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Deaf Man's
Hill
This month Tony Allen
describes a cool,
shady walk for the heat of August
…
Suggesting
a walk in August - with the temperatures in the 90s as I write - may
provoke derisory remarks about mad dogs and Englishmen.
But avoid the midday sun,
pick the right route, and keep it fairly short and there’s no reason
why we can’t continue to enjoy the mountain at this time of year and
keep in trim for the better times ahead.
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Given an early start, when
the air is cool and the Sierra is bathed in that magically clear morning
light, this month’s walk ticks all the boxes perfectly. We plunge into the
cool depths of the Higueron valley, splashing to and fro across the stream
and, even when we emerge onto the higher slopes, pines shade the path for
much of the way.
We start and finish in the Plaza del
Ingenio in the centre of Frigiliana and take the concrete track signed
“Ruta Turistica” just to the right of the Guardia Civil post. This zigzags
steeply down through avocado orchards into the Higueron valley. At the
first right-hand bend a footpath squeezes past the left-hand side of a
house. In spring this is a delightful shortcut for the surefooted,
skirting across a spectacular world flower display on an open rocky slope
high above the river before dropping down into the valley.
| Now,
however, the wild flowers are spent on the slopes, parched and dry
beneath the relentless summer sun, so we’ll stick to the main path
which offers a little more shade.
After about 250m we pass
an acequia to the left. Its paved top offers another easier shortcut
contouring along the valley side until it joins the riverbed. Again,
though, we’ll stick to the main track which soon drops down to ford
the river before swinging to the left to follow the course of the
Higueron upstream (0.60km).
We now follow this broad track for about a kilometre along the valley
bottom repeatedly crossing and re-crossing the riverbed. At this time
of year the flow of water is unpredictable, depending not only on the
rainfall further into the mountains but also on the amount which is
abstracted for irrigation. Sometimes we’ve seen the river turned on
and off as if by a tap. When there’s a good flow it’s a welcome relief
to splash through one of the many crossings and, even when the river
is dry, it’s heavenly to splash your face and hands in the cool water
rushing through the acequia running alongside. |
Eucalyptus below the
waterfall |
|
The Watertank |
Although the bright
colours of spring have now faded, the valley, shaded by pines and the
occasional eucalyptus, is still fresh and green with new vistas or
points of interest appearing at every twist and turn. First, a
dramatic waterfall plunges down the hillside to the left, then we pass
a huge concrete tank set in a eucalyptus grove and fed by the acequia
(1.10km).
For many years, the young people of Frigiliana came to this lovely
spot to bathe, until a zealous official forbade swimming and erected a
sturdy two metre high wire fence around the pool. But youth was not be
denied. Within months gaps appeared in the fence and now, a few years
later, it lies in ruins, while boys and girls plunge unchallenged into
the cool blue water and haul out to sunbathe on the surrounding wall. |
Resisting the temptation to
swim, we head on along the valley bottom, passing first the signboard
marking the beginning of the path across the mountains to Fuente del
Esparto, then 450 metres further on a picnic and barbecue area and 150m
beyond that the surviving buttresses of a ruined dam (1.75km).
| Fifty
metres beyond the dam, look out for a stone cairn and a pair of pine
trees marked with orange paint splashes to the right of the track.
Here, we pick up a
footpath which climbs steeply up from the valley bottom through broken
pinewoods with an under carpet of gorse, rosemary and thyme and then,
after about 100m, levels out to contour around the slope of a side
valley before dropping down to follow the watercourse on up the slope.
We ignore the footpath which climbs steeply up to the right about 50m
later and follow the water course for another 80 metres or so until a
blue spot marks the head of a second path to the right.
Following this path we
now zigzag up the nose of a small spur, keeping to the left where the
path divides into three a couple of hundred metres further on.
|
Holly blue butterfly at
the corral |
|
La Cuesta del Sordo |
Beyond here, a network
of paths divide and rejoin but we continue generally along the line of
the spur until, after about 300m, we crest a small ridge to overlook
another side valley (2.88km).
The path now skirts
around the head of this second side valley onto the larger ridge of la
Cuesta del Sordo, where it links up with the path to la Fuente del
Esparto (3.42km).
That is a really
splendid walk, running high across the mountain through almost alpine
scenery and crossing the spectacular Chillar valley. But it’s not a
walk to do in high summer so we’ll turn right, following the footpath
which runs generally along the ridge of la Cuesta del Sordo, “Deaf
Man’s Ridge”, to the south. |
| The
birdsong ringing in our ears belies the rather unhappy name. Ignoring
the path between an arch of pine trees which runs back down into the
Higueron valley, we continue along the east face of the ridge for
another hundred metres before crossing over to the west side and
skirting along just below the crest through quite dense pinewood,
helped on our way by the occasional splash of blue paint, and with the
occasional glimpse of the Castillo de Lizar through gaps in the trees.
About 300m beyond the
Higueron path, we cross the ridge again and emerge into open scrub and
almost immediately turn right at a T-junction, heading for a prominent
lone pine on a pimple of rock. |
El Sordo along the
ridge |
Once again, we find a maze
of tracks but helped by the occasional blue blob or arrow and keeping well
clear of the precipitous slopes to the west of the range, we skirt to the
left of the pimple and head for a second pimple a little further on. From
here there are splendid views down the Higueron valley to the coast and
across to Frigiliana (4.50km).
|
Rosemary still flowers
although its leaves are parched |
Dropping down to the
east of the pimple, we carry on heading slightly east of south and
aiming at a point a little to the west of the white cross of Cerro del
Pinto which is now clearly visible ahead.
We are now heading down
a long, broad spur of glorious open garrigue, interspersed with
scattered pines.
At this time of year
the colours are muted echoes of the tumultuous panoply of spring.
|
Ranunculus
bullatus |
But lavender and rosemary
flower quietly on and here and there a dainty Spanish dianthus or
ranunculus brightens a rocky crevice and the pungent fragrance of pine,
rosemary and thyme are a delight.
|
Corral de Pinto |
The
network of tracks is a bit confusing but we head generally down the
nose of the spur, careful not to stray down either towards the Chillar
valley to the left or onto the sheer slope down to the Higueron on the
right.
Eventually, helped when
in doubt by the occasional blue blob, we come to a cairn beside two
prominent pines.
Here the path swings
sharply left and 50 metres later the Corral de Pinto comes into view
(5.52km). |
Spanish
dianthus |
At the corral we meet a
better path and turn right. This path leads through shoulder high scrub
back down into the Higueron valley. Passing to smaller paths which lead
off to the left we soon come to a rocky promontory where we drop down
steeply to the right through a stand of pines and, winding between the
rocks, come to the riverbed (5.82km).
Crossing the river, we turn
immediately right along the far bank. Until recently this was a
glorious wildflower meadow but when we last came this way, its carpet
of scarlet poppies had been grubbed up and two men were building a new
orchard fence. Our sadness at the loss of the meadow was tempered by
the thought that a new orchard was better than a new villa.
Now it’s simply a matter of following the course of the Higueron back
up its lovely valley to the ford below Frigiliana and then back up the
hill to the village. And, of course, into the cool interior of the Bar
Virtudes for a refreshing beer (6.32km).
Walk Data: Distance, 6.32 km. Time, 1½ to 2 hours, Difficulty,
easy to moderate. |
The lost poppyfield |
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Previous month's walks
by Tony Allen
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September 2006 |
October 2006 |
November 2006 |
December 2006 |
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January 2007 |
February 2007 |
March 2007 |
April 2007 |
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May 2007 |
June 2007 |
July 2007 |
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