LIVE from the Camino Umwandert finds challenges on the Via Serrana - December 2022

[Umwandert]

Via Serrana in December 2022

Hello everyone, I am safely back from the Via Serrana and to sum up everything I experienced in one word: It was challenging. Not so much because of the terrain, but because of the really bad weather and limited daylight hours in winter. And because of some mean dogs at the outskirts of Ronda.

I started at December 9th, did the JW guide's 10 day itinerary and followed in the footsteps of veteran forum member Jungleboy, who hiked the trail two weeks prior to my La Linea start.

Right at the start and on 6 of my 10 stages I had rain in varying amounts. Rain, wind, haze and thunderstorms got so bad that I had to stop after 4 stages. I took the train to Ronda and waited there for better weather, which luckily arrived a few days later. So I could at least walk the last stages in the sun. Luckily the temperatures were mostly between 17 and 19 degrees and only dropped to 10 degrees during my break in Ronda. So I didn't get sick, even though my feet, shoes, and socks were wet almost every evening.

I learned a lot about resilience and flexibility. I needed both to complete the Via Serrana under these circumstances. I will hopefully find time in January to write a daily journal. Finally, I really enjoyed this adventure because the experience was very different from my first two Caminos. I felt that experiencing these challenges - feeling like Indiana Jones at times - contributed to a great winter camino.

Thanks to the contributing members here, jungleboy and geraldkelly in particular. I followed their advice for the last day and took the same historical route to Seville via Alcalá de Guadaíra and the canal. At 41 km my longest camino stage ever.

One of the obstacles I encountered, right on the first day at 5pm just a few kms from San Martín del Tesorillo:



Merry Christmas to everyone!

 

[Walkalong]

Thank you. I really appreciate your follow up. I was hoping a Camino in Andalucia might avoid the taxing effect of consecutive cool, damp evenings/nights. There may be consolation in not having to shovel it.

Happy winter solstice, and Merry Christmas!

 

[jungleboy]

Thank you for your update @Umwandert. Sorry you had such problems with the weather. We both had challenges on the Vía Serrana but I think it’s a fabulous camino in the right circumstances. Look forward to reading your journal if you get around to writing it.

 

[Skinnybiker]

You must have walked during the longest period of wet weather in South Andaluz recorded history, an exceptional but much needed deluge. Rest assured you've experienced the worst S Spain can throw at you, it won't happen again in our lifetimes

Maybe I could add that any peregrinos presently on this camino are probably complaining of the unseasonal heat. In Estepona today and it's scorchio.

 

[Madrood]

You must have walked during the longest period of wet weather in South Andaluz recorded history, an exceptional but much needed deluge. Rest assured you've experienced the worst S Spain can throw at you, it won't happen again in our lifetimes

Maybe I could add that any peregrinos presently on this camino are probably complaining of the unseasonal heat. In Estepona today and it's scorchio.

Could you please elaborate on what typical winter weather is like? The climate data for Algericas on wikipedia suggests that winters are wetter than average in that region, compared to the rest of Spain, comparable to Galicia. This map of rainfall in December also states something similar.

 

[Umwandert]

Prologue

Unlike my 5-week-summer-camino this time I went to Spain spontaneously with little preparation. I had downloaded the 5 year old Johnnie Walker guide for the Via Serrana, had looked at the profiles and stage lengths and read the relevant threads on the forum. In addition I had also asked forum members for directions in this thread. When experienced camino hiker jungleboy started his live journal about hiking the Via Serrana only two weeks before my arrival I followed with great interest.

On Dec 7th I got up in the middle of the night and arrived in Malaga at 9:30 by direct flight from Hamburg. I was allowed to keep my 7,5-kilo bagpack as hand luggage. I took a bus to the city centre, where the bus station was located. There I bought some groceries and got straight on a bus to La Linea via Marbella. The weather was sunny but I knew that was about to change. I checked into Campo do Gibraltar hotel around 4pm. I chose this hotel because I knew it from a previous visit. It is near the border and near the start of the Via Serrana. A hotel in Gibraltar would have been twice as expensive and added more kilometers to my first leg.



In the evening I went to the Parroquia Santiago Apóstol, a small church on Calle Jardines, where there is a sign km 0 of Via Serrana. Assuming that the church would be closed during the day I went there for the evening mass. About 20 locals were there. After the service I asked for a stamp which I received from the priest in a small office. A visitor asked me where I came from and wished me Buen camino. He had walked the Camino Frances.

The next day I spent exploring Gibraltar by feet. I thought that would be a smart way to warm-up for the first stage. I was refused a passport stamp from the border guards as Gibraltar is now part of the Schengen zone. So I went to the tourist information. When he saw my only other stamp from the Liechtenstein the guy from the tourist office told me proudly: Ours looks nicer.

