Despite the high temperatures of early July I thought I might get away with a walk along the verada de Estrella path on the north side of the Sierra Nevada. This route follows the line of an old mine access track as it follows the Rio Genil valley to the now disused workings. The walking starts after a dramatic drive east from the village of Guajar Sierra along a single track road through tunnels and cuttings along the route of a disused single track railway. The walking itself is fairly gentle through outcrops and crossing terraces as you traverse the valley side. The path eventually reaches the ruins of the mina de Estrella This is one of many mine workings in the area, in the 1940’s nine families lived at and worked this particular mine which was finally abandoned in 1957. The miners extracted metal ores including pyrite, fools gold as well as copper and iron ores. Quite often when walking there are moments when a breathtaking vista opens up as you crest a hillside or reach a particular spot. The Estrella path has one of those. The first part of the route runs east as it follows the river valley; whilst this is dramatic enough it is after about an hour when the valley turn south that the drama really begins. As the path passes through a rock cutting a spectacular view of the north faces of the 3,000m plus peaks of Alcazaba and Mulhacen towering nearly two kilometres above the valley is suddenly revealed. Even in July these mountain faces were flecked with snow. The first part of the walk was quite cool as it passed through patches of shade. At one point I thought I heard ibex moving across a scree slope on the opposite bank of the river however it turned out to be a family of three foxes working their way across the steep hillside before finally darting into a shallow cave. Once in the main valley the amount of shade reduced quite dramatically and the heat began to build. Luckily the path crosses a number of small river tributaries before reaching a path junction at Cueva Secreta a small natural shelter used as a bivouac spot by those going in to the higher mountains. I stopped for lunch at one of the many stream crossings and dipped my feet in the river in an effort to cool off. The temperature had now risen and according to the thermometer on my watch peaked at 45.1 degrees centigrade. Needless to say I beat as hasty retreat as possible to avoid the rest to the day’s heat. Mad dogs and Englishmen…….!!!

Who owns the Sierra Nevada?

I read recently on a UK walking web site that Blencathra, one of the Lake District’s best known peaks is up for sale. Blencathra, also known as Saddle Back lies just north of the main road in to Keswick from the motorway, so is easily accessible for many walkers and is seen by even more tourists as they drive into the ‘Lakes’ . At 868m it’s not the highest summit but it is popular nontheless and is perhaps best known for the short scramble across Sharp Edge en route to what is a fairly unremarkable summit. Sharp Edge is a short knife edge rock ridge which is now well polished due to the amount of traffic across it and when combined with a descent of Halls Fell ridge gives a great day out in the mountains. Seeing this news about the sale brought to mind a question I get asked by many clients, that is ‘’who owns the Sierra Nevada’’. I must admit I wasn’t really able to answer that question properly until recently when there was an article in the Spanish newspaperpaper Ideal. The overall area of the Sierra Nevada, which is made up both of the Parque Natural and Parque Nacional covers an area of 172,238 ha. The bulk of the land holding, some 100,389 ha is held in public ownership by organisations such as Ayuntamientos, the Junta de Andalucia as well as the Parque bodies themselves. The rest is in private ownership, mainly made up of farm holdings on the lower slopes of the range. The Sierra Nevada got its designation as Parque Nacional in 1999. Prior to that in 1986 it was designated as Biosphere Reserve and later in 1989 as a Parque Natural. The designation of the Parque Nacional meant that many changes occurred in the management of the mountains and it was at this time the famed high level road which once ran across the mountains from Capileira to the ski village above Granada was shut. The closure of the road began the return of the mountains to their natural state - a process which in the UK has been named ‘re wilding’. The road, open to traffic during the summer gave very easy access to the high mountains. So accessible was the area that the first Cicerone Press guide to the range describes an ascent of Mulhacen from a car park that existed in the Caldera area which lies at 3,000m at the foot of the west ridge of the mountain. Blencathra by the way is on the market for £1.75 million, a snip really when you consider you also get to hold the ancient feudal title of Lordship of the Manor of Threlkeld.

