Climbing the "K2" of Sierra Almijara in Frigiliana
Monday, March 21, 2011 @ 12:25 AM
This route is fresh from this weekend: we climbed the Cerro Cisne (The Swan) peak of Sierra Almijara near Frigiliana. To get to the start of the route you get to Frigiliana village (near Nerja) and coninue through the main village road until you come out the other side. Follow signs for Parque Verde. You continue until you see on your right a sign (or ask) for the Restaurant Acebuchal, named after the river passing next to it. Follow the dirt track until you get to the actual river, where you see a cleared path (used as a forest fire break).
The mountain is very steep! An altitude of 1.483 metres, with the last 700 metres in less than 2000 metres climbing distance. I.e. around 30 degrees average. In other words, it's like your own staircase at home ... only 2km long. Be prepared to use your hands a lot and mind the rolling stones, the rock is very fractured. The views from the top of the Cisne are stunning to say the least, you dominate the whole coast, and you even get a glimpse of Sierra Nevada.
As an aside, I've learned something very interesting that I didn't know before: how to distinguish the sedimentary rocks (generated by sediment in rivers over millions of years) from any other type. By the smell of course! No joke, if you break a piece of rock and quickly have a whiff of the broken area you will smell a methane-like smell, like a rotten egg smell. I was impressed anyway!
Enjoy the fotos:
