Mallorca 2014 - Day 2 - Cova De Sa Campana

Having chosen to start with the cave that Brendan had been to before, ‘Sa Campana’, we were all up bright and early and still milling around aimlessly in various states of undress well past 8am. Wal of course had been up since 5 but was no more ready than the rest of us. Finally we managed to get into the cars by 9 and got out of the drive, at which point Brendan stopped, got out of his car and came to ask us
“Have you got Helen?”
“No, she was in your car”
“Well she’s not now”
“She’s only small, she hasn’t slipped between the seats or something?”
“No I checked. I think we’ve locked her in the villa then!”
Helen rescued, we set off for the drive that was billed as ‘interesting switchbacks on a narrow mountain road’. Oh yes. You wouldn’t want to stall, and lose your power steering and brakes, that’s for sure! The other car soon showed up too and Brendan’s fingers were prised out of the dashboard while the colour slowly returned to his face.

The team at the car park ready for the slog up to the cave - Photo by Brendan

We found the parking spot, amongst signs that warned us DO NOT HUNT THE MUSHROOMS! (Maybe truffles??)
Brendan set off among the undergrowth like a trained hound and for the next hour or so we followed a combination of book directions and GPS (but mostly Brendan’s memory) over rocks, up climbs, through spiky bushes and over the top of the mountains with our shedloads of heavy kit.

Mark looking out over the Torrent De Paries - Photo by Brendan

The team at the entrance to the cave kitting up - Photo by Brendan

It was knocking on 1pm when we got to the cave entrance, and there’s no way you would have spotted it even from 6 feet away if you didn’t know where it was. A full trip report will be posted separately, but suffice to say the cave was HUUUUUUUUUUGE!!!!!!! We wandered round absolutely amazed at not only the size but the beauty of the caverns – on one wall alone was a display of ‘antlers’ that makes the ones in Daren look like pocket-sized toys.
By the time we got out of the cave the sun was beginning to set, and the last part of the walk back to the car was in darkness – good job we had headtorches! The drive home through the switchbacks was even more fun in the dark, and I’m proud to say my passengers only screamed once! Mind you, they had their eyes shut after that…

Jess in the magnificently decorated Sala Des Fangs - Photo by Mark

Chloe in the magnificently decorated Sala Des Fangs - Photo by Mark

Helen in the magnificently decorated Sala Des Fangs - Photo by Mark

A late meal in town found us returning back to the villa about midnight. Plans for the next day were then hastily changed as we decided an easier day than originally planned might be in order as we were all fookin knackered.

Present: Mark Burkey, Jess Burkey, Steve Wal Wallis, Helen Nightingale, Loz Appleby, Chloe Burney, Phil Lester and Brendan Marris
Report: Jess Burkey