Trekking Diaries – Sierra Nevada (Mountaineering)
Day 18th
After being advised by the kind persons in the camping park, we changed slightly our trail, the aim remained the same Mullacén in 2 days. Thinking back now, maybe it would be better to do a 3 days trip and enjoy a little more the mountain and by that slowly descend. We started off that day to siete lagunas (this trail according to the locals is one of the most beautiful landspace trail to get to Mullacén) at 8:30 at the altitude of 1550m. In the village was easy to find the trail. The time course issue is always something very discussable, in this case was no exception, in our topographic map was written its took about 3 hours, in the village its said it took about 5 hours, and for us, it took about 8 hours with lots of little breaks and 45min break for lunch, for instant pasta (all we would have for meals in those 2 days).
It was a fine day, the sun was shining and that time already very hot, we set off with our heavy backpacks towards the village (still remember what my parents said when they saw me leaving the house with the backpack, are you climbing the mountain with that? , isn’t that too heavy, I wonder, maybe they were right). The thing is, there are things there are a surely a must take thing like the tent, sleeping bag, small stove, stuff for cook, some medicines in case, and the most important and one of the heaviest WATER.
The village was still half asleep, since it was still early, and the path was very easy to find following the indications given in the park. We found the indication for Siete Lagunas soon after, and then we set out of the village. The trail started in a narrow stony path commonly called ”goat path”. For the 1st maybe 2- 3 hours that was all, going up we crossed some other very friendly Spanish people, at first we manage to go with them at their rhythm but soon enough we found out, that our heavy backpacks would force us to go slower… Ironically we met them again when we reach laguna Hondera, our objective for that day, smiling and preparing to go down…Anyway, after a couple hours the landscape changed, we left the narrow path and start to walk on a the mountain trail, the trail was very easy to follow and the few places that could arise dough there were indications (nota 10), as we looked back we saw the Village Trevelez with its white houses became smaller and smaller, and after while we couldn’t see it anymore, but its was still very far from siete lagunas…We had lunch (instant carbonara) in a place called Campinuela a flat place…still a lot to go…after replenishing our energies we set off again, at this point from time to time we would find the natural creeks, of course its not advisable to drink water from them, but personally I always do for one reason, who the hell goes to that big of an effort of walking to approximately 2300-2
500m of altitude and get the water dirty…there only goats…And since I’m still here, it means that the water is not that bad…(maybe much better than the one I drink from the tap). After too many breaks, and meeting once or twice groups of Spanish coming down encouraging us to keep on, we reached the Chorreras Negras, a beautiful waterfall, with little water in this time of the year, but nonetheless spectacular…This was the last effort, we were both very tired already, I remember begging for a break in the middle of the way up…just postponing the inevitable… And finally Laguna Hondera, the biggest lagoon of the Siete Lagunas complex…
After being advised by the kind persons in the camping park, we changed slightly our trail, the aim remained the same Mullacén in 2 days. Thinking back now, maybe it would be better to do a 3 days trip and enjoy a little more the mountain and by that slowly descend. We started off that day to siete lagunas (this trail according to the locals is one of the most beautiful landspace trail to get to Mullacén) at 8:30 at the altitude of 1550m. In the village was easy to find the trail. The time course issue is always something very discussable, in this case was no exception, in our topographic map was written its took about 3 hours, in the village its said it took about 5 hours, and for us, it took about 8 hours with lots of little breaks and 45min break for lunch, for instant pasta (all we would have for meals in those 2 days).
It was a fine day, the sun was shining and that time already very hot, we set off with our heavy backpacks towards the village (still remember what my parents said when they saw me leaving the house with the backpack, are you climbing the mountain with that? , isn’t that too heavy, I wonder, maybe they were right). The thing is, there are things there are a surely a must take thing like the tent, sleeping bag, small stove, stuff for cook, some medicines in case, and the most important and one of the heaviest WATER.
The village was still half asleep, since it was still early, and the path was very easy to find following the indications given in the park. We found the indication for Siete Lagunas soon after, and then we set out of the village. The trail started in a narrow stony path commonly called ”goat path”. For the 1st maybe 2- 3 hours that was all, going up we crossed some other very friendly Spanish people, at first we manage to go with them at their rhythm but soon enough we found out, that our heavy backpacks would force us to go slower… Ironically we met them again when we reach laguna Hondera, our objective for that day, smiling and preparing to go down…Anyway, after a couple hours the landscape changed, we left the narrow path and start to walk on a the mountain trail, the trail was very easy to follow and the few places that could arise dough there were indications (nota 10), as we looked back we saw the Village Trevelez with its white houses became smaller and smaller, and after while we couldn’t see it anymore, but its was still very far from siete lagunas…We had lunch (instant carbonara) in a place called Campinuela a flat place…still a lot to go…after replenishing our energies we set off again, at this point from time to time we would find the natural creeks, of course its not advisable to drink water from them, but personally I always do for one reason, who the hell goes to that big of an effort of walking to approximately 2300-2
500m of altitude and get the water dirty…there only goats…And since I’m still here, it means that the water is not that bad…(maybe much better than the one I drink from the tap). After too many breaks, and meeting once or twice groups of Spanish coming down encouraging us to keep on, we reached the Chorreras Negras, a beautiful waterfall, with little water in this time of the year, but nonetheless spectacular…This was the last effort, we were both very tired already, I remember begging for a break in the middle of the way up…just postponing the inevitable… And finally Laguna Hondera, the biggest lagoon of the Siete Lagunas complex…
Its was… I think I cannot really describe the satisfaction I felt and magnificence of the landscape… It was around 4pm when we finished, we didn’t do anything else that day, just resting and contemplating the scenery…we had to wait until almost sundown to set up the tent (rules of the mountain, camping is permitted but only 1 hour before sundown and 1 hour after sunrise) , cooked this time kind of spaghetti a la Bolognese, and had our National Geographic moment with the only animals that can climb that high : the goats (these animals are impressive…).
After setting the tent in a not so windy place (like if that existed in that place) and it was about 7pm when we went to bed. I had a cold, so that night was quite rough for me and for Antonio, since I wake him up maybe several times…During the night it was not that cold but the wind was scary (in that moment I was thankful to be in a supertent), my only regret was to have stayed inside of tent. For brief moments I saw from the inside of the tent the incredible night sky outside…this because the higher you get the less interference we have from pollution and the heat in the atmosphere…but unfortunately a good night sleep is crucial for the next day hike…Couldn’t stay and see it…
