Lecrin Valley Limpers

Sunday saw us on the first of this summers high level walks, unfortunately it coincided with a sudden drop in the groups fitness, with a large number reporting in sick, which was a pity, because while everyone was sweltering in the valley (it melted my fake crocs which I had left out in the patio) we were walking in temperatures of about 18 degrees. The walk started at the upper carpark on Veleta, and followed the path up from there and over to the Observatories and onward to the Embalse de las Yeguas , where lunch was taken. We then continued onward a little further to check out another path, which looks like we will be able to develop it into a high level ridge walk in the future. On our return to the valley we went to Arturo's house for tapa. Once again thank you to Arturo and everyone who turned up. Please note, I wish all the sickies a speedy recovery and no disrespect is intended, but someone had to get the stick this week. Our walk this Sunday, the 3rd of August,

This week we went to look at the new windmills they are building on the hilltop above Murchas, at the moment all the paths are a bit chewed up with all the construction work going on , but I feel sure once ev erything is in place and working the area will return to its own natural beauty. I consider it a good idea that they generate as much power as possible using these windmills, and at least living inChite we can't see them! After the walk we went to Margarets house in Murchas, Apologises to anyone who was looking for Margaret's house in Chite as advertised last week, at least it kept the riff raf out. As always a superb spread was laid on. Thank you to everyone who turned up and to Margaret and Family for the venue. Our walk this Sunday the 27th July is the long postponed one to the Embalse de las Yeguas on the side of Veleta. The walk is not difficult from a path point of view the only problem is, it is all above 3000 meters and the lungs do have to work a bit

Last Sunday, by way of a change, we went to Dilar for a picnic and an enjoyable afternoon was had by all. The only cross words said all afternoon were by Quina's 2 dogs, who decided they no longer wanted to be friends after Uka had been to the hair stylists for a short back and sides, and all Nana had said was "I preferred the old style". The walk we had planned for last week was up Veleta, but was cancelled due to a sudden drop in temperatures and low cloud, so we were going to do it this coming week but the weather forecast for Veleta on Sunday is no better, with even the possibility of snow this week. So plan B will brought into action. Plan B For the last few weeks there has been a lot of activity taking place on the hillside above Murchas, it looks like some windmills may be in the offing, so I am proposing we go for a walk on the Loma de Murchas to have a look at what is going on. We start off by following the Acequias out of Murchas and then walking up

Last weekend saw us returning to Cumbres Verde, always a very pleasant area to walk in and a little cooler than walking at lower altitudes. It was also the Wimbledon men's final, so I was under great pressure to make sure that we returned in time for the start of what was promising to be a good match, or so I was lead to believe, knowing even less about tennis than I do about football. The walk took us to the twin peaks of Boca de la Pesca, where we stopped for lunch, with splendid views over Granada and the Sierra Nevada. The thing about the walk at this time of the year is the smell of Curry you get when you walk past some of the herbs growing next to the path, by the time you get to the top you have only one thought on your mind, an Indian takeaway. So it comes as a disappointment when you only have a Marmite sandwich in which to slake your appetite. Our walk back to the cars was in double quick time, as we rushed back, in order not to miss the start at Wimbledon. I

Before I forget Josett has got hold of some tickets for an evening concert at the Alhambra on the 25th of July. This is a repeat of the Lorca in New York concert we went to see last year, and was such a success that they are doing it again, it is highly recommended, if you did not go last year or you want to see it again can you please contact Josett on 958795180, payment required by the 15th July. Our walk on Sunday was to the Hermitage above Pinos del Valle, normally you go straight up from the Laverdero in Pinos, but in an effort to extend the walk we added a further 6km to the walk, and a bit more interest, by going the long way round. The path, while not difficult, has certainly deteriorated somewhat since the storm last September, but never mind, it added to the interest of the walk. It is only when you get to the top and look down that you realise how green our Valley is. We stopped for a beer in Pinos before returning to Chite for a BBQ, now as you may have not

