Passing through Nijar on unbelievably tiny streets we climbed steeply in the car following the frighteningly narrow and twisting road that ascended to the tiny village of Huebro (population 28 apparently!) where we would begin our hike. Having now driven to around 600m above sea level we were already higher than the tallest peak in the Cabo de Gata Natural Park, with a commanding view south across the plastic tents in the Campo de Nijar to the sea beyond. It was actually hard to take in, seeing so far from our sweeping perspective, just how extensive the plastic tents supplying tomatoes and other fresh fruit and vegetables are here. Almost every spare bit of space on the flattened plain between the Sierra Almahillas and the Cabo de Gata Natural Park was taken up with their distinctive white rectangular shapes, which stirred mixed emotions in us both.
Turning away from the panorama of growing tents below and after a brief rest from the twisting drive, we laced our boots shortly after midday before picking up a narrow trail (that looked like it might be one of the red lines on our map). Sadly the clear blue skies we had been enjoying for more than a week had deserted us for our first big hiking day since we'd left the Pyrenees weeks before! Nonetheless, it felt wonderful to be up high again in the clear air with the smell of wild thyme wafting in the light breeze.
Passing over stony ground, through scrubby foliage dotted with the remnants of olive groves and other terraced farming we were soon high above the tiny collection of buildings that made up Huebro. The mountain terrain that surrounded us was spectacular. The nearby higher peaks, sharp and jagged against the grey sky, towered high above the gentle green and rolling hills below. Up close the scenery was equally fascinating with mostly sandy coloured rock, peppered with hard grey stones and boulders, and accented with channels of purple stone hinting at a sedimentary history.
As we climbed the views continued to improve, with flattened desert plains to the north of the Sierra Alhamillas riven by folds of undulating earth that stretched for miles all the way towards the distant snow topped foothills of the Sierra Nevada in the west. Looking even further north beyond the desert plains more mountains rose up, whilst to the south we could now see the length of the Almeria coastline, with the Las Salinas salt plains next to the tip of Cabo de Gata and the alongside the volcanic coastal cliffs of the Natural Park. It was a breathtaking sight with so much on display at once. The only shame was that the overcast sky created a dark light that made it hard to capture on camera.
After 3 hours of hiking, steadily climbing almost the whole time, we had gotten to within touching distance of the summit radar station at Mina, but with the final approach on a shallow and twisting tarmac road taking much longer than a direct trail route would have, we realised we would not have time to make the summit and return to the car before dark. It's always hard to get so close to a summit and not make the top, but we knew it was the most sensible decision and so, after taking some moments to sit and drink in the inspiring views across the desert plains to the north, we turned around and began retracing our steps, estimating we had reached 1150m from the contours of our map.
Descending swiftly on the easy going GR140, as the afternoon wore on the sun dipped lower in the sky casting a soft, grey light across the hills with the scent of fresh thyme carried on the now almost still air. Despite tired feet, the atmosphere was both calming yet energising and more than kept us going all the way back to our hire car before the sun reached the horizon.
Driving back to Camping Los Escullos with a bright orange sunset now casting beautiful light across the area we felt very contented after our day back in the mountains.
Walk Information:
Motorhome Base - Camping Los Escullos
Start/ End Point: Huebro (near Nijar)
Total Distance: approx 20km
Time Taken: 4/5 hours
Level: Moderate
Map: Editorial Alpina: Cabo de Gata Nijar 1:50.000
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