Walk On

Right….. I’ve been doing a bit of training in Spain on holiday with Maggie, swimming and walking really. But two days I climbed/scrambled Puig Campana rising up behind Benidorm. Higher than Ben Nevis and with two main routes; landward and seaward. The landward, round the back, route is quite strenuous and the seaward route is called ‘the Vertical’ because it’s quite steep.

Parking near the freshwater springs at Moli at the foot of the mountain the first climb I went up with Javi, a right good lad who works at the hotel that we stay at, the Aparthotel Terralta. Puig Campana looms above you soon after setting off. And the scree canyon that provides the ‘scramble track’ cuts up its middle.

The views out towards the coast get better and better the higher you climb. I didn’t realise I was so unfit. I was knackered after two minutes and gasping at the top. But we did a great time – 90 minutes. Unbelievable but I was trying not to let Javi down and he’s only 32, a martial arts expert and in the gym a lot. He’s just become a dad so I was grateful that he took the time out on his day off.

We did an impressive 90 minutes coming down as well. Over the back way.

Last Wednesday I set off at 7am to do the Vertical up and back on my Tod. It was a beautiful clear morning just before dawn as I set off. 

I made it up the scree slope to the top just before the sun came over the side of the canyon. Surprising a herd of wild Iberian Ibex halfway up.

I cut up to the right of the mountain to reach the highest summit of 4600 feet and to drink in the amazing views.


Maggie was in the car park of the hotel and I used my iPad to reflect the sun as a signal to her over 10 miles away. She saw it flashing like a good un! She’s over to the left of the photo below. You must be able to see her can’t you?

I’m up for this walk. My hips have been giving me bad pain but I’ve got superstrong Codeine tablets and the highest strength non-prescription cream. I’ll be ok but it’s more pleasant if it’s painfree. My rucksack is 10kgs without water and food, including my tent and sleeping bag so I’m very pleased at that. I’m cutting down through the mountains like this.

Reus.             Colldejou.           Benifallet.      Pauls.      Fredes.      Moralla.       Ares del Maestrat.          Vilafermosa del Riu.      Montanejos.       Bejis – where I got snowed in. About 220 miles and I’ve got 14 days walking to do it in. Should be ok. The route is called the GR7, a long distance footpath that runs from Tarifa in the southern tip of Spain, where I started last year, to Andorra in the north, high in the Pyrenees. 

I’ll blog tomorrow.

Night night.