16 Nov 2009 - Bernia Circuit

Its almost three years since we walked the Bernia circuit with the Monday Club, and I would have thought that there would have been a larger group than the 11 who took part. On the other hand it is quite a difficult walk, and includes a low tunnel through the mountain, so perhaps it was not too surprising.

It was a warm and sunny day, but with a lot of haze on the coast. So the views as we climbed were quite magical.

After an easy walk to the font, with very pleasant view to the coast, we filled our water bottles with the lovely cold water. Then it was uphill all the way to the tunnel. It is quite a steep path, with not many places to stop to rest. But it was on the shaded side of Bernia, so it was much cooler than exposed to the sun.

Sue was supposed to lead this walk, but was not able to make it today. Fortunately she had done a recce during the week with David, who was happy to lead. He set an excellent pace, not too fast or slow, and did not get lost once.

The tunnel is not easy to see until you reach it, but the path is now quite well signed and easy to follow. This is the final approach to the entrance to the tunnel.

The tunnel is quite low, and you have to crouch crab like to inch your way through. Its very hard on the legs and back. But the floor is often less than clean, as the goats often use it to shelter when it rains. Fortunately it was clean and dry today.

There is the most fantastic view towards Benidorm, Alicante and the Guadalest valley as you emerge from the tunnel.

There is also plenty of room to sit and recover, and to admire the view. We had our first “banana break” here to recover from the climb.

After the climbing on the shaded side we were now sitting in the warm sun and admiring the clear blue sky. It would have been easy to sit here for an hour or so, but we still had a long way to walk.

Just time for a group photo before David was blowing his whistle and warning “two minutes”. Time to pack our water bottles away, get our haversacks on and off we go.

The path had recently been greatly improved. The markings were on the old path, which was quite confusing. However both paths kept crossing each other, so it didn’t really matter which one we took. The newer one was easier to walk on, so we stuck to that

The path runs just below the summit of Bernia, and Pat stopped to admire the high peaks just above us.

An example of the peaks, which looked quite easy to climb but Peter confirmed were more difficult than they looked.

A lot of the path was like this, but a vast improvement on what it used to be like. Even though there was a lot of shale, a path had been cleared through it and clearly marked.

David and Peter were leading, with Pat in close support. The pace was excellent, and no one had any trouble keeping up. It was also quite a good pace, and we finished the whole walk in less than five hours.

I had forgotten that there are a few houses quite high on the slope of Bernia, and a very good road not much below our track.

Hard to believe that last week we all had our warm clothes on as it was very cold for our Green Horse walk. Today it was similar a warm summer day in UK, though with a pleasant cool breeze. November and December are often two of the best months for hill walking here on the Costa Blanca.

Although it looks quite difficult, the path was actually very safe and easy to follow. This is a spot where we had trouble finding the path when we last did it on our own, but it is now very well marked and easy to follow.

Although the path was pretty level for most of the way, there was the occasional section which involved a bit of a climb. We had now been walking for about three hours, and everyone was beginning to feel the heat and the strain.

You can see from this photo just how close we were to the actual jagged peaks of Bernia.

Lunch is in view as we approach Bernia Fort. This last section is along a level and well defined path. Although clearly in view, it is difficult to identify the Fort until you are very close as it is now a ruin and does not stand our from the surrounding hills.

We arrived just after 1pm and being in direct sun, and having been walking since 10am we were all “glowing”. So we needed to find a shaded spot for lunch.

Gathered in the shade of one of the ruins we spent a very pleasant half hour having our lunch. This photo was taken into the sun, and it was not as dark as it appears.

The lovely view into Guadalest valley from our picnic site.

Ken (far left) had hurt his finger when he stumbled during the early part of the walk. And received very little sympathy during lunch as he applied some very basis first aid. Everyone was quick to mock as he displayed the injured finger.

