Trips through Spain - South Sierra Nevada

Thursday 4th May 2000

After using the vast breakfast buffet (no service at all), we walked up the valley to Capileira and then by the pack-horse track and a bit of dirt road almost to the power station. The valley, more a gorge, still seems to be worked with sheep on terraces and goats and some fields (Alps) with undefined crops. Hottish sun and cold and wind. We came back along the dirt track as Avis' shoes did not have downhill-credibility on the pack-horse stuff. This track went up to 1700 metres, before joining the zig-zag tarmac back to Capileira, when we had lunch (Patate - soup with sinkers) and more ham and eggs - local staple for 1000 pesetas each including drink! and cream caramel pud. Back at the VTB, we took the car back up past that dirt-track as far as the tarmac went, which was pot-holed. Went for the view. Mountains still well snow-covered and the lower stuff Alpine but obviously dryer with stunted trees except in the gorges and not too green grass. We saw a peasant ploughing with two donkeys. The circular stone buttresses I had earlier observed turned out to be threshing grounds, as I had guessed, when I asked at the hotel. I had wondered but did not believe such low value crops would justify the terracing but they did in what is still the poorest part of Spain.