Climbing the pine in Pollensa, Mallorca

The moment the bag of confetti was broken. | Pere Bota

Andrew EdePollensa18/01/2024 09:55
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There was an "unwritten rule" for this year's Sant Antoni pine climb in Pollensa that no minors (under-18s) were allowed to attempt the climb. But this didn't deter 16-year-old Pau Cifre. Junior judo champion of the Balearics, he reached the top of the pine on Wednesday evening and released the confetti in what was one of the shortest ever events.

It was only 8.27pm, the tree not having been finally ready to climb until 8.07pm. Only one person had attempted the climb before Pau succeeded. Normally, the event does go on longer. Last year it didn't finish until 12.34am. A combination of rain, hail and too much lard on the trunk made the climb particularly precarious.

The tree was easier to climb this year, the whole event - from collection of the pine from the Ternelles finca to its planting in Plaça Vella and then the climb itself - having gone without a hitch for once. It did take over half an hour to manoeuvre the tree into the square, but there were no mishaps like those of the recent past.