14 Nov 2009 - Alt de Ample

The more popular name for this walk is "the dead dog walk". I don't know why this is so, but I do know that twice a walker's dog has been poisoned by bait left by local hunters. Apparently they leave poisoned tins of tuna fish to kill foxes. The last time this happened the owner had to rush the dog to the local veterinary hospital, and happily the dog was saved.

Unlike last Monday, the weather today was warm and sunny. In fact we were back in shirt sleeves again. And by the time we had climbed the steep hill at the start of the walk we were all "glowing".

The walk starts near Jalon, but you are soon well away from civilisation. In fact during the whole walk the only other people we came met were a couple of Spanish hunters with their dogs. Its clearly an area popular with hunters, as the track was littered with used cartridge cases.

We were joined on the walk with David and Rosemary. None of us had done this walk for over two years, but we followed the route without any problem. We had expected it to be overgrown and were surprised to find that the track at the start had been cut back.

We had forgotten just how good the views are on this walk, both of the Jalon valley and towards the coast. This view towards Jalon shows the unsightly urbanisation's overlooking the village.

There is one part of the walk where the path is difficult to find, and we remembered that you had to head towards this dead tree. Actually its obviously not quite dead, as it had been in this condition for at least two years.

This is the lovely spot where we stopped for lunch. It is just before we start to come down the hill again, and provides excellent views of the surrounding area. The only drawback is that there is not much shade or shelter. However though warm today, it was slightly overcast so the sun was not a problem.

As we started to follow the mosarabic trail downhill we came across this strange rock formation. I often wish I knew more about such things, but sadly don't.

Another view, this time towards Parcent and "the green horse", the twin peaked mountain on the right, which was last Monday's walk. We could easily identify the church tower of Parcent, and just make out our house on the hill behind.

The downhill walk is much longer than expected as the path takes long zig-zags. As you walk down there is a finca in the distance which seems to get further away rather than nearer. But the views are excellent, and frequent short stops are recommended to admire it. The track is one of those where you need to watch where you are putting your feet all the time, so looking and walking are not recommended.

The last section of the walk is through a wooded area, and when we last did it the path was badly eroded. That is the reason we did this walk as a recce. It was even worse today, and we all got scratched quite badly. But at the end we found a good path, and David walked back to confirm that it would be a good alternative to the bad one we had used. This means that the walk would be very suitable for a Monday Club walk in the future.

9 Nov 2009 - Green Horse

Winter has finally arrived on the Costa Blanca. On our walk last week we were in shirt sleeves, but this morning was bitterly cold and very windy, though still blue skies. Today it was not only warm coats, but even gloves.

We made David take this group photographs because he was wearing shorts - and we didn't want him to show the rest of us up as a load of wimps.

We only had a couple of very short stops to catch our breath on the way to the top of the Green Horse, but everyone was still keeping their jackets on - except David of course who set an example to us all in his shorts and body warmer.

The best thing about the Green Horse is that there is a relatively easy climb, followed by some of the best views in this part of the Costa Blanca. Not only to the coast at Denia, but also down the Jalon, Orba and Castells valleys.

Margaret very wisely put on her waterproof. There was no danger of rain, but it does help to keep the chill out and (equally important) keep your hat on in the strong winds.

The route over the Green Horse goes from one side to the other, with constantly changing views of the surrounding mountains. Unfortunately the going is quite rough so it is necessary to keep your eyes on your feet rather than on the scenery.

We usually stop a couple of times to admire the views, but it was too cold today for more than one quite short stop. We managed to get out of the wind, but it was still pretty cold and most kept their warm jackets on.

Then it was on again and more spectacular views. There was not as much chatting as usual today, because it was quite difficult to hear with the strong winds. Not strong enough to be dangerous, but too strong to hear what the walker behind was saying.

And soon it was time to make our way down from the top. This track always takes longer than I remember, but is very pleasant as the paths are better and there is more opportunity to look around at the scenery. We were also less bothered by the wind once we began to lose height.

