The five at Las Chorreras
We were joined on our walk this week by Rene who has been chilling out in the UK for the past couple of months while the rest of us have had to stay here with the blue sky and sun all summer.
All week the weather forecast had been predicting a poor Friday, but it was the only day we were all free. By Thursday evening we were told to expect rain, snow and thunderstorms, good grief it is only the beginning of September. Friday morning we awoke to a short shower but then the clouds cleared away.
We had an early, 7.30 am, start for the 130 km drive to the start of our walk above the pueblo of Lanteira. Unfortunately, the further we drove the lower the clouds became, and by the time we had reached our destination on Peñon de Herrero we were shrouded in cloud.
We had driven as far as we could get but the track was deteriorating so we left the car and walked the 2km to the start of the walk.
We had not gone far when we came across a dog walking down the track. He looked happy but his ribs were showing so Rene took pity on him and offered him a sweet, one sniff and he carried on with his exploring, mind, it was a kids fried egg jelly sweet so you can’t blame him. A little further on we came across his mate who had been left in charge of the herd of goats . Picking up the Sulayr path we set off across the loma El Púlpito, we could have been anywhere, we could not see anything. The path, whilst never climbing steeply, wandered in and out of various barrancos. The streams were still running from last winter's snows.
Hearing a noise behind us we were rewarded with the sight of a wild boar and her youngsters making their way across the hillside, add to this two foxes we saw on the drive up through the forest, Buzzards and Bee eaters and it was turning into a wildlife extravaganza. Some walks you have fantastic views and no wild life, but with today’s cloud our views were restricted to our immediate vicinity and there was plenty to see.
Eventually we arrived at our destination of Las Chorreras, a Shepherds hut that we had walked to on the 24th May. Stopping here for lunch, we watched as the clouds slowly rolled back revealing the hills and valleys we had traveled through. We walked back the way we had come but it was a totally new experience having the benefit of distant vistas. We were plagued with a few light showers on the way back, but nothing like the prediction.The walk never appeared hard, but we were all pretty tired when we got back to the car and we looked a right bunch of old crocks when we staggered into the bar in Jézez del Marquesado thirty minutes later.
The drive back was notable for the fact that for the second time in this area we were pulled over by the Guardia, this time I was breathalysed, I am pleased to report that the sin Cerveza beer I had did not register on the meter.
The walkers Mike, Kees, Ray, Rene and myself.
Distance walked on route today, 9.3 km. Total distance today 23 km. Height climbed today 712 metres. Total distance walked on the Sulayr path 146.3 km. Distance left to do 154.7 km. Total height climbed 10833 metres. Total distance walked 327.8 km.
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