Sierra Mistas

Sierra Mijas from my Toyota - just a small cloud

25-07-2013

Sierra Midges.Yes, I know it is pronounced Meeoss. Actually it was more Sierra d’ants. There were hundreds of ant nests on the path. Mijas town is a pretty little town of white buildings on the slopes of the sierra above the ugly resort of Fuengirola. However, the day after I was in the tourist crowded town of Mijas a British man murdered his wife and daughter, then committed suicide, so maybe it is not as serene and untroubled as it seems.

The signboard shows a choice of routes to the summit. I decided to use the yellow, blue green and then orange routes up and the alternative orange and red routes down. However, I could not find the start of the alternative orange path and as it was misty I did not want to end up getting lost so came down the ascent route. Later, I called in the tourist information office to pick up a leaflet, ‘Hiking in Mijas’, however this does not show any orange paths at all. The leaflet informs the reader that the town was founded by the unfortunately named Turdetanos.

There is a small car park on the A-387 and stop for the M221 bus (Fuengirola-Coin) at N36.59560 W4.64082 (453m). The path starts at N36.59653 W4.63978. The paths are quite obvious, signed and waymarked lower down. Except, it is easy to miss the junction on the blue path at N36.60361 W4.64336 and I ended up having to backtrack to it. Nearer the summit the signs disappear and the waymarks less obvious. And, for me, the views less good because what had started as just a small patch of cloud just above the summit turned into a generally cloudy day with a cloud base at around 800m. In a sense, this improved things at the top because most of the time the various masts were obscured.

Pico de Mijas 1149m P850 Major N36.61334 W4.65931 – 14.5km 1170m total ascent

Overnight in Canillas de Aceituno

A junction

Lentisk - Pistacia lentiscus

Somewhere around here the orange path splits into two 

When the mist cleared momentarily

Opuntia face

Blind date with Torrecilla

23-13-2013

Road cones

Spanish fir 

If you have ever spent any time slowly cooking yourself on a beach near Marbella you have probably looked along the coast to Gibraltar and maybe even spotted Jebel Moussa in Morocco. If you bothered to turn round you would possibly have spotted, in the haze, a range of mountains inland. This is the Sierra de la Nieves – the snowy mountains – a UNESCO designated Biosphere reserve.

The highest point in the sierra is Torrecilla (small tower) with a prominence of P1472, meaning that, in my mind anyway, it could be classified as a sub-Ultra, but anyway it is definitely a Major with an absolute height of 1919m at N36.67596 W4.99623. It is the fifth most prominent mountain in mainland Spain.

If you were on a package holiday and went on the coach trip to the Pueblo Blanco town of Ronda built round a hundred metre deep gorge, then chances are your coach crossed high over the sierra on the winding road, that is obviously a favourite with bikers and cyclists. I doubt that your coach turned off the A397 to the right at N36.66074 W5.09932 on to an intermittently paved and unpaved road heading for the heart of the mountains. Curiously, the road is closed at N36.67508 W5.05278 despite there being a large car park and recreation facilities further on at Quejigales.

For once I had a map, however it wasn't really necessary as there are plentiful signs and the tracks are quite obvious. There were half a dozen cars parked near the roadblock which indicated there were a number of other parties on the hill ahead of me.

I continued on the still intermittently paved and unpaved road to Quejigales, passing an unsigned road at N36.68547 W5.04865 that branched to the right. I later realised that this also cyclable but steeper unpaved road would be an alternative route to the Puerto de los Pilones. After about three km I reached the Quejigales car park. Just beyond there at N36.69202 W5.04350 there is a signboard and small bridge crossing a dry arroyo. From the bridge the path meanders steeply through a forest of pine and deciduous trees. 

