Pyrenees HRP - 2004 - Day 43

 

Sue and Martin's Big Adventure

 

Day 43 - Monday 6 September 2004 - Stage 35

Postcard Summary (on tomorrow's card)

Empty Hotel to D’Incles Valley

Another good but hard day’s walk – 9.0 hours, 17 km, 1300m ascent

Best weather for a few days for a long but very well graded 1100 metre ascent to the Col des Miners (2713m).  Good views and very few people, then a scrambly traverse and thrutchy climb to a peak (2505m) before descending to the D’Incles valley where it took some time to find the campsite.  Then we walked into Soldeu for a nice meal beside a coach load of Germans.

 

Diary Entry (by Martin)

Hotel Tristaina's breakfast - continental as always - was good, and included delicious kiwi fruit. I felt rejuvenated after two short days and lots of food since reaching Andorra. We discovered that we were the sole guests at the hotel - other people seen had just been using the bar, etc in passing. Amazing how high season quickly evaporates to no custom for these places - apart from coach parties if you can get them.

 

The sky was clear again, though we expected high cloud again later.

 

Hotel Tristaina - 1600 metres - 8.45 departure up to a hairpin bend recced by me last night. Nice ascent east in shade and trees (initially). 16°C. Very pleasant. We reached the end of a dirt road (luckily we only had to walk on it a little) after passing some Botanical Gardens - very quaint.

  

 

 

 

We soon reached the unmanned Sorteny Refuge at 1980 metres. (10 am) This had water outside and a toilet inside what otherwise was just a huge room with metal bunks, tables and benches. A strange selection of left over foods graced the shelves. We decided wild camping would be preferable here.

 

 

Suntan cream was applied and we continued the well graded ascent to Collada dels Meners (2713 metres), past Leopardsbane, Rockroses, Harebells and Dog Daisies, which are not yet 'over'.

 

 

Lots of flowers now are in their final throes - Pasque flowers and Willowherbs waving their seed heads merrily in the wind, and other plants taking on a very desiccated appearance.

 

 

We reached the col at 12.05, 10 minutes ahead of Georges Véron's timing.

 

 

 

But Sue was struggling, still being very tired and feeling unwell today. Knackered and needs a rest. So we ducked out of an easy walk up to Pic de Serrera (2912 metres), and headed down to a convenient lake for lunch. Very few people (7) seen today, but four of those were English! They were on day walks up to the col or the Pic.

 

12.45 to 1.20 - lunch with grasshoppers, soon left us with a short debate about which of three possible routes to take. We chose Georges Véron's old HRP route - the middle course - to Cabana Coms de Jan. A new 'GRP1' route seems to have been introduced (per latest map) which is better marked but may not be as much 'fun'. We enjoyed the scrambly bits and reached the Coms de Jan cabin (2 to 2.15), where we discovered it has been split into two - one section (locked) for a shepherd, and a small section for 2-3 people. Not very homely.

 

We tried to follow Véron's route to Collada del Clot Sord (2458 metres) and found a reasonable way (no real path), with a thrutch up the mountain at the end. A vague path led us across a scree slope to the west of the 2505 metre summit, at which we arrived at  3.40 pm. (We could alternatively have gone to the col / saddle, and would probably have easily scrambled to the summit.)

 

 

Then a 700 metre descent, pathless at first then marked with frequent yellow arrows and blobs.

 

 

This took us down to 2050 metres before a junction sent us off up Vall d'Incles, contouring past a balancing rock (Roca del Home Dret) before finally dumping us down a concrete road into the D'Incles valley.

 

 

We walked to the edge of Soldeu and asked in a bar ("where campsite?") The bemused man pointed up the road we had just come down ("1 km"). We then spotted two signposts within 100 metres of the bar, both pointing to 'Camping Font Dels Ferrosins', which we duly found at 5.40 pm, 1 km up the road we had just come down. Virtually empty, office shut, but hot showers working and a man arrived to be paid (€7.50) before we walked the half hour into Soldeu for a good meal surrounded by a coach load of overweight old German tourists, at Hotel Nandi, before a pleasant walk back to camp under the stars.

