Chill out in the Chillar

The Rio Chillar runs down from the Sierra Almijara range inland of Nerja and is a popular walk especially in the summer when the pools and falls are full of people cooling off. Most head off from the car park in the valley north of Nerja and walk upstream dipping in the numerous pools en route. The most popular area is near a ‘cascada’ created where the river comes over large boulders lodged in the river bed. The walk here is not to be underestimated as it’s at least an hour and a half upstream from the start. A better option which makes more of the area is to include the rio as the return section of a circuit taking in the ridge west of the river. This is accessed by following the concrete track up from the ford near the start. The concrete links a number of cortijos before becoming a rough stone track following the border of the Parque Natural. Once on the ridge itself the route is fairly obvious and leads eventually to a clear path, the Linman trail. The trail is an old packhorse route running east from Frigiliana to the El Pinarillo picnic area. I did the walk in August when the heat on the first half was intense with only an occasional light breeze and little shade to be found on the main trail. Needless to say thoughts of the cool rio kept us going and it was with great relief that we eventually descended steep ground to meet the river. Here after a bite to eat and a change of footwear we headed down stream. The crystal clear water was never more than knee deep in the river itself and was just about cool enough to refresh as we waded through the lush gorge with steep rock sides topped with trees and shrubs. Initially we had the gorge to ourselves however after about thirty minutes we began to meet people walking up and once we got to the ‘cascada’ it was almost like being on one of Nerja’s beaches. The scenery in the gorge is always magnificent but at its best at ‘’la cahorros’’ where it passes through a very narrow section of gorge. Here the rock has been worn smooth by winter floods and you can easily touch both sides at the same time. Unfortunately marred by graffiti, this is a spectacular section of the walk. From the end of la cahorros the gorge begins to widen out before the river finally deposits you back at the car park. This walk should NOT be attempted after heavy rain or if there is a chance of a thunder storm when flood water in the valley would make the route treacherous.

Navachica a Medditeranean summit

In early June before it got too hot to do much I climbed Navachica. At 1834m it is the highest summit in the Sierra Almijara area of the Axarquia ranges and sits inland of Nerja. Starting from the El Pinarillo picnic area inland from the famous Nejra caves the route follows a number of dry barancos;- los Cazadores, la Charca and del Rey. The route follows an old mule trail which served a number of mines in the area, passing mine entrances at the track side. In its heyday this area must have been a hive of activity with a clear track running the length of the valley. Now with the route having been recently re way-marked we follow a less well maintained rocky path with the occasional short scramble up rock steps in the river bed. From the head of the baranco del Rey, the climb makes a tortuous ascent to meet a slightly easier line to the final summit. The guide book gives an ascent of 1,300m which makes this one of the biggest routes in the region and not to be undertaken lightly. Whilst my book described a return using the ascent, it also hinted at a number of more ‘’interesting’’ ways off. I chose to head due south from the summit along a route that I had spied during the climb. Heading toward the Med I descended toward El Puerta. What path there was limited to very vague lines through vegetation across easy ground. The route led to the top of a steep section of rock which I had noted during the ascent and had thought would be the crux. I had presumed it could be by passed on the far side, no such luck. There was a small cairn marking a vague descent line down through loose and quite steep ground and with a bit of shuffling around and backtracking occasionally the route did ‘go’ and reverted back to a reasonably clear trail. From here the path ran along a narrow ridge with some huge drops to the west into the upper section of the Rio Chillar valley. The north ridge of an unnamed 1,440m summit just north of la Puerta offered an exhilarating scramble before I returned to the normal route and a long descent back to the car. A great route for cooler days at the end of the year.

Spring Dangers !

Hopefully, with the onset of Spring, we will begin to get some great walking days again. As I write this I’m sheltering from the fourth day of rain, having to run a generator to use the computer. Oh the joys of solar power! I know we need the rain and snow. How else would I fill my alberca, but after a couple of days we do get a bit stir crazy. For those who do get out in the next couple of weeks there is a potential danger to look out for, the Pine Processionary Moth caterpillars (Thaumetopoea pityocampa). The adult moths lay eggs inside a distinctive silky nest in pine trees where the eggs and later caterpillars will over-winter. Once hatched and outside the nest the caterpillars are fascinating to see as they often create a trail of up to a meter long as they follow each other nose to tail, crossing your path or descending a tree. The caterpillar is covered in fine hairs which can be a severe irritant if touched and in later stages of the caterpillar’s development can be released into the air. If breathed in, the hairs can cause severe allergic reaction in susceptible people. They are also a problem for dogs or cats. If they sniff or lick the trails of caterpillars they can have a severe reaction, problems with breathing and possibly be killed. As the name suggests they are predominantly found in pine woodlands so at this time of year beware if you walking in an area of pine trees. If, like me you have a pine tree on your land you may have more of a problem. Having cut out branches infested with nests for a few years, my pine tree was beginning to look a bit bald. I asked Manolo, my neighbour, how to deal with the nests and was told, quite seriously, to use a shotgun. Apparently the idea was to break open the nest before winter to expose the inside to frost and hence kill off the eggs and larvae. Not possessing a shotgun I initially used an air rifle borrowed from another neighbour. However, though we hit the nests, the pellet didn’t break them open. The answer was to get a fisherman’s catapult suitably equipped with a bait cup. This, when filled with gravel, did a great job of bursting the nests and hence allowing the frost do its job. We tried this the winter before last and had no nests at all this winter. Just beware, don’t do it once the caterpillars are hatched as they will rain down on you. Also if you or your neighbours have solar panels, greenhouses, expensive patio doors etc anywhere near, you might get a few complaints if you start firing stones around willy nilly!