I hope last weeks letter did not cause too much confusion by dating the next walk as the 21st July. This was the kind of typical mistake made by any guy suffering from overwork, and as you all know, all we poor souls over here do all day is work, work, work. Well that is my excuse! With the petrol strike over, the sun shining and the temperature rising it was decided that a higher level walk was called for, so we headed off to the Alpajurras for a walk in the Poqueira gorge, always a delight, but particularly at this time of the year with its lush verdant landscape. Last time we did the walk there was a lot of vocal complaints about it being all up hill, so taking note, we did the walk in the reverse direction, and this time even though it was the same length, same altitude climbed, there were no complaints. I wish all problems in life were so easily solved. The walk takes you from Capileria into the gorge at Cebadilla and back via way of the river to Capileria. It was one

Because of the transport drivers dispute last week we had to cancel our planned outing to the Alpujarras and go with a local walk instead, this was a circular walk starting in Mondújar and going by way of the old Buddhist retreats to the GR7 and returning to the old Arab castle in Mondújar. Sunday was the first really hot day of the summer and I know it is only a short climb up to the castle but boy! was I puffing when I got to the top, I must be getting old. Afterwards we returned to Josetts house in Chite for tapa and welcome refreshment. Thank you to everyone who turned up. Due to other commitments on Sunday, this weeks walk will be held on SATURDAY. The lorry drivers have called off their strike as they do want to cause any further damage to the economy, so we will revert back to last weeks plan A walk. Plan A A wonderful walk in the Alpujarras, we meet in Mondújar 9 am or at the Beznar roundabout at 9.10, before driving to Capileira for the start of the walk which

It was party time in the valley this week, so we did not have a walk, instead we all went to the Chite fiesta for Paella, and Arturo's house for tapa. Arturo's garden looked wonderful, the food was fantastic and a great day was had by all. For the walk this Sunday we have 2 plans A Capileria and B a local walk, this is because of the lorry drivers strike which is affecting fuel and food deliveries. So if they are still out on strike Plan A will be scrapped because we can´t afford to waste petrol and we will go with Plan B. Plan A A wonderful walk in the Alpujarras, We meet in Mondújar before driving to Capileira for the start of the walk which takes us into the Poqueira gorge then alongside the river and back to Capileira. Plan B Starts from Mondújar and follows a track up to the GR7 track before looping back to Mondújar by way of the castle, both walks offer spectacular views of the surrounding area. Afterwards tapa will be held at Josettes house in

Well, I know it was not a bank holiday in Spain this weekend, but it was typical UK holiday weather, cool with grey clouds and a chance of rain. So it was a wise choice that this week we were walking in the low hills behind the Alhambra Palace. This was a new walk for the group and what a delight this circular turned out to be. With very little climbing involved we soon had extensive views over the Rio Genil and the Sierra Nevada mountains, unfortunately the latter were cloaked in low cloud so you had to imagine that part, but it would have been good. On the way back the clouds lifted and the sun did shine, on and off, and this time we were able to look down into the Rio Darro, another area ripe for exploring. A big thank you to Pepa for suggesting and guiding us on this walk. Afterwards we returned to Deborah's house for tapa and an exchange of insults, the insults were good the food superb. Thank you Deborah for being the host. Our Walk this coming Sunday the 1st of

Our walk last Sunday was from Lanjaron to Mondújar and, whilst normally it is a very pleasant route, at this time of the year with all the wild flowers out it was a delight, and for me it was nice to see some sunshine, having just spent another 4 days back in the UK checking out those unbelievable reports that the old country was bathed in wall to wall sunshine. Believe me, it's a myth, there was nothing but grey cloud and a cold wind. The only time I got warm was when I was huddled around the gas fire. By contrast, over here we were soon walking in T shirts. I do admit that the fleece jackets came out on a number of occasions, when, rounding a corner we were hit by a cool northerly breeze. Even the gathering black storm clouds kept well away from us. We rounded the day off at Josette's house in Chite for another wonderful tapa party. A big thank you to Josette for hosting and to everyone who turned up. Our walk this Sunday, the 25th of May, is an easy one. Suita

