The Spanish 3000s

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Ruta Integral de los Tres Mil: Route Guide

As I could find no route description in either English or Spanish for this excellent high-level trek, I attach my one below.

I am a professional guidebook writer. However, this route description is based on one crossing of the route, in June-July 2013, and one with quite a bit more snow than usual for the season. Info on snow conditions will not, and water may not, apply in less snowy years or later in the season.

Day 1

bus Granada to Guejar-Sierra (1088m)

Sunday dep 0915 arr 0955 (1400, 1800, 2030) Linan Transport 390. More buses on weekdays. From Paseo de los Basilios (alongside Rio Genil), just outside monastery.

Guejar Sierra shops and cafes.

The 3000s are more often started from Jerez del Marquesado, northeast of the first summits, at 1300m. This will let you get well into the eastern tops, perhaps to Cuneta de Vacares, on the first day. However the approach from Guejar-Sierra is convenient for Granada and lets you experience the full range of terrain from valley through forest to the tops.

From the bus terminus head up to the main square, and turn right on Calle Genil. It runs along the valley side, gradually descending to reach river (Rio Genil) at Estadion de Maitena.

Now a good path (an extension of Veredon de las Estrellas) runs below the road and just above the river, letting you avoid passing through the road tunnel. Once the path rejoins the road, fork left through another tunnel to stay to left of the river until the road crosses it at the Bar Chiquita (642107)

Last hot food: potatoes greased in enough olive oil to turn them primrose yellow, with chewy Nameofit ham that stays between your teeth for an emergency reserve later on...

In another 400 metres, immediately before the road recrosses the river, the Vereda de las Estrellas path turns off. ‘Vereda' means a well engineered path, terraced and even carved into the rocks, formerly serving mines. It runs easily and pleasantly to right of the river in its deep gorge. After 500 metres, you pass above a halfruined Estacion San Juan, with a parking area at the roadhead across the river. Here fork down left, to cross the stream from Barranco (ravine) de San Juan to the continuing Vereda path, rising quite high above Rio Genil.

After 3km of this easy and often shady path, the path bends briefly south to cross a ravine stream, and immediately repeats the wiggle across a second one. In a couple of hundred metres a signed path arrives from up right, and in another couple of hundred metres, watch out for a path forking down to the left, signed for ‘Peña Partida'. (10 minutes further along the Vereda, a view ahead to the north faces of Alcazaba and Mulhacen indicates you've missed the turning).

(This junction is actually the first of the two marked on the Alpina map, but the second doesn't exist).

The path, rougher than before, zigzags down to a wooden footbridge over Rio Genil. (Strictly this is not the Puente de los Burros, and there is no ruined Badillo, which if it exists at all is somewhere upstream.) The path zig zags up through woods, to reach the crest of the Cuesta de los Presidiarios at about 1600m level. It runs up the lightly-wooded crest, mostly to right of the crest itself, fairly gently and pleasantly (if it's not got too hot yet). At about 1850m level, a stile leads into the enclosure around the Casa Forestal del Calvarios (Refugio Vivac El Calvario on notice inside it). Guidebook says springs nearby, I didn't notice any. Comfortable bothy. Named as 'Cortijo de los Lirips' on Alpina map. 701802.

The main path runs up left just before the bothy stile, and in about 15 minutes reaches a signpost at the ridge crest. here you join a long-distance route GR240. Peña Partida is still 6km ahead – surprisingly as since the previous signpost you've gained half a km in the upwards direction alone.

The path ahead runs up the ridge crest for 5 minutes, then bends left to contour, at about 2000m level, through dog rose and hawthorn and a yellow flowered shrub up the valley El Chorro. It crosses two streams (seasonal ones, according to the map) to a footbridge over the valley river, Rio Barranco de Piedra Partida, in a grassly, flowery hollow.

The path turns upstream for about 400 metres, then zigzags up under pines to the top of the tree line. It emerges into stony ground of dwarf broom scrub, and slants up and to the right, to reach the stone hut Pena Partida (Refugio Piedra Partida) on the broad ridgeline above.

Water: a path contours southeast to the head of the Rio Barranco de Piedra Partida's source stream, 340 metres away, which held water in July 2013.

To Puente de los Burros Rio Genil 1400m 9.5km 300m

To Refugio Piedra Partida (2480m) 6km 1000m

Day 2 : to Lagunas de las Caldeteras (2900m)

11.5km 1100m

A track runs to the hut up the ridge from the west, but take the path uphill through the rocks, ignoring the fork right for the water source. Faint path runs east, up across the ridgeline of Loma de los Cuartos. (NB other placenames are available.)

