Mulhacén

A winter stay in Andalusia would not be complete without a visit to the Sierra Nevada mountains. This high mountain rises almost 3,500 meters above sea level. Although it is not technically challenging, the altitude can be a formidable obstacle.

We spent the night in the charming town of Capileira, located at an altitude of 1400m. The following day, we drove as high as we could by car, and found the parking lot at 2000m completely empty at this time of year. It was wonderfully quiet and peaceful, with no tourists in sight. We prepared our backpacks, filled them with essential supplies such as water, food, flashlight, and extra clothes. After checking our GPS tracker, we realized we had a 12km hike ahead of us with a 1500m elevation gain, which didn't seem too challenging. However, considering the time of the year, I was concerned about the conditions above 3000m. As it turned out, my worries were unfounded. After a few hours of hiking, we decided to rest and enjoy some food while taking in the breathtaking views. The first signs of altitude sickness appeared as I felt a slight headache, but fortunately, it passed quickly, and our bodies began to adapt. We continued on our journey, covering kilometers quickly.

The trail was poorly marked, and without GPS, we would have had a hard time navigating it.

After less than four hours of hiking, we reach the summit. Surprisingly, we don't need to wear spikes on our shoes as the icy summit is not too treacherous.

We snapped a few photos and then it was time to descend. To summarize: 24km, 8 hours and 30 minutes, and an elevation gain of 1400m. Another summit successfully conquered. Now it's time to plan the next one!