Spanish Rambler

14/11/2020

The first proper hill walk since February, mainly thanks to Covid lockdown and then a very enjoyable summer spent in the UK

Set off from the area recreativa de la Cuesta (Hondon de las Nieves), a public picnic and bbq area maintained by the local town hall. A short stroll along the road to pick up the track opposite the Casa de la Caminata , and then gently up through the pines to meet the mid level terrace running parallel to the ridge line.From there it was straight on, and up, to meet the ridge about 1km east of the summit of San Juri.Once on the ridge it was right on the well signed, and increasingly steep track to the summit which was reached after a total of 60 mins.

As well as affording stunning panoramic views across the Vega Baja, the summit of San Juri is a place of considerable personal significance so I allowed myself a few minutes to sit and stare before continuing on and, briefly, down to the col that separates San Juri from the very steep, but thankfully short, climb to the summit of San Cayateno. This summit climb takes only about 20 mins but is relentlessly steep and I needed a couple of short breaks on the way up.

The summit of San Cayateno is worthy of any mountain, rocky and completely without vegetation. I arrived just in time (11.00 GMT on November 11th) to pause and reflect on the sacrifice made by so many that allows fools me the freedom to do the things I love.

From the summit, I continued west along the ridge, picking up a narrow path which turned out to be a section of a GR. This,as I had expected, eventually led me down to the mid level PR known as the Senda de Jaime Barbudo. I was then back on very familiar ground and enjoyed a pleasant, if slightly tired, stroll back to Hondon de los a Frailes and a celebratory beer!

The whole route took about 3hrs 30 mins to complete with great views to be enjoyed and with little in the way of technical difficulty. It is however physically demanding!

19/11/2018

Meet Spain`s Robin Hood - Jaime El Barbudo

Jaime José Cayetano Alfonso Juan was born in Crevillente on October 27th 1783.Not much is known of his early life, but we do know that he cared for his father`s flocks until he was 25 years old. Then Jaime Alfonso, by now known as "El Barbudo" (The Bearded one") started his own family and looked after a farm owned by the mayor of Catral.
Jaime was not known for any particular vices. It`s true that he enjoyed the occasional drink, but no more than the other impoverished shepherds who struggled with their flocks in the hills of Crevillente in the early nineteenth century, but one night, in the local tavern, he had a fateful encounter with a local bandit named "El Zurdo" (The Southpaw). A fight developed and El Zurdo was killed.
Jaime pleaded self-defence, but he had already been condemned to death by the associates of El Zurdo. To protect himself from the gang, Jaime fled to the hills - and the most famous Levantine bandit of all time was born.
El Barbudo robbed the rich merchants travelling along the mountain passes to the coast,and extended his operations from Alicante to the Sierra de la Pila, where he soon became very popular.Whilst it is true that he distributed part of his spoils among the poorest, it is also true that he committed murders to obtain them.
The French invasion of 1808 offered him an ideal setting to continue his misdeeds, and he became something of a folk hero when his targets were the Napoleonic troops. However, the war and the excuse for looting ended in 1814.By now though, El Barbudo`s fame had spread across the Spain`s borders, and Baron Taylor, who was General Orsay's field aide in the War of independence, required his services as an es**rt in his journey through the lands of the Levante. Jaime Alfonso, when saying goodbye to him, gave him his famous blunderbuss, which would adorn the Baron's house for decades. He wasn't the only foreigner to be dazzled by the outlaw. Lord Carnarvon, later famous for his work in search of the tomb of Tutankhamun, in his work ' Voyage through the Iberian Peninsula ', also portrayed the bandit.
Jaime Alfonso took sides with the monarchists supporting Ferdinand VII, in opposition to the Liberal government which had put a price on his head. In 1820, from the Sierra de la Pila, he requested a pardon for his crew, in exchange for collaborating with the constitutional regime.At first it seemed that the pardon may be forthcoming.The Murcian Mail, in 1822, reported that a column formed by more than 100 soldiers had gone out in search of , "no longer the thief Jaime, but His Excellency Mr. Jaime Alfonso, general of the faith who has appeared with an army of 150 or 200 men." In 1823, Jaime Alfonso received a royal commission "to persecute misdeeds". The Murcian Mail reported that, in his first foray "4 died and a further 4 were arrested". Among those killed was a Capuchin friar who "seemed to flee when he was confronted." El Barbudo had him stopped and found on his person"subversive papers". El Barbudo , in his new guise as royalist hitman, was placed at the service of a secret society called the Angel Exterminator. Its members, has already abolished the Holy Inquisition, and advocated the elimination of the Liberals.
However,the promise of pardon to Jaime Alfonso was never fulfilled. With the restoration of the monarchy in 1823 he became a problem with an easy solution - to carry out the death penalty that had previously been served on him.The Corregidor de Murcia, Rafael Garfias, arranged the scaffold in the Plaza de Santo Domingo - but hanging was apparently not punishment enough so they added a terrible accessory penalty.The bandit was cut into 5 pieces ( decapitated and quartered) and his offal was fried. His remains were loaded into cages and transported to those places where he had enjoyed most support - the head was exposed in his native Crevillente and his other remains in Hellín, Sax, Fortuna, Jumilla and Abanilla.