Tajos de la Virgen

In order to avoid the worst of the blistering heat that most of us experienced over early August I recently used the cable car and chair lift on the western flank of Veleta (3396m) above Granada’s ski village. The lift carries you from about 2,000m up to 3,000m and is a great way to access the high mountains. I had planned to avoid the summit of Veleta and just head for the Tajos de la Virgen ridge which runs south from the main peak. Once off the lift however the route to the top looked inviting and I headed off and within about an hour was sat at the top chatting to a fellow walker who was in training for a trip up Kilimanjaro. Apparently I had met up with him on his third ascent that week. He was based in Granada and using the mountain for some altitude training. Having summited I headed back to the planned route along the rugged ridge which runs from the Carihuela refuge below Veleta south to the Elioreta refuge. After the initial section of rocky walking the way up to the ridge proper is a short but fairly exposed scramble. Since I had last done this section small white arrows have been painted on the route to assist route finding. It was clear though as I watched a fellow walker descend away from the correct line that the arrows only work in ascent. What was also clear was that he was quite poorly equipped with a bottle of water in one hand and a carrier bag and wooden staff in the other. I know that some of us, myself included, tend to take a bit to much gear particularly in summer but the amount he was carrying did seem a bit extreme. Once on the ridge proper the route becomes clearer for some way before passing below a distinctive pinnacle of rock on the very crest of the ridge. This is El Fraile (The Friar) and can often be seen from miles away as it stands in profile on the ridge. Beyond El Fraille the ridge has a section of large boulders which are quite difficult to navigate before the ridge finally opens out at the Elioreta. Formally used by TB patients to aid recovery the refuge still has tiles on some of its rock floors and two rooms which are reasonably weather proof. From here the return to the cable car is an easy descent on an old mule track to some small lagoons from where a small path leads back up (a bit to steeply at that point in the day) to the chair lift and a very relaxing descent without any chance of damage to my knees.

Acequia walks

Many of us who live in the countryside areas around the Sierra Nevada rely upon the acequia system to bring us much needed water. For those not in the know, acequias are man-made water channels which run throughout the area bringing water to lower agricultural land They are often essential, allowing us to grow fruit and veg., fill swimming pools (perhaps illegally) shower or even wash the car.

Thought to have been fully developed by the Moors when they ruled the area, the system probably reaches further back into history. It seems obvious that digging channels to route water to where it was most needed must have gone on for millennia in order to make the most of what is a precious resource. The system has spread across the whole of the region with hundreds of channels creating a massive irrigation system that feeds the whole of the area. On my hillside alone there are four major acequias channels. The Acequia Alta which ultimately feeds my cortijo, runs directly from the Rio Lanjaron at about 1,400m and traverses the hillside before it finishes above the Tablate gorge about whole 10km from its start. En route, sluices allow the water to be managed and fed down a network of smaller and smaller channels before ultimately watering my lettuce.

When walking in the region most of us will have come across acequias. Often with a path alongside, they can provide relatively easy walking routes along steep hillsides and river valleys reaching into the mountain ranges of the area. Whilst providing easy graded walks, they sometimes have short steep sections where the channel itself will be sent down rock outcrops in order to change the level at which it runs. Sometimes however they give much more dramatic walking as they pass through rather than down an outcrop. If you do come across these sections it seems incredible that the original builders had the skill to create these parts of the system. I must admit I actually seek out some of the more dramatic bits and have found many during my exploration of the area.

Some of the best are actually on the Acequia Alta where about 2km from the river the acequia clings to high cliffs above a vertical drop of about 50m. These sections are unfenced and if crossed when the water is flowing are breathtaking. Another dramatic section is found in the Rio Chillar gorge near Nerja. Here the acequia cuts through cliffs high on the east side of the valley. The ‘’path’’ is about a foot wide and runs around the cliffs as the water channel itself runs through on a narrow tunnel. Even though these sections are fenced they still need a good head for heights.
Perhaps one the most used routes is that through the Monachil Gorge. Here though, you may not know it, the channel is covered for most of its length and the acequia takes you through dramatic natural rock scenery.

The Sierra Nevada range

To many British walkers the Sierra Nevada is still a bit of an unknown quantity. Indeed until It wasn’t until I started visiting the area some ten years ago, then moving here six years ago and began working as a mountain guide ago that I began to understand the scale and range of this massif.

Hopefully this piece will shed a little light on what is a fantastic mountain range which is ideal for walking and trekking all year round. A few facts to start with. The range itself is effectively a 100km long escarpment running east from Granada. The steeper north side of the range holds some dramatic corries and steep rock ridges whilst more gentle southern slopes, divided by deep lusher river valleys, lead down to the Alpujarra, an area of white villages and olive groves. The highest point in the range is Mulhacen which at 3,482 m also claims the title of being the highest point in mainland Spain. This summit lies only 35km north from the Mediterranean coast a fact which, combined with the overall height of the range creates one of the rarest and most fragile mountain habitats in Europe. The proximity of the coast also means that you can walk the high peaks in the morning and swim in the Mediterranean in the evening.

