You can download a digital copy to upload to your GPS. First sight of the new map is encouraging. Tracks seem mostly marked in the correct places which is an improvement on prior efforts by others.

The new maps cover

It covers 13 specific routes which also helps when you are doing Los Tres Miles Integral, this summer, after which the map is named. Costs €9 from local shops or online at http://www.editorialpiolet.com/

ROUTES
1.- Mulhacén climb from the Alto del Chorrillo
2.- Mulhacen climb from the refugio del Poqueira
3.- El Veleta from Los Albergues
4.- El Cartujo and Tajos del Nevero from Los Albergues and the Elorrieta (refugio)
5.- El Caballo from Echevarría
6.- El Pico of Tajo de Los Machos from the Cebadilla
7.- Cerro de Los Machos from Las Posiciones
8.- El Ountal de la Caldera from the refugio de la Caldera
9.- Pico de Loma Pelá from the refugio de la Caldera
10.- La Alcazaba y el Puntal de Juntillas from Postero Alto (refugio)
11.- El Picón de Jerez, Juntillas, Cerro Pelado, Justicia from Postero Alto
12.- Pico Juego de Bolos from la Vereda de la Estrella
13.- Puntal de Vacares, Atalaya and Cerro del Mojón Alto from La Estrella

We received an email from Dave Broggio who ascended Mulhacen. I don’t normally publish testimonials here but thought that the correspondence below might assist those who are looking to climb the peak this summer unguided and outside the winter (snow covered) months. It gives route details and access instructions.

Dave Broggio says………………

“Many, many thanks for your guidance and advice on the route to the summit of Mulhacen!  We found your route below really useful, and really appreciated your assistance.

We ended up hiking to the summit last Saturday, and enjoyed it immensely – we returned to the UK on Tuesday, and the ascent was definitely among our highlights.

The hike itself was comfortable. Along the way we saw a good variety of insects and wildlife, including what we think is an ibex.

Along the route visibility was good but a little hazy, and when we reached the summit a thunderstorm developed in front of our eyes – so we didn’t stay too long there!  All in, the return journey took us around 9 hours, and we certainly felt it the next day.

Once again, our thanks for your help and advice on the route – we will recommend Spanish Highs to any of our friends who travel to the region.

Best wishes,
David

—————————–

From: richard@spanishhighs.co.uk
To: davebroggio@*****************
Subject: Mulhacen
Date: Tue, 26 May 2009 15:56:13 +0200

Hi David

The only way real you can do Mulhacen in a day at the present time is via the south ridge.

Access:
Through the town of Lanjaron to Orgiva. Turn left before Orgiva towards Capileira and Trevelez. After 20 mins you will enter a big gorge with 3 white villages high above the end of the valley. These villages are Pampaneira, Bubion and Capileira. Head round and up the gorge following the main road, passing through Pampaneira. 5 mins more just before a petrol station turn left to Capileira.

Keep following the road through Capileira and on up the hillside. 5 mins – you will pass horse riding stables. Immediately after take the right when the road forks. Follow this rough track for 15 mins. Park at the Forestry Station barrier and car park.

Mulhacen Ascent:
There is a board next to the forestry station with a map. Head straight uphill through the forest on a marked and good track. This zig-zags uphill. When you leave the top end of the forest the path nearly meets a forest break (with a signpost beyond signalling the way to the Poqueira Hut) before zig zagging back right and upwards to reach the old road. Follow this. If you meet any snow patches after about 30-60 mins you might need to avoid by climbing above them.

Eventually (2hrs from leaving car) you arrive at the Mirador de Trevelez. A bit further beyond and a faint track leaves the road heading rightwards. This is the main south ridge access track. Follow to summit (3hrs from Mirador de Trevelez). Return same way. Return trip between 8 and 10 hours. Total ascent 2200m to 3480m. Ridge is broad and easy but take your time as the altitude will be felt. There may be some easy angled snow patches but I rather suspect most will have gone by now.

The best map by far is the following:
Parque National de Sierra Nevada
Scale 1:40000
www.penebetica.com
ISBN: 84-933461-9-5
This can be obtained from shops in all the towns.

Have fun! If we can help any further way let me know.

