Trekking the Sierra Nevada - Beyond the Beaten Trail
Towering mountains, lush valleys and spectacular views as far as Africa: the Sierra Nevada mountains in the south of Spain are a paradise for walking and mountaineering.
Nevertheless, until very recently, hardly anyone in the south of Spain considered walking a pastime, and as a result the area's fantastic tourist potential remained underexploited.
The great thing about that was that you could have the mountains almost to yourself, but information was hard to come by, meaning that most visitors stuck to the relatively few, well-marked trails.
The Sierra Nevada National Park is the largest national park in Spain, and if you include the surrounding natural park it covers almost 175,000 hectares, making it slightly larger than Surrey.
Now, as tourism gradually develops, more people are finding their way here, but it is also becoming easier to explore the parts of this vast expanse that remain a true wilderness.
However, it does take a little bit of planning and effort to reach the more remote parts of the park.
Many walkers choose to base themselves in the pretty white villages of the Alpujarras, and it's easy to understand why: the distinctive Moorish-influenced architecture, spectacular setting and local craft markets make them an atmospheric and scenic choice.
What's more, the hearty local speciality -- a plato Alpujarreño -- is just what you need after a hard day's hiking in the mountains: chorizo, pork loin and morcilla (blood sausage), accompanied by potatoes, onions and peppers fried in plenty of olive oil.
The catch is that even the highest villages in the Alpujarras -- Capileira and Trevélez -- are at an altitude of around 1,400 metres, more than 2,000 metres below Mulhacén, which at 3,479 metres is the highest peak in the Sierra Nevada.
It is possible to ascend to the summit in a day, but you won't have much time to explore the high mountains.
In summer a guided microbus service takes visitors from Capileira to Alto del Chorillo, at an altitude of just over 2,700 metres, making it relatively easy to reach Mulhacén.
By taking the bus, you can even get to both of the two highest mountains in the range, Veleta and Mulhacén, or go as far as Alcazaba, which although slightly lower is less accessible than the other two.
Even then, however, you will be sticking to the most- visited part of the high mountains.
So what other options do you have? The two most obvious ones are staying at a refugio -- a basic mountain shelter designed for hikers -- or camping.
Let's start by looking at the first of those.
There are two types of refugio: staffed and unstaffed.
The three staffed ones are the Refugio Poqueira, Refugio de Postero Alto and Puerto de la Ragua.
All three offer accommodation for fifteen Euros a night, as well as meals and other refreshments.
The beds are basic, and you need your own sleeping bag, but they're a convenient option, and a good place to meet other hikers.
Basing yourself at the Refugio Poquiera allows you to reach Mulhacén, Veleta or Alcazaba in a day, but as it is close to the drop-off point for the microbus service, you are limited to the same kind of options as if you take the bus.
Postero Alto has just been refurbished, and offers access to a relatively untrodden part of the Sierra Nevada, including the beautiful meadows and springs of Lavaderos de la Reina.
Staff also provide a 4x4 transport service to help you do the adjoining sections of the Sulayr long-distance walking route.
Puerto de la Ragua offers a number of activities, but as it is on a main road, it is not much help if what you are looking to do is get off the beaten track.
It is always worth booking the staffed refugios well in advance, particularly at weekends.
There are six unstaffed refugios in a reasonable state of repair, one of which -- the Refugio-Vivac de la Caldera -- lies beside a crater lake between Mulhacén and Veleta.
Like the other unstaffed refugios it is a small stone building with wooden bunks.
It is in a great location, but there is an important caveat -- unstaffed refugios work on a first-come, first-serve basis, and in high season all of the bed spaces are often taken relatively early in the day.
As such, it's a slight risk relying too heavily on them, although in an emergency you'll at least be able to shelter there.
What about wild camping? Well, the good news is that in principle camping is permitted throughout the national park, subject to a few important restrictions.
The most important ones are that you are never allowed to camp below an altitude of 1,600 metres, and from 1 July to 1 October you are not allowed to camp below the tree line, which is generally at around 2,000 metres.
There are also a number of zones classified as special "reserves" where you are not allowed to camp.
You should contact the Sierra Nevada National Park Administrative Centre by e-mail at pn.
snevada@junta-andalucia.
es for details.
Because camping allows you to get to parts of the national park that would otherwise be impossible to reach, it is the best way to enjoy the incredible scenery of the Sierra Nevada in complete solitude and perfect silence.
It is wonderful to watch as the soft light of dawn gradually gives way to the bright morning sun, or to see the sun go down over the craggy peaks.
If you are lucky, your only companions will be a herd of ibex.
One of the disadvantages of camping is that you have to take all your supplies with you, and if you plan to go for several days, it can make for a very heavy backpack.
By combining camping with a night or two at a refugio, you can limit the amount you have to carry.
If you spend your first night at the Refugio Poquiera you can head east towards Alcazaba and the series of peaks that lead to Picon de Jerez, from where you can descend to the Refugio Postero Alto.
Alternatively you can head west past Veleta towards Pico del Caballo, before descending back down to the Alpujarras at Lanjaron.
If you are really adventurous, consider trying the famous Los Tres Miles - a walk along the main ridge of the Sierra Nevada that takes in all of the peaks over 3,000 metres.
Most people take four to six days to complete the whole journey.
Remember that the high mountains can be treacherous, particularly outside high summer, and you should only consider spending the night there if you are properly prepared.
The weather can change quickly, even if the forecast is good, so always bring warm and waterproof clothing, and be willing to turn back if necessary.
If you lack the necessary experience or equipment to go it alone, you should hire a guide, particularly if you want to try Los Tres Miles.
If that doesn't appeal, there are lots of remote areas at much lower altitudes that lend themselves to camping.
