Trekking in the Sierra Nevada, Southern Spain

[paidal_chalne_vala]

Hi, I am about book a Trek in June to Mulhacen Peak, 3400 M+ in southern Spain. Has anybody on this forum done this? It looks like an exciting experience

[Hallu]

I haven't done it no, but 3400 m in June you're gonna need crampons, ice axe, the lot. Still a lot of snow.

[paidal_chalne_vala]

The man from the Trekking firm says that In Late June there will only be patches of snow that can be walked around quite easily.

[Hallu]

If they can be walked around that's fine then, the sierras must be hotter than the Alps, where at that altitude sometimes you can't get around the snow patches (névés) and it can be quite dangerous with no appropriate gear.

[paidal_chalne_vala]

The Alps in Europe are over 4000 M high . The Sierra Nevada mountains near Granada in Spain do not exceed 3450 M.

[Suz]

Be sure to post a trip report with pics after the fact pls!

[Mark F]

IT really depends on the winter snow pack, this year the Pyrenees has a low winter snow pack but passes at under 3,000m will still need an ice axe and possibly crampons well into June. The Sierras are a lot further south so I expect the local opinion will be correct this year.

[paidal_chalne_vala]

Hi
I did it!! It was such a buzz , I climbed the highest mountain in Europe outside of the Alps and the Caucasus. Mulhacen peak(3483 M ) was steep, rocky , cold and tough because of the elevation gain from 2500 to nearly 3500 M. in one morning. I can recommend the guide and the trekking firm. They are Very good people, friendly, well organized and experienced.
We also climbed Picos El Pulpito (2900 M ) the day before to acclimatize.
The weather changed and it could have been very scary being stuck in that electrical storm cum blizzard on the summit of Mulhacen so we legged it down about 1000 M. asap.
The refugio porqueria( spelling??? ) is a decent place to set up for a night too, it is like a hike only hostel style 'chalet' for hikers, ice climbers and XC ski people.
Here are some pic.s
that were taken by our Guide, a super fit Spanish woman called Victoria.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/spanishhi ... 2719383893

[Hallu]

lol sorry but you have to add "mainland" to "outside the Alps and the Caucasus" as Teide in the Canary Islands (part of Spain and of political Europe) is 3718 m high :p Anyway, it looks like you had fun and no snow. I did a walk at around 2500 m in the Alps recently which had a couple of dangerous snow plaques still there. After a week of a 38° heat wave, there are still some which I've encountered today at 2500 m where it's around 28°. Refuges can be beautiful in Europe, some are modern wooden buildings, others usually old stone houses, and serve cold beverages which are welcome after the huge elevation gains you get on day walks in Euro mountains. I don't know about Spain, but in French National Parks you can't camp with your tent, it's refuges only. I mean you can camp if you, I quote, "have a tent in which you can't stand up, if the refuge's owner agrees to let you camp in close proximity, and you're only there between 7 pm and 8 am". I got a friend who had to walk at night coz the owner refused to let him camp.

[north-north-west]

I mean you can camp if you, I quote, "have a tent in which you can't stand up, if the refuge's owner agrees to let you camp in close proximity, and you're only there between 7 pm and 8 am".

This is weird. What's to stop someone pitching a tent out of sight of the refuge?

[vicrev]

From memory,it is illegal to pitch a tent in Spain within( a kilometer,I think) of a refuge/camping site/hotel.....the trick is to wait till night,erect the tent (a low profile one) have it down next morning ASAP.....for me, it certainly got me up & away early .. ...

[paidal_chalne_vala]

People can and do camp at the high altitude lakes in the area in the Sierra Nevada range. There are other huts and refuges in the Nat. Park too. Spain is not a nanny state at all and regulations are not always observed or enforced there .

[paidal_chalne_vala]

We also climbed up Picos el Pulpito ( some 2900 M ) and it was very steep and rocky as a warm up trek the day before the big one. In Winter this area would be wild for snow and ice hiking.

[Hallu]

I mean you can camp if you, I quote, "have a tent in which you can't stand up, if the refuge's owner agrees to let you camp in close proximity, and you're only there between 7 pm and 8 am".

This is weird. What's to stop someone pitching a tent out of sight of the refuge?

It's authorized in the equivalent of state parks (except sensitive zones) or in the peripheral zone of national parks, but not the core zones. French people have a reputation of being disrespectful of just about anything. For example, honesty boxes would never work in France. People would either not pay or crack the box open and steal the money. So my guess is refuge managers have had to deal with disrespectful campers in the past and don't tolerate it anymore. That means that, if, like me, you can't stand sleeping in a dorm with 3 or 7 snoring blokes inside a refuge, you can pretty much forget about overnight walks.

[north-north-west]

Yes, but I'm not talking about rules and regulations, I'm talking about the practicalities of it. If you head out, walk a few hundred metres away from the track, well out of sight of anyone, and camp, what is the likelihood of being evicted before morning? Who is going to know?

[vicrev]

Yes, but I'm not talking about rules and regulations, I'm talking about the practicalities of it. If you head out, walk a few hundred metres away from the track, well out of sight of anyone, and camp, what is the likelihood of being evicted before morning? Who is going to know?

If you walk a few hundred metres away from the track,chances are you are in someones property ......also,you could be pitching your tent in turd city, especially in Spain,the Pilgrim walks are notorious for it,the Spanish Government rakes in millions of euros from tourists yearly,but,will not put anything back into amenities etc...not as bad in France,there are pockets of locals who take pride in their Pilgrim walks & at their own expense, have refreshment stops,& look after the tracks......I have camped through France/Spain,usually only when the Gites/Refuges have been full. ...nothing like a warm bed,decent meal,nice wine,after a daily 20/30k walk....yes ,I know I'm just too soft

[JohnDaly TakeAWalk]

We have done several trips to Spain and climbed Mulhacen each time. Why not check out our normal itinerary for The Mountains of Spain. Even if you are not into guided hikes, you may get a few ideas. Spain is a stunning destination for hiking.
Just go to http://www.takeawalk.com.au/TakeAWalkAdventures.htm to see the complete itinerary.
Cheers John

[paidal_chalne_vala]

There is No need to preach to the converted here.......