C an I start by saying how sad I felt on hearing the news of the death of Linda Thorpe, Linda died on Wednesday after suffering a heart attack, Ross and Linda had spent the last 2 years renovating their house in Chite, Ross retired recently and they were planning on spending a lot more time in the valley, she will be sadly missed. There is no walk report this week because we had to cancel the walk due to bad weather, I did receive a number of emails from the usual pack of jokers in the UK telling me how wonderful it was over there, but at least we now have some water to drink. The tapa at Quinas house went ahead as planned, the food was excellent as always and we had an enjoyable afternoon. Hopefully the usual good weather will return for next Sunday so we are planning on doing the Lanjaron to Talara walk. T his weeks walk is from Lanjaron to Talara Description of walk The walk starts in Lanjaron by the old water factory and follows the GR7 back towards Nigúelas, aft

On Sunday we returned to the old favorite Monachil, but this time we turned the walk into something even more interesting and somewhat harder. Instead of setting off for the usual stroll in the gorge we headed for the hills on a walk Jose and myself discovered a few weeks back. We had not gone very far before Quina and Pepa met an old friend called Pepi who invited us all back to his Cortijo after the walk for a glass of wine. Not ones to turn a glass of wine down we accepted the invitation. The walk continued and as we started to gain height the extensive views over Granada increased in the same proportion to the moans about the lack of oxygen in the lungs. We found a wonderful place for lunch, on a dam wall in the shade of an hawthorn tree in full blossom, overlooking the upper reaches of the lush RioMonachil. We stopped for a quick drink and tapa at the merendero before heading off for our appointment with Pepi, that was when the problems started, as no one knew where

Our walk last Sunday was to Pico Lucero and for some, including me, it is one of the finest walks you could find anywhere. For a start it takes some finding, and when you know where it is there is a 20 km off road drive to the start of the path, and then you start the walk in countryside that could have come straight out of the Lord of the Rings. With views in all directions you traverse across a series off lesser mountains before what looks like the impossible ascent ofLucero itself, in fact the path is a well constructed zig zag track that slowly winds it's way to the summit. After stopping for lunch at the top we all took part in an impromptu Tai Chi lesson from Angel. He was so taken with the area he proposed that we go up one day and have a sleep over, to enable us to watch the Sun come up. One thing that does concern me is the lack of a comfortable mattress, lets just say that the top is rocky, if anybody is interested let me know. On our return to the valley w

Our walk this Sunday the 27th April is Pico Lucero, this for me is the finest mountain walk you can find. It is not a big mountain, only 1678 meters high, and there is only about 300 meters of ascent, but what a wonderful ascent it is, as the excellent path with open views to all sides zig zags up to the summit of what is a true gem of a mountain. Total walking distance is only 6km, estimated walking time 3.5 hours. A must for anyone who needs a fabulous day out. It is not difficult but may not be suitable for vertigo suffers. If you want to go meet in the car park at the Acopolise bar in Mondújar at 9am or at the Argos roundabout Padul at 9.15. We have to drive to Jayena and Fornes before picking up a forest road to the start of the walk, this forest road is generally in reasonable condition and we have seen all classes of vehicles up here, but it is about 20km long. Afterwards tapa is at our house in Chite around 4pm.

It is with sadness that I have to announce the death of Nick Jackson who died whilst walking in the UK at the weekend, I know over the last few months that we have had a difference of opinion which caused a split within the group, but I have known Nick for 7 years and feel a great sadness with his premature death. My sincere condolences go out to Carol. Our walk last Sunday was a circular one starting from the car park in the Rio Dilar . It was a cold day requiring coats, hats and gloves, but with the walk starting in the valley the bitterly cold wind was kept at bay. The walk follows the river and crosses it 8 or 9 times, the absence of a definite number is due to different accounting procedures amongst the counters, or more correctly due to the age of the group, short and long term memory loss. The return path took us along the rim of the valley before descending back down into the valley. Even though the weather was cold it was an enjoyable walk and we returned to

