Lecrin Valley Limpers

This week we had 2 big walks planned. One for the sensible ones and one for 6 guys who wanted something a bit tougher.  We all started together from the carpark at Hoya de la Mora on Veleta for the first half of the walk to the refugio Elorrieta. To start with the walk passes through the ski area above Pradollano, not the prettiest area in which to walk but the going was easy, something that was appreciated by those carrying heavy packs.  We stopped for a quick bite to eat at the Laguna Yeguas and then the serious climbing began. The scenery becomes very dramatic and it doesn’t look possible that they could have put a path through it. With Martin leading the way I decided to help the stragglers at the back. Between gasps of breath I offered a few words of encouragement to the inevitable question “are we nearly there yet”. At least I had not unloaded my pack onto a long suffering wife like Dave  had. I carried every kilo the whole way.  The weather w...

I would like to start by offering a public apology to Richard and Jackie for arranging to meet them at 9.15 in Otura. The time should have been 8.45, so of course they were not there. I had put this down to Richard getting lost again, never thinking my instructions would be at fault. With an amazing feat of navigation Jacky coerced Richard into following us. This week we went on another river walk, this time to Dilar. The walk starts from the carpark opposite the Merendero and follows the river, on a good track, to the hydro station. We were walking slowly, waiting for Dave and Julie to catch us up, as they had had a late start.  After the Hydro the track turns into a path and you start the crossings of the river.  In the past we have never been able to agree exactly how many times you did have to cross the river. So, determined to get an accurate figure, we assigned the task to Sid, at 7 years old he still has the mental agility to remember from one crossing ...

In an effort to cool down from the 40 something temperatures we have had this week we scheduled a river walk in the Rio Durcal. The walk is a hidden gem, known only to a few people, it’s a fantastic walk for anyone seeking solitude, in the peace and quiet of some stunning scenery.  There were 30 people waiting at the Durcal Corivan for our later than normal 9.30 am start, so for anyone seeking solitude this was not going to be the walk for them.  We drove to the start of the walk down by the river, it’s a pleasant enough walk through the campo from Durcal, but walking back in the heat of the day is a killer.  The walk starts by climbing up to an acequia, this is when we discovered that someone had erected a footpath sign. Yes, I kid you not, a proper sign, now the whole world would be able to find our hidden gem, but we were still early enough to be in front of the masses.  We had not gone far when we discovered wet footprints on the path and...