ON TOP OF THE WORLD
The ruins of Bobastro, an ancient village, is set high on the Sierra de Almorchon.This was once the headquarters of a Moor named Umar Ibn Hafsun who led a revolt between 879 and 918 AD.
Our adventures start with a 15 min safety tutorial and a trial test at base.
The trek commences heading West of our base at Alora to the village of El Chorro.
The trek commences heading West of our base at Alora to the village of El Chorro.
We first reach the El Chorro dam and following round the perimeter we reach the Garganta Del Chorro, the spectacular gorge with the Camino Del Rey (the King’s pathway) clearly visible.Also at this point you can see the infamous green metal bridge used in the film Von Ryan’s Express starring Frank Sinatra.
We carry on round the base of the sierra, passing stunning rock formations and from here we take the Bobastro road.
We follow on up the meandering mountainside road through the highly scented pine forests, the road remaining a tarmac surface.
We follow on up the meandering mountainside road through the highly scented pine forests, the road remaining a tarmac surface.
Halfway up the sierra at a region of Los Portezuelos we make a stop and take a short inclined walk to the Iglesia Rupestre which is the ancient church set in the rock.Once reunited with the quads we carry on higher as we pass the large reservoirs, Embalse Superior Taip de la Encantada in the region of La Mesa, Spanish for table. As the name suggests this is a flat plateau-like area.
The road carries through to a final point and the ruins of the ancient village are evident around this area.The views down the valley from here are outstanding.
This is a a no through road so we return back down the mountainside and once at the bottom head to the Ardales lakes.
We come to the first lake and its a good opportunity to add to your photo collection, as the views of the lakes from this point are stunning.
We now head back to the village of Angosturos and take a beaten track which runs down the centre of the valley back to the village of Las Mellizas.Crossing a couple of running fords and over several fields this gives you a great off road experience.
We then meet back up with the El Chorro road, returning to tarmac and head back to base.