La Maroma, Axarquia

Whilst still waiting for the snow to arrive I took advantage of the good weather to do a mountain that has been on my list for a long time. La Maroma ( The Rope) is the large limestone mountain that lies NE of Velez Malaga. At a 2,068m it offers a great open ridge walk with views down to and across the med. to the south or back toward the Sierra Nevada and other ranges inland. There are a number of popular ascent routes up this mountain. Two come up from the from the western end above Lake Vineula however the route which is easiest to access form Lanjaron is the one from La Robledal (the oak grove) which lies to the North East of the range itself. El Robladal , is an area of mixed forest with native oaks and pine, there is a camp site here and picnic areas. Higher up the route are yew trees which are quite rare with young specimens being protected by fencing on the upper slopes of the mountain. The car park at El Robladal can be accessed from Alhama de Granada or from Arenas de Rey both routes requiring some driving along tracks. The ascent route itself is well way marked and starts easily enough as it follows forest tracks to eventually revert to a small path through the tress as the more serious ascent begins. The route eventually emerges form the forest and climbs more broken ground which leads to a very pleasant and rocky traversing section below the final slopes at a area called Salto de Caballo ( horseman’s leap). Once through this rocky traverse the route opens up as you crest the ridge to get views south to the coast. Here a very steep path comes up from the countryside above Sedella just to join our route. There is then a a quite exposed section with a steep drop to our left as the route crosses a narrow spine of rock at Cortados de Maroma. From here cairns mark the final ascent across an open expanse of limestone blocks. The summit marker is an obvious 3m high stone spire with rungs up the front to allow you to get even higher. I must say from where I sat and had lunch I’m sure it isn’t actually on the highest point which seemed to me to be at the eastern end of the ridge. The summit was quite crowded when I got there with walkers coming up from both ends of the ridge. A full traverse of the mountain seems feasible if you can arrange cars for pick ups and would make a good walk into a great one as unfortunately I had to return the way I came.

River walks in the Sierra Nevada

As it August and as we know only mad dogs and ….. are the only ones to venture out I thought it might be worth mentioning a few of the better river walks for those, like me, foolish enough to still want to go walking. Most of these provide a chance to at least get your feet wet if not a full blown plunge Its worth remembering though that particularly at the end of summer there is a chance of thunders storms and torrential rain which can suddenly flood these rivers so look at the forecast and when out walking keep an eye out for storm clouds building. Inland there are a number of walks:- Monachil Gorge, perhaps the most famous inland route passes through a fairly narrow gorge with suspension bridges crossing the stream at the start of the walk. There are a number of plunge pools en route with the chance to take a quick dip to cool off. Rio Dilar. Just south of Granada this valley route start at a popular ‘’ area recreativa’’ which even has a chiringuita bar. There are loads of shallow pools at the start with river crossing higher upstream before the valley opens out into an area of dramatic rock scenery. Rio Cebollon, on the north of the Sierra de Tejeda this river feeds the Embalse de Bermejales a wonderful inland lake well worth a visit in its own right. The route along the river crosses and re crosses the river and there is a wonderful waterfall and pool for a cooling dip. The route has a reasonable amount of forest walking as well providing some shade. The coast also has a couple of very popular river walks the best known two are true river walks where you wade the river bed rather than simply ford the stream like the inland routes. Rio Chillar, perhaps the best known this runs from the N.W. corner of the village. You are soon in the water with the best section of ‘’cahorros’’ about an hour upstream. Here you pass though a very narrow section gorge where you can easily touch both rock walls either side of the stream. If you want a longer day’s walk the stream can be used as part of a circular route incorporating a section of the Linman Trail. Rio Higueron. Start from the centre of Frigiliana from where the route is signed. Near the start of the route is a large water deposit which is a popular swimming spot and well worth a visit as you return. The best sections of the route take some time to get to but once there the upper section provide great fun for those who like scrambling up waterfalls and inevitably getting wet.

Lucero

This walk comes highly recommended by my Spanish neighbour who at this time of year goes to work on skis. Lucky man, he works at the observatory above the Granada.

Lucero is the majestic pyramid shaped summit best seen as you drive from Malaga east toward Nerja.

