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Published: February 1st 2015
Bighorn Sheep
Near Refugio Poqueiria, MulhacénPOVERTYJETSET'S SUPERBOWL BLOG EDITION SPECIAL
Even though I've been back in the US for nearly 3 weeks, I've still got a ton of info and pictures to process from The Trips To End All Trips. After Morocco, I headed back to Algeciras, Spain then Porto and Lisbon, Portugal before flying out of Madrid. I easily could have spent much more time in Spain and Portugal but I wanted to be back in the US for the New England Patriots march to Superbowl XLIX. Plus I need a job so the timing was convenient...
GO PATS!
The easier winter route up the Iberian Peninsula's highest peak, Mulhacén, 11,413' or 3,479 meters, involves ascending via the Loma de Resuello. "Resuello" is best translated as "wheezing" which is appropriate because I was, in fact, gasping for breath at that altitude. Technically speaking, Mulhacén is not Spain's highest peak as there is a slightly higher volcano on the island of Tenerife in the Canaries that I seriously contemplated summiting until I found out there is a cable car to 200' short of the summit. The weather in Spain after I arrived in Barcelona December 9 from Istanbul was incredible,
almost continuous sun, and it lasted through my Xmas eve and day ascent of Mulhacén. While technically winter, it did not feel like it all. The snow conditions were very good and the temperatures perfect, a bit above freezing for most of the ascent with hardly any wind at all.
It took me a while roaming around Granada to find gear to rent for the ascent, namely an ice axe and crampons. The first couple of shops I checked out were thin on any gear at all because of the holiday but I'm not sure where all these supposed climbers were because Refugio Poqueiria, ~2,500 meters ASL near Mulhacén and several other summits, was devoid of
huéspedes except for myself and a Spanish couple from Valencia. I was ultimately able to get a very heavy, long ice axe and decent pair of crampons from Solemar for €28 for the 2 day climb. It ended up actually being a 3 day rental because of the holiday so a pretty good deal and really the only option. The
refugio purportedly rents gear and they have cell phone service but when I called to ask about gear they told me they didn't
have any which was odd and belied the rental sign in the dining room when I got there. I didn't even need the ice axe and if I had started out after the sun had a chance to soften the snow, I probably could have also managed without crampons which were definitely not needed on the mid-day descent back to the
refugio.
Next order of business was getting from Granada to Capileira. There are a few daily departures but best to take the first bus at 10:00 in order to get to the
refugio by late afternoon. Fare is ~€11 round trip with open return and the bus trip takes ~2 hours one way. The trail starts right from the center of town and I left ~12:20 once I figured out exactly where. I took the route via
acequias which was gradual until reaching the hydroelectric station after ~1 hour. At that point the trail marker indicated ~7 kms to the
refugio so I was figuring a couple of hours max but it took me almost 3 hours, once again sandbagged (previous episode was hiking on Crete). But the hike up was pretty easy except for a couple of
Refugio Poqueiria's Humongous "Hut" Cat
Cats worldwide have an uncanny ability to gravitate towards me because they know I'm such a cat person. long descents. I hate going down when I'm going up. I passed a small group of bighorn sheep close to the hut and arrived there ~16:10 not long before sunset.
Schwanky Refugio Poqueiria has room for dozens... but it comes at a price. Costs €17 for dormitory accommodation, hot water shower €2.50 extra but not necessary for me as I barely sweat in the cool temps. There's also no drinking water except bottled water for purchase which was a bit disconcerting as I don't think it would be too much to install a water filter and eliminate what can only be heaps of plastic waste every year. I took my chances with the untreated water as it was supposedly spring fed. The
menú del dia was another €17 and could have easily fed 3 normal appetites but I managed to eat most of it. There are other cheaper and more reasonably portioned dinner options. Breakfast is another ~€5 but I passed as I did not want to take a chance starting the summit push on Nescafe so brought my own
desayuno with real coffee to brew. There was not a whole lot to do at night, the tired Spanish
couple had done Mulhacén that day, and it was damn cold even inside huddled around the fireplace so we all crashed early in our own rooms and I slept soundly especially after 3 nights in the dorm in Granada's hostel.
