Escarihuela of the Taha

Recently I was out with a large group and once again walked a favourite route of mine, the Ruta Medieval in the Taha area of the Alpujarra. Whilst I have done the walk many times it has to be said it is perhaps one of the best low level routes in the area. What makes the route special is a combination of stunning scenery and great walking with numerous things to stop and wonder at en route. The route does a circuit of the Rio Trevelez gorge as it runs from Trevelez south west toward Orgiva. Trevelez lies at 1,476m and claims the status as the highest village in Spain and is famous for its cured jamon. The gorge is steep sided and dramatic with high cliff faces above narrow ravines. The nature of the landscape means that there are no surfaced roads within the valley and the river only has three crossing places as it runs the 10km section within the Taha. At each of these crossings an ancient pack horse bridge spans the river where for centuries, mules and man have been able to safely cross. The bridge below the village of Fondales is known locally as the ‘’Roman bridge ‘‘ and whilst the current structure may not be from that period a crossing at this point must have existed for many years. The gorge here is only about ten meters across allowing a single arch to span the river about twenty meters below. Perhaps the most spectacular of the three crossings is the next one up stream which lies on the river between the villages of Ferreirola and Busquistar. Here the valley sides are particularly steep and paths on both sides of the valley take dramatic zig zags through near vertical terrain. On the south side in particular the path clings to the hill side as it climbs 250m vertically in about the same linear distance. So dramatic are these routes that they even have their own word in Spanish, ‘escarihuela’ like a ladder and their dramatic nature was commented on as far back as the Moorish period when the Arab poet Ibn-Aljathib described one example as a ‘’ path, of danger and martyrdom’’ whilst the Spanish writer Hurtado de Mendoza describes the area as ‘’harsh mountain: valleys leading to the abyss: mountains up to the sky: narrow paths: gullies and precipices with no escape’’. Even after all these years the drama of these routes is still there so if you only get chance to walk one route in the area this has to be the one.

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.

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.

Autumn walking

I was back in England recently doing the usual family visits during the October half term. I did manage to get some walking in in the White Peak area of Derbyshire though which is an area I didn’t know too well before. I was there redoing my First Aid certificate needed to maintain my qualification to work as a guide. This was great hands on course but very different for the fist one I ever went on when the doctor running the course showed us how to do a tracheotomy using a biro and a pen knife!!!. The recent course was for wilderness first aid aimed at use way from the nearest phone or medic. I must admit I’ve been lucky enough never having to do much more than stick a plaster on (checking for allergies first though) and that has tended to be at home rather than out on the hill. Having got back from reasonable weather in the UK we had two weeks of fairly constant rain here which didn’t allow for much walking and surprisingly put little if any snow down on the mountain directly above us. The peak, Cero de Caballo is 3,011m and as such is the most westerly 3,000m+ summit in Europe. Seeing snow on its summit is a great indication of conditions further into the range. As I write the unusually mild weather isn’t allowing the low temperatures needed to allow snow fall or if it does fall to thaw out on the ground. Hopefully early days yet though and I‘m sure we will soon be out playing in snowy mountains. Once the rain eased however I did manage to get out and did a short walk in the sierra north of Granada. I had seen a walk near the village of Moclin which includes quite a spectacular gorge section. I headed out and having done an early drop off at Granada bus station was walking by nine on a very misty morning. I must admit once I was out in the cool it was very nice to walk and not be concerned about over heating and avoiding the sun as I have been for most of the summer. The route is a delight and was made better by cloud coming a going thoughout the walk which made for very atmospheric views of the gorge and surrounding cliffs and castles. The river which runs through the gorge was in spate which made the crossing of a very bouncy suspension bridge even more dramatic than it would normally have been . The route is well marked and easy enough to follow though perhaps at its best in summer when I dare say you could get into the river to cool off. for more information about walking holidays in the Sierra Nevada, Walking in the Alpujarra contact The Life of Riley at

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.

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.

A short break in the Pyrenees

For those who haven’t been the Pyrenees might come as a bit of a surprise. The peaks span the French/Spanish border and are rugged and ‘alpine’ in nature. Though never higher than the Sierra Nevada there are over two hundred 3,000m+ peaks plus numerous smaller mountains and hills. The area has a long tradition of mountaineering which is reflected in the number of trails and routes and also the network of mountain huts available to walkers. It was in two of these huts that together with an old friend from the UK I spent a few days exploring the area around a village called Benasque.

The first hut, Refugio de Estos was a days walk in form the road through alpine meadows and wild flowers. Staying in a mountain hut over a busy weekend has to be experienced to fully appreciate. Bedrooms are often communal, ours had three tiers of sleeping platforms with around 40 people in, some of whom where up at half five to set off to do Posetts one of the main peaks in the range. We however had a late start by comparison (7.00am) and headed for a more leisurely ascent of Pico de Clarabide a mere 3,006m perched right on the border.