The path fades at the rim of the wide grassy hollow Lavadero de la Reina. Here a bank of old snow gave a downslope steep enough to require my crampons, dragged up through 2000m of vertical height gain already, but it was simpler just to walk down and around it. The hollow is grassy floored, with the streams (seasonal a according to map) babbling merrily, occasional boggy bits, and gentians unfortunately not yet open under the early sun. Attractive camp grounds here, with the rockface of Los Cervatillos rising above the little streams (the map has a small tarn too, a bit further up).

Pass through the gap above / behind the conical stonepile Cerrillo del Trigo. Continue east across the hollow, and up the fairly gentle stoneslopes to Picon de Jerez. This isn't a summit, but a survey post beside a cairn on the northern shoulder of Cerro Pelao (Puntal de Juntillas). Follow the broad gravel ridge gently up south to the cairn on Cerro Pelao (3140m) itself.

1.5km to the south is Horcado de Trevelez. At 3182m it's the highest point east of Alcazaba and the first real 3000-er. The half-hour wander out and back to it (mostly without rucksack) is a relaxing stroll before sterner stuff ahead.

Returning from Horcado de Trevelez, rise briefly from the col, collect rucksack, and contour round left to find the narrowing ridgeline running east. There's a short scrambly section (not exposed, difficulties avoidable down left) before the tall cairn of Los Cervatillos.

The continuing ridgeline southeast then south is a tumble of giant boulders, so it's slow clambering – or much easier walking along the top of the snow banked alongside. The Walmsley guidebook refutes the map's 'Puntal de los Cuartos' saying it's actually La Buitreia (Vulture Hangout) but the summit doesn't actually exist, so you can call it what you like: the second fine cairn you come to is La Atalaya, or watchtower.

Now there's a drop in the ridge. A stony slope leads down southeast, with a rocky tower defending the col: cairns point the way skirting below it on the left (around on right probably also possible) to the col just below. A stony hillside leads up quite steeply to a more defined and easier angled ridgeline up to Pico del Cuervo (or just El Cuervo), with another well built cairn – and a short ridgeline on the right leading out to a minor subsummit Cerro del Mojon Alto.

Descend the well defined ridge southeast until it starts to steepen. (From beyond, the continuing ridgeline looks like a possible scramble.) Sketchy paths lead down right onto a slope of rocks, stones and scree. Work down this diagonally below the ridgeline to reach a terrace just below the pass Cuneta de Vacares. The considerable snowfield here was yielding only a tiny trickle of meltwater, the snow evaporating straight into the hot air. It would presumably be possible to cross the col to reach the fair-sized tarn Laguna de Vacares on the east side.

Ahead, Puntal de Vacares is the most formidable peak so far. From the terrace below the Cuneta de Vacares, stay on the right (west) flank of the ridge to pass below pinnacles, and join the crest at half height. From here, contour across the right flank to pass below another pinnacle. The ridge top rises in a rocky tower. Just keep contouring, following small paths and cairns, on terraces across the base of the tower, then head directly up in broken ground, to reach the rocky summit. (Passage to left of the final rock tower may also be possible, but was under steep snow.)

Clamber down the rocky ridgeline southwest, to be confronted by the tower Puntal del Goteron in the middle of the long col towards La Alcazaba. (NB, 3047m, on Alpina map as ‘Puntal de las Calderetas'.) Looks like an interesting scramble to bag this small summit. Bypassed on the left.

La Alcazaba

Various routes are offered up onto La Alcazaba, the direct line being a formidable cliff.

1. Follow the ridgeline ahead to the base of the crags. Take a stony ledge round right, exposed, and head up one of various steep, loose scree gullies. Filled with steep snow when I was there.

2. Follow the ridgeline ahead to the base of the crags. Head left along the base of crags until a scrambly break, where you can work up onto a higher scree slope and leave it at its top right corner. Route info from Richard Hartley Spanish Highs. Less dramatic than 1 and somewhat less nasty.

3. Follow the ridgeline ahead to the base of the crags. Turn left, to follow the hollow of a seeasonal stream down to Labunilla del Goteron. Continue as below. This route involves about 300m of extra descent and is dismissed as tedious and tiresome scree. However, if the useful small scree path is found okay the first part is comfortable, the ridgeline above is gentle gravel with wildflowers and rebec, while the Calderones hollow itself is full of tarns and charm.