Regards
Richard
Spanish Highs Mountain Guides

Below we reproduce comments from her excellent travel writing site “Travels With My Camera“. Chiz is an award winning professional photographer. Her website  www.peakimages.co.uk has some of her excellent travel and mountain photos for you to enjoy.

She also claims that she has discovered a unique “fox deterrent” formula for spreading around the tent entrance, replacing the old “shout or throw your boot at it” one!

She intends to produce a full report on her “Los Tres Miles” experiences when she returns from her latest adventure in the Alps.

Chiz’s views on the Sierra Nevada

“It was wonderful!

The mountains are awesome, everything from easy trails to full-on ridge scrambling (or harder!).

You may think that the slowly disintegrating road linking the two highest summits mean this area ™s an easy day trippers stroll – just at high altitude – but don ™t be fooled. Yes, there are some easy trails, but there is also some serious full-on wilderness scrambling and lots in between! (The road used to be the highest in Europe, but was closed in early 1990 ™s when the area became a national park, and now (mostly) makes a good off-road cycling trail.)

The best map of the region is the Editorial Penbetica – available in many tourist locations from information offices to campsites to souvenir shops. But be warned, Spanish maps aren ™t up to OS standard, and this can can lead to an œepic if you don ™t understand the differences! The biggest difference is that areas that we ™d assume are open moorland if looking at a UK Ordnance Survey map, are quite likely to have crags, cliffs or major impassable ravines – they ™re just not shown! Often also there are more paths than the map shows, but there ™s a few that are marked which really don ™t exist – some of the terrain is just far too steep and crumbly! (If the rock was stable enough, there ™s a path marked off Alcazabar which would be a good – and hard – climb, but that particular œpath is sadly little more than a very steep craggy choss heap!)

The snow this year has been fantastic over the winter – so there ™s still large amounts in small pockets on the alta montagna (the 3000m peaks). Mostly this is fine without crampons and ice axe (its fairly slushy on top) but there are some parts where its quite dangerous – the route over what I now know is locally called œScary Ridge! is certainly decidely dangerous at the moment. This is one of the paths that ™s œnot really a path – certainly not for pure walkers, as it requires a good degree of scrambling. Its current problem is that snow cover obscures where the route crosses the ridge line, and failing to follow the correct route can lead to head-first slides at speed down 45degree snow slopes – and that ™s really not recommeded!”

And of the main summit traverse (Los Tres Miles) she says……….

“The highlight of the trip was 5 days walking œLos Tres Miles with Mike from Spanish Highs.   We set off from Lanjaron in the SE of the region, and walked across several of the 3000m peaks (they have so many that some don ™t even have names!). The route roughly followed the main ridge line El Caballo (the horse rider), Veleta, Mulhacen and Alcazabar (the œbig three), Laguna de Vacares (but said œBaccareth) and out via Picon de Jerez, to Jerez in the NE of the region. Only about 60km in total, but the distance is far from a good guide to the toughness of the route! Sometimes 1km can take hours – if the terrain ™s interestingly rough! Make sure that your boots are really comfortable before setting out!

The route shouldn ™t be considered a pure ridge walk covering every 3000m peak – that ™s an impossibility as some of the ridge is not remotely a walk and some of the outliers would add days to the trip. But consider it along the lines of the Haute Route in Switzerland, and you soon see its a fantastic and highly challenging expedition, into often surprisingly remote and rugged terrain.

Temperatures varied from freezing overnight at the first camp to 37C in the Lanjaron and Jerez valleys at the start and end (fortunately a lift was available for the start and end to reach roughly 2000m altitude, so the walking never became unbearably hot!), and water came from all sources – from pure Lanjaron spring water from the tap – and source – to snow melt!

And the scrambling was awesome, despite the full packs (5 days food and a day ™s water weights a lot!!) – grade 2-3 in places, depending what route you took – we took the one that looked most fun, but easier options were available.

The thieving fox of Siete Laguna was also foiled (ask Richard for my unique lightweight formula for deterring it!), though Mike was unconvinced as it we only saw it on one occaision. Regardless it ™s far more timid than many reports make out – a good shout sends it packing straight away!

The scenery was also awesome – watch out for photography courses/holidays in the region coming soon, and my own images on the Peak Images website in due course.”