Why not try doing a few legs of the Sulayr, a recently marked route which circles the whole mountain range? Whatever you choose to do, you're sure to be captivated by the magic of the Sierra Nevada.
Nevertheless, until very recently, hardly anyone in the south of Spain considered walking a pastime, and as a result the area's fantastic tourist potential remained underexploited.
The great thing about that was that you could have the mountains almost to yourself, but information was hard to come by, meaning that most visitors stuck to the relatively few, well-marked trails.
The Sierra Nevada National Park is the largest national park in Spain, and if you include the surrounding natural park it covers almost 175,000 hectares, making it slightly larger than Surrey.
Now, as tourism gradually develops, more people are finding their way here, but it is also becoming easier to explore the parts of this vast expanse that remain a true wilderness.
However, it does take a little bit of planning and effort to reach the more remote parts of the park.
Many walkers choose to base themselves in the pretty white villages of the Alpujarras, and it's easy to understand why: the distinctive Moorish-influenced architecture, spectacular setting and local craft markets make them an atmospheric and scenic choice.
What's more, the hearty local speciality -- a plato Alpujarreño -- is just what you need after a hard day's hiking in the mountains: chorizo, pork loin and morcilla (blood sausage), accompanied by potatoes, onions and peppers fried in plenty of olive oil.
The catch is that even the highest villages in the Alpujarras -- Capileira and Trevélez -- are at an altitude of around 1,400 metres, more than 2,000 metres below Mulhacén, which at 3,479 metres is the highest peak in the Sierra Nevada.
It is possible to ascend to the summit in a day, but you won't have much time to explore the high mountains.
In summer a guided microbus service takes visitors from Capileira to Alto del Chorillo, at an altitude of just over 2,700 metres, making it relatively easy to reach Mulhacén.
By taking the bus, you can even get to both of the two highest mountains in the range, Veleta and Mulhacén, or go as far as Alcazaba, which although slightly lower is less accessible than the other two.
Even then, however, you will be sticking to the most- visited part of the high mountains.
So what other options do you have? The two most obvious ones are staying at a refugio -- a basic mountain shelter designed for hikers -- or camping.
Let's start by looking at the first of those.
There are two types of refugio: staffed and unstaffed.
The three staffed ones are the Refugio Poqueira, Refugio de Postero Alto and Puerto de la Ragua.
All three offer accommodation for fifteen Euros a night, as well as meals and other refreshments.
The beds are basic, and you need your own sleeping bag, but they're a convenient option, and a good place to meet other hikers.
Basing yourself at the Refugio Poquiera allows you to reach Mulhacén, Veleta or Alcazaba in a day, but as it is close to the drop-off point for the microbus service, you are limited to the same kind of options as if you take the bus.
Postero Alto has just been refurbished, and offers access to a relatively untrodden part of the Sierra Nevada, including the beautiful meadows and springs of Lavaderos de la Reina.
Staff also provide a 4x4 transport service to help you do the adjoining sections of the Sulayr long-distance walking route.
Puerto de la Ragua offers a number of activities, but as it is on a main road, it is not much help if what you are looking to do is get off the beaten track.
It is always worth booking the staffed refugios well in advance, particularly at weekends.
There are six unstaffed refugios in a reasonable state of repair, one of which -- the Refugio-Vivac de la Caldera -- lies beside a crater lake between Mulhacén and Veleta.
Like the other unstaffed refugios it is a small stone building with wooden bunks.
It is in a great location, but there is an important caveat -- unstaffed refugios work on a first-come, first-serve basis, and in high season all of the bed spaces are often taken relatively early in the day.
As such, it's a slight risk relying too heavily on them, although in an emergency you'll at least be able to shelter there.
What about wild camping? Well, the good news is that in principle camping is permitted throughout the national park, subject to a few important restrictions.
The most important ones are that you are never allowed to camp below an altitude of 1,600 metres, and from 1 July to 1 October you are not allowed to camp below the tree line, which is generally at around 2,000 metres.
There are also a number of zones classified as special "reserves" where you are not allowed to camp.
You should contact the Sierra Nevada National Park Administrative Centre by e-mail at pn.
snevada@junta-andalucia.
es for details.
Because camping allows you to get to parts of the national park that would otherwise be impossible to reach, it is the best way to enjoy the incredible scenery of the Sierra Nevada in complete solitude and perfect silence.
It is wonderful to watch as the soft light of dawn gradually gives way to the bright morning sun, or to see the sun go down over the craggy peaks.
If you are lucky, your only companions will be a herd of ibex.
One of the disadvantages of camping is that you have to take all your supplies with you, and if you plan to go for several days, it can make for a very heavy backpack.
By combining camping with a night or two at a refugio, you can limit the amount you have to carry.
If you spend your first night at the Refugio Poquiera you can head east towards Alcazaba and the series of peaks that lead to Picon de Jerez, from where you can descend to the Refugio Postero Alto.
Alternatively you can head west past Veleta towards Pico del Caballo, before descending back down to the Alpujarras at Lanjaron.
If you are really adventurous, consider trying the famous Los Tres Miles - a walk along the main ridge of the Sierra Nevada that takes in all of the peaks over 3,000 metres.
Most people take four to six days to complete the whole journey.
Remember that the high mountains can be treacherous, particularly outside high summer, and you should only consider spending the night there if you are properly prepared.
The weather can change quickly, even if the forecast is good, so always bring warm and waterproof clothing, and be willing to turn back if necessary.
If you lack the necessary experience or equipment to go it alone, you should hire a guide, particularly if you want to try Los Tres Miles.
If that doesn't appeal, there are lots of remote areas at much lower altitudes that lend themselves to camping.
Why not try doing a few legs of the Sulayr, a recently marked route which circles the whole mountain range? Whatever you choose to do, you're sure to be captivated by the magic of the Sierra Nevada.