Abies Pinsapo Boiss

Apparently, the pines – Abies Pinsapo Boiss – are almost uniquely to be found in this area. The only other place in the world being one valley in the Moroccan Rif mountains. I am not sure which valley that is and wasn’t probably the hashish trail I had walked a few days previously, however, I love it when I can link walks together. Later on in the walk there were hazy views down and across to Gibraltar and Jebel Moussa, adding to that sense of circularity.

Out of the pine forest

The path leaves the forest at and soon joins the unpaved road that came up from the aforementioned junction. Turning left on the road I soon reached the collado at the Puerto de los Pilones at N36.68917 W5.02209. The path then does a long semi-circular traverse around the head of a large ‘corrie’, occasionally losing a bit of height but mainly gradually ascending.

Marbella the right distance away

Snow well, snow well...

At N36.69410 W5.01379 there is a restored snow-well (presumably shepherds would have collected as much snow as possible to provide a water source after the spring melt) the Pozo de Nieve de Tolox. 

Torrecilla black tree

Eventually after much twisting and turning the path reaches a rocky pass, turns left, gives the first proper view of the summit and then loses height down to a some caves and a spring at 36.68210 W4.99708. The sign besides the spring says something about not using detergents in the water, I think.

Torrecilla

After the spring comes the final ascent and explains why the route has been classed as ‘media’ rather than ‘facile’. It was on this part of the walk that I overtook all the other parties, that had set off before me, as they struggled with the loose rocks, scree and prickly vegetation on the steep slopes. There was evidence of waymarks but there were a number of options – all as good/bad as each other.

Handy sign for anyone who is not sure where they are

The top is marked by a cairn, a sign and a nearby cross. There is a logbook to complete inside a metal box fixed in the side of the cairn – the logbook shows that Torrecilla is a popular destination. 

Pico Torrecilla

I had the summit to myself for quite a while and then the other parties started to arrive looking sweaty and frazzled. I was the first to leave and I did not see anyone else the rest of the day. I reversed my ascent route – except when I reached the Puerto de la Pilones I remained on the unpaved road. Although it was slightly longer that way it had the advantage of being able to march without having to concentrate on where to put my feet and it also meant that I stayed within a gentle and welcome breeze for a lot longer than the way down through the trees.

Overnight in the Camping Le Sur, Ronda

Torrecilla from the north

The hashish trail

21-06-2013 - 22-06-2013

Cannabis sativa

The Ultra, Jebel Tidirhine N34.84044 W4.51654 2428m P1901 rises in the Rif mountains above the outlaw town of Ketama. On one side of the main road out of the town is the Gendarmarie Royale office, on the other several hectares of young hashish plants.
I had known about the cannabis growing before I went there, but I assumed it would be hidden in remote valleys. At first, I just thought it was bracken. The whole area is given over to the cash crop with complex and sophisticated irrigation systems.

Bodyguard

Azmorou had insisted that I park my motorhome next to his home, so that his family could guard it and he insisted that he accompany me up the hill 'for the pleasure'. I think he was more of a bodyguard than a guide as we walked through the terraces of marijuana plants that filled the valley at the back of his home at N34.86938 W4.53806 (1587m).

Hectares of hashish

Each patch was guarded by one or two young men - who did not seem any more sinister than any other Moroccans, but who knows. Obviously not women's work - but I bet when it comes to harvest time it is.
We followed the track to the edge of the forests that line the mountain - at this point the track became undrivable as the bridge at N34.86433 W4.50408 had been washed away.

Jebel Tidirhine

In the forest  we followed the track as it contoured around the mountain - occasionally there were small clearances given over to more young cannabis plants. At a fairly arbitrary point, we left the track and struck uphill steeply through the trees.

Summit from south

I began to doubt about whether my bodyguard had ever been to the mountaintop before. He was too interested in the misshapen trees and he seemed surprised as I was to join a well-maintained and well-engineered path - that did not seem to have any connection with the local harvest - and lead to the tree clear summit tops. Although it is not obvious which is the higher top when up there, it is very clear from below.

