After meeting up in the apartment block foyer, there was the usual confusion on where we starting from as most of the others had done this walk on a previous visit.
Boyd's instructions, based on his guide book, were to head to Port de Polença and then a minor road with a sign for the Oro Playa Hotel.
We followed Boyd and Jenny in their black Ford Fiesta hire car towards Port de Polença and at the roundabout where a newish bypass starts, they turned onto the bypass while we continued straight on the road into the town.
We knew that we should head for the peninsula tipped with Cap Formentor and followed signs for there, all the time being slowed down by the numerous cyclists taking part in some sort of cycling event.
When we reached a col with rows of parked vehicles, we knew we had done wrong and turned around to head back towards the town.
We could see the ridge we wanted (Keith had also walked along the ridge on the previous OCC Majorca trip) and at a roundabout we tried following the bypass and turned right to arrive at a minor road with some recently-built houses. Continuing to the end of the road we soon reached a cul-de-sac and we then turned around and tried the other direction.
This also reached dead-end but we saw a rough track just beyond heading uphill and Keith thought it was the track we were looking for. I got out of the car to have a look and saw a wooden sign but didn't recognise the destination. Then to the left I saw a rough car park some 30 metres away and lower down near the bypass.
I got back in the car and we returned to the roundabout and then followed the bypass for a short distance and parked in the car park. There were some cars parked there we recognised so it was the correct place.
We got our rucksacks and started walking up the track and soon a reached a lovely old building with a gated courtyard. A small section of the large locked metal gate allowed us to pass through into the courtyard and then a similar second gate allowed us to leave the courtyard and continue on the track.
There were quite a few other walkers also following the track as it eventually reaches a beach with lovely views. We soon found the bird-watching contingent of Jenny Elaine and Joan at the side of the track.
We continued along the track as it paralleled the large limestone ridge of Serra del Cavall Bernat. At a point just past where we could see a large hole piercing the ridge near the top, we struck off towards the ridge following a narrow footpath marked by cairns. We soon found out that the locally eroded limestone rock was very spiky and most of the vegetation was also spiky!
The path wended gradually up the side of the ridge and even though the temperature was in the low 20s centigrade, the sun was quite hot. Karen was struggling with the heat and complained of feeling sick. We weren't too far from the top of the ridge and I suggested we continue to there and find some shade and have something to eat.
At the top of the ridge we could see down on the other side to a beach in the distance and cliffs dropping a few hundred metres to the sea beneath.
There was a small shady spot and I decided to call it a day as we had been moving slowly and my ankle was starting to hurt (the one which was swollen last weekend). I suggested that Keith might be happy to continue on his own as he had down the route before but Karen wanted to continue.
I left them at the start of some steep scrambling and started down. Then I spotted Boyd making his way up below. Karen also decided to turn around and I waited until she caught up. Soon Trish also arrived and was complaining of feeling sick as well, shortly followed by Simon and Sean. They had all continued as far as the beach and then started up the ridge, which explained why they were behind us and not in front as expected. Pete, Dave and Brian had started the ridge from near the beach and we saw no sign of them.
Karen sat in a small patch of shade by a boulder and I sat on a spiky rock and we ate our ham and cheese rolls. Then we continued downwards back to the track and again met the bird-watchers. We told them that we were heeding back for an ice cream and said our good-byes.
We arrived back at the car and drove to nearby Port de Polença and after parking, had a walk along the sea-front and bought some ice creams and sat on a low, shady wall to eat them. A man had made some amazing sand sculptures there on the beach.
After this we walked a bit further then stopped at a small supermarket on the way back to the car bought some more supplies, then back to the car and then the apartment.
Later on when we had all returned from our day's activities, we all had a meal at a local Chinese restaurant.
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