late summer brings stunning views....

now that the nights bring cooler air, first clouds come in.

clouds in the morning, clouds in the evening...

perfect time to visit the alpujarras,...

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Full moon, stars and clouds in the valley

The 9th of January 20.30 hours. No further comments

Senderos Locales Trevélez

In 2010 a number of local walks of Trevélez were newly waymarked and documented.

These are:

SL-A 78 ´Sendero del Peñabón´ a circular walk of 7.3 km 

SL-A 79 ´Sendero del Horcajo´ a linear walk of 8.7 km   

SL-A 80 ´Sendero del Puerto de Jérez´ a linear walk of 4 km   

SL-A 81 ´Sendero del Chorrillo´ a linear walk of 6.6 km 

Maps with (Spanish) description can be found in this PDF on the FEDAMON website

The small booklet ´Rutas por Trevélez´ is now available as well. In this publication information can be found on these four routes, but also on the ruta los tres barrios, Molino Altero, Siete Lagunas, GR-7 y Sulayr (GR-240), Mulhacén por el Chorrillo, Mulhacén por Siete Lagunas and Laguna de Vacares. This booklet can be obtained at the Ayuntamiento (958858501) or the Trevélez tourist information point (650039185).

Today we went up the Mulhacén using the route Sendero del Chorillo to reach the south ridge of the Mulhacén. The waymarking to find the start  of the SL-A81, the GR7 to Busquístar and the GR240 to Capileira has been improved. But from 2,200 metres to the Chorillo at 2,730 metres the waymarking is still poor. In the summer finding the track will not be a problem, but now only a few old posts can be seen above the snow. Without a GPS track we would not advise people that are not familiar with the route to go up with snow or limited visibility. Technically the route gave no problems today, but the route is steep and snowshoes or crampones were needed with the present amount of snow.

Going on to the Mulhacén summit over the ridge was a pure joy (apart from losing our wind :) with the fantastic weather we had today. On the photo we look back south to the Mulhacén II (3,361 m).
While walking  down from the Chorillo back to Trevélez, the soft melting snow required quite some concentration. To walk from Trevélez (1,500 m)  to the Mulhacén (3,482 m) and back, an average hiker should calculate 9 to 10 hours.




Related articles:
- El Paraje now has crampons available
- See all mulhacen related articles

Related links:
-Trevélez decide recuperar los caminos más representativos del Parque de Sierra Nevada, article written by Rafael Vílchez published in the Ideal 15-08-2010

Related key words: alpujarras, sierra nevada, wandelen, wandelingen, wanderung, B&B, hotel, bérchules, trektocht, hiking, trekking, standplaatsvakantie,wandelvakanties

Sendero Local Pedro Antonio de Alarcón in Torvizcón

This year we had a large number of sunny days with nice temperatures in January, which means that in the lower parts of the Alpujarra the almond trees started to blossom relatively early. To enjoy this spectacle we decided to check the Sendero Local ´Pedro Antonio de Alarcón´. This is a linear walk of 8,3 kilometres that connects Torvizcón with the Venta del Chaparro, close to Haza de Lino. The height difference between the village and the ridge road - the GR 5204 - with its spectacular views is about 700 metres. The route is named after the Spanish author Pedro Antonio de Alarcón, who travelled through the region on mule back in the spring of 1872. In his travel book ´La Alpujarra´, he described the steep climb up from Torvizcón as one of the most demanding stages. As we felt like enjoying the almond blossom in a leisurely way, we got ourselves dropped off at the highest point in order to be able to walk down to Torvizcón. We had downloaded the GPS track from the website of Alpujarra Turística and found out that this is essential to find the route. There are wooden marker posts, but the waymarking is done in one direction only, starting in Torvizcón. There are also a number of cairns, but not enough to find the small paths that are often a bit hidden between the vegetation. Sometimes you need to cross vineyards, almond and fig orchards and when they are recently ploughed you tend to stay on the dirt tracks instead of entering the fields. These are the things that make the route really attractive though. It feels as if you enter into the heart of the Sierra de Contraviesa. In all directions we saw thousands and thousands of almond trees in full blossom and got completely submerged into this show for hours with only peace and quiet around us. The nice thing about walking down is that we could also contemplate the snowcapped Sierra Nevada in front of us all the time.