Walking and trekking here is usually a non technical affair. These mountains lend themselves to long days along soaring ridges with major peaks en route or ascents of deep river valleys leading to the flanks of the high peaks. The classic traverse of the whole of the range, ‘’ruta de trese tresmiles’’ picks off some of the ranges twenty or more 3,000m summits and is a tough multi day trip. Generally undertaken from the east it involves about 60km of hard walking and overnight camps. Most walkers however stick to the western end where the big three summits of Valeta ( 3394m) Mulhacen and Alcazaba (3371m) are to be found.

Valeta, a classic shark’s fin summit stands above Granada’s Sol y Nieve ski resort. Easily accessed from the west this is a popular ascent and also gives access to the old mountain track which until 1995, when these mountains were designated as a national park, traversed the western end of the range at around 3,000m. Now used as a key walking and mountain biking route the track once allowed car access to these high peaks.

Mulhacen can be climbed in a day from the trail head above the village of Capileira in the Poqueira gorge on the south side of the range. A better ascent though is to do it over two days using the very well sited Poqueira refuge. This well run and popular refuge sits at 2,500m on the southern slope of the mountain and provides an ideal base for ascents via the steep west ridge.

Alcazaba or ‘’The Fortress’’ lies east of Mulhacen and can be climbed in a day from the refuge. The most remote and rugged of the big three it towers over the remote hanging valley of Siete Lagunas a popular site for wild camping. Accessed via its south ridge the summit itself has 400m cliffs on the north side dropping dramatically down into the Rio Genil valley.

Limerick Climbing Club walking week.

I recently guided fro Mountain House for a weeks long booking made by Limerick Mountaineering Club.

22! memebers of the club turned up in Malaga for five days of activities in the Sierra Nevada. The first day out was a Travenque ascent, all the group got to the top so the summit was slightly overcrowded with 22 clients, 3 guides and a couple of Swedish walkers who were also there.

Day two was the start of a three day trip up Mulhacen with two nights in the Poqueira refuge. The walk in was simple enough with three groups taking various routes in to the hut, day two saw a fairly early start for an ascent via the upper Rio Poqueira and the west ridge. Whilst there was some snow in the valley most was easily avoided with the west ridge proving to be the usual long slog up to the summit. Day three was a return out again on three differing routes.

After a rest day the last full walking day saw an ascent of Cero de Caballo which at 3,011m is the most westerly of the ''Tres Mille''. Suprising;ly this ascent was more tiring than Mulhacen for most , including the guides but aonce again all the group summited in magnificent weather.

The final day allowed for a short half day for some of the group who made an ascent up the the hermita above Pinos de Valle in the Lecrin valley.

Rio Durcal

This walk is one of many contrsts from desert like dry river valley, mountain scrub through to oak woodland and mountain valley. All this in the space of five hours walking.

One of the dificulties of many of these walks is getting to the start , this walk is no differetn however from the Durcal bypass follow signs from the via servicio northward to ''Durcal Central'', a small hydro electric station which lies at the foot of the Barranco de la Rambla. This is a dry river bed which runs N.E. into the mountains and as you follow it make sure you take in all the rock sceneryas you pass through a ''wild west '' landscape. After about 45 minutes you come to the will see the second of two low dams , keep an eye out for a cairn on the right and then follow a more defined path on the S. side of the valley. The path brings you to a fuente , however do not expect this to be running, beyond the path zig zags steeply for about 20 minutes to finally reach a track running S - N.

You are now in the heart of the mountains and the views around are fantastic. To the west, close at hand is Butreras and to the north you can easily see the ridge line of the Alayas de Dilar and Travenque beyond. Our route heads N along the track for 15minutes where it crosses a barranco you then follow a vague but waymarked path right up to an acequia line which runs all the way to the head of the valley at La Toma where the water is taken to feed much of the valley below you.

The acequia line is simple to follw and needs little discription. As you follow its very gentle traversing line you pass from dry scrub , through almond groves to finally reach oak woodland as you pass in to the Parque Nacional. Beyond you cross a frighteningly narrow steel bridge. From here the trail becomes less defined however as long as you keep the acequia line in sight you will soon reach the head of the valley and the Rio Durcal.

Unfortunaetly this is a linear walk however the retun is easy and the final walk down the dry river bed is easy on the feet.

Total distance 18km
Time 7-8 hours
Medium with little navigation problem.
No spring water enroute, however you cross a number of streams.