8 April 2013 - Carrascal Ridge

Another local walk, indeed we can see the whole length of the Carrascal Ridge from our balcony.   We never seem to have perfect weather for this walk, and today is no different.   Last year we had to postpone the walk three times due to rain, and when we did finally tackle the ridge it was bitterly cold.   Today was overcast, but no rain and not too cold - at least  at the start.

Eleven of us for the walk this week.   Peter is missing because he left his sunglasses beside the car and went back to get them.

As we started the walk we passed this herd of goats, who seemed to find us just as interesting as we did them.

The climb to the ridge is actually steeper and more difficult than it looks in this photo, but it does give some idea of the terrain.

The first part of the walk is a steady climb for an hour and a half.   You gain height quite quickly, but the path includes level sections where you can recover and still keep moving.

We had removed our outer layers during the climb, but put them back on for our banana stop at the impressive, but very exposed and windy, ledge.

We should be able to see this ledge from the house, but have never been able to identify it.  So David made an improvised flag in the hope that we could spot it after the week.   Sad to relate we could not see any sign of it.

 Meanwhile Peter and Mike found a quiet spot to sort out the world's problems...........

.........or perhaps just enjoy the fantastic views of Parcent plus the Jalon and Orba valley's

Next comes the most difficult part of this quite difficult walk.   A long, hard, steep climb on a difficult to find track to reach the ridge.

The ridge itself is relatively flat walking, though on barren terrain which looks like it would be quite at home on the moon.   No tracks at all here, but a few years ago direction signs were painted on the rocks.   Not always where you need them, but on the narrow ridge it is pretty well  impossible to get lost.

It was very exposed, very windy and very cold on the ridge.  So it was a relief to find this sheltered spot for lunch.   I was not exactly warm, but it seemed so after the strong winds.  It was quite comfortable to sit and eat lunch, but no one was tempted to take off their jackets.

We spent a very pleasant half hour here, recovering from the climb, eating lunch and enjoying the spectacular views.

The ridge walk takes about an hour, and offers all around views from Benidorm to Denia.   Everyone looks pretty windswept and cold in this photo, but we all enjoyed the experience.

When we catch sight of the observation hut we know that the end, of the ridge at least, is near.   "Hut" hardly does the building justice, it looks more like an upmarket  holiday home.   There are a number of buildings scattered along the ridge, mostly communication installations.   But this is by far the most impressive.

Monday 15 April 2013

Next week another challenging, but also rewarding, walk.   The 2000 steps plus Baranco Inferno is one of the most difficult walks we do, but also a firm favourite.   Meet in Benimaurell at 10am