That's why I'm easy. Easy like Sunday morning

Sunday 07-07-2013 

Penaroyya

Spain is a big country – getting from the mountains in the south to those in the north involves a lot of driving – especially in a motorhome that guzzles the gasoleo if you put your foot down. Still, I managed to find a couple of drive-ups or near drive-ups on the way.

The first was Penarroya 2028m high, a P1023 Major, the Iberian prominence number 27  in the middle of an extensive ski area on Sierra de Gudar in the province of Teruel. From the Vf-Te-01 road at Collado Gitano N4038792 W064701 (1905m) it is possible to drive for about 3km on an unpaved road to within 50m of the summit which has a trigpoint on top of a tall tower – presumably so that it is visible above the trees – at N40.39012 W0.66509. 

The tower is the only excitement to be found with a  balcony part way up and then rungs going up to the top – via ferrata kit useful, to touch the trig itself. There is another column and a mirador to look at more trees below.

I walked 310m and ascended 20m, including the trigpoint tower.

Mirador 

It was difficult to tell whether the general atmosphere of abandonment in the ski resorts in the area is because it was summer or whether it is more deep-seated because of the Euro crisis.`

Cloudy view from Collado Gitano

El Caimodorro from Oriheula del Tremedol

That’s why I’m easy, easy like Sunday morning.

It was more like Sunday afternoon before I got to visit El Caimodorro – but you know me, I cannot resist a pun.* At least I wasn’t trying to do it on the nightshift.

Danger wild animals - lions, tigers and bears? Lionel Ritchie?

El Caimodorro is much lower down the Iberian prominence list at number 71 with a ‘mere’ prominence of P720, which still makes a Major and an absolute height of 1920m. It is in the Sierra del Tremedel near a pretty little cobbled street village of Orihuela del Tremedal. Although, I could not work out how to find the start point in the JMH book, I managed to drive a long up the hill on an unpaved road to park by a sign for a ‘wild animal grid’ at N40.51041 W1.67614 (1730m).

I followed the fence on an ATV track until it met a steeper loose stoned slope which was easily avoided on the right to find a faint but cairned path that lead all the way to the summit. 

The summit was a bit of a mess with a trigpoint on a pedestal at N40.51199 W1.68486.

However, it does have a logbook. After I made my entry, I had a flick through other people’s entries to see if there were any in English – there weren’t – however the word ‘prominente’ jumped out of the page at me. You will see from the photo, there is a couple, Christian and Maria, who are clearly working through the list in the JMH book – the first evidence I have seen that I am not the only one. The entry has an email address that I have not reproduced here – it will be interesting to see if I get any response.

2.17km, 249m ascent

* For those of you who are not hip to the groovy beat, and you wouldn’t know the Downliner’s Sect from Alberto y Los Trios Paranoias or the Levellers, the song ‘Easy’ was a smash hit for a group of popsters, the Commodores in 1977. I hadn’t realised until I checked the lyrics on the interweb that there is a line in the song that says ‘I want to get high’ – so appropriate in more ways than one, then.

Overnight in yet another free motorhome site in the lively and friendly town of Calatayud, Zaragoza province (605m).

The saga of Sagra – plus, I just met a hill called Maria

05-07-2013

La Sagra from south-west

La Sagra from north

Sierra de la Sagra is more of a single big mountain than a range of mountains. It stands out and  can be seen from a long way, from many angles.

GOML

In his book JM Hernandez describes a route starting from Los Collados N37.97722 W56718 (1474m) There are two clues to show that you can no longer access Sagra from here. One is the heavily padlocked and barb-wired gate – the other I ignored at first because it was in Spanish and as you can see, in the photo, clearly states the ‘nuevo’ access point is 2.5km down the road. However, 2.5km down the road there is nothing to confirm that the unpaved road is the one you need to take.

My GPS tracks - grey for driving, blue for walking

Indeed, other than signs about not picking flowers much further up the hill there is no information anywhere.

For the sake of other adventurers – turn north off the GR-9100 road at N37.97640 W2.54549 (1405m) on to the unpaved road. There is room for several cars at N37.96684 W2.54040 (1553m) and there is space for a couple of cars at the end of the road at N37.96376 W2.54899 (1635m). From both points there is a clear well used path that traverses uphill. At N37.96222 W2.55379 (1740m) the path meets what looks like could be the eastern branch of the original path as shown in JMH’s book. 

Above the Collado de las Viboras

Turn left here and keep going up through the trees and flowers to meet the ridge at Collado de las Viboras and a welcome breeze at N37.95921 W2.54984 (1840m). Don't forget to turn right here or you will end up in the valley on the other side of the Sierra. The path is obvious throughout the next part of the route with a few scrambly bits.