My route was to turn down left below Puntal de las Calderetas on moderate snowslopes to the floor of Cañada de los Calderones with its many tarns; then to work around the foot of the rocky spur running just south of east from Puntal de las Calderetas. Thus I reached the Barranco del Goteron below its tarns, at around 2700m altitude, at grassy stream banks below a sizeable waterfall. Green and lush was the vegetation, a good inch deep, so that I just had to stop and go to sleep. Its main problem being the clearing away of old but well dried cow pats.

Day 3 : Alcazaba, Mulhacen, Refugio La Carihuela (3229m)

12.5km 850m 5 hrs (Excl Veleta)

From the Lagiunillas del Gotero tarns (and immediately above the waterfall) a small, cairned path slants up the steep screes, southeast, onto Lomo de la Alcazaba. Once on the wide, smooth ridge you can go up anywhere, on schisty gravel with wild flowers and rebec. At about 3100m level there are small rock outcrops. Here you can contour to right of Peñon del Glogo around a flat floored hollow, to join Alcazaba's southeast rdige along the top of the cliffs, up to its summit. A tall, slender cairn with layers of quartz.

Descend southeast along the ridge, then veer left towards Peñon del Globo. From the saddle before the Peñon, turn down right, southwest, on stones and rocks below the formidable crag of the Peñon itself. At the crag foot, you could contour right, across steep ground, to regain the main ridge line above Cañada de las Siete Lagunas. The usual route onto Mulhacen is by a scree chute, steep and loose, immediately to left of the main ridge line.

However, with steep old snow in the scree chute, I chose an easier way. The open gully below Peñon del Globo leads down to the floor of the wide 7-tarns corrie. Cross this southwards, past the 2nd highest tarn at the foot of Mulhacen's east spur (733012). Head round left to reach open, stony slopes to left of the crag complex. Moderately angled old snow may be found, or loose stonefields. Head up this slope, tiresome without snow, to a shelf at 3300m. Head right, to join the ridgeline above the big crags, and follow it up to Mulhacen's rocky summit crest. The summit itself has a shrine with candles, broken walking poles etc, and a survey pillar.

The ascent described is tiresome when snowfree. It would appear possible to repeat the trick on Alcazaba, viz: carry on down the Cañada de las 7 Lagunas to pass above the 2nd lowest tarn (735007), losing just another 50m of altitude. Slant up screes south to a small shoulder (Chorreras Negras). Head up the gently angled and presumably gravelly Loma del Mulhacen, visiting Mulhacen II if you wish, to Mulhacen summit.

Descent from Mulhacen

This is the normally busy standard route to Spain's summit (accessed by a National Park minibus to the 2700m contour line on Alto del Chorillo). Top of the path isn't completely clear. In the absence of human waymarkers and presence of mist, head just a few steps down the southward ridgeline before turning down the flank on the right, alert for cairns.

The path zigzags down the scree flank, with Spaniards apparently disciplined enough not to destroy it with shortcuts as would happen in UK. At the slope foot it joins the Sierra Nevada ‘road', a dirt track running right across the range.

This offers a welcome stretch of leisurely walking, over the next 5km to Veleta col and indeed up Veleta itself: a welcome break from the ruggedness of everywhere since the start of the 3000s ridge. Well, it would do, except that the road is mostly covered over with snow. The snow is rather steep, and although there's a well-trodden way, it's still comforting to have crampons and iceaxe to carry along. The first short snow stretch has uncramponned footprints, and puncture marks of poles both above and below the trod. By the second, much longer, stretch, the prints are spiked ones, and the little holes are above the path only, indicating ice axes.

Above the dirt track or snow trail, as the case may be, rises Puntal de la Caldera: a sharp-edged scramble summit that would certainly embellish the 3000s crossing if one were up there on it. (Variety is also important: down here on the easy bit is an important new type of terrain for the traverse.) Below it is a weathertight stone hut, the Refugio de la Caldera. Water gathered from the tarns here should probably be sterilised or boiled.

Another possible peak, Lomo Pela, is steep and stony on the front, but reachable by gentle slopes from behind. To include it would be to omit a charming alternative hut, the Refugio Viele Vientos, superbly situtated above the southwards views. The road then runs along steep slopes below the Crestones de Rio Seco, a succession of loose and tottering rocks.

Los Machos is sometimes counted as the fourth mountain of Spain. It's actually a sticky-out shoulder of Veleta, with a mere 28m of drop between it and the main peak. Well, given that its approach will be a scree slog from the southwest, and descent the same way again, I decide that it's a mere shoulder. (The direct continuation from Los Machos to Veleta would involve two pinnacles and some very steep rock – a worthy embellishment to the 3000s walk for those up to such stunts.)

