Lunch in Jorairátar
5 January 2012 Lobras - Jorairátar
We returned again this week to the barranco below Lobras for the next section of the walk, this time we were walking to Jorairátar.
The walk crosses the river using the road bridge and then immediately goes down into the barranco, then out again, up the hillside. This is where we came unstuck. We could see the red and white painted signs heading off up hill, the problem was the river had carved the embankment away making it impossible to climb out.
Retracing our steps we found a way through a tumbled down house and then we were back on the path. It was a good job it was abandoned, it would have been a bugger walking through the kitchen and out through their lounge window.
The hardest bit of the walk then followed as the path went straight up the hillside. It would not normally have been a problem but, coming straight at the beginning of the walk, with frost on the ground, and before we had warmed up, quite a bit of cursing went on.
Once we were at the top the path turned into a delightful ridge walk with extensive views over the Sierra Nevada. At the end of the ridge the path joins the Cadier road which you have to follow for about 1 km before you turn off on a drivable track towards Jorairátar. Unfortunately they have used builders rubble as the bed for the road, so the impression one gets of the area is not good, which is a pity as it would be a pleasant section with a little forethought.
Leaving the builders rubbish behind the track opens out into a very wide river bed, the banks of which must be 50 metres high. This was once a Glacial lake and the banks are made of all the sediment that was brought down with the Glaciers. The area is directly opposite Guadix, on the other side of the Sierra Nevada, and the landscape is very similar.
On our midweek walks the conversion usually turns to solving the worlds ills, or untangling the unexplainable like “why do acequia flow uphill?” This week we did not have the distraction of any women with us. So it was an opportunity for Mike to open up to us about something that has been troubling him a while. In private, when he is on the Internet, he is known has Michelle. As you can imagine we were all a bit gobsmacked at this news, but we thought the best way to deal with it was to take the piss out of him. This kept us entertained all the way to Jorairátar, where upon he removed his shoes to reveal he was wearing odd Yellow and Pink socks, I kid you not. He walked by himself at the rear on the way back.
After a couple of Kms following the river bed the path climbs out of the valley and continues its journey through Almond plantations which were showing the early signs of new buds. The path continues on towards Jorairátar, this was a delightful route except for the final km. Once again they had chosen the most picturesque section to tip all their household rubbish into a steep sided ravine, what a shame.
Jorairátar is a poor little village with two churches, one falling down and the other just managing to remain upright. We stopped here for lunch in the sun, it was 25 degrees and Mike even discovered a snake making its way down the street. Remember this is early January. After lunch we set off back to the car. Our route back was the same as the outward journey except for a short cut we used to miss a steep section out. Passing through the Almond plantation again, we noticed that some of the trees that were in Bud a few hours earlier now had flowers on. What a good winter we are having.
We stopped off in Torvizcón once again for refreshment, we have tried three bars now and this by the bridge was the best.
Footnote
To avoid litigation will you please note that any characters named in this blog bear no resemblance to any person alive or dead, and any exploits that these fictitious characters get up to are a figment of my imagination.
I hope that clears things up and saves Mike from any embarrassment.
On the walk Mike, Kees, Ray and myself.
Distance on GR142 12.51 km, ascent 886 metres, total distance 24.9 km.
Total on GR142 62.51km , Total walked 90 km. Total ascent 5571 metres.
We returned again this week to the barranco below Lobras for the next section of the walk, this time we were walking to Jorairátar.
The walk crosses the river using the road bridge and then immediately goes down into the barranco, then out again, up the hillside. This is where we came unstuck. We could see the red and white painted signs heading off up hill, the problem was the river had carved the embankment away making it impossible to climb out.
Retracing our steps we found a way through a tumbled down house and then we were back on the path. It was a good job it was abandoned, it would have been a bugger walking through the kitchen and out through their lounge window.
The hardest bit of the walk then followed as the path went straight up the hillside. It would not normally have been a problem but, coming straight at the beginning of the walk, with frost on the ground, and before we had warmed up, quite a bit of cursing went on.
Once we were at the top the path turned into a delightful ridge walk with extensive views over the Sierra Nevada. At the end of the ridge the path joins the Cadier road which you have to follow for about 1 km before you turn off on a drivable track towards Jorairátar. Unfortunately they have used builders rubble as the bed for the road, so the impression one gets of the area is not good, which is a pity as it would be a pleasant section with a little forethought.
Leaving the builders rubbish behind the track opens out into a very wide river bed, the banks of which must be 50 metres high. This was once a Glacial lake and the banks are made of all the sediment that was brought down with the Glaciers. The area is directly opposite Guadix, on the other side of the Sierra Nevada, and the landscape is very similar.
On our midweek walks the conversion usually turns to solving the worlds ills, or untangling the unexplainable like “why do acequia flow uphill?” This week we did not have the distraction of any women with us. So it was an opportunity for Mike to open up to us about something that has been troubling him a while. In private, when he is on the Internet, he is known has Michelle. As you can imagine we were all a bit gobsmacked at this news, but we thought the best way to deal with it was to take the piss out of him. This kept us entertained all the way to Jorairátar, where upon he removed his shoes to reveal he was wearing odd Yellow and Pink socks, I kid you not. He walked by himself at the rear on the way back.
After a couple of Kms following the river bed the path climbs out of the valley and continues its journey through Almond plantations which were showing the early signs of new buds. The path continues on towards Jorairátar, this was a delightful route except for the final km. Once again they had chosen the most picturesque section to tip all their household rubbish into a steep sided ravine, what a shame.
Jorairátar is a poor little village with two churches, one falling down and the other just managing to remain upright. We stopped here for lunch in the sun, it was 25 degrees and Mike even discovered a snake making its way down the street. Remember this is early January. After lunch we set off back to the car. Our route back was the same as the outward journey except for a short cut we used to miss a steep section out. Passing through the Almond plantation again, we noticed that some of the trees that were in Bud a few hours earlier now had flowers on. What a good winter we are having.
We stopped off in Torvizcón once again for refreshment, we have tried three bars now and this by the bridge was the best.
Footnote
To avoid litigation will you please note that any characters named in this blog bear no resemblance to any person alive or dead, and any exploits that these fictitious characters get up to are a figment of my imagination.
I hope that clears things up and saves Mike from any embarrassment.
On the walk Mike, Kees, Ray and myself.
Distance on GR142 12.51 km, ascent 886 metres, total distance 24.9 km.
Total on GR142 62.51km , Total walked 90 km. Total ascent 5571 metres.
