April 10, 2023 to April 12, 2023
Cazorla - Balazote
Stage 5
After coffee and a resupply stop at a supermercado in Buruchel we were into the first climb of the day, a gentle 6% to Puerto de las Palomas at 1200m asl. We are heading into mountains, and so far so good!
The landscape had become very craggy and the trees beside the road provided great shade. The trail headed off to the right at an intersection, and soon after took a left into the wilderness. I was contemplating the awful scrabbly track in front of me when a local park ranger appeared and advised that it was a logging track and I shouldn't go that way. I was easily persuaded!My new ranger buddy also told me that I was in viper country and should not leave the road as they are just waking from hibernation. No argument from me, I detest snakes!
I returned to the road and after 3km my original "track" joined the road from the right, or would have, had there not been a locked gate. I messaged Dorian so he didn't have the same issue, and he said on his version of the GPS track, the trail stayed on the road. WHAAT??
The road continued up to another pass and then meandered around the steep rocky hillsides with some lovely shade and stunning views. Apart from the brutal surface, this was a nice ride with hardly any other traffic and took about 3 hours.
My ranger buddy's other advice was to get water from a stream as it was the last supply before the trees ended and the scorching altiplano started. Maybe he had never been to the bar at San Pedro, right there, beside the road? They have water.
Without warning the trees did end and I was into an amazing landscape of jumbled grey rocks that just got more and more impressive. It was spectacular and totally worth the grind of getting there. A great example of the surprises this trail throws up and cudos to Andy Cox for stringing it all together.
| Heart | 2 | Comment | 0 | Link |
I had loosely planned to kip at one of the refugios alongside the trail, but as I still had 4 hours of daylight I rode out to Ponton Alto. The refugios are cute and cosy looking, but in sub zero night temperatures might not be so cosy at 3am.
The moonscape steadily changed into farm land. The trail in to town was a bit confusing and I ended up in a dude's backyard asking how to get to my hostal. Lots of pointing and waving ensued, then his mate offered to show me the way - on his bobcat. So I was personally escorted through town by a Komatsu bobcat. How sweet was that?
The next morning's temperature was cool, as you'd expect for this altitude. The trail tuned left at the edge of town and followed the usual "unpaved road" through a steep sided valley with a stream at the bottom. The towering rock formations were just catching the sun and it was easy to imagine the ice and frost that would take hold here for most of winter.
Progress was good until the track faded out at a farm house. I was clearly in the right place on the GPS, but there was no track through the scrub or up the stream. I contemplated the effort required to drag Wally though the stream and up the bank, but as there was still no visible track after that, we headed back to town and set a course for Siles, on roads (A317, A317a).
| Heart | 1 | Comment | 0 | Link |
At 17km out of Ponton Alto the original "trail" joined the road from the right (you can see this on the map below) and looked to be a well used road - I guess I will never know what happens in the middle or how the two ends connect - if they do.
For the rest of the ride through to Riopar I stayed on the road, having become mistrustful of trails. The Trail also mostly stayed on the road, as the steep terrain didn't allow any options. It was a beautiful ride with plenty of shade, great views and a fast rolling road surface.
Next morning I managed a 0730 departure, knowing I had 2 passes to climb and more than 60km of Via Verde as a close out to the day.
At 1450m Puerto de Las Crucetillas was a 7.78km climb, followed by some nice downhill, and then a climb back up to 1428m to cross Puerto del Barrancazo. In the 3 hours on that very pretty, freshly sealed road, through pine forest, I saw one car and one other human, a fox, 2 eagles and a deer. There was also a chill NW breeze which kept me in three layers for most of the day.
Just before Alcaraz the trail left the nice sealed road onto an unpaved road. After hesitating briefly I headed on down and it was a lovely road, grass in the middle, running alongside a stream and then dropping sharply between two towers of rock and centuries-old rock walls, and finishing below Alcaraz.
HA! So trusting the trail has variable outcomes.
The Via Verde from Alcaraz was largely downhill and I had a pushy tailwind to assist, so the distance ticked over quickly. The many tunnels either had sensors to trigger the lights or were short enough to not need illumination. Unfortunately sometimes the sensors were a little slow to turn on the next section of lights, leaving me pedaling into complete blackness for 10 or 15 seconds. I was surprised at how quickly I became disoriented and started reaching for the brakes!
Stage 5 ended at Balazote with a planned 238 km and 4580m climbing, vs 256km and 3780m actual.
We pedalled on to Albacete for the night.
Today's ride: 256 km (159 miles)
Total: 1,124 km (698 miles)
| Rate this entry's writing | Heart | 4 |
| Comment on this entry | Comment | 0 |