Sneaking an extra week of summer by a 6 day linear trek in Andalusia in the first week in November.
6 folk, cheap flights to Malaga, transfer to Ardales, Walk 72 miles with a lot of ascent to Benarraba.
Light packs, staying in hostels and hotels in several pueblo blancos. Walking along parts of the GR249 (the round Andalusia 35 stage circuit)and the GR141. Good route finding and all made feasible by local guide Mike Newcomb at sierrawalks.com.
Mike designed the route, recommended and booked hotels, kept us informed of route issues and even booked some great local restaurants.
The route was varied—forest tracks, over mountains, down gorges, scrambling and across farmland and olive groves.
And, weather, accommodation, food and wine all excellent. The local folk are incredibly friendly and helpful. Plus, it was quiet—we saw nobody else on the route.
Our only drawback was the very serious flooding which had occurred two weeks before.
It meant some route changes and actually having to abandon the last day as footbridges and parts of the trail had been washed out.
It was ever thus! As a mountain guide friend once said—“On the appropriate day to choose to drink coffee and eat cake is an essential part of mountaineering”!
A class trip—to be repeated as there is a lot to go at in Andalusia and most importantly it extends the summer!