 

Stats and route (Viewranger):

17 km, 1500 metres ascent, 9 hours

 

 

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Pyrenees HRP - 2004 - Day 42

 

Sue and Martin's Big Adventure

 

Day 42 - Sunday 5 September 2004 - Stage 34

Postcard Summary 

Fishermans Camp to El Serrat

Into Andorra at last for beer and ski resort lunch (supplies low) – 6.0 hours, 12 km, 800m ascent

Today, another hazy sky.  The morning involved a descent, then a climb to the Port de Rat – out of France and into Andorra.  The view of ski lifts was rather ugly, but an open restaurant provided us with cheese baguettes and salad – a good alternative to tins of fish!  We see lots of tourists walking the short distance to three scenic lakes, then we lose them when the descent gets steep.  Now enjoying beer, crisps and a valley view from the terrace of Hotel Tristiana, clean after a good bath.  Only one more day until a day off in Soldeu.

 

 

Diary Entry (by Sue)

After not an especially good night's sleep (bad pillow, sheep bells, gusty, too hot), I managed to miss both alarms (due to ear plugs), and woke with Martin suggesting a weather deterioration. Although the same high cloud was present, the pressure had fallen and the temperature had risen to 16°C. Delayed start due to toilet stops for both of us, but then we had a good run. Leaving our lake, a path descended, then contoured around the end of a very hazy valley, to meet a dirt road. (See top picture for the view down the Soulcem Valley.)

 

Not long on this gentle gradient upwards before our path is signed with cairns and yellow marks. We climb steadily, stopping once for mountain mix, to reach the Port de Rat at 2540 metres.

 

Ascending to Port de Rat

 

Two large cairns mark the border, and a fairly big landmark for us - we've reached Andorra (11 am).

 

The view is of ski lifts and pistes, and newly sown grass, but the advantage is that the Restaurant La Coma, by a large car park and a chairlift, is open. Although only 12 ish, we welcome a lunch of cheese baguettes and a plate of salad, with a tin of coke.

 

 

Leaving there, the path rose steeply for a short while, and it was soon clear why everyone and his dog were heading this way. Over a brow, and three lakes lay below us, very easily accessible from the car park. But, as usual with the HRP, we leave the tourist spots quickly, and after the lower lake, we saw no one walking.

 

A steep descent followed, where care was needed, with a rather scary crossing of a dam at the bottom, over which water was running (Martin avoided this by crossing the stream higher). Then, a section of ski piste, one of old road, one of new road, and one of track, and El Serrat appears.

 

A ski piste above El Serrat

 

It was hot (28°C) and sunny on this section, so no real change in the weather. El Serrat only has hotels and no shops, so we book into Hotel Tristaina, without finding out the cost for a night's half board, and immediately swing into the hotel / early finish routine (2.45 pm) - washing, baths and airing sleeping bags. Once these chores are done, we can adjourn to the terrace bar, for a beer, crisps and a few postcards. The swifts fly around this lofty location, and the hazy sun shines on our view both up and down the narrow valley, lined with pines.

 

We are their only customers for dinner at 8 pm, so we sit in the bar, instead of the restaurant, along with only one other customer - a small man who doesn't remove his hat and who drinks red wine and watches the blaring TV! Dinner is an ordinary salad, pork (M) and sausage (S) with chips and veg, and apple cake (S) and lemon mousse (M) for pudding. The waiter makes an excellent effort to describe the choices in English, more accurately than the 'English speaker' at the Graus campsite. Bed is around 10 pm.

 

Stats and route (Viewranger):

13 km, 680 metres ascent, 6 hours

 

 

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Monday 11 November 2019 - The Alhambra, Granada

 

 

 

Leaving our hotel, a respectable place 100 metres from the Cathedral, I spotted a rat dashing to the cover of a rubbish container. So we can add that to our list of flora and fauna...