We always have our picnic lunch at the cafe, which is always closed on a Monday. But today the owner was there as they were doing some work indoors. But they had no objection to us using the picnic tables.

After lunch we did an extension to the walk which we had not done before. It added about an hour to the walk, which some feel is a little too short for a Monday Club walk anyway.

As it was windy and cold it was decided to walk back along the road rather than the usual track along the side of the hill. This was quicker and made up for the extra time spent on the extension to the standard walk.

5 to 8 Nov 2008 - Cartagena

It has taken us three years to visit Cartagena, and then only because our friends David and Rosemary suggested that we go together for a long weekend.

David booked three nights at one of the villas on this urbanisation in Mar Menor for the bargain price of just 150 euro for four of us for three nights. We had everything we needed, though it has to be said that the urbanisation was very quiet as it was now out of season, and all of the facilities - including the supermarket - were closed for the winter.

David noticed that there was a train line on the map at a little village called Los Nietos which seemed to go to Cartagena. On our first afternoon we drove the few miles to the village and found the station. No time table or booking office, just a station. However a visit to the cafe confirmed that the trains ran every hour to the city.

Friday morning found us waiting at the platform just in time to catch the 0940, and having paid 8 euro for the four of us return, we arrived in Cartagena for 1000. We soon found the tourist information office, where a very helpful lady gave us maps and timetables and told us everything we needed to know to explore the city. First stop was the town ramparts, which provided excellent views of the city and harbour.

Then on to visit the civil war shelter museum, where the locals found shelter from German bombers during the Spanish Civil War. You reach this museum by lift, which then takes you up to Conception Castle, with its excellent views over the city and harbour. And also of the bull ring. Now unused, and apparently waiting for restoration as it is held together by a sort of frame which makes it look like a piece of scenery in a stage play. We were to see quite a few examples of this throughout the city.

Then it was back to the city ramparts (or city wall) and on to the city centre.

Like many Spanish cities, Cartagena has many examples of street statues, including this one of a sailor with his pack. The city is a major naval centre, so this subject was not too surprising. Rosemary obviously cannot resist a naval man!

The highlight of our first day was a visit to the Roman Theatre Museum. The whole area was recently recovered, and has the most magnificent modern museum build alongside the ancient theatre. It would be hard not to be very impressed. We were also surprised to find that all of the exhibits had English as well as Spanish explanations.

We were spoilt for choice for lunch, but settled for one just outside the Roman Theatre Museum, right in the middle of the square. We were surprised, and pleased, to find that the menu del dia was only 11 euro each for a three course meal and half a bottle of wine.

It was mid afternoon by the time we finished lunch, and we decided to return to the city on Saturday, which left us with the rest of Friday to look around and get a feel of the city. And the harbour was an obvious choice.

This is the original first submarine ever built. It was invented in 1884 by Isaac Peral who was born in Cartagena, and was built in Cadiz.

The harbour had many interesting boats, and of particular interest to David and Rosemary who are keen sailors. Jan and I were glad of any excuse to stop walking around, even though we have little knowledge of boats.

Saturday found us again in Cartagena, after yet another trip on the little train. We started the day with a tour of the city on the Tourist Bus. Surprisingly cheap at less than 4 euro each, and perfectly adequate to give us a broad introduction to the city and a feel for its layout. We also spotted this large statue, indeed it would have been difficult not to spot it!

The harbour also provided this second statue, which looked just like s whale tail.

And once again everyone was more than ready to take any opportunity to sit and watch the world go by.

Sunday morning we set out to explore the area around Mar Menor, and we were pleased to find that there was easy access to the long empty beaches. We also found quite a few villas designed to look like castle's, and this one right on the beach was a particularly fine example.

As well as beaches, there were plenty of walk ways along the side of the sea, including this one with its collection of sail boats.

We explored the sea front for an hour or so, and then had a light lunch before setting off back home. It was a very pleasant break and one which convinced us that we should plan another one soon.