Starting from the North of the mountain the drive is as good as the walk itself. From the road between Fornes and Arenas del Rey follow the clearly signed track to the Resinera Information Centre. About 150m after the centre the track forks, turn right uphill (Vivero de la Resinera to the left). The track climbs to cross an open area of pine forest before a wonderful switchback section traversing a steep hillside. After 11km the track drops to cross the river bed on a large concrete pad, 500m after a narrow track forks left. Marked by a Zona de Reserva and a Prohibited Traffic sign this marks our return route so park nearby.

We now walk west for about 2km along the track which becomes quite rough, then climbs to reach the start of the waymarked trail to Lucero. It’s an obvious route climbing to reach a large col where we get our first real view of Lucero’s summit and its ruined Guardia Civil watch post. The route becomes rockier from this point as it traverses the flank of Lucerillo before final steep and somewhat exposed zig zags to the summit. Once you get to the summit it’s clear to see why it was used as a view point by the Guardia during the civil war as the views from the top over the nearer ranges as well as across the Med. to the Rif Mountains of Morocco and North East to the Sierra Nevada are stunning.

Once you have had your fill of the summit return to the large open col below Lucerillo. Whilst you can return the way you came there is a better if far less used route back to the car. A boundary stone here, marked MP, marks a feint path running North. Take this path which is marked by a large stone arrow then by cairns and later red paint. Follow the path though open forest, cross a couple of dry stream beds then after about 15 minutes zig zag down to a further stream bed. Turn right to a cairn to rejoin the path as it now levels to join a wider track at a waymarker. Turn left to follow the track down hill then left again at a T junction as the track levels out at a rocky stream bed. This soon takes you back to the track where you left the car some four or five hours ago.

Lucero is obviously a popular summit, I saw seven! other people on the day I did the ascent, not quite Snowdon on a Bank Holiday but busy by local standards.

10km , 4-5 hours , No water en route, steep ascent

The Rio Chillar is a great walk for those who are staying in Nerja or allong the Costa Tropical. The full walk starts in the Chillar valley just north of Nerja itself and heads upstream for about 3 hours though you can easily do a half day just by going as far as Los Chohorros , sections of very narrow gorge where you can easily touch both sides at the same time.

DO NOT DO THIS WALK IF RAIN IS FORECAST OR THERE HAVE BEEN RECENT STORMS ANY FLOODING COULD BE DISASTEROUS.

The walk starts from a cement works just below the motorway, there is ample parking and if you have a 4x4 you can go some way along the river bed. Wherever you park its an easy route to follow as you simply follow the stream bed as it passes below steep cliffs. After about an hour and a half you meet the first of three narrow sections, here the problem may be one of allowing others to pass rather than route finding, all impressive stuff though and great fun. Once the thrird and final narrow section is passed you have a choice, eithert return to the start or head on upstream for a further hour. About half an hour after you pass through a boulder section marked with blue paint a dry valley comes down to the river from the west and and there is a blue waymarker post on the east bank. Follow the trail, marked by red flashes through vegetation to ascend steeply for about ten minutes before you meet an acequia channel. You will now need a very good head for heights however the fenceing allong the most exposed sections has recently been renewed. Follow the acequia south and you soon pass allong some very exposed section before returning to the easy walking allong the acequia line. After an hour you will reach a wider section marking he end of the water channel, here follow a steep and loose trail down to the river, TAKE CARE as the surface is loose.Once you meet the river simple head back down stream to the cars.

Half day walk in Axarquia

I have been exploring the mountains just inland of Nerja and Almunecar for some time nad recently descovered a great half day route which shows off some of the best that the range has to offer.

Beware walking here is hot , its onlu a few kilomiters inland and you need to carry plenty of water wear sun screen and sun hat.

The walk starts on the track to the area recreativa signed from the entrance to the famous caves at Nerja. Access is obvious allong a rough byt well used track. After about 3km there is a sign '' sederisimo'' park here. This is the finish of the walk but from here to the area recreativa is up hill and at the end of the walk you will appreciate getting to the car at htis point.

Continue on foot allong the main track passing through the area recreativa heading N. The track descends to cross a stream however follow the stream bed for about 100m then head right into the Barranc de la Higuera. the path is a bit overgrown at first but soon clears beneath some eucalyptus trees. After about 200m there is a track on the Right marked by stone cairns. From here ist uphill for about 45 minutes. keep plodding away however you can hardly miss the stunning views openeing up as you get higher particulalry toward the N W with views of La Peuta or S toward the coast. The track zig zags steadily up hill to fianally reach the crest of the Molinera ridge. Here the path leve;s for a short while and there a re level areas with great veiws for a well earned break.

The descent is obvious as the path head to the left of the ridge itself. take care as there are some loose sections however once again the views are stunning not least to the N as the summit of Alto de Cielo comes into view. Half an hour of descent sees you at a track which heads W back to the car, make the most of the waymarked short cuts across the hairpin bends to save your feet and to getinto some shade through the pine forest.

The area is well worth a vist at any time of the year however in spring there are numerous wild flowers on the limestone of the area.