Dublin Walking Club Testimonial


Here is a piece the chairman of Dublin Walking club recently wrote for us. You can see more photos and group comments here .



Dublin Walking Club Group in Andalucia ( Sierra Nevada/Alpujarras Region)
Recently (April ’12) sixteen DWC club-members spent a most enjoyable week in Andulacia, walking in the mountains of the Sierra Nevada/Alpujarras ranges. Our trip was arranged through IBEX TREX (a small English-based company run by Dan Shaffrey), which arranged accommodation, transport, baggage transfers, packed lunches, day-trip to Granada, etc.
In the late 15th century, this area was considered almost impenetrable when the Moors retreated there, before their final expulsion from Spain. Our walks passed through many areas still accessible only on foot and pack-mules were frequently seen in use. We stayed in four traditional high-mountain villages i.e. Capleleira, Mecina, Trevelez and Cadiar. These have retained a typical Moorish character. Houses were flat-roofed and painted a brilliant white. Days were quite warm (20°-25°C.) but, at 1,500-1,800 metres, nights were crisp and cool. All around were steeply-terraced groves of olive, walnut, etc. There was much evidence of sophisticated Moorish irrigation skills e.g. canals at high altitudes, distributing snow-melt water. However, we also passed through vast areas of arid scrub-land. 
The hotels used were very comfortable and served excellent food. Each was of a rustic but individually quite distinct character. This particularly applied to the atmospheric Alqueria de Morayma hotel complex (where we spent the final two nights.)   
Dan Shaffrey (assisted by his also very-fit father, Joe,) led all the walks. Along the way, he provided a flow of  informed detail on fauna and flora, local history, and culture. Our walks brought some spectacular vistas e.g.in the Poquiera Gorge, the La Taha area and the Rio Trevelez valley.
The most difficult walk was on a glaciation cirque between Mulhacen (the highest European peak outside the Alps and Pyrenees) and the Alcazaba mountains. Challenges were posed by the altitude (approx. 3,000 m) and the need to cross several snowfields.
In the course of a week of bright sunshine (low-to-mid-twenties C.), the elusive ibex (near the village of Berchules) and soaring booted-eagles were sighted. The almost –invisible Golden Oriole and cuckoo were heard. The ‘Bat-tailed’ and many other species of butterflies (e.g. Painted Lady, Moroccan Orange Tip, etc.) were all about in the lush river- valleys. Numerous snakes and lizards crossed our paths, harmlessly, but we avoided the larger Oscellated Lizard as (perhaps needlessly) we feared its bite!
Our ‘day-off’ consisted of a day-trip to Granada city, with an emphasis on the Alhambra. We had a memorable tour of the Palacios Nazaries and learned a little more of those who had shaped the Alpujarras landscapes many centuries before.
All-in-all, then, IBEXTREX provided a really enjoyable week for us, ‘hands-on’ , with challenging walks through unforgettable countryside.
MW/GA

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