The dirt road passes along the base of Veleta's steep south face, for a short zig-zag up to the base of its very unsteep southwest ridge. The Carihuela hut stands where the track crosses the ridgeline, below a little rock wall that you'll have to clamber up to get a mobile phone sightline to any girlfrield in Granada.

From just above the hut, the Sierra Nevada road runs up Veleta's southwest ridge in sweeping zigzags. Small paths head up more directly to the summit, with its small building in scruffy concrete. Settle comfortably against the survey pillar before suddenly noticing the 200m vertical drop immediately beyond.

The very gentle angle of the Veleta roadway can be a welcome start to the descent. It sets off northwards, before sweeping left in several bends, passing the top of a T-bar ski lift.

Day 4 to Refugio del Caballo, end of the ridge (2800m)

N side Tajos de la Virgen

13km 500m

The Tajos de la Virgen pinnacles have been described variously as “an easy ascent on good clean slabs and blocks”, as “particularly dangerous: I would highly recommend doing it with someone who already knows the area...”, and as whatever's Spanish for "scare-ey!!". The cop-out option is a wide, wellmade path on the northern flank – except that this year, the well-made path is a whole lot more snowslope to crunch up in the crampons.

From Carihuela hut, descend to the track just below, where a sign points down the Olimpica ski run. A scree path leads down the hollow, northwest. Out on the right, the radio telescope glows like a giant white buttercup.

At 3000m the ground levels off, with a stream and a couple of tarns (if snowcovered, the lower Yeguas reservoir may offer water supplies.) On the slight rise behind the tarn is the wide, well-made Verada path. It slants uphill below the rocky ridgeline, southeast, to arrive on gentle scree slopes near the top of the Tozuelo del Cartujo spur.

Follow the path uphill and south to the ruined Refugio Elorrieta – roofed tunnels into the hillside, a handsome window and remains of a tiled floor, but you'll have to shovel aside the snow to sleep there.

Head down a gentle stony slope west, to join the narrow ridgeline leading towards Pico del Cartujo. This becomes quite rocky, with a pair of stubby pinnacles passed the first one on the left, second one on the right. (Small cairns, and a couple of red paint spots.) There follows a section of giant boulders, like the eastern part of the route over La Atalaya. This time the chunks and chasms are only brief, before the ridge rises in a rocky tower.

Don't try to avoid this down on the right. The direct assault is plainly okay up to the top left corner, where there's a couple of moves of very exposed scrambling above the tremendous drops developing along the rim of the upmost Lanjaron valley. In the event, after a gentle rocky slab, the ‘scrambling moves' turn out to be a narrow but walkable ledge leading onto the easy ridgeline above.

The ridge continues as a fine high-level walk, with stony slopes on the right flank and vertical drops on the left. There's an intermittent small path marked with cairns. Follow the ridgeline down, then over a fine triangular peak, with a slightly rocky and exposed crest but easy ground just down to the right. The contours on my map don't name or even show the triangular summit. After the next col the ridge gets wider, with outcrops and hollows, so as to be a bit awkward in cloud. 2km after Poco del Cartujo there's a noticeable flat shoulder just below the ridge on the right. In another 1km you reach the double col before the final summit, Cerro de Caballo. (Meanwhile down on the right, the Vereda Cortada path is evident, running as marked from Elorrieta, wide and well made across the steep craggy slope.)

From the lowest point of the col (2898m) gentle slopes would offer a way down to the Vereda Cortada path. From the second, slightly higher, col (2909m) a steep scree path or snowslope leads down to Caballo hut. But ahead, a small path leads up slaty slopes to the survey pillar on Cerro del Caballo.

Day 5 down to Lanjaron (670m).

20km including wiggles, 2100m descent.

buses Lanjaron to Malaga, one a day 8.00 am. Buses to Granada, roughly hourly.

From Caballo hut a clear path contours around the base of Cerro to the ruined Lanjaron hut; but it's more natural (unless staying the night or needing water immediately) to continue across the summit. Due south is the large hollow Hoya del Zorro. Descend around its rim, rounded gravel ridges southwest then southeast to the ruined Lanjaron hut on its level point where the Caballo path crosses the spur. (Point 2863m, 959608). The good path spirals down around a hollow, then zigzags downhill, then contours to the right (southwest) across the top of a slope of screes, stones and dirt, keeping along the foot of more craggy ground above. The path here is small and sketchy, presumably recreating itself each spring after the snows.

