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I am no longer posting to this Blog, please visit the 2016/17 seasons Blog is available ramblingwithal2.blogspot.com The new seasons sched...

Saturday 23 April 2016

Walk from Cerralba to Rio Grande - 23 April 2016

An easy route today after last weeks trek and with the 20 km hike coming up next week.
The route started from the top end of the village of Cerralba and we took to the acequia tracks along the ridge of the Guadlhorce valley. This affords great views over the valley on one side and the Sierra de las Nieves on the other as well as the Sierra de Mijas ahead of us.
The course then drops down into the valley of the Rio Grande and we pass through the Goat farm with is young kids and then to the river banks. here we were fortunate to be there at the same time as a couple of horsemen were moving a group of horses and the fowls and a Bull driven cart was using the track on the opposite side of the river.




We took our break on the bridge that carries the drover track that we were about to use. It was then a one and a half kilometre steady climb, well known to me from my cycling days. The track then levels
out and we have now splendid views ahead to the mountains around El Chorro and las Aquas. We then leave this track the Carril de las Loma and head back to the village. The sides of the track were awash with wild flowers of all colours and hues, brought alive by the recent rain.
The weather was again good if a little muggy and the sky gave us some amazing cloud formations.
A total of 28 people were on this weeks walk and from the comments another success.


Follow this link for more pictures from this walk.


Friday 22 April 2016

Cave and Hidden Mine - Sierra de Mijas

Todays walk was led by John and it was to places that we never knew existed and would certainly not have found ourselves. It was in the Pine forest on the Sierra de Mijas behind Alhaurin el Grande. First we were taken to see the cave, and the cliff that it is in appears also to be used by climbers. We then ascended to the Mines which as it's name suggests is well hidden and unless you know that it's there you wouldn't know that it was there. Here we ventured into the tunnel to see where the Tin or Iron was dug out.
It was then a somewhat steep ascent along a narrow and rocky path up to the vehicle tracks and a long but beautiful descent. All in all a very interesting hike into totally new territory.





Saturday 16 April 2016

Jarapalo and the Roman Mines

The hike that I had planned for today was always going to be heavy going and I knew that it would be too much for some of the group. After a bit of thinking and discussion the decision was made to do the route in reverse and give more people the opportunity to see the mines without having to do the really heavy part of the hike.
 The first section of the route is on reasonable tracks and through the wooded area and along a steady incline. We then reach more open countryside and unfortunately the path gets somewhat rockier. As this is more open the views across the Gaudlehorce valley are quite stunning. It is then another steady incline to reach the hidden mouth of the Mine.





The problem with having so many people, 25 in total, is that the mine is quite dangerous as there is a vertical shaft that is at least 10 mts deep and covered only by and old single bed spring. So a method of allowing only about 5 at a time in was adopted. John was in his element and was the first in and the last out, in fact we were getting a little worried as he was gone for so long, but he is an experienced caver.



It was then farewell to those who opted to not do the rest of the hike and 17 of us trekked up the very steep incline past the Forest Fire Fighters Helicopter landing pad and water reserve and upwards to the new Visitors Centre.


Within the environs of the visitors centre is a flight of several fuentes (fountains), but unfortunately due to the lack of rain this winter they were barely flowing. It was now time for a break as there is some rustic seating amongst the trees.
There is now another short incline to reach the main fuente and then it's the start of the wholly down hill hike for the start. The views are amazing stretching many kilometres into the distance.





As we had car shared from the meeting point it was back to the Mirador Hotel and some welcome refreshment.




Thursday 14 April 2016

Walk to Tolox from Venta Gallardo - 14th April 2016



Thank you to Lina for suggesting todays route. We left the Venta Gallardo on the A366 and walked  for a short while on the roadside rather than getting wet feet in the Arroyo. However this, apart from one spot, had very little water in it, like most water courses at the moment here in Southern Spain. We then encountered the first of several steep inclines, out of the valley and along the ridge with it's stunning views. We kept this course passing numerous very nice dwellings. We reached the outskirts of Tolox and headed for sustenance in a Bar. Our route back was the reverse of our outward walk, but as always the views were totally different. The total kilometers were a little more than expected as was the temperature as the walk progressed.




