Sunday 10 November 2013 Huétor de Santillan

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There was a traumatic start to our walk this week in the Huétor Parque Natural but, in the end, it turned out to be a superb walk.
We had two meeting points, the first was at the BP garage in Cozvijar and I could not believe the number of people who turned up, there were 27 of us and we needed 7 cars. Can you imagine the problems of trying to keep track of all those cars, especially when my Suzuki is not only turning out to be a Friday car, it was obviously the last car on the last Friday of the year. The poor garage mechanic has now been reduced to a gibbering wreck who retreats into a corner sobbing every Monday morning when I turn up on his doorstep.
Fortunately I had written directions for all the drivers on how to get to our second meeting point in Huétor de Santillan where another 3 people and 2 cars were waiting for us.      
True to form the Suzuki broke down on the autovia, I have to stop, wait 2 minutes and then it goes again, so I was the last to arrive in Santillan by which time everyone was starting to get out of their cars. Loading them back up, I set off again, mistakenly believing everyone was following on behind, up a narrow,twisting road that winds its way up through Huetor de Santillan. Arriving at our destination I was surprised to find that out of a convoy of 9 cars only 4 had followed me.
Now I know I may have been critical in the past when deputy leaders have lost a walker or 2 but I had managed to lose 14 and we had not even started the walk. A quick telephone call established they were still waiting back down the road somewhere, somehow they had missed my reappearance.
Returning back down into Huétor Santillan I saw them disappearing into the distance, giving chase I eventually managed to catch them and turn them around. It was reminiscent of an old Keystone cops movie with cars going in all directions. We rejoined the rest of the group 20 minutes later.
We now had a group of 30 walkers, all eager to stretch their legs, I think this is the largest group we have ever had. The walk starts by following a level path as it winds it’s way up the valley of the Rio Darro. The sky was blue, the sun was shining and the trees were a blaze of colour, yellows, browns and reds, what a treat after an unpromising start.
After passing a small waterfall, the Nacimiento of the Rio Darro, the path turns into a narrow track, climbing gently as it follows a dried up river bed. We stopped at a Mirador overlooking the valley we had been walking in for an early lunch break before climbing up to a ridge and taking a level track back to Huétor de Santillan.
A very enjoyable walk which we will repeat another year.
    
We walked 12.5 km and climbed 295 metres.
This week the photo was taken by Conchi at the Mirador.
For Sale
Suzuki 4X4 good runner (sometimes)
In the afternoon we went round to Hilary and Graeme’s for tapas. The conversation got around to how many had finished the walk. Mike swears we only came back with 29, so it might be a good time to check if your wife, husband, partner or friend are missing. If they are I am sorry, but they are somewhere in Huétor. Mind, Mike’s maths are crap, he always has trouble when he runs out of fingers.

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