After breakfast, a short walk took us to the entrance of the Alhambra and the nearby Generalife, where we spent the entire day. Sadly it was overcast and cold.

These places are a conglomeration of structures and gardens dating from the 13th to the 20th centuries. The structures are being preserved, but there is no attempt to reconstruct what they might have looked like, furnished, in their heyday, and access to the interiors is very limited. Since the mid 1900s efforts have been made to return the gardens to their original magnificence. Many gardeners were hard at work today, mainly giving the numerous cypress and other trees an autumn trim.

We retreated from the cold wind for a luxurious coffee break in the posh Parador Hotel. Still cheaper than Starbucks.

The main attraction is the Palacios Nazaríes, which is entered by way of a timed ticket. By the time our 3 o'clock entry time came round, the battery in my audio guide was nearly flat. However, I didn't miss much as there are only so many ways you can describe an alabaster ceiling or wall. Apparently there used to be some pictures, but given the profusion of ornate plaster, we couldn't really see where any artwork would go.

Back in Granada, Restaurante Bicicleta was our chosen refuge in which to warm up and enjoy their assortment of tapas. That will last us until breakfast tomorrow, after which we'll be dashing off to the colder wetness of Timperley. So this is probably the last mobile posting for a while, though some more photos and some routes from this most enjoyable trip will appear in due course.

Today's pictures:
Inside Palacios Nazaríes
A typical 'plastered' wall
Freshly trimmed cypress trees 

Sunday 10 November 2019 - The Carthusian Monastery in Granada

 

 

 

Today has been comparatively restful, with a 10 km stroll under a heavy sky around Granada taking us to the Carthusian Monastery, returning via Sacromonte, where the houses are built into the rock of the hillside.

We went via the University campus, quiet on a Sunday morning apart from the screeching of a colourful band of Iberian magpies. We were also lucky to see a hoopoe in the same spot near the Dental School.

Collared doves and warblers were also in evidence today, as well as lots of mountain bikers, runners, a few hikers, and numerous tourists like us.

The monastery is an interesting place. Its construction started in 1516 and continued for about three centuries despite being occupied. It was occupied until 1836, when the church and the land belonging to it was confiscated.

The land passed to various owners and the cells of the monks and other outbuildings of a fragile structure disappeared. The ruinous state of the main buildings was eventually recognised as requiring restoration, and that took place, very successfully, in the 1960s.

The entrance fee of €5 included a helpful audio guide gadget.

There are some magnificent paintings on view, many by Fray Juan Sánchez Cotán (1560 - 1627), and his protégé Vincente Carducho (1585 - 1638). Some of them bring to life (or death) scenes described in CJ Sansom's Shardlake books that I'm currently reading.

The Sacristy and the Sanctuary are particularly ornate, being crammed with engravings that must have taken years to make (if not 300 years!).

I could go on, but there is lots of information elsewhere, and I don't want to bore you. A guidebook dated 1976 lent to us by Dot has come in useful!

After a delicious smoked salmon baguette, we were back at base by mid afternoon for a bit of down time before venturing out to a Moroccan restaurant, Palacio Andaluz Almona, for another tasty meal. The going rate for a meal for two, with drinks, is about €40 here.

Today's pictures:
From the Carthusian Monastery:
The Cloister
The Church
The Sanctuary

More to follow in due course. 

Saturday 9 November 2019 - Hotel Anacapri (Room 101)

 

 

 

8.00 Breakfast outside the Posada
9.00 Leave for Malaga airport in the minibus
11.00 Bus to Granada
13.30 Granada bus station
13.45 Bus 33 to the Cathedral
14.00 Lunch by the Cathedral before heading 100 metres east to Room 101

We were sad to leave Canillas, as was the supermarket owner who made up our last tuna baguette sad to see us going. The walking season here is drawing to a close. Collett's trips now take a break until April.

