Biking & Baking in Las Alpujarras

If you want a pleasant morning's walk (or mountain bike trip) with a good lunch at the end of it, then can I recommend the GR7 between Busquistar and Trevelez?  Just make sure you have the return route planned as it is not  for the faint-hearted (or even the strongish-hearted) going the other way! 

Steve and I did a shuttle run up the valley at about 8am, in glorious sunshine, about +2 degrees, with him leading on the VFR and me behind in the car.  We left the car in Trevelez, tootled back carefully (icy patches under trees) on the motorbike, and then met up with our 2 walking companions, eventually leaving Busquistar at 10.15am or thereabouts.  This walk is 11 km and takes a good 4 hrs, including a 'coffee break' and some wonderful photo opportunities.  It passes through encina woods, over barrancos and close to small clusters of free-range cows with their calves (beware dog owners!).  Sticks are a good idea (though I didn't take mine) and something warm for the shady parts.

The first hour has some steep but short gradients, then you're mostly walking along the contours, but as you near Trevelez you suddenly plunge down (down, down) to the river, and then have quite a haul up the other side.  In reverse, the descent would be a killer climb and  at the moment there's snow and mud too, so tough for bicycles I would imagine.  Going back up and for the last 2 kilometres, you need to follow the GR signs and not stray off the path...We reached T at about 14.30pm and headed straight for La Fragua in the Barrio Medio.  This is a stylish bar/restaurant/hotel and we ate a fabby meal upstairs: good-sized portions of, variously, roast kid, lamb chops, Moorish lamb and oxtail stew.  All delicious (meat falling off bone, lashings of sauce etc), all with fresh vegetables and bread.  The initial tapas of spicy sausages with our much-needed beer was good too.  We shared a wicked ice-cream pudding and had coffees as well.  Total bill including a tip was 75 euros.  Not bad for 4 hungry travellers!  Best of all, we then jumped in the car and headed home!  Next stop: hot shower, fireside, good book....more tea...glass of anis...  What a lovely day!