The pace of life in this area seems to be the same as years ago, and in some ways this is an area that time has forgot





To view all the pictures from this walk, please click this link


Tuesday 12 April 2016

Visit to Lobo Park - Friday 06 April 2016

Although this is not strictly anything to do with walking I thought that some would be interested to see the pictures from my visit to Lobo Park.

to view the pictures click on this link

Saturday 9 April 2016

Zalea and the Drovers track - 09th April 2016

Our walk today was an easy one compares to others. We started from the tint village of Zalea and took to the acequia track the runs along the ridge between the valleys of the Rio Guadlehorce and the Arroyo Casarabonela. The splendid views were complemented by the many carpets of wild flowers that were now out in bloom. A lot of the fields had a blue hue to then from the flowers.




We dropped down and crossed the Arroyo Casarabonela and we shared out refreshment break by the dry arroyo with some beautiful horses and the very young Fouls.









Our route then rises out of the valley and joins the Drovers track that runs between Coin and Zalea. We then cross the Arroyo again, but this time by bridge, but the river is in a very sorry state it is virtually dry. It is this bridge that the group photo was taken.

It's then up the easy incline, passing the abandoned Ostrich Farm and the now derelict Viveros Vera and back to our starting point on the outskirts of the village.
The weather was very kind to us and whilst a little cool to start, as the walk progressed so did the temperature.

For more pictures from the walk, click on this link or visit the Page.






Thursday 7 April 2016

Ermita de las Nieves - Tolox - Thursday 07 April 2016

The village of Tolox is somewhere that I have only made a fleeting visit to some years ago, but today I realised what a gem that I had missed, I was well impressed by the village. However there does seem to be a major problem with parking and it would not be wise to put this on our Saturday schedule as there would be nowhere to park.
The whole hike started off somewhat fraught as to find somewhere to park was a challenge to say the least, as the village consists of many very narrow and very steep streets I thought it less than wise to venture to the interior of the village.
From finding somewhere to park on the edge of the village and far from our scheduled start the next problem occurred, no satellite signal for the GPX file to work (bring back paper maps) so we were navigating blind. Chris thought that the route was at the top of the village and we set off climbing a route known as the 100 steps, this is not steps as in footsteps but steps as in stairs, we eventually reached the mirador and were able to take a well earned break, and we hadn't even left the village yet.
We then took a variety of tracks but never was the GPS showing us on the right route, we eventually came to a dead end and it was at this point that Nessa phoned a friend only to be told that the route that we wanted passed her house. We then headed back to the edge of the village and down to the river where we found a signpost for the Ermita and a notice board with a map. 
At last we were on the right track. We took this for some distance and then came to a fork with 2 ambiguous signs, this was not my best day and we took the wrong fork. It was another turn around and back to the fork and take the other route. At last this was the right path and we eventually found our destination.
Despite all the wrong turns and confusion the scenery was again stunning.
We decided that discretion was the best course and returned back along the same track arriving back into the village and into a local Bar/Restaurant for refreshment and a fantastic tomato salad.  
The was a certain amount of good humoured ribbing but this is what our Thursday walks of discovery are all about, it's all about finding new places to see.
The weather today was a bit too kind to us as it turned out to be very warm.


For all the pictures from this walk follow this link or visit the Page.



Saturday 2 April 2016

El Santo, Pizzara - 02nd April 2016

Todays route took us on a pilgrimage route to the statue of Christ (El Santo) on the top of the hill above the village of Pizzara. We started at the bottom of the village and made our way along the  street to the entrance of the park. This took us through tall pines and area of recreation on the marked path to the summit. After a while of quite heavy inclines we reached the first 'wow' factor, the invisible entrance where one huge rock has fallen against another to form a narrow passage through, and then climb some steep steps through another narrow passage and out onto a small observation area. It's then a steady and sometimes steep climb along a narrow path to reach the first of the viewpoints above the village. Then another steady climb for some considerable distance, giving us more and wider views across the Guadlehorce valley to the Sierra de los Nieves beyond, and now a view of our destination. We come to an area of agriculture with well tended Olive plantations and then to our goal, El Santo.

The views from here are wonderful and the tile plaques that have been erected inform us of the towns and villages and peaks that are in view.

Our hike down takes us along the vehicle access track along the other side of the hill and now affords us views over to Malaga, complete with the sight of planes landing at the airport.



We follow this track untill a narrow path leaves it to the right, it is this that we take and come to the Cueva Oscura, after a short while we join the track that we ascended on and back to the steps into the narrow passage , returning through the park area and into the village.



The weather was fair and not too hot for a walk of this kind.

To view the great photos from this walk follow this link or visit the Page.