Related articles:
- Publication ´Senderos Locales de la Alpujarra´
- Centro Temático del Vino Alpujárride in Torvizcón
- Almond blossom routes in February 2009

Related links:
- The Almond Blossom Appreciation Society, an article on this book written by Chris Stewart from his website Online El Valero

Related key words: almendros en flor, amandelbloesem, wandelen, wandelingen, hiking, Alpujarras, B&B, hotel

Sendero Monterrey Laujar de Andarax

Laujar de Andarax is a village in the Almería province that we planned to visit for a long time and today we finally came around to do it. Thanks to the new Almería-Lanjarón road the travelling time is now only forty-five minutes and the weather forecast for today mentioned twenty-four degrees, sunny and no wind. A perfect day to check out one of the walking routes starting from this village that is quite well-known for its wines. The Sendero Hidroeléctrica is famous, but we heard at the Centro de Visitantes that it is not maintained as there are some steep stretches that are not considered safe enough. We decided to do the shortest of the two ´official´ short  local walks (signposted with yellow-and-white waymarks) of which we received copies at this visitor´s centre, namely the Sendero Monterrey (pdf folleto 3,86 mb) a circular walk of nine kilometres. The first three kilometres you follow a beautiful small path through a dense pine forest. Although you do not climb much more than three hundred metres, the views are fantastic once you come in a more open lanscape with grape vines growing at 1,200 metres. The return route is for a great part on a wide dirt track with fantastic views. We could not cross the Río Andarax easily, but we think this was exceptional. The holes of the bridge were blocked, so that the water ran over it in stead of underneath. Besides, the river was probably very swollen because of the amount of rainfall last week in combination with the melting snow. The snow that covered the Almirez (2,519 metres) and the Pico del Buitre (2,465 metres) a week ago has all been gone by now. A few hundred metres after having crossed the river with some difficulties the path has disappeared - probably as a result of the heavy rains last winter - and it looks as if you might need to cross the river again. This is not the case though, you need to stick to the left bank of the river for 200 metres although there is no clear path any more. The rest of the track and the two bridges that you need to cross are no problem. We are impressed by the beauty of this valley and will definetely go back to check other routes in the area.



Our ´regulars´ know that we add new walks like this to our file with descriptions. For new readers it might be nice to know that we make our own maps, callibrate them and put our GPS data and waypoints on top of them. (click here for our GPS data of this walk). At waypoint 9 we investigated the situation of the damaged dirt track to find out that sticking to the left bank of the river does the trick. We did not edit (delete) this part of our GPS data.



Related keywords:  Alpujarras, wandelen, wandelingen, trektocht, berchules, B&B, hotel

Snowfall in the high sierra

Last Friday a period of nice autumn weather came to an end. It was overcast during the day and slowly changed to misty and wet. Saturday it rained incessantly and the forecast shows more precipitations this coming week. Luckily we had a bit of a break yesterday with blue skies and some sunshine. From our terrace we enjoyed a snow-covered Almirez after the clouds had floated away. This mountain that we can see in the distance is with an altitude of 2,519 metres, the second highest peak of the Almería province. In the valley of Trevélez we saw quite a lot of snow on the mountains while going out for a few training hours. We think that the snow level has come down to about 2,400 metres. On the other side of the Sierra Nevada the ski centre was officially opened on Saturday. In the newspaper article ´Sierra Nevada abre la temporada´ we can read that the snow thickness varies between 10 and 40 centimetres but that more snowfall is to be expected in the ´high´ sierra this coming week. People that plan to visit the area during the ´Puente de diciembre´ coming weekend will hopefully be able to enjoy some wonderful winter landscapes.

