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Capileira |
Climbing
ever higher
Another walk with
Tony Allen
As
summer draws on and temperatures soar, walking in the mountains
becomes an activity suited mainly to mad dogs and Englishmen - and
even they try to find routes with a bit of shade.
Walking above the Rio de la Miel earlier in the year, a tantalising
glimpse of the snow capped peaks of the Sierra Nevada gleaming in the
sun tempted me to try an area where the higher altitude and lower
temperatures prolong the comfort zone for walking by at least two
months a year.
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Until then, my experience of
the Alpujarra had been limited to driving the Motril-Granada road and the
occasional day trip to Lanjaron and Orgiva. Now, exploring further and
higher into the mountains, we came upon the Poqueira valley and discovered
scenery, architecture and
| culture strikingly
different from, but just as delightful as, that of Axarquia.
From a distance the
mountains look much the same - just higher and more often iced with
snow. But as we get closer they look less craggy and somehow more
massive. About 10 km beyond Orgiva we round the tip of a huge 9
kilometre long spur stretching all the way up to the 2700 metre high
Pico de las Alegas.
Suddenly, the Poqueira
valley is spread before us, its three villages - Pampaneira, Bubion
and Capileira marching ahead up the valley. |
Evergreen oakwoods |
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Threshing circle |
They are muy tipico.
Despite a scattering of modern buildings, restaurants, bars and small
hotels to cater for visitors such as ourselves, Capileira in
particular seems little changed by time, a delightful jumble of steep
twisting alleys and houses still built in the distinctive
architectural style of the area. Save for the churches, the red tiled
pitched roofs of the coast have given way to flat roofs of grey-black
local slate. Strange chimneys, like long white heads with square eyes
and black brimmed hats, peer across the roofs.
Around the villages, the
landscape too is very different from that of Axarquia. The valley
itself is fertile and well watered but the steep terraces bear
cherries, walnuts, chestnuts and, surprisingly, grain, rather than
olives and avocados. Slate paved threshing circles are scattered
plentifully among the terraces, and from them - a promising sign for
the walks we plan - a network of mule tracks lead down to the ruins of
several watermills in the valley below. |
| Beyond the cultivated
areas lies a wonderland of wildflowers. In spring and early summer
whole hillsides blaze with golden gorse and broom and the pungent
fragrance of juniper and thyme is heavy on the air. Elsewhere, the
softer tones of euphorbia colour the slopes, punctuated by delicate
orchids and narcissi or gold cupped ranunculus.
Among them you’ll find
plants like the Sierra Nevada Narcissus, Poppy and Violet which are
seen nowhere else in the world. This is one of the richest and most
diverse habitats in the whole Mediterranean region, with over 2100
different plant species of which seventy are unique to these
mountains. |
Euphorbia
in the shade of a chestnut |
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Spanish gorse |
The steep valley
bottoms are often densely wooded, the water courses fringed with
poplar, elm, willow, ash and alder.
Magnificent chestnut
woods, are a common feature of the lower slopes but, higher up, above
the villages, these give way to pines and to great forests of
evergreen oak.
Higher still, above the
tree line, is an entirely different zone of alpine pastures, yielding
in turn above about 2800 metres to barren rock and finally a glacial
land of near-permanent ice and snow. Even here, astonishingly, lichens
and tiny alpine flowers survive, sheltering in fissures and crevices
from the freezing winds.
This hugely diverse
habitat makes the Sierra Nevada a paradise for the bird watcher or
butterfly hunter; |
|
Speckled wood butterfly |
a hundred and forty
five different bird species from golden eagles and griffon vultures to
skylarks and golden orioles;
a hundred and twenty
different butterflies including rarities like the Apollo;
also a wealth of
reptiles and mammals, from the 45cm long Eyed Lizard to wild boar,
ibex and five different carnivores. |
An eyed lizard at
lunchtime |
Vying with Trevelez for the title of “highest village in Spain”, Capileira
is an ideal base for exploring this magical land. A network of well
trodden and quite well-signed paths criss-cross the Poqueira valley, lead
over the surrounding mountains to more distant villages like Pitres and
Trevelez, and even climb to the 3478 metre summit of Mulhacen, Spain’s
highest mountain, which lies about 10km north of Capileira.
At the centre of the village is a very helpful and well organised tourist
information centre, where an enthusiastic team of staff advise on walking
routes and conditions, cheerfully photocopying maps and route directions.
We find the most difficult part of any walk around Capileira is finding
our way through the village to the right jumping-off point, and after a
couple of walks which went embarrassingly astray, now always ask
directions from the friendly senora in the tourist centre before we start.
The centre also
advises on buses to other villages in the area, a regular and reliable
service offering the opportunity to walk out and ride back, or vice
versa. Best of all is the park bus which runs deep into the mountains,
and offers guided tours of the park with an expert commentary on the
geography, flora and fauna thrown in. This opens up all sorts of
possibilities; simply taking the round bus ride to get to know the
area; using the bus to get to a closer start point for the ascent of
one of the higher peaks, or - one of my favourites - riding up and
walking back down!
Two warnings, however. The park bus only runs during the summer months
and even then trips may be cancelled or routes shortened in bad
weather or if the road is washed out. It’s always worth checking the
situation before visiting the area. Also, after a recent and
tragically fatal accident, passengers are only allowed to board the
park bus if they are properly equipped for the mountains. |
Snow above the Poqueira
valley |
This leads on to a more general warning. It’s easy to forget in this
wonderful Andalucian climate that we should always treat the Sierra with
respect. Storms can come out of nowhere. In the higher altitudes, colder
and more unpredictable weather and rugged terrain of the Alpujarras this
is doubly important. In any weather, I always carry a map and mobile phone
(though cover is fairly limited). I wear good footwear and sunblock, take
at least a light waterproof and walking pole, and carry water and “iron
rations”, if only a handful of dates. I also always check the weather
forecast before I start and take extra clothing if there’s the slightest
risk of a cold snap. If there’s more than a slight risk - better to go
another day!
Historically, the Alpujarra was a region of isolated, and inaccessible
communities, none more so than those of the Poqueira valley. Its
inhabitants were the last to submit to the Moors, and having embraced
Islam, the last to accept the reconquest, giving refuge to Boabdil after
the fall of Granada, and fighting bitterly in the rebellion of 1599. This
turbulent history and isolation produced a breed of fiercely independent
men, suspicious of outsiders and with a reputation for arrogance and quick
temper.
We found no such attitudes. On the contrary, nowhere could be more
welcoming to the visitor, nor more anxious to help the walker to enjoy the
majestic splendour of the Sierra Nevada.
Next month I’ll describe our first walk in the area - a short 6 km taster
exploring the area around Capileira and Bubion. It’s a good starter route
for a two or three day walking trip to the Alpujarra, or with an early
start, you could even include it in a day’s outing from Nerja.
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Previous 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 |
August 2007 |
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September 2007 |
October 2007 |
December 2007 |
January 2008 |
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February 2008 |
March 2008 |
April
2008 |
May 2008 |
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