Sierra Nevada...

tommywmb
tommywmb Posts: 148
edited December 2007 in Tour & expedition
Anyone toured here? Saw a programme on telly the other day where a couple bought property there, looked wicked! Biking in summer and boarding in winter, noice!

Can anyone reccomend any books or websites on the region, I sense a summer tour coming on!

Comments

  • HarryDd
    HarryDd Posts: 21
    Sierra Nevada & the Alpujarras on the south side are a stunning place to visit. Great cycling including the highest road pass in Europe. Quiet roads, good weather, plenty of places to stay & things to do.

    Cycle Touring in Spain (Cicerone) has a tour through the area which crosses over to Granada - worth hjaving a look.
  • graemetherunner
    graemetherunner Posts: 239
    get in touch with / have a look at this couple http://www.wildspain.co.uk
  • HarryDd
    HarryDd Posts: 21
    South from Grenada by Gerald Brenan is an excellent read in its own right. He lived in the Alpujarras between the wars - not much has changed. Great description of the people, buildings & landscape. Skip over the chapter where the ghastly bloomsbury set turn up.

    Driving Over Lemons by Chris Stewart. A modern day Brenan who moved into the area sometime in the 80's. A good read & far better than his later books where he tries to be funny because all travel books since Bryson have to have the word "hilarious" stamped on the cover.

    The Rough Guide to Andalucia has proved to be pretty reliable.

    Try www.andalucia.org as a starter website
  • garyspain
    garyspain Posts: 105
    we have a cycling b&b in las Alpujarras. There are a few routes from the area on our website
    http://www.vamoscycling.com
    http://www.vamoscycling.com/blog
  • swagman
    swagman Posts: 115
    HI, In october i rode 2 weeks around the sierra nevada ,starting in Granada, over the 2000m pass down to the coast then back through the Aplajuras and over the 3300m pass at the ski area. It was fantastic! The sierra pass was very tough though ,felt like giving up at times till i met a dutch girl coming down the other way! Which i think is a easier way being tarmaced up to the top ,its a bit rough theway up i went..
  • andrew_s
    andrew_s Posts: 2,511
    swagman wrote:
    HI, In october i rode 2 weeks around the sierra nevada ,starting in Granada, over the 2000m pass down to the coast then back through the Aplajuras and over the 3300m pass at the ski area. It was fantastic! The sierra pass was very tough though ,felt like giving up at times till i met a dutch girl coming down the other way! Which i think is a easier way being tarmaced up to the top ,its a bit rough theway up i went..
    Puertos de la Ragua (2000m), and Pico Veleta (3398m to top, 3200m to pass).

    I've done the Veleta from both sides on a road bike with my luggage (28mm tyres - wouldn't like to try any narrower).
    Up from Capilera, down to Granada is quite a bit quicker due to the fast descent that's possible.
    Up from Granada is easier despite the extra 6-700m of climbing, but is quite a lot slower - it took me about 3.5h for the descent, vs 50 min (ish) for the road side.
    Whichever way you do it, it's well worth not missing.

    Note that the crossing isn't likely to be practical until quite late in the year - mid-late July? It's a ski resort, and the track on the Capilera side won't get cleared at all, and those on the north side may well not get cleared above the astronomical observatory access road.

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