Only in early spring

Having breakfast outside on the terrace and walking in the snow were both possible yesterday, the first day of April. From Trevélez at about 1,450 meters we walked up to the Alto del Chorrillo or Mirador de Trevélez. The peacefulness of the mountains must be earned! Sheltered by the mountain, no jacket was needed during the climb. The snow line at the moment is at about 2,200 metres. The last five hundred metres we crossed snow fields. At the Mirador de Trevélez at 2,730 metres, the wind at zero degrees centigrades made it more chilly, but the sun was protagonist during the whole day. Higher up, the snow was frozen and crampones would have been needed. We decided to take our time to enjoy the view into the valle Poqueira and the tops of the Veleta and Mulhacén (II) at 3,361 metres. Insiders know that the ultimate top or Mulhacén I at 3,482 metres cannot be seen from the Alto del Chorrillo.

Related links.
- see also our website http://www.elparaje.com/ choose: - hiking - high mountains
- gps track trevelez - mulhacen - mirador de trevelez - trevelez on wikiloc
- Mulhacén weather forecast
- Mulhacén access map

Some nice days ahead

Without any doubt, this must have been the wettest winter since decades. There is a lot of damage to roads, bridges and tracks, but in general, life in the Alpujarras is pretty much going on as normal. In the west of Andalucía there are still serious floodings. We had no extremely low temperatures and prize ourselves lucky with the minor repairs to be done in spring.
Last week heavy rainfall made place for ´normal´ unstable weather. This week however, the weather promises to give us a nice break. Although the wind is a bit chilly, the sun warms both skin and heart. Let´s hope that the worst has passed.

Related links:
- Bérchules weather forecast AEMET

related keywords: el tiempo, het weer, le temps, das wetter

Sunrise at El Paraje

The weather improved a lot over the last week. Although we surely will have some bad spells in the coming months, we now enjoy the first almond blossom and springlike temperatures. ´El temporal´ seems ages ago.

The Sierra Nevada at its best

After any spell of bad weather, the Spanish sun is bound to show up again. Today, the Sierra Nevada showed its most beautiful face. Virgin white snow against mediterranean blue skies with enjoyable springlike temperatures. It makes you forget last night´s stormy weather instantly.

related keywords: el tiempo, het weer, le temps, das wetter

Vaya veranillo

We have had a month of quiet weather with above normal temperatures after the rains at the end of September. Most countries have a special term to refer to the calm sunny days with blue skies in autumn. Having experienced a warm weather period with spectacular yellow and red leaves in the United States once, the term that came back to mind is Indian summer. The Dutch have a quite practical word ´nazomer´ translated as ´after summer´, and the Spanish use the diminutive ´short summer´ or ´veranillo´. Having had a look at the forecast this morning, we see that this spell of warm weather is coming to an end this week. With temperatures above twenty degrees in the shade today, it is difficult to imagine that we might have snow at ´El Paraje´ the coming weekend. In the meantime, we are enjoying the Indian Summer while it´s around, because one thing is for certain, it never lasts!
related keywords: el tiempo, het weer, le temps, das wetter

Autumn 2009

We had a long hot summer this year with a sudden change of the weather the last weekend of September. It rained for a couple of days and the temperatures dropped dramatically quite suddenly. It was the first time that we inaugurated the fireplace in September and we were afraid that we would jump from summer straight into winter. The first weekend of October the temperature began to rise to comfortable summer levels though. This meant that we have been able to serve breakfast outside again for the last two weeks. Yesterday it felt we had to say goodbye to summer with one hour of rainfall during a beautiful foggy evening. Nevertheless, this morning the sky was clear blue again. When we took this picture of a bee collecting pollen from a calendula officinalis or pot marigold, it felt like a spring morning once more. At the same time we are enjoying the sound of falling chestnuts and the sight of the poplars in the valley that are starting to turn yellow. The charms of autumn in the Alpujarras are not easy to put into words.
related keywords: el tiempo, het weer, le temps, das wetter

Welcoming spring in the Alpujarras

Today it is just a perfect day to welcome spring. It is sunny, the sky is blue and the temperature is just right to enjoy the outdoors. In the Alpujarras, the changing of the seasons can be experienced in many different ways. A few of our guests went down the GR7 to Cádiar and were pleasantly surprised about the different flowers they could photograph near the river Guadalfeo. Other guests followed the river Trevélez and marvelled at the amount of water coming down. The snow level is at the moment at about a 2,000 metres height. Walking through the snow can at some places be exhausting, but also worth the effort. It allows you to actually see the snow melting and to enjoy the sight of icicles. At the moment an enormous amount of meltwater is running through the Acequia de Mecina and there are quite a number of waterfalls to be seen. Our walk ´Acequia de Mecina´ is therefore our special recommendation for this first spring weekend.

