In search of the Cueva Secreta
The trip started out brilliantly (albeit a little on the late side) on a sunny Thursday afternoon. We caught a bus from Granada to Pueblo Guejar Sierra with delicious sandwiches in our bellies (thank you Jinse) and a spring in our step.
Below - Guejar Sierra on the right,reservoir of Rio Genil in the background. The reservoir supplies drinking water to Granada.
From town, we had to walk on a country road for about 5km to the Vereda de la Estrella trailhead. We promptly ran into our first roadblock - more specifically - a section of road that had been washed out by a mudslide. We asked the construction workers if we could pass and they said - NO - the road is CLOSED. So we asked, with friendly smiles on our faces, are you sure? There's no way around by foot? - Pause -...oh hum, ok... you can walk around and use our construction bridge to cross. Apparently walking through construction sites is OK in Spain.
Below - rebuilding the road. Record rainfall this year in Granada has caused many problems with mudslides in the area
And fences? they're just to keep the goats off the trail, right?
Success! We've made it through to the trailhead
Abandoned mining camps - now being restored as refugios (we think)
We were aiming for the Cueva Secreta as an end point to Day 1, but at 8:30pm we were still had a ways to go. We decided to set up camp in a nice level area - a helicopter landing pad for emergency evacuation! We set up a fire pit, gathered wood & prepared a delicious dinner of Copos de Quinoa with Cranberries, Cashews, Mint, Cilantro & Parsley. Camping gourmet!
Above - setting up camp!
Below - the gorgeous view from our campsite
At 3am, we woke up to the drumming of raindrops on the rainfly - so loud and steady it was difficult to sleep. When we woke up, the rain had abated enough to make breakfast & prepare for day 2. Just as we were finishing breakfast, the drizzle turned to buckets & we ran for shelter into an old mine tunnel nearby. About 5 minutes walking from our campsite, we encountered our last roadblock, an impassable waterfall - our decision was made for us - time to head back to Guejar Sierra.
No podemos pasar - sigh - didn't make it to the Cueva Secreta this time around.
Bad weather rolling in...
Back in town. filling our water bottles with fresh mountain spring water.
Of course, it turns into a beautiful day in the afternoon - we sat on a Terraza, wishing we were still in the Mountains!
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