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DISCOVERING SA FOSCA
Why must a mountain be climbed? Because it's there. These are the words of mountaineer George Leigh Mallory and they can easily be transposed to other contexts. Why was it necessary to explore Sa Fosca? Because it was there.
Gorg Blau or Sa Fosca torrent begins at Tossals Verds and ends at Entreforc, where it meets Lluc torrent. From this point on, the two torrents converge and become known as Torrent de Pareis, which meets the sea at Sa Calobra. All of them are located in the municipality of Escorca and together they form one of the most breathtaking, mountainous landscapes in Mallorca. Moulded through erosion over millions of years, the whimsical shapes of these karstic rock formations are truly unique items of natural heritage. The final stretch of Gorg Blau torrent is covered over by fallen rocks, preventing any light from filtering through and making it as pitch black as a cave; hence the name Sa Fosca or Darkness.
The visual impression is enhanced by the fragrance of bay trees in the woods above and the noise of pigeons' wings © Photo: Gabriel Lacomba
"For many years Sa Fosca was a kind of unattainable Everest," in the words of Miquel Tries and Nanda Ramon
Sa Fosca is a superb torrent. It is one of the most important in Europe and a reference for canyoning enthusiasts worldwide
In the mid 1960s, more specifically in about July 1965, Sa Fosca was still virgin territory, hitherto unexplored by any known human being. Canyoning came to Mallorca quite late, forty-four years after the death of Lucien Briet, a French photographer, explorer and teacher who manifested his passion for calcareous landscapes by exploring hundreds of kilometres of complicated paths between the Spanish province of Aragón and France, leaving behind an extensive written legacy in his capacity as the forerunner of canyoning. The fact that Sa Fosca had never been explored no doubt only added to its air of mystery, boosting it to almost legendary proportions: "For many years Sa Fosca was a kind of unattainable Everest," in the words of Miquel Tries and Nanda Ramon, the authors of Torrents de Mallorca.
While some potholing groups, like the team headed by Jaume Xaubet, cautiously explored possible entrances and exits, trying to work out the best strategy to follow, three bold yet experienced young enthusiasts beat them to it. Equipped with two forty-metre ropes (one made of nylon and the other of hemp), three pitons, a hammer and two inflatable dinghies from back then, and wearing shorts and men's tennis shoes, Maties Oliver, Tomàs Suárez and Bernadí Morell set off in search of adventure from Turixant power station on Saturday July 24th. As they intended to make the trip in just one day, their food supplies (raisins, condensed milk, dried figs, a lemon etc) were conceived to cover that space of time. Obviously, equipped like that and with no clear knowledge of the terrain, they were taking a huge risk. Fortunately, after forty-seven hours, they emerged from the dark transformed into heroes, having spent two nights tied up and sandwiched between the two boats and having taken one more day than originally anticipated to complete the trip. If there is an apt definition of the Catalan word brusquer, they certainly fitted it. The dictionary defines brusquer as 'someone in irresistible pursuit of a fixed idea'.
With this mixture of drive, bravery and temerity, they introduced canyoning to Mallorca. Over the following months and years, the descent of these torrents and others was technically perfected. Certain intriguing place names can be traced back to those early expeditions, like Bot de S'Acollonament (Freak-You-Out Jump), Plaça des Tremolor (Tremble Square) and Pas des Duro (5 Peseta Pass), originated, in the last case, by the discovery of an old 5-peseta coin, dropped during a previous descent. One evident caution, however, is that canyoning should never be done without the necessary know-how and equipment.
Nowadays Mallorca and the Serra de Tramuntana, in particular, are a magnet for climbers and canyoners. The attraction is not just the technical challenge of the different routes, but the beauty of the surroundings. Sa Fosca is a superb torrent. Indeed it is one of the most important in Europe and a reference for canyoning enthusiasts worldwide. In 2002, the Government of the Balearic Islands declared Sa Fosca and Torrent de Pareis natural monuments.