I arrived at lovely Camping Isidora, on 8th, to a warm welcome.
The steepness of the walking ahead and my lack of fitness, decided me to spend 2 days here.
I need 6 days food for the 1st section ahead. A massive amount seeing as it's not specialist stuff, just what I can get locally
The weather has clouded over today, with a cold wind. I walked to over 4200' earlier and it was cold !
Stopping over with my amiga Angie for a few days, before catching buses to Cazorla, to carry on walking the GR7.
This is the 3rd attempt to post today's blog !
Not a bad days walking through hill country, then a very steep descent, zigzagging across the cliffs into El Chorro.
No where affordable to stay, so a road walk on until I came across the Olive Branch, a busy climbers place, great evening meal.and company
I short walk from the Olive Branch and I rejoined the GR7.
Lots of ascent on pista beneath the cliffs where there are many climbing routes.
I've been struggling each day of the walk, and have not been 100% for a few weeks. I have chest pains when going uphill.
When I am at Angie's I'll get it sorted.
It took a couple of hours to get to the top, where it beame undulating pista.
Expansive views to the coastal mountains, was followed by a long descent into the village of Valle de Abdijias.
After lunch of whole fish, and chips in a bar I left the GR7 to head towards Almogia, where I rendezvous with Angie tomorow.
It was another steep ascent then across country to the village of La Joya.
A tiny village in the midst of agricultural land, yet it had 2 bars and a restaurant.
A road walk for 8 miles brought me to the main Villaneuva .... to Almogia road, where I started hitching. Eventually I got a lift to Almogia, arriving to find the Alburgue full. After a refreshment or 3 in the bar I dossed down for the night outside the alburgue.
The day brought a cold wind.
The walk from Cuevas de Becerro was a pleasant start, as I dropped a long way into the village the previous evening, as when I rejoined the GR7 it dropped to meet the road I'd set off on.
After a bit of road walking it was pista to Serrato, followed by a steep road walk then across country in wilderness.
I met a man along the way who gave me an orange and offered me water. The country is dry with mountains in every direction.
The wind was so strong that there were few sheltered spots to take a break.
Villages are where water sources are, and I decided to stop at Ardales for the night.
I couldn't find any level sheltered sites to stealth camp, so found a hostal for the night.
After a wander around the Arab quarter and the old and new bridges of Ronda's famous gorge, I set off at 11am.
The GR7 was mostly quiet road walking all day. A lunchtime stop at Arriate, which would have been very hard to find the way out of without the gps app on my phone.
In fact I refer to the app regularly as there are very few signs for the GR7.
Lots of pig farms along the way and no springs or water sources.
It was very hot and I expected to have sunburn, (I didn't though).
I went off route to Cuevas de Becerro and was delighted to find a lovely spring and picnic area
After a visit to the bar to rehydrate, I cooked dinner at the picnic area and had some wine with a Spanish guy who was parked up.for the night.
Altogether a good place to camp the night.
March 29th Ronda
I arrived in Malaga at midday, travelled to the station by shuttle bus & got my ticket for Ronda.
Only when I went to board the train, which was due to leave, did I notice that the ticket was for a later train.
I was directed to an adjacent train that was going to Seville.
The journey to Bobadilla went through the spectacular El Chorro gorge.
Once in Bobadilla I found I had a 3 hour wait for the Ronda train.
Being a small rural town, I went to a bar and people-watched !
A better re-aquaintance with Spain than waiting in Malaga.
When I left there were 3 domino's games going.
A 10 minute walk in Ronda and I arrived at the basic, yet nice enough hostal, (cheap hotel).
Tomorrow I shall explore Ronda a little before setting off on the section of the GR7, be I missed out last year, between Ronda and Rio Gordo