After a quick breakfast I set out into the frigid morning at 8:10, affixed the crampons, and skimmed the squeaky, solidified snow to the saddle at the base of The Wheezing Knoll after an hour or so. I had been passing poles planted in the snow alongside the boot track to the pass but these disappeared except for one up on the rocks and in the direction of the summit but a bit offset from the ridge line. However, when I got closer there was a skull and crossbones painted on the top which was a bit surprising as there didn't seem to be any objective hazards anywhere in the vicinity. None the less, I took that as a serious warning and went back to the saddle then directly followed the ridge after wasting nearly half an hour. Didn't really matter as I got to the summit at 11:52 where I was the only person for miles after one
dude and his diminutive dog had long since passed me and 2 Spanish climbers who spent the night on the summit had descended.
I had briefly consulted with the Spanish climbers about the alternate route on the southwest face which would have taken me directly to the
refugio. However, they told me the route was very icy and just as long as the Wheezing Knoll which they were also taking back to Poquieria. Resigned to the long descent to the hut and Capileira, I left the summit after only a few minutes of basking in the sun and taking in the views. Reached the
refugio just before 14:00, repacked in a flash, left ~14:15, and practically ran to Capileira with the hopes of catching the 16:45 bus back to Granada which only took 2 hours as opposed to the 18:15 departure which took ½ hour longer. Missing the earlier bus by 20 minutes, I had to wait in Capileira over an hour for the late bus. Even though brilliantly sunny on the mountaintop, the clouds never lifted from Capileira during the day so the town was freezing by the time I got back from the climb.
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Barcelona
Easily the highlight of Spain, after Mulhacén of course, and I liked Barcelona much more than the other cities I visited. The weather probably had something to do with it as it was warmest there but it also seemed to be a cheerier place and certainly less downtrodden and seedy than Madrid.
Great intro to the city was the free walking tour through Travel Pub and one of the guides swings by the hostel ~10:30 for the 11:00 tour which lasts almost 2 hours. There is also a free Gaudí walking tour but it was cancelled due to insufficient numbers of participants so I attempted to self guide along the
modernismo route, possible with the markers on the pavement but difficult to follow at times especially among the throngs of pedestrians.
Accommodation and food Stayed in BCN Diputació in a 6 person dorm that never had more than 3 people in it. The hostel was clean with good WiFi and a nice kitchen. I think there were more staff than guests so it was pretty quiet. Price was ~€8/night and the location was great, very close to Passeig de Gràcia, Plaça de Catalunya, and
much transport - basically right in the middle of the city. No shortage of places to eat in the neighborhood but I took all my €9.50
menú del días at Kibur around the corner from the hostel. Food was typical Catalonia with good variety but imagine my shock and chagrin when I had wine with dinner (included, red or white) and was left with an entire bottle on the table to consume at will.
Transport I bought a T-10 transit card upon arrival at BCN airport for €10.30 which is good for ten 1 zone rides on the metro, trains, and buses. Theoretically, it shouldn't have gotten me all the way from the airport to the metro station at Passeig de Gràcia but the tickets aren't checked at the exit turnstiles at the latter, a little known secret revealed to me by Barcelona residents I met at immigration. The tickets are also not checked at the airport exit. There's a bus that runs north up Passeig de Gràcia to Park Güell for city views.
Day trip to Montserrat With nice weather, this is a must see attraction more for the views stretching from the Pyrenees to the Mediterranean
than for the monastery and only about an hour's train ride from Barcelona. Board the
ferrocarril at Plaça d'Espanya for Montserrat-Aeri. Even though it's several zones from Barcelona's center, the one zone T-10 card will still work because the card is not checked leaving the train station at Montserrat. There is a cable car right at the train station but I wanted to hike to the monastery (~2 hrs I'd heard). Unfortunately, there were a few days of serious winds before I arrived in Barcelona and there were downed power lines on the trail leading to its closure. So I had to suck it up and pay €10 for the round trip cable car which tops out near the monastery, There's a funicular almost to the top of Sant Jeroni, Montserrat's highest point, but it's only a 30 minute walk from the monastery and a basic trail map is available from the visitors center. There are various package deals which include round trip train from Barcelona, cable car, museum entry, and funicular.