Lower top

Summit from lower top

True summit

Summit from the east

For the descent I tried to persuade my guide that there was an easier way off going down more easterly. He followed me for a while but then insisted we follow a line that looked and felt more difficult than the one I had chosen.
We hit the forest road and then it was reversal of the ascent route. Back to Azmorou's house for the inevitable mint tea with olives and bread dipped in olive oil and apricot jam.
Overnight in the grounds of Azmorou's house.

At first light I set off through Ketama, which mercifully at that early hour was free of the numerous dope-dealers and made my way back to the border of the Spanish enclave of Ceuta to catch the ferry back to Europe.

Nice hats - note these are women working, not tourists

Renault 12 - I had a white one in the 70s - I thought it was sleek and stylish, then.

Overnight in Lidl carpark, Algeciraz.

Tazekka zigzags

20-06-2013

Stripped cork trees

Jebel Tazekka

About 100 kilometres to the east of Fes, near the town of Taza there is the Parc National de Tazekka that is typically not signposted off the main road. However, once you enter the park it is, for Morocco, very well signposted. maybe at the weekends the park is full of daytrippers from Fes and elsewhere. However, it felt like that other than the people who live and work there, I was the only person in the whole park. The park has a couple of gorges, an extensive system of caves and lots of cedar and cork trees.



It also has a summit, Jebel Tazekka that is a 'mere' 1980m with an unknown (to me) prominence, but I reckon it must be a P600 Major judging by the visible drop between the neighbouring ranges of the Jbel Bou Iblane to the south and the Rif mountains to the north.
I entered the park by leaving the N6 road at an inconspicuous junction near Sidi-Abdallah-el-Ghiala at N34.17117 W4.32021 and following the road through  the Gorges de l'Oued Zireg to the south of the summit, where there was sign (N34.05765 W4.15975 1478m) offering a choice of two walking routes. However, there is an unpaved road that leaves the paved road at N34.05160 W4.16746 (1505m). I drove part way up the track to N34.06162 W4.17177 where there was a little shelter from the sun and just before the ruts in the road got a bit worse. It is possible to drive all the way to the summit - however I thought that if I wanted to remain slim, fit, tanned, good-looking and interesting company to be with I should go for a walk.
I followed the track until it came to a broad col and then decided to see if there was an alternative way that went to the east of the intervening summit and found quite a nice terrace that traversed all the way round - this terrace is quite obvious when viewed from the road below (in hindsight). This took me to another col - the terrace ends at N34.08178 W4.17540 (1753). There is a junction with the original track at N34.08241 W4.17731 (1786m).

A zig, or is it a zag?

From there you head for a gap in the trees at N34.08396 W.4.17788 (1804m), from where you become a zigzag wanderer on the road to the disappointing summit.

Summit rock

Why disappointing? because it is dominated by five masts, the detritus of previous buildings and the noise o several generators - and the view is limited by the trees. Shame - because up to then the walk had been quite pleasant with glimpsed views through the trees.I found a rock that could be the natural top N34.09063 W4.18304 (1985m) and then I made my excuses and left, using the mast road all the way back.

Not a pretty site

On the road to Taza I made a quick visit to the Gouffre du Friouato - a large hole in the ground that is the start of a much bigger cave system that I could have paid extra to have a guided tour. I then drove over the east end of the Rif mountains to the Mediterranean coast at the lively resort of Al Hoceima.


Overnight in the carpark of Al Hoceima port - as recommended to me by a gendarme.

Jebel Igdet

16-06-2013

Jebel Igdet/Igdat

I suspect the majority of tourists if they cross the High Atlas, do so on the Tizi-n-Tichka pass; judging by the lack of ceramic stalls on the roadside far fewer bother with the Tizi-n-Test pass and only a tiny proportion of those would consider turning off to tackle the road along the Ougdemt valley to Arg N30.98984 W8.40574 (2145m). 

