Mulhacen Summit
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Hiking: Mulhacen
Written by Tina Sibley in January 2022
HIKING IN THE SPANISH HILLS: Mulhacen
Mulhacen was my final training in preparation for my Kilimanjaro climb and it was the best possible preparation.
For a start, it’s high altitude, the highest peak on mainland Spain standing at 3,479m so I chose it to kick-start my acclimatisation. In addition, it would give me the opportunity to practice hiking in snow and ice as I’d never done that before.
Mulhacen is in the Sierra Nevada range of mountains, overlooking the city of
Grenada and there is a popular ski resort, although we wouldn’t be near the ski
area. That said, my first trip to Grenada had to take in a visit to the
Alhambra, so I headed for Grenada early the day before my hike was to begin.
Nobody was brave enough to take on a winter ascent of Mulhacen with me, so I arranged a private guide and that proved to be a really good decision. It would be a 2 day hike, staying at the Refugion Poqueira overnight.
Day 1
My guide, Jose Luis, picked me up at my hotel at 10.30 and the first task was to decide which of my many coats and fleeces I would take so that I would be warm enough without getting overheated!
We had a 2 hour drive up into the mountains, to a village called Capileira, and then on up to our start point.
We left the van in the lower of 2 car parks and just as we were donning our backpacks, it began to rain so it was time to fish out the waterproofs.
We set off at around 12.45 and the first part was through a forest, which protected us quite well from the rain. We continued to climb up and up and up, out from the forest and through rain that turned into sleet and snow.
I was having trouble with getting water out of my camel pack, so Jose Luis
helped me get that sorted and I discovered there was a magic little hole for
the tube to come out of which helped enormously!
It was too wet to stop, so we had a quick break for some coffee out of my flask and a protein bar and then just kept going.
I have to confess it was hard going carrying about 12 kilos in my huge 40 litre backpack, up a steep elevation gain of 615m.
We climbed up to around 2,650m above sea level then began walking down to the Refugio Poqueira at 2,500m.
It was music to my ears when Jose Luis told me that it was all downhill from that point. You really did begin to notice the altitude once you got to above 2,400m - breathing started getting more difficult - and the cold and wet didn't help.
Altogether on that first day, we hiked around 10km.
Alas, there were no views as it was incredibly foggy - you could barely even see the refugio building when we arrived.
We got there around 4.30pm which was sooner than I had been expecting.
Once we got to the refugio, it was time to get into warm, dry clothes and put the boots etc by the fire to dry out. I had discovered that my boots aren’t waterproof when you’re hiking through deep snow and slush which comes right over the top of them!
This later led me to buying some waterproof socks for my journey on Kilimanjaro!
The refugio wasn't heated, so the dormitory and bathroom were freezing!
Everyone was grouped around the fire in the main dining room.
There weren’t that many people and the atmosphere was great – like-minded
people on very similar journeys. That said, I was the oldest in the room by far!
Dinner was at 7 and was wonderful - and warming.
4 Courses! Soup, then curried pasta, then pork fillets with mushrooms and finally a chocolate mousse dessert! It was lovely!
We went to bed around 10pm although I found it impossible to sleep. Fortunately, though, my new sleeping bag was lovely and warm.
Day 2
The following day, we got up early for breakfast at 7am then sorted out our gear - crampons were fitted for size and we set off at around 07.50.
Thankfully, the plan was to return to the refugio before hiking back down to the van, so I didn't have to carry my huge backpack.
I just stuffed what I thought I would need in my pockets and Jose Luis carried the water and everything else. He was my hero!
Jose Luis decided on a route that would take us up the South side of Mulhacen.
A longer route than going up the West face, but with a more gentle (!) elevation.
The scenery was absolutely spectacular.
The sunrise above the clouds was something else and, although there were no views below us, other than clouds, it made for a very disconnected experience which was very serene.
We had beautiful blue sky and sun above us which made for a much more pleasant day.
The most beautiful sight was the sun landing on the clouds and making them like rainbow clouds - multi-coloured clouds which sadly didn't come out on the photographs.
As we climbed higher, the walk became harder and harder.
It was steep and I found it incredibly difficult walking through deep snow. As you put your foot down, it disappeared and you had to yank it back
out again.
As the altitude started to take effect, at times I began to feel light headed and also felt a bit sick. Nothing too bad though, and when I stopped to breathe, the symptoms lessened.