Whilst Jaime El Barbudo may be long gone his legend lives on. One of our local walking routes, PRV-255, takes in some of the haunts frequented by Jaime during his time as a bandit. We even get to visit the cave in which he allegedly took refuge when fleeing from the authorities!

28/10/2018

Today we thoroughly enjoyed a reccy along the Rio Chicamo.

It’s important to check all routes from time to time, particularly if it’s been a while since our last visit, or there have been recent weather events which might have caused significant changes to the route.

In this case, both of the above were true - our last visit here was at the beginning of September, and there have been some very heavy rains ( known locally as La Gota Fria) earlier this month.

Thankfully there have been only minor changes and we were able to declare the route safe for our 2 trips planned for the coming week, when we will show another 8 people(4French, 3 Spanish, and a Norwegian) the delights of this terrific route.

25/08/2018

We’ve guided numerous groups (the most recent being yesterday - a group of 8 Slovaks who were holidaying in Benidorm) down the Rio Chicamo during the summer.

Each group has thoroughly enjoyed the challenges presented by the route and all have returned safely.

However,a recent event, where a lady had to be rescued by helicopter after breaking an ankle, has served to remind us of the hazards involved, and that there is no room for complacency no matter how familiar you are with any given route.

All too often we witness groups of people, on this and other routes, who are ill equipped and lacking the necessary experience.

Thankfully, most of them get away with it - some clearly do not!

05/07/2018

The Secret Canyon.....

Summer is not the best season for hill walking here in Spain - the blazing sun and searing heat dictate that lounging around the pool, with a cool drink and a good book is generally a far more enjoyable way to relax.

However, all is not lost for those who just can`t lay still....there is one route that is enjoyable on even the hottest of days.The hike along the Rio Chicamo will take 2-3 hours to complete and offers the chance to see a variety of landscapes and vegetation en route.
Some people have described the hike as being like travelling from Murcia to the Badlands of South Dakota via the Burmese jungle and a Palestinian oasis! I`m not sure about that but you can certainly expect a little adventure, as the route follows the river bed at some points along our journey.Expect to get your feet wet and you may be wading waist deep in the cooling waters!

05/07/2018

15/05/2018

We are always looking for ways to improve on what we offer our guests.

Our latest addition is a pista de petanca (boules court),where guests can enjoy a leisurely game of skill in tranquil surroundings with stunning mountain views.

Personally,I like to add a glass of red wine and a sunset to the mix but our guests are free to play when and how it suits them!

11/05/2018

One of the many joys of life here at Spanish Rambler is that we get to meet lots of different people.

We were recently contacted by Simon and Isabel, from Wiesbaden, Germany.They requested a walk with great views and "canyons"!

We were happy to oblige, and enjoyed a terrific adventure in the Rambla Salada, crossing ancient aqueducts amidst typical Karsitic rock landscapes.

Our journey led us to the infamous Baron Negro, a huge block of dolomite which threatens to prevent any further progress upstream.

Pictured are Simon and Isabel, having just completed the climb up the Baron Negro

05/05/2018

Yesterday was a long but very enjoyable day.

Started the day by leading the Hondon Walking group (26 people and 2 dogs) through Castell Vell, where the Bonelli’s Eagles made an appearance, right on cue, and up to Penya Negra, the site of one of Iberia’s oldest known settlements.

We covered around 9kms with a total height gain of 350m, and,in addition to the above, were able to enjoy spectacular views across the coastal plain below in perfect weather conditions.

We then attended a charity event,to raise funds for Barkinside dog rescue centre and Cancer UK.
A terrific afternoon culminated in us winning the most humongous cake,in the raffle. Sadly, I got barely more than a glimpse of the sugary delight before Toni whipped it away from under my not inconsiderable nose and donated it back to Barkinside! Crestfallen doesn’t begin to describe it. I LOVE cake! My disappointment soon dissipated however, when the cake raised a further 160 euros at auction! Amazing!
I settled for a magdalena, and the satisfaction of knowing that I did my bit for a worthwhile cause!

27/03/2018

We were recently approached by Alicante Studios.

They had been commissioned, by a Danish company, to produce a commercial for a new product and needed a qualified mountain guide to source a suitable location and to demonstrate the product.

We were happy to oblige - here is the resulting commercial.....Hey...maybe we`re famous in Denmark !

14/10/2017

The Rambla Salada (Salt River),one of the shorter walks in our portfolio at around 7kms,is packed full of interest.

The rocks that form the area were once (250 million years ago!) part of a sea bed. Since then, falling sea levels,tectonic plate movements and erosion have resulted in a spectular and varied landscape.

Further interest is added by the panoramic views across the Vega Baja to the Sierras of Callosa de Segura and Orihuela, and the opportunity to walk across ancient elaborately engineered aqueducts (originally constructed to keep the salt water which emerges from within the rocks separate from the valuable surface water which was needed for drinking and irrigation).You might even stumble across an old fossil - and no,I don`t mean me!

Here are some photos from yesterday`s visit, when we were privileged to lead the Hondon Valley Walking Group .

26/09/2017

Updated photos of the pool area