Traffic news - no road works

Hamish Brown claims in his book ‘The High Atlas’ that this road is paved all the way. The first few kilometres maybe, but then there are about 20 km of narrow difficult unpaved rutted road with no passing places and much of the way with a serious unprotected drop on one side. Luckily in both directions I met nothing coming the other way other than a few muleteers. Other hillbaggers will be aware that sometimes getting to the start of a walk is harder than the walk itself. I wouldn't say that the drive this time was harder but I was glad when I finally reached Arg. Within moments there was a swarm of men from the village inviting me to their homes for mint tea – I tried to put them off by promising I would go to one of their homes ‘ce soir’ but that I needed to get going before the day became too hot.

Arg

The walk entails following the road through the village, with several more offers of mint tea, and then the road narrows to a mule track that heads off to long line of cultivated irrigated terraces where as ever the women were doing the work as the men stood around in small groups. Fairly soon the track drops down to the valley floor and becomes much less well defined. At the junction of two valleys  N30.98742 W8.43015 (2555m) a group of men waved at me to carry on up the main valley towards an obvious col on the summit ridge. Quite why this route is any better did not ever become clear – it was a slippy, scree ridden ill-defined path all the way to the col and was taking me away from the summit rather than towards it. Also I realised that the previous day’s exertions on Toubkal had tired me more than I thought. I kept going up and then decided to make a long traverse from N30.98935 W8.43836 (2915m) across to the next col rather than go all the way up to the first one. This did not really turn out to be any easier and in terms of the effort/progress ratio did not make much difference. From the second col I traversed on the left hand side to the third col and then gained the summit ridge where the going was easier, even if the air pressure was lower. The final stretch was more of a walk and would have been quite easy if I had had the energy for it. Hamish Brown writes about the first ascent by Joseph Thomson in 1888 as an ‘extraordinary feat of mountaineering’ so maybe I should be pleased that I managed to get to the top of the Ultra, Jebel Igdet/Igdat N30.96462 W8.44337 3619m P1613 too. Karl Smith in his trekking book mentions there is a trig on the summit but I saw no sign of it – just a cairn and another cairn on the slightly lower summit a short distance to the south-east.  The views back to Arg and the Ougment valley were fine – however, there was little to be seen of the Toubkal which looked like it was having another afternoon thunderstorm.

Igdet summit

On the top

Igdet summit again

On the return I kept more to the summit ridge and when avoiding the more scrambly sections dropped down to the other side than the one I used on ascent and found the going a bit easier. At the second col I decided I would try going down the alternative valley. Sometimes the scree made it easier going, sometimes it was just  difficult and tiresome. I was glad to reach the valley floor and the mule track. As  I walked back to the village I could see the women gathering and carrying fodder and hear them singing and ululating as they worked. For quite a while I was accompanied by a mule that seemed to have slipped its tether – I began to worry that I would be accused of mule rustling. As I reached the village it was getting to dusk – one or two men used the two hands at the side of the head ‘sleeping’ gesture as an invitation to stay overnight – I thought they looked quite sweet doing that – I managed to decline by muttering about ‘mon voiture’. Somehow I slipped inside the voiture quietly without having to go through the lengthy elaborate ceremony of mint tea making. Despite Igdet in theory being a relatively easy quick grab from the road, I was too tired to be sociable.

Overnight on the edge of Arg village – falling asleep to the accompaniment of braying mules, ululating women and the mullah’s call to prayer.

Lakeside bedroom

One of the pleasures of travelling in a motorhome is that one night you can be high up in the Atlas mountains, the next night listening to the waves on a large lake created by the Barrage Ahmed el Hansali in the middle of Morocco close to the delightedly vowelly Ouaoumana. From Arg to Ouaoumana. Being besides a lake also gave me the chance to do what the Moroccans do whenever there is even a small pool of water, clean their cars. The van was literally covered in dust inside and outside – even things inside the cupboards were covered in a film of desert sand.

Back in the Middle Atlas