Mulhacen, Granada

When a friend suggested on a hike in Spain earlier this year ('07), he sold me to the idea straight away - as all he needed to say were four words, and they were 'highest mountain mainland Spain.' What could be more fulfilling than to attempt such a peak! So our trip to Mulhacen was born.


I am used to walking in the lakes and high up in the Scottish highlands, but it is always nice to have a change in scenery, and weather ...
...soon there were five of us destined to go on this trip. We purchased flight tickets through Ryan Air and then sorted out accommodation on the net.


Mulhacen is not an easy mountain and you have to be an experienced walker to try for an ascent. I have been walking for years and have a few of the biggest Scottish mountains under my belt. And my four companions were the same. Although there is a well worn path that leads you there, ... more

When a friend suggested on a hike in Spain earlier this year ('07), he sold me to the idea straight away - as all he needed to say were four words, and they were 'highest mountain mainland Spain.' What could be more fulfilling than to attempt such a peak! So our trip to Mulhacen was born.

I am used to walking in the lakes and high up in the Scottish highlands, but it is always nice to have a change in scenery, and weather too! We saved up a bit of cash and very soon there were five of us destined to go on this trip. We purchased flight tickets through Ryan Air and then sorted out accommodation on the net.

Mulhacen is not an easy mountain and you have to be an experienced walker to try for an ascent. I have been walking for years and have a few of the biggest Scottish mountains under my belt. And my four companions were the same. Although there is a well worn path that leads you there, it is advisable to stay over at the hut halfway up as we did, because of the altitude. You need to be a good map reader, too.

Our journey began early October. It was an early morning flight that led us from Liverpool to Granada, and a taxi to Capileira - en route we were able to view the Sierra Nevada - our soon-to-be home for the next few days. The mountains are startling and like broken wet glass, glimmering in the sunlight. Uphill we climbed in the taxi to Capileira - a village high up in the mountains, and our base for the five days we were to stay there. Capileira is 1436m above see level - which is about the height of Ben Nevis, so it is high up. I felt the altitude straight away and found breathing slightly difficult. The village is beautiful and an ideal start for the mountain. The buildings are practically built into the side of the mountains; whitewashed and unchanged in centuries. Steep streets meander through the village in enchanting mazes. But this is no quiet village - it is awash with both locals and tourists, and lots of bars with extremely friendly people. These are true Spaniards who speak little English.

We began our walk on the second day, travelling North up the valley to the Poqueira Hut. This is a large building set 2500m above sea level, so our first day was an advance of about 1000m (an average Munro (Scottish 3000 footer) height). It is not a hut in the physical sense, and has about 90 beds, bar facilities and food. It cost us about 35 Euro for the night in total, but that is for everything, including dinner, breakfast and a few beers and wine. Our walk up was a strenuous task - we saw goats on the mountain side and crickets chirped in welcome, but the summit was hiding from us under cloud. However the other views were breathtaking. Outside, later on, we looked up at the clear night sky and the millions of stars. Could there be a more tranquil place in the world?

An early start the next day led up to the mountain. We walked another 1000 or so metres up a steep side to the top of the summit. Snow crushed under our feet, but it was pretty warm… I was there in tee shirt. A well worn path took us there, twisting upwards, cliff edges looked downwards at wondrous rock edges and distant, foreboding mountains. Suddenly we were there at the top. I was aware of my breathing and how hard it was due to the altitude, but was overcome with a great sensation. I was on the highest point in mainland Spain!

The mountain stands at around 3478m and is second only in Spain to Pico de Teide in Tenerife. An amazing panoramic view held my stare. Nearby Veleta, a proud 3394m and Alcazaba at 3371m. In the distant, the sea and - allegedly - Africa, though I could not make it out. I made a short but tricky climb up to the trig point. This was the highest I had ever been. It had been a test of endurance, and I was pretty chuffed with myself. We stayed for a while, and people came and went. We basked in both the sun and our glory. There seemed to be an air of calm about the place, a far cry from how the mountain will be in a few months tome: blizzards, snow, high winds. That was for the future months, but we did feel blessed, blessed that we had made it there with a view to boot.

Then it was back to the village for beers, food and celebrations… 

...less