False summit 1

False summit 2

Beware of false summits which come to you in sheeptrods, but inwardly they are raven’s lairs...

True summit

The view from the rectangular trigpointed top of Pico de la Sagra at N37.95008 W2.56536 is far ranging, pity about the heat haze. Note that this is the sixth most prominent mountain in the Iberian peninsula with a prominence of P1410, another 90m and it would be an Ultra but has to settle for being a Major – I think there should be a category for anything with a prominence of over P1000. It has an absolute height of 2382m. 

La Sagra trigpoint

I filled in the summit logbook and descended by a route akin to the ascent one, if not a carbon copy.

7.33 km 1128 m ascent

Eigg transplant

Maria, I met a hill named Maria

Actually, I met a town, a sierra and a pico, all named Maria – although there is clearly not consensus as to the name of the summit. 

JMH describes the ascent of Maria/Alto de la Burrica/Cerro Poyo as ‘facile’ – this lulled me into expecting a gentle stroll on easy ground and unambiguous navigation. Not quite the case, but there was nothing overly difficult really.

Penan de las Cuculas

Ermita

There is plentiful parking at the Ermita de la verging on the ridiculous at N37.69165 W218031 (1360m). The road continues to the Jardin Botanica at N37.68955 W2.18130 (1395m). If you want ‘facile’ go round the back of the building and follow the unpaved road – with eventual contradictory signs as to whether you can proceed or not. Do as I do and be prepared to argue that you don’t understand Spanish and, anyway, the ‘satnav told me to come this way’. I will explain more about this route later.

I went up the track in front of the Jardin building and fairly soon concluded that this wasn’t the ‘facile’ way. It was mainly the way the tall grasses hit me in the face that put me off – however, being a tough Yorkshireman I kept going. Basically, what you are doing is trying to follow a dry stream bed without getting blocked by the frequent weirs and the vegetation.





Eventually, at around N37.68056 W2.18257 (1660m) you meet a path with an endless series of zigzags that takes you to Cdo de Portalchico at N37.67642 W2.18298. Some of those zigzags are obvious (and tedious) some have been destroyed by people taking shortcuts (because they are tedious).

From this point the path is less obvious. There is a line of cairns. But I know I did not follow them or their logic. Note that all the time, the views are great – shame about the heat haze. And, of course, don’t let the false summits get you. What’s the difference between a summit and a prophet? Some summits are true.

Cerro Poyo trigpoint

Eventually and ‘facilely’  you will find the trigpointed summit at N37.67485 W2.20014 2045m P931 prominence 43 in Iberia.

I knew, ‘facile’ or not, I did not fancy returning down those endless zigzags, there had to be a more direct route  and who cares if it meant that it became more ‘median’. I backtracked to N37.67506 W2.19752 and then made a beeline to meet the legit path at N37.68302 W2.19004 (1690m).






What I should have done is head for N37.68720 W2.19390 because that would have cut out one of the longer zigzags in the path that eventually ends up at the back of the Jardin building. OK, I confess I probably broke the local access code, I  climbed over two or three fences than and I stumbled through odd bits ofvegetation, but at least I did not get as fed up as I did with the long sweeps of zigzagging I met lower down. The route has clearly been devised to ensure that you do not break out into a sweat. But, hey, if you are going to go up or down these slopes in the summer then you are going to sweat anyway. JMH is right the easiest ‘facile’ way is the track that starts at the front of the Jardin and follow the fence, upwards. 

11.20km 1056m ascent.

Overnight in a free motorhome site in Velez Rubio, Almeria province – with free electric hook-up. (823m)

Then lots of driving to end up overnight at another free motorhome site in Segorbe, Castello province – no electricity, but nice palm trees. (324m)

Barbara and Magina

03-07-2013

Whereas the Parque National/Natural Sierra Nevada is a clear honeypot, busy 7/7, there are other parques natural in the region that are very much less frequented.

It felt like I had the Parque Natural de la Sierra Baza to myself. During the long drive in and out of the park on typically unpaved roads I did not see anyone – and no-one drove past whilst I bagged the highest point, Santa Barbara – a Major P1155, the 14^th most prominent mountain on the Iberian peninsula, 2271m high marked with a trigpoint at the unambiguous summit at N37.38052 W2.84203.

I left the motorhome in the shade of some trees on the wide Collado de la Mina at N.37.37493 W2.85077 (1970m). There is a narrow track that heads east. 

Ruin

I turned left at a ruin on an old miner’s road up to a slag heap and the first of many mine workings for iron, copper and mercury abandoned in 1960. Not always a nature park, then. There are a number of unprotected shafts and levels in the hillside – H&S reps would have apoplexy if they were to see them.