The 10.45 bus claimed to be full, despite only a handful of people getting on at the airport. But the next bus had space. Best to book tickets, we decided, so we now have them for the return journey. €11.75 per person per two and a half hour journey.

Fine views of the snow capped Sierra Nevada from our seats at the front of the bus.

Once installed in Room 101, we enjoyed a little sortie into the streets thronged with tourists. Sadly the Cathedral was shut to visitors. We headed on a 2 - 3 km circuit. It's a hilly city. We soon felt weary.

So we are now just chilling out before seeking some rehydration fluid and a light meal. I am still conscious of having over eaten last night - Gustavo's tapas and barbecue was delicious, but I helped myself to too much!

Later, after the first attempt to send this posting failed due to trying to post four pictures rather than three, we enjoyed prawn and chicken salads in huge bowls at La Vinoteca restaurant, a few metres away from the hotel. Our persistent failure to find the entrance will be long in the memory!

Today's pictures:
Room 101
Granada Cathedral
A typical street in Granada

Friday 8 November 2019 - Acebuchal

 

 

 

Today's 'hard' walk, whilst eschewed by Tom and Cary, saw 17 of us going with Mick to another Fabrica de Luz - this one the other side of Competa, some way down a gravel track.

We started through a ford then along a continuation of the track, before heading up a steep, narrow, scratchy path, eventually reaching a col, Puerto Paez Blanca, at 750 metres.

On the way, a couple of mountain bikers, a couple of walking groups, fringed pinks and a lone ibex.

A gentle descent on a good path led to a ruin - Venta Cebollero o Cebollera - our first lunch stop, where butties from the hotel or the supermarket were despatched. Our flask of tea went down well. Nobody else has that luxury.

A narrow path on an old mule track beside and sometimes inside a dry river bed led us in another 45 minutes or so to the hamlet of Acebuchal. This hamlet was once used by partisans in the civil war, following which Franco sought revenge by evicting all the residents and removing the roofs of the houses.

In the 1990s some descendants of previous residents, Antonio and his wife, decided to renovate their old family home, and they encouraged others to do likewise. By 2005, the hamlet had been restored, with some difficulty and at a cost. Since then Antonio has opened a restaurant and acquired a couple of properties that he rents out. The restaurant is very popular. Initially a summer amenity, it is now a year round attraction.

Coffee/beer/tea and an assortment of cakes provided us with an ample second lunch in the busy restaurant in this attractive hamlet.

An easy track led back in an hour or so to the stepping stones across the river, beyond which transport awaited to return us to the villa in Canillas for the last time on this trip. Lovely views of Competa en route, good views all day in fact.

We then gathered outside by the pool. Some swam, others consumed wine and told bad jokes. It was all very jolly.

I'll concoct in due course a separate posting with this week's routes, and add more photos. Today we walked about 13 km, so far as I can guess.

Tonight our group of 26 will assemble for the last time for an evening of barbecue and tapas, before some folk leave for Malaga early in the morning while others of us will still be fast asleep in bed.

Thursday 7 November 2019 - Cerro Verde

 

 

 

After an excellent meal at El Pilon in Competa - thanks to Lisa for that recommendation - we returned last night under moonlight with Tom and Cary for the two mile walk back to the Villa.

Today just 11 of us signed up for Mick's circular route from Fabrica de Luz to the 1326 metre summit of Cerro Verde and back.

The minibuses took us up 3.5 km to the start, where there was a hydro electric plant in the 1950s for ten years before it became a sawmill, (and now it's a summer campsite), leaving Canillas at 9.30 after our usual al fresco breakfast in the sunshine.

Lovely paths led steeply through pine woods laden with scratchy gorse, all the way to the summit trig point. On the way up we encountered a brand new fire break, the crushed rocks glowing white in the sunshine.

