A Full Day’s Walking

A 9:30am start for the planned walk to Benoacaz and a bus ride home (or so Margaret thought).

The walking notes we had brought gave us a route over the hills above Grazalema to the next village Benaocaz via the Sierra del Endrinal ridge and Dornajo, a ruined farmhouse. The distance of 11km was expected to take us about 4 hours and since the bus passed Benaocaz about 3:30pm we should have plenty of time to enjoy a picnic on the way and a mooch around Benaocaz.

The walking here is very different to that we have done so far on this trip – more ups and downs and through a number of hanging valleys grazed by sheep, goats and cattle that appear between the high rocky crags. The limestone is broken up by erosion and often litters the level sections turning them into a lunar landscape where you must watch your step. Where the valleys are grazed the stone has often been piled to give more areas for the grass to grow.

It was a beautiful walking day, hazy high cloud and not too warm and although we had no maps we had good notes and the route was marked by the blue arrows (an aeronautical display team who make rude signs in the sky with their vapour trails?).

We made good progress had a coffee at Dornajo which was occupied up until 30 years ago by a farmer and his family raising goats and making charcoal. Eventually we headed down into Benaocaz being overtaken on the way by another English couple walking the area for the first time. As we entered Benaocaz we were able to explore the ruined Berber village that sits above the newer parts of the town and passed a couple of locals carrying a bucket of snails – supper?

Since we had made good time and a felt in good shape John produced (as if by magic) another set of notes for a walk that would take us back by a different route via Goatherds Leap. Although Margaret may have wanted John to take a running jump she kept her thoughts to herself and agreed that we should walk back and save the busfare.

As we set off past small holdings and a couple mules the notes explained that we using an ancient mule track that a local farmer still used to bring his goats’ milk to town. We stopped by at the foot of a steep climb for lunch under trees and then start up. If a mule can come down I am sure we can get up. Once at the top we stop to view either a charcoal oven or a limekiln and then cross a level area before taking a short detour to see the Goatherds Leap – see separate post where we watched vultures and eagles soaring above. Does John love Margaret? We will never know as he sprained his ankle climbing one of the pinnacles and had to be airlifted to safety!!

On with the walk up a man made ladder and through boulder fields through wooded valleys we were passed again by the English couple we had seen earlier who had stopped in the village for provisions. Now following green arrows pointing in the opposite direction (an aeronautical display team who fly backwards to save petrol?) we passed a goat farm and eventually reached a farm track that would take us back to Grazalema. 5km to go and we were pretty much all in but at least the track was flat and we could make steady progress.

We reached the campsite at 6pm, 20km and 8.5 hours after our start – tired but pleased with our achievement. We showered and agreed over dinner that tomorrow would be a rest day.