Hello it's me again. My Dad says that I have to respond to popular acclaim, but I think he is just being lazy and doesn't want to write about our trip himself. You will find out why later on!
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| Looking back down Bolera Pantano |
Early one morning Mum took us to Casa del Molinillo at the North end of Embalse de Bolera. We were all set for what looked like being a long trip. Dad had his big sack with lots of goodies and plenty of food for me and we set out in fine style. The route was one that we had been on before with the walking club when we went to Tranco del Lobo, it was North up the valley of the Guadaltin. Easy walking, lovely weather and a joy to be out, a few too many goats around which tends to cramp my style, but I really mustn't complain.
We stopped for a few minutes at the ruins of Cortijo Puntal de Anna Maria to admire the view and see what they had been baking!
Then it was off again to the cortijo that we turned up at on the way to Tranco del Lobo, but this time we just went straight on and it was flat, even slightly downhill on a reasonable track, very strange.
And then we came to this most beautiful little piece of paradise. It was a junction of two streams with a ford for the track and trees and birds and butterflies and not a discordant note anywhere. Dad said it was called Vado de las Carreteras, but no matter what it was called, it was lovely.
Vado de las Carreteras
It was at this place that Dad made his first mistake. I told him that we should go by the river but no he would go up the hill to the main road, said there would be a good view at Estrcho de los Perales. As you can see below it was OK but nothing special and not worth the long hot drag on the vehicle track.
The next bit was boring, a long road uphill in the heat of the day. When we passed the place where the path along the river joined the road I nearly said 'I told you so', but I thought it might not be a very popular comment so I kept it to myself.
We got to the Collado de la Fuente Bermeja eventually but were a bit short of water by this stage and Dad was complaining about his feet which is actually quite unusual, but we both thought he was just being a bit wimpy about the heat. We were also a bit phased by the restrictions on entering the Cat A Reserve Area which seemed to include all of Borosa Valley and forbade overnight stops. Dad said we had to get through before 2100hrs that night. When he told me it was nearly 20 kms I thought it was optimistic to say the least, but I am just a dog, mine not to reason why....! So down we went into this wonderland of green and rock and water.
Looking down the upper reaches of the
Borosa Valley
We went down and came upon a couple of cool, clean, green lakes so we stopped for tea and snacks which had been a bit thin on the ground up till then.
Laguna de Valdeazores
Embalse de los Organos
After our refreshments we went on but Dad was getting slower. However the next section cheered him up! Our path disappeared into a tunnel which cut into an enormous bluff. it was about 500 m long and every now and then we would encounter a 'window' which let in a bit of light.
The tunnel and the aquier for the hydro electric.
The exit from the tunnels
Dad found getting throught the tunnels quite a squeeze with the rucksck, but I didn't have any difficulties and kept coming back to make sure he was alright. however he also spent a lot of time looking out of the windows and across the valley to the cliffs on the other side. After what seemed an age we popped out of the other end into the sunlight again.
The path turned back under the cliff that we had just tunnelled through and it was very impressive.
Note the windows in the cliff face.
Below the path wound it's way down through
cliffs and past the remnants of winter waterfalls.
It was almost too much to take in and Dad was slowing significantly and time was pressing.
Dad said that he took this because it was the only flat bit of ground he had seen for ages!
If you look carefully you can see the water feed for the hydro electric crossing the cliff.
At the hydro station Dad found a place to stop for the night and we tidied ourselves up at the fountain. We were visited by a really cheeky goat who walked up the track as bold as brass and took great interest in our ablutions from the rock behind the fountain. I was really good and didn't chase him even though he deserved it.
Fountain, rucksack and inquisitive goat
When Dad investigated why his boots were hurting he found that the insoles had disintegrated at the heels and it had resulted in crushed toes and bruised heels. 'Maybe they will be better in the morning' he said. So we had lots to eat and drink and settled down for the night. We were hoping to see lots of stars but we were both asleep before it was properly dark!
In the morning after breakfast the insoles were thrown out and several pairs of socks substituted all to no avail so we packed up the camp and began the slow walk out for the last 10 kms.
Our camp site.
Leave only footprints...
The good news was that the walk was easy and the scenery just kept going, not so dramatic but very pretty with interesting pools and canyons.
Rio Boroso
Cerrada de Elias
Stream junction at Charco de Gracea
And so we came to the end of the Rio Borosa and eventually Dad got a signal on his mobile and arranged with Mum to come and get us. Whilst we were waiting we wandered on to a pretty little spot by another river with a cafe for sausage and chips! Then we watched the butterflies and birds working the stream. It was a very pleasant place to while away the day.
Dad said that this was the Guadalhiver, the greatest river in Southern Spain, but I ask you, look at it. I think he must have had too much sun!
