We
slept very well that Sunday night. As I drifted off into the satisfying
rest earned only by healthy outdoor exercise, my head was full of
beautiful images. I thought of the cool dappled shade in the pine
forests at the early part of our walk from Pizarra up the slopes
of the El Hacho mountain and of the increasing splendour of the
far reaching views behind us, the unequalled magnificence of the
panoramic vistas from the top of the mountain towards Alora, Casarabonela,
Tolox, Guaro, Coin and Alhaurin el Grande on one side, and towards
Malaga and the ocean on the other. Yet as I slipped from my day
of dreams into the dreams of night the last picture in my mind,
in complete contrast to the mid-boggling grandeur of the views,
was a splash of colour so small that I almost crushed it with my
foot and had to bend down close to the ground to make out little
clusters of blue flowers in the grass like tiny stars.
Monday mornings in a cheerless office back in England had usually
followed a regular pattern.
“Do anything interesting over the weekend?”
“No, not a lot.”
For us at least that mould is now broken, the choice of excellent
things to do in inland Andalucia being virtually unlimited. This
Monday morning as I sat in the Spanish spring sunshine with a cup
of tea on the side and my notepad in my lap, I found myself thinking
for some strange reason of those grim old days gone by. Of course
there were plenty of things to do of a weekend in England. We had
a ball. Yet invariably the weather put a boot into most outdoor
plans and being stuck in a motorway traffic jam in the blazing heat
as part of a desperate rush on the occasional good weekend lost
its novelty surprisingly quickly.
This walk, about 4-5 miles long and taking about 3 hours to complete,
was written by our friend Sarah. The going is relatively easy, along
well-marked paths and stretches of track, although it is a little
steep in parts on the way up. The return towards Alora and La Huma
has a fair share of shingle and pebbles in certain places, definitely
requiring a good pair of walking boots or at least shoes with good
ankle support. Spring is an ideal time of year for it, the woods
and fields full of lovely flowers, including Bee Orchids, white
and purple Candy Tuft, Lavender, Saxifraje, lemon, yellow and pink
Cystus and soft, mauve Mallow. We nibbled a piece of wild Rocket
too, which tasted very nutty, appropriately no doubt.
The smell of pine in the early stages of the walk is intoxicating
and the views from El Santo and the ridge at the top will stay in
your memory forever, stirred occasionally in the future perhaps
whenever you see a butterfly in the sunshine or find yourself somewhere
overwhelmingly tranquil. A perfect day out for those of us lucky
enough to be living in Andalucia, this walk could easily form the
highlight of a holiday for exploring the inland region.
And back to the Monday morning in an English office scenario. How
about this for a change:
“Do anything interesting this weekend?”
“Not much. Except caught a cheap
flight on Friday morning to Malaga, took the train from the
airport to a nice little place called Pizarra, checked in at a very
pleasant and reasonable hotel,
not far from the centre of town, had a delicious dinner, stayed
out far too late touring the pubs and disco bars in the town and
the next day climbed a mountain with some of the most incredible
views in the world. Out again on Saturday night and caught a flight
back to the UK on Sunday to spend the following week resting up
at work.”
Might raise a hint of interest, you never know.
Having looked up at the mountain behind Pizarra often from the road
and the train, I had often wondered about the views from the top
and now, having been there, I have to admit that I simply had no
idea. Go there too. Find out for yourself. You will most certainly
not be disappointed.
Summary
A fairly easy walk of about 4-5 miles. Most of it is waymarked by
poles with horizontal yellow and white stripes showing the way,
and a cross showing where not to go.
Relevant Maps:
Cartografia Militar de España Serie L. Escala 1:50,000 Sheet
1052
Mapa Topográfico Nacional de E Escala 1:25,000 Sheet 1052-1
The Walk
Start in Pizarra opposite the Tourist Information Office. Walk up
the street between the service station and the tourist information
office until you get to a T junction. Slightly to your right, go
into the Raja Ancha recreational area and follow the path uphill,
keeping the arroyo just to your left.
Where the fence ends, go under the chain across the arroyo and turn
right, to walk uphill the other side of the arroyo. Follow the main
path as it veers right, and carry on past red sign prohibiting hunting.
At a big rock on your left, ignore the path on your right and keep
straight on, following the waymarked zig zag path uphill until it
reaches the rock face. Go into the cleft and up the stairs to a
small mirador. (25 mins)
Follow the main, waymarked, path wending its way uphill through
pine forests. In spring, look out for bee orchids. After about 45
mins there is a good view from a small outcrop on the right, by
a waymark pole with an x. Here, face the crags to see where you
are going to go, a TV aerial ahead of you and the saint to your
left.
Continue along the way marked path until you reach a junction (50
mins). The path marked El Santo is a short cut directly to the saint,
and is where you will come out if you choose the quick way back
to Pizarra. Take the right turn, past the cave (55m) and turn left
onto the wide track (60m) which heads up hill to the TV aerial (1hr
15m).
Shortly after the aerial, carry on straight ahead at the junction
with 2 other tracks to the left and right. At the fork (1hr 35 mins)
note the track to the right which you will come back to if you take
the longer way back to Pizarra, and keep to the left on the Camino
del Santo (green hand painted sign), until you reach the Saint.
(1hr 45m).
To go back the quick way, take the path on the far side of the picnic
site and to your right with your back to the saint. It winds along
the hillside to join the path you came up on.
The other way down contrasts well with the path you came up, and
has lovely views towards Alora and La Huma. To take this, from the
saint, go back the way you came as far as the first junction and
turn left. (1hr 50m). You will shortly pass the trig point (448m)
on your right (1hr 55m). Then, as you come over the rise, Alora
and the Guadalhorce valley is laid out before you.
At the junction, take the left turn, following the way mark, until
the track takes a sharp turn to the right. Here, turn onto the smaller
track heading left and downhill (sign to Ermita). Keep following
the new waymarks, green and red vertical stripes and directions
to La Ermita. Towards the edge of Pizarra, by a large white water
deposit, (2hr 40 m) turn left onto the track. Keep straight on as
it changes from gravel, to concrete, to tarmac and becomes Avenida
Alfonso XIII. Continue past an ice cream kiosk. Turn right down
Dr Lopez Uralde, until you meet the main road and turn left back
to the start. (3hr 50m). |
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