O ur walk on Sunday was to the Huetor park natural, this walk is one of my favorites and it always gets awarded top marks from the Limpers, today was no exception . The conditions were perfect, a deep blue sky, warm sunshine, snow on the Sierras and good company to walk with. The arrangements for the walk were that we would meet inMondújar at 9am, but a story had gone around lower Chite during the week that the clocks went back this weekend. Can I state now, I did not have anything to do with the rumour, but it did mean that one person arrived inMondújar one hour early, modesty precludes me from mentioning names. The walk itself sets off from a car park on the Guadix road and you are soon walking in a thick pine forest on a camino forestal. One of the disadvantages of walking on a camino forestal is that they make excellent bikes tracks, whilst this is not normally anything to worry about, it can lead to unforeseen problems when, say, a female limper wants a few moments

W e have had a mixed bag of weather this past week in the valley, hot and sunny one minute and a cold wind blowing down from the north the next, I understand that this same wind had passed over the UK before arriving here, fortunately they kept sleet, rain and the snow that had accompanied it. A big thanks to our UK south coast weather watcher Annie Lamb who keeps us entertained with her tales of the lousy weather she has experienced this winter. So it was a ¨what shall I wear¨ sort of day on Sunday when we met in Murchas, in the end I went for the 2 fleece and woolly hat option because of the cold wind whistling down the Rio Torrente, and for the first ½ hour we put on a good turn of speed until the blood had warmed up, and the sun peeked out from behind the clouds. By the time we had stopped for our mid morning snack the knees were shaking after climbing around the rock, the sun was out, and the wind had disappeared (not for long) and we were able to sit and enjoy the v

W hat a difference a week makes, last week we had to cancel the walk because of low cloud and heavy overnight rain, this week it was T shirts and suntan cream. Our walk was fromCumbres Verde and the day could not have been better, a perfect blue sky, warm sunshine and wonderful views of the snow covered sierras for our picnic stop. The object of the walk was to climb upBoca de la Pesca , whilst not apparent from the direction we climbed it, from the opposite side of the valley the mouth of the fish is aptly named. There are two ways of reaching the top, we chose the easy circular one, slowly gaining height fromCumbres Verde, the way back took us through farm land and forest, an excellent walk rounded off with tapa in Talara. Our walk next Sunday, the 9th March. is a local one, cancelled the week before due to bad weather. We start in Murchas and follow the rio Torrente to Nigúelas before returning overland through the Almond trees, and following the Acequias back to Mur

I am sorry that this weeks letter is late, but the weather over here has been so terrible this last week that I have had difficulty planning our next outing. I know back in the old country you have been basking in glorious sunshine with temperatures in the 22s (Fahrenheit), but over here we have had grey skies most days and yesterday we had rain. However the sun has returned and the temperature even reached 20 (centigrade) today. Our walk last Sunday had to be changed because of the weather. The planned walk up Boca de la Pesca is at quite a high altitude and, with the low cloud that was hanging about, the views would have been somewhat limited. So we changed the walk to the lagoon walk from Padul, this is a very easy walk of about 10klm across the basin of the old lagoon to the site of the Roman road and then back via the bird sanctuary, it was at this point that I started to worry, because it was an unplanned walk I had not tested the new return route I wanted to use, th

What perfect walking weather we had this weekend, ideal for a good walk, and our stroll around our valley was certainly that. Walking amongst the Orange trees and Almond blossom was a real delight as we made our way down from Talara to Meligis and the lake. We then followed the lake side track towards Beznar , looking for wild asparagus and admiring the wild flowers and cormorants along the way. We had to do a small diversion when we got to the Chite beck, because the path had slipped away in the storms, but a new track is in the process of taking over, this is OK as long as the dam levels remain low, if at anytime it fills up again , it may well be necessary to swim this bit. When we rejoined the path we continued on to the park at where we stopped for a very civilised picnic complete with tables and chairs. We had not been there long before carloads of BeznarChite neighbours started arriving, comments were passed about me being there without my Mujer , and it wa

