Climbing in Mallorca

Mallorca's Mediterranean sea cliffs are presented here through two focused deep-water-solo shorts that track one climber's long relationship with the island. Both films feature Chris Sharma and document the specific logistics and risks of psicobloc: falling into open water, long swims back to the base, and high-stakes bouldery movement over seawater.

Es Pontàs: The First Ascent revisits the 2006–07 footage of Sharma on the natural rock arch off the coast of Mallorca and concentrates on the dyno and repeated attempts that defined the climb for many viewers. Decades later, Black Pearl returns with a 2023 Reel Rock short—shot by Brett Lowell—that follows Sharma back to Mallorcan sea cliffs for an even harder, more sustained free solo-style line over water. Together the two films show the range of deep-water soloing on Mallorca: from a single iconic arch and its moment-by-moment drama to later, more physically brutal lines that push endurance, fall tolerance, and routefinding above the Mediterranean.

Both pieces are as much about place as performance: the island setting named Mallorca anchors each film in a particular sea-level climbing culture where low-trajectory, overhanging limestone (and long swims after a fall) shape every attempt.