Description:
We pass through the village of Capileira and continue along the track to the sierra for a few kilometers, until we turn off onto the lane on the left with a sign indicating Central Hidroeléctrica. Curiously, there was only one car parked; there are always many cars, even early. We start our hiking day from 1540m altitude at the power plant. Soon we cross the bridge and begin ascending the PR-A 36 trail. There is a sign with a map right where the Herradura path begins. After one kilometer two hundred meters, we reach the trail junction, leave the one leading directly to the Poqueira refuge and take the one ascending westwards. We pass by a threshing floor and zigzagging reach the pipe coming down from the discharge chamber. We go straight up the rails where the trolley descends, next to the pipe. We arrive at La Cámara de Descarga. The views are superb over Los Tajos de Los Machos, still with large snow patches and all slopes dotted with yellow and green colors. We continue on the trail that now levels above the piped irrigation channel. Skirting Loma Púa, the barranco de Poqueira is on our right and well visible. Higher up, all Las Terreras Azules, Loma Pelada and del Mulhacén are seen, the latter with only a timid snow patch. The trail ascends to pass by large rocks with striking formations, from here it begins to descend towards La Fuente de La Raja. This place, though artificial, is idyllic, with the La Raja spring nearby. We took a half-hour break to snack and refresh our feet. Up to here, almost two hours of route and 5.33 Km covered. We climb about a hundred meters on Loma Púa and turn right into the río Veleta. We have to climb a steep gully and head straight to the river. Here the fun begins, we stow the poles and scramble up the riverbed. The river carries a lot of water and it's difficult, we have to cross it several times. There's always a way to climb and continue until reaching the cirque. Tajos del Tesoro, Tajos del Sabinal to the left, Veleta, Los Machos and ahead El Púlpito in front, to the right Raspones de río Seco. An idyllic place where more than three hundred cows enjoy the pasture and water. This is not a usual passage area, those who come here are experienced mountaineers and don't leave trash. All day I only saw a rusted can and put it in my backpack. It's not normal to be in an area of such beauty without humans or trash. Maybe! The six or seven hours of walking from any nearby point to leave the car are to blame. Not counting the return, which is still not easy. Once at the foot of the Púlpito, there is a large stone as reference. Here passes an unmarked trail that looks like a goat path, it takes you up a stretch to reach La Laguna de Las c cabras. I always say! If you reach this lagoon, don't make the long journey and plan to stop for a good while. This place is not normal, it's paradise, the colors, the sound and nature are real. More than an hour passed quickly for us, lying on the grass and enjoying the moment. A mountain goat approached us within a few meters, as if wanting to ask how we knew about that place. It was time to return and we decided to spice up today's route and climbed to the summit of Púlpito 2979m. We had to make another long stop, the panoramas are priceless. Someone said!! Let's get serious, we have to return. We descended the west face and it was amazing, four hundred meters of almost vertical drop. Very cool descent and only for people accustomed to high mountains. There are drops with a lot of exposure and you have to zigzag seeking the least dangerous path. Once in the river we try not to lose much height, we want to pass by a ruined building we saw this morning. We skirted Los Tajos del Tesoro and climbed through Tajos del Sabinal, seeking a col near Peñón Colorado. After passing the col, we skirted Los Tajos Colorados until reaching Loma Púa. The pace of the feet was frantic, time losses made us suspect it might get dark. It's an area we know and we were very well positioned. We descended straight to La Cámara de Descarga. To make it different from this morning, now we take the trail. It's good for the knees to rest, it was a strong descent with a lively pace. We go through areas we passed this morning, but the sun is low and shadows strong. This makes everything different. We reach the junction with the trail to Poqueira refuge at 8:45h. (1730m.) 19.65 Km. Moving time 8.00h.
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Video length: 07:00