Cerca Teba and the Rio de la Venta Gorge

Todays walk was planned and led by one of our stalwart members John Milborrow, as this was his home territory. The walk started from the outskirts of the town, and we walked along a tarmac road towards what should have been an extreme end of the Embalse de  Guadalteba, but because of an extremely dry few winters the waters were nowhere to be seen. We then took to the old road that was the original way into Teba from the main road, but has long been unused and has reverted to no more than a track, this led us what should have been the side of the reservoir and into the fertile valley of the Rio de la Venta, and the small barriada of Torrox. Our guide, John, then showed us the pool which is formed by the spring water which is channelled into the paddling pool for the enjoyment of picnickers during the hot summer months.

From here we passed under the high bridge supporting the road into the town from the A357 and entered the gorge. This was an experience as it meant walking over the rocks as there was no defined path. Our path ahead at one point was blocked by the flowing water and this necessitated us crossing to the other side and a leap of faith onto a shaky rock in the middle of the stream and onto a large rock on the opposite bank. Fortunately all executed without falling in. The next challenge was to pass the remains of the old Anis Mill and to cross the stream again, and this appeared to be no mean feat.

Our guide is an experienced climber and caver but the experience in these field stopped with him and included our adventurous female member, Jane, who really does not do narrow ledges and sheer drops. However John being ever chivalrous guided her and made sure that she was safe during the traverse.  John C and Alan K found and alternative route y climbing up some large rocks and leaping large crevices. My bandaged knee wouldn't allow me the flexibility of taking this route and had already spotted what appeared to be an alternative.

I opted to go back a little way and climb the earth banks to what turned out to be a well used goat path that took me effortlessly past the ruins and along the river bank until I found a bridge across made by an old railway sleeper. I then sat on a rock and waited for the others. Those leadership courses in a previous existence seemed to have paid off! Apparently Jane did a victory dance after completing the ordeal. Despite all of this it was an experience that none of us would have wanted to have missed.

The terrain then became completely different and we were onto what felt like an open plain with high cliff to one side and open vistas to the far mountains on the other. We were still alongside the small river and walked to the sound of croaking frogs and the plopping of water voles. Our route then took us away from the valley floor and up a track into the hills above the gorge and were met by a magnificent view over the town of Teba and its castle and the many wind farms on the mountain ridges. The route back to the start was now all downhill through a mix of Almond and Olive plantations.

The weather was perfect with the temperature in the mid 20’s c but with a gentle cool breeze from the north west and a perfect blue sky and clear air.

One coincidence is that whilst we were doing the walk the Sur in English was being prepared and the story on the back page was all about the flooding of the village of Peñrrubia during the construction of the reservoirs, and we were walking at the end of that particular embalse.

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