23.05 Sierra Nevada Mountain Loop 23.06 Los Cahorras (Gorge), Monachil
The wide open spaces, Sierra Nevada. The ski village of Pradollano, (without a house), at the base of Pico Veleta, 400 feet up from lower village. Following a rest after the climb to Pico Veleta, we did a hike below the big mountain but came across enough smaller ones to feel the strain on the muscles. The following day, we headed down a mountain road by car to reach the town of Monachil, a few thousand feet lower than our base. It was also about twenty degrees warmer. Upon arriving in the town we decided to rather return and hike at higher altitude—one of our smarter moves. While driving up the steep road, we noticed two youngsters struggling in the heat and offered them a ride. Each couple tried to communicate in Spanish and with hand-signals. Turns out they were from Michigan. We understand the northern accent so we were able to converse intelligently without putting too much emphasis on the adverb. They had been searching for the hike we had intended undert...