April Trek up Alcazaba and Mulhacen via Siete Lagunas

[Leigh Ritchie]

Here's a blog of my recent 3 day trek in the high Sierra with Mike. The original plan of doing the Mulhacen - Alcazaba -
Vacares traverse had to be modified due to the recent heavy snowfall causing access problems to Hoya de Portillo and
possible avalanche risk to the East of Alcazaba.


Tuesday 21st April:

After a very comfortable night at Hotel Central in Lanjaron, I met up with Kiersten and Mike (my guide) at 9:30 am. Bought
the world's biggest sandwich and a couple of dehydrated meals and we were off to Trevelez for the start of our trek. Being
pretty new to this scale of trekking (or certainly these altitudes), I perhaps started off a bit too keen and wanted to set off at
a pace equivalent to a slow jog! Mike was quick to pass on the hint and suggested that I try a gentle plod instead. I don't
think I fully realised the importance of this until the following day.

We followed a slightly alternative route up to Siete Lagunas (our camp for the two nights) by crossing the Rio Culo de
Perro and then climbing up to Siete Lagunas via the Loma de Culo Perro rather than the usual track from Trevelez. Near
the top of the hill the majestic sight of Canada de Siete Lagunas came into view. The snow cover for this time of year was
impressive. We traversed Southwestbound towards Laguna Hondera (which was invisible due to the depth of the snow),
and had our camp set up by about 7pm.

As we pitched our tents, a stiff, cold wind blew down on us from the summit of Mulhacen. Then, as the sun disappeared
behind the ridge, the temperature plummeted. Water surfaces seemed to freeze instantly and the whole change reminded
me of a scene out of "The Day After Tomorrow". Our only option was to take shelter in our tents and wait for morning. That
night I probably had less than an hour's sleep, partly because of the constant howl of the wind and repeated showers of
frost landing on my face from the roof of my tent, but also due to a very spooky experience at about 2am.

The constant howling wind and rustling tent fabric, not to mention the sound of spindrift lashing against the tent, certainly
plays games with your imagination. I kept thinking I was hearing something outside, or was it just the wind? Then I felt
something softly nudge against my head. Thought nothing of it at first until it happened again. I rolled around and looked
through the mesh of my tent entrance into the porch area. There, about 4 inches from my face was the silhouette of a fox's
head, staring right at me!

Needless to say, as if I'd seen a ghost, I let out a rather embarrasing scream and the fox made a very quick exit from my
tent porch. Not sure who was more startled. About 30 seconds later I heard a slightly more controlled shout coming from
Mike's tent. Our furry friend was having his second eviction. Although I did see the funny side, I spent the rest of the night
feeling completely paranoid of another visit and was poised to pounce at the slightest nudge or rustle.



Wednesday 22nd April:

At about 7am a warming, brilliant sunrise lit the whole valley and made the previous night's experiences seem
insignificant. There was still a fair breeze but this soon died down. Following breakfast we set off on our first summit trip -
Alcazaba. We left the tents erected and only carried what we needed. Despite the lack of sleep, I felt impatient to get to
the top and set a relatively fast pace. Mike once again hinted that I might want to slow down a bit and although I did at first,
I constantly ended up speeding up my pace again.

We reached the summit in dazzling sunshine and a welcome light breeze. We then descended slightly and found a good
sheltered area behind some rocks to have lunch. After lunch we descended back towards camp using snowshoes. By the
time we reached the tents I felt exhausted. This was when i truly learned my lesson about the importance of a slow, steady
pace. The thought of carrying our full packs up Mulhacen tomorrow and then descending all the way to Capileira now
seemed very daunting. I felt as though I had just used up all my available energy on Alcazaba. Lesson learned.

After a 40 minutes on my back we once again donned snowshoes and casually headed up towards the base of Puntal de
las Siete Lagunas to explore the valley. Seeing it so deeply filled with snow was an unforgettable experience and I can
also see why people say that snowshoeing can be so addictive!

That night was very silent but also very very cold and by 7am, the morning Sunshine was a welcome relief. Fortunately no
foxes this time.



Thursday 23rd April:

We were up at sunrise and had our final meal in Siete Lagunas. We then packed our stuff and headed up the slope just
South West of Laguna Hondera. At the top of this slope we headed West North West and gradually climbed to the summit
of Mulhacen. This time the pace was steadier and despite having full packs it just seemed so much more manageable.
The view from the top was awesome (as was the weather) After some photos and interesting views down the North face
we headed back down to the South summit and found some shelter from the wind to cook our lunch.

After lunch we started a long, steep descent down the South West face of Mulhacen towards the Poqueira Hut. Due to the
light winds and gradually increasing temperature, this part of the descent was quite tough and I was very relieved when we
hit a large patch of snow. From here I managed probably 100m descent on my backside. Not only was it quick, It was also
very refreshing. Thankfully I didnt put any holes in my brand new Paramo Cascadas (Which, by the way are a truly brilliant
pair of trousers!)

After a quick break at the hut, we continued down towards the Poqueira gorge and then followed a path just above the
gorge, high enough to keep us in the cool breeze. As we approached Capileira i couldnt help stopping every few minutes
to look back at the stunning views of Veleta and Mulhacen, amongst other peaks on the ridge. I would definately be
coming back at some point, but for now my priorities lay in some small bar in Capileira.

[El Perro Negro]

Good post Leigh. Will give good information to others about your experiences in the Sierras, especially wild camping at Siete Lagunas!

[Maria]

Hi Leigh

Great report of your trip and some fantastic photos. Well done and thanks for posting it.