Madrid
Lots of free stuff in Madrid. Did another tips based walking tour with Sandemans the first day I was in Madrid to get the lay of
Monastery
Montserrat the land. Museo Nacional Del Prado is free for the last 2 hours daily and I just about ran through the place to cover it all in that time. Right after, I swung by the nearby Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía which also has the last 2 hours free but is open an hour later. It was a bit
avante garde and abstract for me so one hour was plenty but, like George Costanza, I don't get art although that's definitely not a flattering comparison. Much more interesting for me was the Naval Museum, €3 entry but free on weekends.
Accommodation and food I stayed twice in Madrid but the second time was just an overnight layover on my way from Lisbon to Miami. First time I got a deal for Hostal Chelo, not to be confused with a hostel, with my own room and bathroom for 4 nights which averaged out to ~€17/night. It was clean and quiet but non-smoking rooms have yet to catch on in
hostales and it was noticeably a smoking room. The location was great, just a few minutes from Gran Vía and Puerta del Sol. Second stay was at Living MAD
Hostel for €11 in a 6 person dorm with standard amenities and a pretty good breakfast. Convenient to Atocha Station and very close to the museums. The only restaurants I remember were the all you can eat buffets at All You Can Eat (yes, that's the name, couple locations near the
hostal) and FrescCo a couple blocks north of Plaza Mayor. Both are €9.95 but FrescCo's quality was much better and included all the espresso drinks my central nervous system could handle. One beer or glass of wine included at both.
Transport First time at MAD airport took the bus to Plaza de Cibeles for €5 but subsequent trips were on RENFE Cercanías trains between terminal 4 and Atocha Station for €2.60 and faster than the bus.
Toledo
Historic city close to Madrid, easy to do a day trip. Weekends, as I found out, are positively mobbed but many sites have free entry from Saturday afternoon through Sunday. Saturday I checked out the Sephardic Jewish Museum and Sunday the Museo del Ejército which is massive and needs a lot of time.
Accommodation and food Stayed 2 nights in Oasis Hostel right in the center of town just off Plaza Zocodover, averaged ~€13.50/night in a clean 4 person dorm with bathroom. There's WiFi and a kitchen. Long, uphill walk from the bus station or take the series of escalators. Cafe Yorkis at the bus station is pretty good and the €8.50
menú del día (with bottle of wine included, of course) is a deal for Toledo. Near the hostel is Lizarra and Wamba with massive breakfasts.
Transport Frequent buses between Toldeo and Plaza Eliptica in Madrid for €5.43 one way, ~1 hour trip; round trip costs slightly less than 2 one way tickets but only for same day return or so I was told. On Sundays only there is a direct bus from Toledo to Granada for €20 departing at 12:00, arriving ~17:00 with a short stop at an expensive highway rest area cafeteria.
Granada
Wildly popular place but I was there the week of Christmas so maybe more people than normal outside of summer. The palace at Alhambra is OK but is best reserved in advance. Otherwise, get in line early for the first entry period if wanting to see the Nasrid Palace. Easier to get a ticket that does not include the palace which is what I did. If I'd wanted to view the Nasrid Palace I would have had to return at 14:00 for the second entry period and it was only 11:00. Entry is €7/14 without/with the palace.
Accommodation and food I spent 5 nights in Granada before and after Mulhacén climb at Al Andalus Hostel right the the historic center.. It was €14 in a 4 or 6 person ensuite dorm, breakfast served nearby, and the WiFi was good. The place was nice and clean but kind of noisy. Many places for a
menú del día or there's also a FrescCo for a €9.95 buffet gorge.
Transport Several daily buses with ALSA to Algeciras (~4 hrs, €26.50) also stopping at Málaga (can change here for La Linea de Concepción next to Gibraltar). Between Granada's center and bus terminal requires 2 buses, first LAC then change to the N4 at Caleta on the same ticket for €1.20.