The second hut we used was the Renclusa on the north side of Aneto which at 3,404m is the highest point in the whole range. Like many huts this has no road access and here the supplies are brought in daily by two mules. Again the hut was crowded but luckily we had individual bunks however we did this time succumb to an ‘alpine’ start and had breakfast along with many others going for the summit at 5.00am.

The initial ascent across a very steep boulder field which led to a gully filled with scree and loose rocks. The gully was potentially the most dangerous section of the whole route. About a dozen ascending it at the same time meant that dodging loose rocks whilst trying to keep upright was essential.

Along with a few other peaks in the range Aneto still holds a small section of glacier. The crossing is easy and well marked and after the gully came as a relief. The summit itself is magnificent, if a bit crowded with the summit cross itself is reached by a short but very exposed scramble across a knife edge ridge which many people didn’t do, understandable when you saw the drop.

A problem on Aneto like many other ‘highest peaks’ is that many people go unprepared and just want to bag the summit. This was perhaps best illustrated by the number of young Spanish walkers who went up in trainers (!!!) with crampons attached. I sight I’d never seen before I must admit.

Cabra de Montana

Last week I went with a few friends and again climbed Travenque a superb mountain east of Granada. After a steep ascent the final few meters offer a short scramble to a truly dramatic summit. The view east to Valetta, Caballo and the ski resort is one of the best in the range.

As often happens during a trip in these mountains during the walk we spotted a small herd of ‘’cabra de montana’’. Many of you will have seen herds of these ‘’mountain goats’’, normally running away into the distance. For those who haven’t these truly wild animals are about the size of a fallow deer, they are a tan colour with darker shoulders and haunches with the larger older animals having a pair large sweeping horns. Well suited to the mountain terrain where they are generally found they have short muscular legs and large soft hooves which are perfect for gripping steep rock faces. Generally browsers they live in areas of mixed scrub and broken ground in the lower mountains but I have seen them at 3,000m near the Caldera refuge on Mulhacen, on the edge of Lanjaron and also on the coast near Cerro Gordo. Often the only sign you have that they are in the area are large amounts of droppings on summits though you will often hear a sharp high pitched call as outlying individuals warn a larger group that you are approaching.

The groups you see will either be made up of females with their young or males. The two groups do not generally mix apart from the breeding season in autumn. This is also the time when males fight for dominance of a herd with head butting contests.

My first sighting of ‘’cabra’’ was about 10 years ago whilst descending the south ridge of Mulhacen. Needless to say seeing one of these animals for the first time was quite a shock particularly as it was quite a large male with a fantastic pair of horns. I have become accustomed to looking out for them but even so it’s often not until they move that I spot them as they are well camouflaged and blend into the backgrounds remarkably well.

Whilst often called mountain goats these animals are actually a type of Ibex, Capra pyrenacia . At one time there were a total of four subspecies. One, a Portugese subspecies, died out in 1892. Shockingly the other, Capra pyrenaica pyrenaica, became extinct on the 6th January 2000. A remarkably specific date. However this was when the last known specimen of a subspecies peculiar to the Pyrenees died. A frightening example of how easily we can loose unique animals. The two remaining subspecies however seem to be doing well and at the moment at least appear to be growing in numbers with an estimated population across the Iberian Peninsula of about 50,000.

Next time you’re out in the mountains take time out to try to spot these remarkable animals.

‘’Ruta Medieval’’ in the Taha.

The Taha is the area of the Alpujarra east of the Poqueira Gorge and is made up of about a dozen small villages ranging from the largest, Pitres, to Altabetar, a small hamlet of around twenty properties. Linking these villages is a network of pack horse trails and old footpaths. This is just one of a number of circuits possible in the area.

Start in Fondales, one of the smaller villages. From the village entrance follow signs for Ferreirola. The chances are that, like me, you will stumble though each of the villages taking wrong turns here and there but coming across flower-filled corners and blind alleys which give these villages their beauty and charm. Once through however the path is obvious as it is marked with a number of markers. About 10 minutes after passing through a baranco the path emerges in Ferreirola, head to the church and village wash house. Turn left here to a wider track which brings you to a wonderful spring flowing with naturally carbonated water. A couple of minutes later you come to a large ‘’era’’ or threshing circle. This is a great place to stop for a break with views into the dramatic Rio Trevelez valley and the steep path on the far side of the valley which marks our ascent route.

The path begins to climb, crossing a small outcrop. At a waymarker follow the path downhill into the valley to a ruined corn mill which still has some of its original grind stones. Cross the river on a narrow bridge high above the river to begin a steep ascent on the wonderfully constructed path as it zig-zags up the hill side. It’s steep, so take it easy. However after about half an hour you emerge high on the south side of the river with views north to the main Sierra Nevada range. Follow the shallow valley south to a small cluster of houses before turning right along a wider track.

The track cuts across a steep hillside often through pine forest which gives some shade. After about an hour turn right at a finger post marking the route back to Fondales. Follow the track back down toward the river before crossing the ‘’Roman’’ bridge, one of only three river crossing in this section of the valley. The path climbs back to emerge in the village just past a small wash house.



10km, 5-6 hours, Water in villages and at spring en route.