Biking & Baking in Las Alpujarras

It's typical!  There I was, sitting atop a small hill on a Sunday morning, 3 hours walk from home, when the mobile rings and a voice says: 'I'm in Trevelez, any chance of picking me up?'  So my blissful stroll up to Panichuelo de Castaras turned into a very brisk walk and then a downhill gallop, all in the noonday sun, to collect the car and thence for the man from the mountains!  Well, I did say I wanted to lose a few pounds...

The walk from Busquistar to the Panichuelo along the old Ruta Medieval is really special, gradually dropping down to the Rio Trevelez and then up the steep little escarihuela towards the fire-watch casa forestal.  White rock roses abound and I've decided that cistus are not pink at all, but a very delicate shade of pale purple.  The acequia was full of melted snow water from the peaks and by the time it reaches the old quarry area of El Conjuro it is going along at a terrific pace.  I reckon this is a 6 hour round walk from Ferreirola including a stop for lunch, and using one of the other GR7 zig-zag paths to get back down.

The man had a good time up on the hill, getting to the top of Mulhacen but then wishing he had his snowshoes for the Siete Lagunas path.  Always the same...whatever you don't take, that's what you need!