European
Mountains, Spain
Sierras de Tejeda
Cueva de Nerja, Pico del Cielo (1501m) & point 1543m,
Apr 3 2012
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Cueva de Nerja
Cueva de Nerja
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This was our 2nd day with Hotel Los Caracoles as base-camp, and the plan today was to visit a cave called Cueva de Nerja and to hike Pico del Cielo (1501m). I didn't know anything about the cave other than that Anne wanted to visit it. We didn't know much about Pico del Cielo either, except that it was a very popular hike.
So this is the last time I'll refer to the cave as just a cave, without using the adjectives that this wonder of our world deserves! My oh my, what a cathedral! A 35,484mē cathedral...
Inside Cueva de Nerja
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I've been to big caves before, but no one comes close to this one. It was above anything else I've seen. And like in other similar types of caves, the use of flash is forbidden. The signposts are everywhere, and I never cease to be amazed over those who take pictures with flash as if they were paid in full per photo...
After a round trip inside the cave, we were in the mood of hiking and decided to go for Pico del Cielo. A little rain would only be refreshing and the mountain fog should certainly not be a showstopper! We left Cueva de Nerja and parked at the Pico del Cielo trailhead - 50 meters down the road. We headed out 12pm sharp.
Hoping to meet one of them...
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We knew that the route was 50% mountain road and 50% a well-worn trail. So it was just a matter of keep moving, as there would be no apparent risk up in the fog. Other than thunder and lightning...
Pico de Cielo
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After approx 3km, we reached a fork where we turned right. The vertical climb begun here. Thanks to short-cuts, the forest road didn't get as boring as it seemed at first sight. We followed the mountain road up to a ridge where the forest had been cut to prevent a potential fire from spreading. The mountain road continued up to a building at approx. 770m and then 250 meters past the building. From here, we would be following a mountain path to the top and the fog began here.
Roughly halfway to Pico del Cielo
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After a little while, we passed two hikers (a couple) who were heading upwards. Besides these two, we had only seen two others - on the way down on the forest road an hour (at least) earlier. After a nice, but rather uneventful trek along the path, we reached Pico del Cielo 2:55pm - according to plan (we have been hiking 1500 meter mountains before...)
I bet the view from the peak is astonishing (and that you can see all the way to Africa), but today we didn't see more than 20 meters...
On Pico del Cielo - 1501m
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I had only roughly looked at a map on the net prior to the hike and noted that there was a higher point to the northeast. But as I didn't memorize the details (and lacking a hiking map), I couldn't say how far we would have to go. Anne was not so keen about wandering into the fog, but I managed to persuade her. At 3:09pm, we were on point 1543, and I believed this was the true summit of a proper peak, but later I learned that this ridge goes on and on until it eventually becomes Navachica (1828m) summit - one of the highest mountain tops in this range.
On point 1543m
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We descended one minute after arriving on top of point 1543m. Back at Pico del Cielo, there was no signs of the other hikers. Had they already been here? Most likely.
But when we passed them not too far away from the halfway building, it turned out that the Finnish couple had not been to the top. We continued to keep a good pace down the mountain and returned to the car 5:22pm - 5h:22m after heading out. Thunder and lightning was hitting the mountains hard by now and the weather forecast wasn't too good. We decided to try our luck elsewhere...
Next stop: Cabo del Gata ...
The route to Pico del Cielo
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