I confess that at times, I didn't think I could keep going and never thought I would actually get to the summit. But I dug deep and just put one foot in front
of the other. I focused on keeping going, drinking lots of water, breathing and enjoying the view.
After walking for 3 hours, the steep climb tapered off and Jose Luis told me we would certainly get to the summit in time. Indeed, he had anticipated it taking 4 hours and we got there in 3 hours 55.
I could barely believe it!
I felt so happy as I climbed the final few metres and got to the summit
monument. I remember thinking that, if I felt like that at the summit of Mulhacen, I could barely take in what it would feel like at the summit of Kilimanjaro!
At the summit, we stopped to have lunch, enjoy the view of the clouds and the sunshine and take photos.
The best thing was that once I stopped exerting myself, all symptoms of
altitude sickness faded away and I felt great. My mission was complete - which was to see how my body felt at altitude and to kick-start the acclimatisation process for Kili.
Then it was time for the descent!
That was a new experience and, at first, a lot of fun.
We got the crampons onto the shoes and I got roped up to Jose Luis then I had to go first down a very steep slope, in deep snow, allowing gravity to take me.
The route was different to the one we’d taken to the summit. We were descending the West face and I was very glad we hadn't ascended by that route!
After a while, it became very tiring and hard on the knees and thighs and keeping balance was a challenge. After a couple of hours of this, we left the deep snow, ditched the crampons and continued down the river valley, still roped up as it was still quite hazardous.
I began to really struggle on some of the steep, downhill sections that took us
close to the river valley and my pace slowed considerably. My legs were feeling like jelly and I was exhausted.
I was so happy when we got back to the refugio after about 2.5 hours of descending.
In many ways, the descent was more challenging than the ascent and it felt somehow longer than it had taken. At times, it felt never ending and it was only the achievement that kept me going.
We finally got to the refugio, had coffee and packed lunch and then had to get the backpack on and begin the final 10km back to the van.
Originally, Jose Luis planned on continuing down the river valley to the lower car park where the van was left, but seeing that I found the steep downhills more difficult, he decided to take us back the way we came.
The advantage was that the descent was more gradual. The disadvantage was
that we first had to climb up a couple of hundred metres for about half an hour and the route was longer.
But for me, it was the best option. By now, I was tired and the thought of going back uphill was a killer. However, somehow, I just got into a set rhythm and just kept putting one foot in front of the other. I found that I didn't even need to stop for a breather at all during that climb.
And, it even felt quite comfortable. I recognised that, although tired, I felt quite strong. That was a really nice realisation and feeling.
As we walked back the way we came, there was much more snow on the ground than I remembered and total concentration was needed not to slip
and fall. I got to a point where I was heartily sick of walking on snow and ice and longed for the forest where I knew it would be more of a path and easier to walk on.
We finally got back to the higher car park, where Jose Luis decided to leave me and all the backpacks while he jogged down to get the van from the lower car park.
I thought this was an excellent plan - I was exhausted but very, very happy with everything that I'd achieved.
The long road back was torture.
The constant switchbacks in dense fog and then in darkness led to me feeling travel sick and eventually we had to stop so I could get a breather and more water. I was so grateful for that break even though it meant getting back to my car later than planned.
Then - I discovered my car had a puncture!
The only sensible thing at that point was to forget going home and book myself back into the hotel for the night. I believe that was a wise move.
Lessons from this weekend:
My body copes fairly well at altitude (although it will be tested much more on Kili)
I can do more than I think I can - if I'm honest, my main
objective was to go as high as possible to experience some altitude.I really doubted that I could climb 1,000
metres in 4 hours, in deep snow, at altitude - but I did.I'm not as slow as I think I am. Yes, I'm slow compared to serious hikers. But Jose Luis said my pace and my walking was good.
I'm mentally and physically tough. I can dig deep and shove those negative thoughts aside and continue, even when it's hard. Jose Luis said I surprised him and he called
me brave and strong.Being above the clouds is just as beautiful as having
spectacular views. It's a different but incredible experience.Encouragement is everything! When I wavered, I thought of all the people supporting me on my social media and everyone rooting for me kept me going. Jose Luis was also very encouraging and supportive as well.
You really can achieve great things when you put your mind to it. Even climbing big mountains.
Rewards such as pizza and cava taste even better after
extreme effort!
All in all this has been one of the best experiences of my life and I feel that it has really helped me in my final preparation for Kili.
These are some of my favourite hiking photos in Spain as it shows the very different terrain and experience of being above the clouds. When I look at it, I can barely believe it's me!!