Mine level

Mine entrance

Santa Barbara's trigpoint

There is no need for me to describe the route I took up as there are numerous options available. Just walk up until you get to the top – however, be careful you don’t fall into a mineshaft, could be fun if covered with snow. The summit is mercifully free of masts and the view is good, if a little hazy. I descended by a different route – I would have been hard-pressed to identify my ascent route. 

Mine shaft - a chough's ideal home?

Two black choughs with crimson beaks got quite agitated as I approached a mineshaft they were presumably nesting in. One flew off to distract me, the other squawked angrily and disappeared down the shaft. I found a way through the trees directly back to the motorhome

3.88km, 389m ascent

Santa Barbara

Overnight in the centre of the town of Huelma, Jaen Province (967m) next to the town brass band’s practice room. They seemed to be practicing the same tune all evening with no audible improvement – a barking dog added counterpoint.

04-07-2013

Magina teeth

Sierra Magina

The sign indicated no two-wheeled vehicles, but nothing about four-wheeled ones as I turned left off the A324 road from Huelma – a few hundred metres after the Mata Bejid visitor centre. The unpaved road was in a poor state and I dreaded what was to come as it crossed the Sierra Magina to the town of Torres on the other side. I was hoping and wishing it would improve and not get worse when I rounded a bend and found myelf behind a bulldozer levelling the road. I had visions that Pico de Magina was not going to be bagged that day. However, after a kilometre the driver pulled over to one side and I had a ‘conversation’ with two workmen in which I only understood about five word they used. However, I think the gist of what they were saying is that I could carry on up the road – but I would not be able to get back the same way later on. I think I also understood that the road to Torres, the northern ‘salida’ was open – but I wasn’t totally sure. We shook hands and I proceeded. Later on there were signs up saying the ‘camino’ was ‘cerrado’ because of ‘obras’ back to the south – confirming what I had thought. The good news for anyone wanting to get there in the future, the unpaved road will be in good condition for a year or so.

Pico de Magina is yet another Major, P1137, the 18^th most prominent hill on the peninsula, 2167m high and marked by a trigpoint at N37.72598 W3.46412. The original plan was to drive a close as possible and do a quick morning bag with the hope of getting to Sierra Sagra in the afternoon. However, Magina turned out to be more challenging and, importantly, more interesting to be treated as a shabby ‘bag’.

The ‘sendero normal’ I think starts from a point on the main unpaved road at Cortijo de los Prados at approximately N37.72120 W3.49770 (1380m). However, I had driven past this point, as part of my original plan and discovered a side road to the right at N37.73050 W3.48870 (1580m). This road is eventually blocked by a gate and a ‘prohibido’ sign – I turned round to find space off road with tree shelter at N37.73388 W3.47566 (1720m). I walked back to the gate – that had a fence running up the hillside (I will mention this fence again) and carried on to N3773414 W3.47150 where there was a trace of a path through the vegetation. From there I kept finding, and losing, tracks presumably made by Ibex goats until I ended back by the aforementioned fence. It would probably been as easy just to follow the fence up from the gate. I kept with the fence for a while and then ended up doing some interesting weathered limestone scrambling, which I could have easily avoided. I reached an obvious gap on the skyline at N37.72775 W3.46889 (2086m) to find myself on the edge of a wide sinkhole.

View from the gap

Fin

I wandered around a bit looking at interesting features before finding a well used path to the summit – which is probably the least interesting bit of the overall ridge.

There are lots of other tops, a snow-well and scrambly bits to play on. I decided to follow the ridge west as far as the Pena de Jaen (the sadness of Jaen?) which is marked with a boring cross at N3772455 W3.47625 (2135m).

You will see from the above picture why I realised after a short while that there was not an easy way off the end of the ridge back to the motorhome. I made my way back to N37.72515 W47356 (2050m) where I picked a well used groovy path that is presumably a way for pilgrims to the cross. I eventually abandoned this pilgrim’s way ( a case of amazing disgrace, you might say) at N37.72935 W47752 (1840m) so I am not sure where it meets the road. However, finding a way to the amazing disgrace point from anywhere on the road would be simple, vegetation allowing. My variant of the pilgrim’s way ended at N37.73293 W3.47689.

7.67km 731m ascent

Magina from the north

Later, I drove along what the authorities have named the route of the olives. The reason is obvious, the smell of olives is overpowering and the cicada were so loud they drowned out my car audio. I just hope that scientists don’t discover that olives are carcinogenic or anything as the local economy of Jaen would flatline. Cashcrop craziness.

Overnight in the centre of the town Huescar – I like my towns of different hues.