related keywords: el tiempo, het weer, le temps, das wetter

First almond blossom on Valentine´s Day

The night chill was driven away fast and so our guests chose to have breakfast outside on the terrace. High up in the mountains the white snow contrasts beautifully against the blue sky. Closer by, at El Paraje, the first almond blossom does the same.



related keywords: el tiempo, het weer, le temps, das wetter

Sun dominates against predictions

When we had a look at the local weather forecast last week, we saw a report we had not seen before. An eighty percent - or higher - chance of precipitations for seven consecutive days, and a snow line under the thousand metres on several days. It was the first time that we decided to contact the people that had made a reservation, to tell them that maybe they should reconsider their booking. On Saturday it still felt strange that we did that, because the weather was just fine. On Sunday morning we had to admit that it had been a wise thing to do. There was snow on the ground, and we hardly had any visibility. Monday we had some more snow. Today it has been a completely different day from what the weather forecast predicted. We had a beautiful warm sunny day with spectacular cloud formations in a blue sky. The snow is melting away rapidly.

related keywords: el tiempo, het weer, le temps, das wetter

January weather

Sometimes people ask us what the weather is generally like in January. This is a not an easy question to answer, because it varies a lot. We had a strong cold wind yesterday for example, and this morning it was peacefully quiet. The sea in the distance reflected the sunlight. When we took this picture, it felt comfortably warm on the terrace. We placed a thermometer in de sun and we saw it quickly rise to thirty-five degrees, in the shade it read not more than ten degrees centigrade though. This shows a little bit how the weather can differ enormously, depending on whether the sun is out or not. A couple of warm days like today, and we will see the first almond trees blossoming.

related keywords: el tiempo, het weer, le temps, das wetter

The first snowfall

Quite a lof of snow fell on many parts of Spain last week. In Sierra Nevada there is now such an amount that they are talking about opening the Granada ski station the 22nd of November. On this picture taken today you can see how close the snow is to the village of Bérchules. The snow line is close to 2,000 metres. In the meantime the weather has stabilized and when you look at the forecast, you can see that it will be perfect for hiking, horse riding or mountain biking the whole coming week. The maximum temperatures mentioned, around 13 degrees, are as measured in the shade. In the sun the temperatures easily reach 10 degrees more. On television the proverb “año de nieves, año de bienes”, was repeated quite a few times the last couple of days. Let´s hope that this saying “year of snows, year of riches” holds true. It´s already quite a joy to see that there´s now more water flowing from the fountains in the village since the first precipitations.

related keywords: el tiempo, het weer, le temps, das wetter

Autumn 2008

The third autumn day El Paraje woke up to this magnificent view. It was a prelude to a whole day of rain which is after a number of consecutive dry years a godsend. As the first rainfalls are relatively early this year, we hope that this is a good sign for the coming winter. After the rain had stopped the mist formed a photogenic background and the constantly changing skies offer magic views during this time of the year.
related keywords: el tiempo, het weer, le temps, das wetter

Mulhacen winter ascent

The Mulhacen is not difficult to climb in summer and along the normal tracks. This excludes the northface. In winter the weather on the mulhacen decides if your yourney will be a fairytale or a disaster. We selected this video from youtube as example of a winter fairytale.

To watch the video in a higher resolution:
Once started , 360p shows up in the lower bar. Click to choose 480p to watch the video in a higher resolution.

Click here to link to the original page on youtube for more details.

related keywords: el tiempo, het weer, le temps, das wetter

Webcam Lanjaron

Lanjarón is the western entrance to the Alpujarras. It lies 20 kilometers west from El Paraje as the crow flies. Although in a mountainous area all corners have their own character, this picture gives a fair idea about the weather conditions at the moment.
(IExplorer: Use Ctrl + F5 to refresh picture download).


Courtesy of Spanishhighs Walking, Trekking & Mountaineering activity holidays in Lanjarón.

Check out their live weatherstation!

related keywords: el tiempo, het weer, le temps, das wetter