Exploring the unlikely intersections of walking, photography and making
Castillo de Castellar A welcome day of rest. And what a place to veg out. Castillo is, as you might guess, a castle. One that dates back in its present Moorish form to the 13th Century. Positioned high on a hilltop, with Gibraltar clearly visible on the horizon, the castle has been a strategic point... Continue Reading →
Jimena de la Frontera A cool, shady start On a long, flat path (A prairie-dwellers dream walk) Train tracks to our right Farmland to our left Temperature climbs to 27° C For a modest climb To Castillo de Castellar Beautiful 24/05/19 21.8km/339m ascent/197m descent
El Colmenar Early start To a long day Up Through cork oak forests Uphill scramble Gibraltar: first sighting Following cairns Toros on the track! Down To Jimenez de la Frontera To Casa Henrietta To dinner After a long, long day 23/05/19 29.7km/1,053m ascent/1,168m descent
Cortes de la Frontera Ayuntamiento, La Plaza de Carlos III Descent To La Casa de la Piedra Down Estación de Cortes Ascent Cable climbs Tunnels To Puente de los Alemanes Canyón de las Buitreras Down To (tiny) El Colmenar 22/05/19 17.7km/578m ascent/969m descent .
Montejaque Sunrise departure Climbing the valley Left: Sierra De Juan Diego Right: Sierra de Montalette Ranches Sheep Cattle Bulls Steeply up to mountain pass Apples, tomatoes, sardines, bread With a view Steeply down To Cortes de la Frontier 21/05/19 19.9km/714m ascent/756m descent
Morning in Ronda Afternoon walk Steep down hill To Puente Nuevo Steep up hill To La Ermita de la Escarihuela Steep down hill To Montejaque 20/05/19 12km/431m ascent/480m descent
El Burgos 7:00 start at sunrise Steady incline Steep scramble Up loose scree To Cortijo de Lifa Steady down Broad tracks Paved roads To Ronda Early evening stroll Ronda Romántica festival Cena still to come 18/05/19 27.2km/879m ascent/825m descent
Carratraca A cool, windy exit We wind through orchards Up through pine forests Around abandoned marble quarries Across dry farmland Over Roman bridges Into El Burgo 17/05/19 23.5km/892m ascent/816m descent
El Chorro Early departure Steep climb To La Encantada reservoir To Bobastro Ruins of Mozarabic church (circa late 800s) Ups and downs Mountain vistas Pine forests Steeply down Too hot To Carratraca To Bar La Bocacha And pizza 16/05/19 18.2km/970m ascent/804m descent
El Chorro A rest day, of sorts. There's a great hotel, a good pool and fine food. But there's also the Caminito del Rey, a vastly popular attraction—we purchased tickets months in advance–that recreates the cliff-hugging scaffolds used by construction workers in 1905 to construct and maintain a water channel through the deep gorge, Desfiladero... Continue Reading →