The final day of last weeks creative course, ‘Caminos Altos’ saw us walk up to the snow line of the Sierra Gigante. Through the forested north facing slopes of the mountain amongst the Aleppo Pines we followed these rather strange foot prints (left). Like us they were using the camino as good access through the countryside but unlike us they seemed to have a pretty clear row of rather fearsome looking claws across the front of the pads. We suspected a wild cat but could not be sure until we met a local hunter hanging off a precipice in his 4×4 about to fall to his death. Once rescued by our Land Rover he indeed confirmed that it was the print of a wild cat.

Once the hunter (I won’t use his name) was restored to his bar in Vélez Blanco we all returned to Los Gázquez. To our delight we got an ‘up close and personal’ encounter with this eagle (above) which was on the ground, with his rabbit prey, very close to the road. Getting this close allowed us to confirm positively using the Collin’s Birds of Britain and Europe that it was indeed a rare Bonelli’s Eagle.

We have availability for this course at the end of the month and the weather has been so mild and warm recently. It would make a great break!

The blue line is our trip by car to the start point of the walk at the forest station. The red line is our assent and descent by path and the yellow line is a ‘scramble’ down the Rio Caramel and up the barranco back to Los Gázquez.

The ascent was steep but quite rapid taking us an hour and a half to climb 500m or so to the top (1510m / 4954ft) from where we had magnificent views…

This is the view of the Sierra Maria in the snow.

And (as you can see) this is the view to the Sierra Larga and Los Gázquez.

And this is the view to the Alto Plano with the Sierra Cazorla and La Sagra in the snow.

It was a long and fulfilling ultimate day and now time for a little farewell party.

The blue line is the journey to the beginning of the walk in the car. The red line is the trek and the green cross the point at which I took the photographs below.

The actual walk was five hours in total including the occasional stop for lunch or a drink. There was a little scrambling involved but nothing too strenuous for the agile and balanced walker.

The beginning of the walk was typified by sunshine and showers and a lot of wind…

This point is called Las Piedras del Mediodia marked with a green cross above. The view is west to La Muela and in the distance Vélez Blanco and the Sierra Maria. The height is around 1502 meters.

Due south and the view into Murcia. Just out of sight in the photograph is the Mediterranean.

The ‘Torre‘ in question is an old Moorish watchtower, half collapsed but still commanding an amazing view. It’s a two hour walk from Los Gázquez to the summit, the last climb being a scramble, but it’s worth the effort. We stopped to paint for a while and then descended back into Taibena and cut down into a gorge having lunch in a sheltered spot. To end the walk we had a moderately steep climb back to the brow of the hill on the Sierra Larga and a downhill walk back to the house by mid-afternoon.

The strong wind littered the sky with vultures…

p.s. You may have noticed that Google maps has us in the wrong place!

After a day’s intermission in the studio, caused by a little snow, normal service was resumed. We got a little altitude, around 1400m / 4600 ft. and also got the view…

Autumn / Winter /  Spring. The opportunity to explore your creativity walking the high sierras of Andalucía’s semi wild interior…

Caminos Altos is the opportunity to walk the shepherd’s paths, to witness the landscape of northern Almería and all it’s natural beauty. And we have built in the possibility to capture the elements of this environment that will appeal to the creative spirit…

We walk a while then break to draw or paint, the choice is yours, the discussion is composition, perspective and colour. You are free to express yourself accordingly.

27th October to 4th December 2010

This is Vélez Blanco in the foreground with a view to ‘La Muela’ (the molar) on the westerly edge of the Sierra Gigante.

El castillo de Vélez Blanco home of the Marquesas de Los Fajardos.

A distant view of the Mediterranean from the top of the Sierra Gigante.

The view east to Murcia and Lorca…

A cloud…

The Sierra Larga. Cortijada Los Gázquez is on the other side to the left of this mountain range.