Algeciras
Strictly functional stop as one of the ports for Morocco ferry departures and close to Gibraltar for a day trip. Spent 2 nights here both before and after Morocco which was one night too many as I should have headed to Sevilla about an hour after the ferry arrived from Tangier but I was wiped out after the all night train train ride from Marrakech, bus to the ferry port, then ferry ride.
Accommodation and food First time staying here I did not want to mess around looking for a place to crash so booked Pension Versalles on booking.com for €18/night in a clean ensuite single with WiFi. It was fine if a bit overpriced. Second stay found the nearby Hostal Gonzalez where rooms without/with bathrooms went for €12/15 per person. I took a quiet room with share bathroom but there was a sink in the room and WiFi in the lobby. Neither place had heat (or A/C for summer visits) and it was a bit chilly in Algeciras at night. True restaurants are thin on the ground, mostly
kebap shops, but there are a few places to get a
menú del día for ~€8: the bus terminal (actually not bad), nearby Mesón Algeciras, and La Flauta Mágica which was a Moroccan joint serving huge portions. Good breakfasts at Cafeteria Goya in front of the port and the best coffees I had in all of Spain were at Goya and the bus terminal, ~€1 for a super strong
cafe con leche.
Transport Frequent buses to Sevilla for €19.50 with Valenzuela. ALSA has regular service to Málaga, Granada, and beyond. For Portugal, cheaper to buy separate tickets, first to Sevilla then to Lisbon from there. Trasmediterranea ferries to Tangier Med port are €21 one way, €31.50 roundtrip. They also have ferries from Tarifa to Tangier direct for €66 round trip and an allegedly free bus from Algeciras to Tarifa.
Day trip to Gibraltar Regular buses leave from the terminal for the 30 minute ride to La Linea de la Concepción for €2.45. From there it is a short walk to the immigration post at Gibraltar. I thought Gibraltar was a U.K. territory and I expected to get a U.K. passport stamp but Gibraltar has their own stamps. After immigration is the airport and one must cross the runway by car or on foot to get into town. Near the center is the cable car (£10.70 round trip, cash or credit, can also pay in euros, maybe dollars too) to the top of the rock although there is a slightly higher part of the rock off limits because of a radar installation. Aside from the views, the monkeys are the main draw although if they see a plastic bag, which they associate with food, they can act aggressively. The wind picked up when I was on the top so the cable car closed down and we had to wait an hour for buses to drive up the road then back down which took much longer than the 5 minute cable car ride. Can also walk to the top but it is almost entirely along the road.
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Geoff M
non-member comment
Well done! Keep it up
Hi Jon, I just finished reading all your blogs about my fav areas ie. countries along the N shore of the Med, and in the Andes. Yours are a candidate for the best travel blogs I've found. I admire your ability to travel so cheaply. I've just learnt from you that Van in Turkey has an airport. I missed that in The Rough Guide. Here are 2 challenges for you: Switzerland on the cheap, and the Clio-Sat mountains of extreme SE Turkey. Clio-Sat are superb looking peaks with glaciers and I reckon reliable weather in summer. The challenge is that they're 4 hours by bus from Van, and it's recommended that foreigners avoid the area due to potential conflict between Turkish forces and Kurd separatists. Probably one day it'll open up but it would be great to get there before the Tripadvisor mob change the place. I got the travel bug last year and (with my S American wife) have been to Istanbul, Cappadocia, Antalya, Cirali (worth a visit if you haven't), Menorca, Madrid, Segovia and Ibiza. This summer we're booked to Costa Brava (the bit the Spanish go to). Prior to this I've been to S America 3 times totalling 3 months visiting Machu Picchu and doing a trek in the Cordillera Blanca (this region is stunning and has clear blue skies from Jun to July), also had a month in the Italian alps climbing the highest peak wholly inside Italy, various trips to Norway summer and winter N and S of the Arctic circle at times cross country skiing, and about half a dozen other sundry places inc. the US east coast. Like you, I like to avoid big cities, mass tourism, spending more than about 5 nights in one place. I like mountains and nature and unspoilt landscapes and foreign cultures/food. Geoff