The walk on Sunday was to the Ermita Vieja, the walk started from the Merendero in the Rio Dilar and followed the Camineo forestal as it snaked its way up the hillside to the Ermita where we stopped for breakfast and to enjoy the views. Afterwards we continued following the path to the base of Picacho Alto where we changed directions and followed the barranco back to the car park. We were entertained on route by Antonio who gave us an impromptu 4 hour Spanish lesson. The weather forecast had not been good for Sunday, but it turned out to be bright and sunny, if a little breezy at times, with that cool northerly wind coming down from the UK. I understand that things have been a little rough in the old country, these last few days/weeks/months (strike out accordingly) but can I just say that I empathize with you all and fully understand the difficulties you are going through. There, that should get me a few brownie points and put an end to the torrent of abuse I usually get when I

Dear all S undays walk took us to the Rio Verde, and what a wonderful days walking it turned out to be, after dropping a car off at the finishing point we set off on the path down into the Rio Verde, this is a well maintained path, and whilst steep at the end presents no problem as a way down. Upon arriving in the valley there is a waterfall and pool, which we sat by and enjoyed our mid morning snack. Rob, ever eager to explore, came back after discovering a cave, this cave was full of stalactites and stalagmites, anywhere else they would charge 5€ to go in and look, here it is free, wonderful. We then continued on, climbing up to the small lake that feeds the waterfalls in the area. It was great to watch a Shag fishing in the lake. From here we made our way down to the river and had lunch amongst the rock pools, before setting off back to the car, because we had come down about 330 meters into the valley , we had to regain our our height. This was done by using the C

Dear all I hate to start the letter this week by mentioning the weather, particularly when you poor souls back in the UK have been inundated with non stop rain since goodness knows when, but this weekend the weather has been unbelievable, absolutely fabulous, not a cloud in the sky, T shirts and shorts weather. There, that's upset 50% of the group in the first 2 lines. Our walk this week was to Restabal castle. The walk started in Restabal and followed the path up to the abandoned village, and then continued as far as the camp site, where after persuading the owner to unlock the gates we stopped for a very enjoyable coffee on the terrace in the sunshine, and a tour of the site, while his cabins look comfortable enough, the ground looks a little rough for camping. Fortified with coffee and biscuits we resumed our walk to the castle at Restabal . I can't imagine that the castle was ever attacked, because nobody would ever find it, as the only evidence that it is there are t

The walk on Sunday was the impressively named " Goldfinger walk" I know that Ian Fleming once wrote a book with a similar name and perhaps made a few bob out of it, but the original authors of this walk are Dutch Bob and Alan, who many years ago set off to mark the route with a can of Gold paint, and came back with gold digits. Because neither of the original crew were on the walk this week we were able to adapt the walk to suit our needs better. We set off from the car park in Nigúelas and made our way via the Rio Torrente to Acequias . From there it was a steady climb, joining the GR7 along the way, to the summit of Cerro Alto. After stopping for breakfast we made our way back into the barranco near the Hydro station, by way of excitement we then followed the Acequia into Niguelas along the newly built footpath. This is a delightful way into the village, the excitement part comes in negotiating the large rock at the start, Alison had said she only suffe

Dear all I hope you all had a good Christmas and New year and are once again looking forward to this years walks around Granada. Inevitably it will mean a repeat of the old favorites, but we will introduce new ones as well. We will try and stick to the tried and tested format with a wide range of walks appealing to different abilities, and the usual after walk tapa club when it can be arranged, If anybody wants the important job of organising the tapa venues please let me know. To ease everyone gently back into walking after the Christmas excess it was decided an easy walk was called for, and what better stroll could you wish for than the Carretera de Cabra . This walk is virtually all down hill, and gives you uninterrupted views over the Sierra Nevada mountains, and after this weeks heavy snow falls, it looked wonderful. Mind you it did not look too great when we set off, the weather forecast all week was saying sunshine and 16 degrees, and one of us must have belie