The only people seen on today's walk were a team from the Parc Naturel who were stripping the ground in another fire break. It's four years since the last serious fire; such events can be contained by the fire breaks and by water helicoptered from a nearby reservoir that came into view as we ascended.

Despite an imminent rain shower, from our banana break on the summit we could see the mountains of North Africa in the distance. Ravens circled over the nearby lower but less accessible peak of Cerro Atalaya. We could see down to the venta where we had lunch on the Silk Route.

An interesting rocky descent down a loose path took us over the only steep ground of note that we have encountered all week. Everyone managed fine despite a bit of light rain.

Despite being in pine woods for most of the day, views were generally very good, thanks to the sparseness and the dwarfness of many of the trees.

Lunch was taken beside the rocky path. Then we continued past caves that may once have been inhabited. This is an area where partisans opposed to Franco had some strongholds, and there are also some towers built by Franco's men in an effort to track down those partisans.

These days ibex roam the hillsides. We were lucky enough to spot a small group of them.

One cave definitely was occupied until not long ago - by a bee keeper. There would have been bee hives and vegetable patches, where there is now a sweet chestnut farm, with a walnut farm just a little lower down the valley.

The valley remained rocky and narrowed, with the path crisscrossing a small stream via slippery rocks, eventually emerging at the parking spot at Fabrica de Luz, where the small campsite that operates here in the summer was definitely closed today.

The minibus we'd left there only takes 8 passengers, so Mick took 8, and Sue, Cary and I strolled the easy 3.5 km back to Canillas.

A 16 km walk in total for the three of us, with around 1000 metres ascent, taking less than 6 hours - we were back at the villa around 3.30.

Another really excellent walk.

Today's pictures:

Top - firebreak view

Middle - summit trig point

Bottom - looking back to well named Cerro Verde

Wednesday 6 November 2019 - Nerja

 

 

 

Collett's staff have Wednesdays off, but Mick took a few people to Granada, and 14 of us were taken by hotel minibus and taxi to Nerja, where half a dozen of us took a trip down the show caves.

These caves have been formed over 800,000 years, and there is evidence of human occupation from as long ago as 24,000 years. However, at some point the entrance was blocked and they disappeared from sight. That was until 12 January 1959, when five cavers bludgeoned their way through the rocky entrance.

They found a cavers' paradise, part of which is now the show cave that we visited, and most of which is the subject of further studies and exploration.

It's like an underground cathedral. An annual concert is held in the vast auditorium. There are all manner of cave formations.

The tour took about an hour, after which we were taken to nearby Nerja town, where coffees on the prom preceded a visit to the museum. Here, we were informed about the history of Nerja and the nearby caves.

Nerja has existed for a very long time, but for one reason or another the ancient villages were destroyed. The present town was founded in 1633, but was pre-dated by a number of towers that were built as part of an effort to repel attacks from the English and others.

The place has a rich history and is the start of the Silk Route that we encountered a couple of days ago. In that posting I inferred that the silkworms came from North Africa, but it seems that silk actually came from Nerja and Maro (where the caves are) due to an abundance of mulberry trees, on the leaves of which silkworms fed.

These mulberry trees were eventually replaced by sugarcane in the 1580s, before the current town was established. Later, a magnificent aqueduct was built, as modelled in the museum.

We found a sandwich and ice creams for lunch on the prom, with views of a beach and of the nearby Almijaro mountains (bottom picture), after which it was time to leave the pigeons and parakeets and return for a 4pm rendezvous with Gustavo and a 40 minute journey back to Canillas.

Posada La Plaza's restaurant is closed tonight, so Cary, Tom, Sue and I will fend for ourselves at a restaurant in Competa recommended by Lisa (our decorator).

Tuesday 5 November 2019 - A Circuit via Salares

 

 

 

Today, thirteen of us set off on the longer walk under Mick's careful supervision, on a 14 km circuit via Theo's bar in Salares.

