Sa colabra is a beast, a sinously laid out serpent, gliding its way lazily to the top and gracefully flowing back down to the sea. Built in 1932 by Antonio Paretti, it is stark and beautiful and a favourite among cyclists. Though not as challenging as the Italian dolomites or French Alp D’huez, it has its own 28 hair pin bends and spine tingling descent which make it a must-do on a trip to Majorca.
We started the climb early morning at 8am to avoid the traffic and parked the car at the base. The first part of the climb is fairly pleasant at around 6% incline and having gained a few minutes head start ( whining always helps!) I was happily chugging along listening to each and every chatter of Mother Nature.Warming up, the roads started bending more frequently and views started changing, each more spectacular than the next. The familiar sight of my men soothed the slight ache in my shoulders and I relaxed.
For some time, my fears and attention was diverted by the stunning pine forests to the narrow steep gorges to the barren rock outcrops with their bizarre formations but after a few kilometers of solitude, I longed for the sight of the summit, eyes hunting up towards the distance for the first clue, following the road perimeters as much as it could see.
A narrow pass loomed ahead and my insecurities were dashed by another cyclist who disappeared through it with utmost grace and familiarity!
A few more bends later, the inclines started becoming steeper. I could see the father-son duo in the distance bridging the gap between us.
The inclines peaked at the end to well over 10% and i could feel the familiar jelly like sensation in my calves and fire burning in my things. I dug my cleats in and after grinding through the final incline, I was at the top of coll des Reiss at 682m which is cut through the rock , framing grand views of Nus de sa Corbata Sa Calobra (Tie Knot).
The customary photos later, we relaxed and took our time to descend and soak in the blissful surroundings.
Magical hills rolling into the sea into the distance. Looking down at the landscape, the enormity of the climb humbled us.
The next couple of hours, driving back, everything had changed drastically. The road, which was empty a couple of hours earlier, was thronging with cars and buses with cyclists dangerously weaving in a out. We hastily beat a retreat.
Sa Calobra, we will be back again…..
To my Kids with Love 