few rocks; there are a couple of passage options. All the ways are well cairned.
If you are up here on a weekend morning, you are very unlikely to be on your own anyway... Galatzo is probably the most popular 1000 meter plus summit in Mallorca.
The trail down is well defined, quite steep and heads more or less in a northern direction. You will reach a signpost in less then half an hour at the junction with the Font de Pi/ Estellencs footpath. Take a right here, and follow the steep flank of the mountain crossing a scree boulder area. Then it is up a bit, over the ridge between Puigpunyent and Estellencs, down to the Mirador and down to Font de Pi. If you left your car at the start of the ridge walk, it is only a 15 minutes walk away along the asphalt.
For those hiking up from Font de Pi, the way is straight forward. Just start off up the dirt track leading up from the car park and follow the cairned trail. You will first reach the lookout tower, after which it is steep climb to a ridge; the trail switches here to the north side of the mountain, crosses a scree slope and climbs some more till you reach a signpost. Follow the arrow for the summit, leading you up a busy steep trail. There is a small scramble on the last few meters before reaching the top of the world.