Let me try to name us all: me, Sue, Cary, Tom, Bern, Cheryl, Val, David, Paul, John, Martin, Tom and Tony. So now I can name at least half of our group of 26. The others may be Gordon, Karen, Sharon, Wendy, Carol, Anna, Jacob, David, Joyce, Kate, and three more (I've failed).

The terrain is becoming familiar. Ups and downs on mule tracks and gravel tracks, through pine woods, olive groves and mixed woodland of holm oak, orange, lemon, avocado, walnut, almond and sweet chestnut - to name but a few.

After seeing some deer on yesterday's 15 km saunter, all we saw today was some wild boar diggings. It's the hunting season, so perhaps they are making themselves scarce.

It was a reasonable day for bird spotting, with Griffon vultures, Sardinian warblers, Pallid swifts, and grey wagtails all in evidence, not to mention Theo's very chatty canary. Thanks go to Tom for identifying these birds.

Both groups met in Salares at Theo's bar, where a selection of tapas for €8 per person included bread, cheese, tomatoes, sweet potatoes, sardines and some very tasty tortilla, as well as soft drinks and home made wine.

This was a nice lunch, and good business for Theo, who must find it hard to make a living in this village of only 85 inhabitants. The village, let alone the bar, is apparently on the endangered list.

Those on the easy walk were then taken back to Canillas by Gustavo, who runs the Posada la Plaza hotel.

The rest of us returned over a picturesque Roman bridge, past hedgerows with flowers such as fringed pinks. There aren't that many plants in flower, but if you look carefully you are surprised. Unfortunately we don't have our flower book with which to identify them...

Back at Canillas soon after 3 pm, some of us adjourned to a café, whilst others took to their beds before we reconvene at 6.30 for 'Office Hour', when Thursday's walking options will be revealed, followed by another tasty dinner - feta salad then pork for me tonight, spinach and sole for Sue, who spent the afternoon in the jacuzzi.

Today's pictures:

Approaching Salares

The Roman bridge at Salares 

Outside Theo's bar 

(Note that 'technical issues' restrict me to three images per posting, so I'll post more pictures later.)

Monday 4 November 2019 - The Silk Route

 

 

 

19 of us today, plus Helen and Millie (Collett's staff), enjoyed a sunny day at around 1000 metres.

A short bus ride to Las Colmenillas, just above Competa, set us on our way up a hillside of olive groves. Views opened out in all directions, from the nearby mountain range to the coast.

After a while, we reached an old mule track that led to a ruined building, Antigua Venta de los Pradillos. This section was on the GR249 route. It's an ancient trail that forms part of the route between Malaga and Granada, whence silkworms were transported after being imported from North Africa.

The views to pine woods, olive groves, and to the coast near Nerja, were lovely. A great place for lunch, sourced again for €1.60 each from the local supermarket.

An easy stroll back along the mule trail for 3 km was followed by a descent back to our villa in Canillas by soon after 3 pm.

Whilst I simply chilled with C J Sansom's 'Lamentation', Sue went for a swim and a jacuzzi.

The food here - at the Posada La Plaza restaurant - is excellent. Paella tonight.

Sunday 3 November 2019 - Cuevas de Agua, and some wine tasting

 

 

 

Breakfast was outside Posada La Plaza on a warm morning.

18 of us then gathered in the Plaza with Helen and Millie, whilst 8 more assembled with Mick for a short walk to Competa.

Our 'long' walk saw us rising high above the village to a fire break, then back down via lunch in an olive grove with fine views over the neighbourhood.

Back at the Villa by 1pm.

2 pm - Helen and Millie piped us along the Competa road that we explored yesterday, as far as Bodega, a small winery. A marathon wine tasting session followed. Rosé from the Roma grape, then, from Bodega, a dry Muscatel, then a sweet Muscatel from a later harvest after more sun to sweeten the grapes - the locals favour this one, and it's the King's favourite - then a dark, sweet wine achieved by pressing the raisins. Delicious!