Sierra de Pinar

Since Tuesday’s long walk we had a quiet day on Wednesday mooching around Grazalema and were confined to barracks by continuous heavy rain for most of Thursday. We did manage to get into town to arrange a permit to walk into the Pinsapo reserve where only 60 people are allowed each day.

The reserve lies above Grazalema and it is here where many of the last surviving Abies Pinsapo pine trees cling to the sides of El Torreón, the highest peak locally at 1654m. These pines (which were wiped out in other parts of the world by the ice age) have traditionally been harvested for ships masts and pit props – quite a difference. We plan to walk through the reserve and catch the bus back from Benamahoma (son of Mohammed), the next village down to road to Arcos. There is only one bus a day at around 3:30pm and so timing is everything.

Friday dawns bright but we dig out the waterproofs as we know from experience if we pack them we will not need them. After a couple of kilometres walking up the road towards Zaraha we cut up through the woods on a zig-zag path that will take us to Puerto de las Cumbres at around 1300m. The views down over Grazalema and then on the other side of the ridge towards Arcos are brilliant. The narrow path continues along under the ridge through the pines for about 4km and we eventually emerge into the valley above Benamahoma and can see how a circle of high peaks and ridges protects this reserve from adverse weather.

The route down to Benamahoma (which lies well below Grazalema) is steep and twisting but provides us with a lunchtime picnic spot by a stream in the sun and after 14km and 4 hours we walk into the pueblo blanco past a campsite (shut but worth remembering), a fish farm, a hydroelectric museum (the village used to get its electricity this way) and numerous bars. The local inhabitants were enjoying a quiet lunchtime. The temperature here is usually 10° higher than Grazalema and after a little exploration we settle outside a bar with the bus stop in view and enjoy beer and tea in hot sunshine while we watch paragliders soaring above the ridge opposite the village.

As we wait for the bus a party of school children (on yet another school trip!) are enjoying a game of ball tag and provide us with ample entertainment until the bus arrives (just we two and the driver) and takes back to the campsite.

Not much wildlife although we did spot Griffon Vultures soaring above and a Firecrest high in a pine tree, two birds at opposite ends of the spectrum size wise. A few goats and some cattle, all with impressive horns, grazed the woods and a young deer crossed the path of the bus as we drove up to Grazalema.