With a rock fin ahead, the path turns downhill for a couple of zigzags, before proceeding as before along the top of the loose ground, eventually to reach slopes vegetated with dwarf broom. Here the path is clear, slanting very gradually downhill along the flank of the Loma de Lanjaron. (If you end up at the bottom of the loose scree ground, heading downvalley above the river gorge will lead to an aqueduct, which could be followed gently uphill to rejoin the path line.)

After 1/2 mile, the path reaches the corner of a wood of dwarf pine – marked with a green line around on the Alpina map. Keep ahead, along the wood foot then through it, with the path somewhat overgrown. (Or take the more tempting path down to the left, below the wood, with an uphill return to follow.)

After emerging from the wood, the path crosses a good stream, Barranca Hinieastal (seasonal according to the map, gathered by the aqueduct not far below). In another 1km, with the aqueduct now just below, look out for an inconspicuous path forking down left. In 40m or so it crosses the aqueduct on some stone slabs and becomes clearer. It contours down-valley, towards a flat-topped small crag, above which stands the Refugio Ventura. The path passes above the hut, which has no door and a cracked roof but appears rainproof.

The path is now much clearer, and is occasionally marked by milestone (or gravestone) like slabs of schist alongside it. After some zigzags it meets the top of a wandering track.

(There may be a short-cut path ahead here, as one seems to reappear lower down.) Else follow the track as it wanders downhill in sweeping curves, passing a small solar-powered building (visible from Caballo summit). This track will eventually (presumably) link with the high-level road on the end of Loma de Lanjaron above Lanjaron itself. But there's an older and nicer path, not marked on maps, and described in the guidebook in uphill direction only and including the ominous ‘the next section is navigationally the most difficult'. Knowing it existed I aimed in its general direction and by happy chance hit it off.

The rambling track takes a big zig back left. At the corner where it bends back right (down-valley, but level rather than the desired downhill) a small cairned path arrives – perhaps the shortcut route from above. After 200m along the level section (584913) a rougher, older track forks down left – marked by an inconspicuous cairn, but the track itself is clearly seen from up by the solar powered building. It descends towards a lower track, seen below with some circular water tanks.

This lower track would take you to a further-down point on the Loma de Lanjaron, so a gain already. But if you're alert, about 100 metres above the track, one of the schist gravestone markers indicates a sharp turn left. An old, well-made, but now overgrown path descends in very gentle zigzags, more up-valley than down, to join the lower track at a signpost pole. This indicates the continuing path opposite, for ‘Casa Tello, Lanjaron'. Just where we want to go!

The path slants downhill (but up-valley) to join another old, rough, wiggly track. Follow this down, and look out for another gravestone marker on the left above a white building with corrugated roof. A path leads down to it, and it is the Casa de Tello. (At about 1500m and west of Rio de Lanjaron, named on Alpina map as El Vadillo, 589903. Not the ‘Casa Forestal de Tello' 800m south.)

A staging post on the GR path, but locked up and no covered accommodation. Camp ground, and a welcome water trough.

A signpost indicates the stony path continuing downhill for Lanjaron. It joins a track (presumably the one left just above Casa Tello) but after 100m turns off left at waymarks, and descends in steep zigzags to a wooden footbridge over Rio de Lanjaron.

The path turns uphill and upvalley, but soon curves back above a house. At a junction by an aqueduct, the waymarks say turn left, which is the GR path; but keep ahead on the less conspicous path. Soon, after passing above a house with slightly fierce dogs, fork right, again on the less obvious path.

This is the old Camino de la Sierra, and more often as you descend you'll find stretches of pitched stonework in it. It runs down to left of the river all the way, along the rim of the river's gorge hollow, and is the closest path to the river, so if in doubt fork right. At 1300m level you cross a main aqueduct, Acequia Mesquerina, with an interpretation board explaining it in Spanish.

2km short of Lanjaron, the path joins a driveway track. At the following tee-junction, don't take track turning off right, and don't take track ahead; take the continuing path, slightly right, just below the track ahead. It runs out as terraced path across a steep craggy slope – Lanjaron now in sight down ahead. Don't take a path turning back down right to a chained gate; but at the next junction, keep ahead, with the path now descending in steep, pitched zigzags.

Where it meets a track, keep downhill until it turns to tarmac, when a signpost indicates more steep, pitched path down to the right. This arrives at a lane near the east end of the bridge at the eastern edge of Lanjaron. Here is a fuente or water trough, where you can wash and drink – simply elbow aside the small dogs.

Buses for Granada, about 8 a day, last one 8.50pm. The first bus stop on the right does it: the bar opposite is full of expat brits.