I strolled down the very touristy Main Street, looked at the botanic gardens, went to Point Europa with the Moroccan coast and Ceuta clearly visible and climbed up the rock (16 Pounds entry fee for the nature reserve, where except the monkeys all animals seem to be visible only on road signs). The cable car was closed due to strong wind. I visited the cave, the skywalk and the Great Siege tunnels. Late in the afternoon I treated myself to British afternoon tea at the majestic Rock hotel, before taking a stroll through the areas reclaimed from the sea.

Back at my hotel across the border after sundown, I was shocked to realize that I had accumulated 51,000 steps and 30 km. Much more than just a warm-up. For dinner I went to a tapas bar called Via Serrana (I just had to get that stamp). In the evening the rain had set in and the forecast was bleak. But I was in good spirits, hoping for the best, and went to bed. A new camino adventure awaited me.

To be continued…

 

[Umwandert]

Stage 1: La Linea to San Martin de Tesadorillo
(usually 27km, but due to unfortunate circumstances 37km for me)

Sunrise was at 8:30am, sunset at 6:15pm. With 27km to go I decided to start at 9am. I'm not an early riser and I hate walking in the dark. I figured that at my usual pace, I shouldn't have a problem getting there on time in daylight. I had downloaded the wikiloc data of all ten stages set by the official Asociación Gaditana Jacobea. This made me fairly independent of missing or misleading arrows.

What could possibly go wrong?

The first raindrops fell as I passed the last houses of La Linea on my way north. The dirt path went slighty uphill and streams of latte-coloured water came down. Thankfully there was enough space so that I could avoid walking in the coffee stream. After two mostly wet hours with occasional free-roaming cattle (I had to open and close a few gates to keep them in their designated areas) San Roque emerged, the only town on this stage.

I immediately thought of a verse I had learned over 30 years ago, when my Spanish teacher desperately was trying to get me to pronounce the Spanish letters R and RR correctly.

El perro de San Roque no tiene rabo, porque Ramón Rodríguez se lo ha cortado.

Well, to this day I still can’t properly roll that letters. Instead of meeting that cruel Ramon or his poor tailless dog, I walked past the empty center of town and stopped for tea at a small café next to a large Mercadona supermarket. I had just started walking again when hell broke loose. A thunderstorm poured out masses of water. For 20 minutes I stood under a small canopy of a kiosk and watched the road turning into a stream with constant rumble of thunder overhead.

Maybe it’s time to take the train?

After a few hours on the first day? No way. That wouldn’t have worked anyway, since San Martin, unlike the latter villages on the Via Serrana, is not on the railway line to Ronda. As the rain eased, I pushed my inner voice aside, took a deep breath, and walked on, hoping for the best. After walking on tarmac through some of the outskirts of San Roque, the trail soon turned into fields of strange dried plants. The sun made an appearance, I saw horses, a small lake and finally entered a forest. Lovely landscape. But as I walked on over a hill, I realized I was heading towards a dark, dramatic sky again. As jungleboy had predicted I had to climb over a gate.

Why is it locked on the camino? There is no cattle behind it. All other gates could be opened and closed easily. Strange.

When it started raining again it became difficult, as the camino was going downhill. It was slippery and getting increasingly muddy. I had to avoid big puddles by walking on the edge or even beside the path. Once I slipped and landed in the mud butt-first.

Now I am looking like the swamp thing from the 80ies horror movie.

But then the rain stopped. I was nearing the end of this stage. Only 4 km left. I was already thinking about the bathtub for me and my pants at the hostel, jungleboy had mentioned two weeks ago. I had booked it too. Then suddenly after a bend I came across this setting:



The Rio Hozgarganta had swelled and swallowed the bridge. I was shocked. It looked deep with a strong current in the middle. Could I try to cross this?

Who are you, Indiana Jones? It’s too dangerous. Not even a car would cross here.

It was 5pm with a bit more than one hour daylight left. What now, call the hostel?

Sure, they’ll send their helicopter in right away.

I looked at wikiloc and my maps app. No alternative crossing in the east. But there was a roadbridge to the west. The only safe option. But it was a 9-km-detour! I refused to believe this.

Doesn’t help, move your legs, the clock is ticking.

And this time I followed my inner voice and went west on a flat dirt track near the river. My mood was gloomy, I met two horses along the way and reached the roadbridge at exactly 6 pm. I ate a chocolate powerbar and a mandarine because I knew I would need all the energy I still could produce.

Dusk started slowly. On the other side of the bridge was a country road with no shoulder. I turned on my headlamp on at 6:30, as it got visibly darker. It was a strange experience, a car appeared every few minutes. I walked on the left side, only changing sides (and putting my headlamp to the rear) when the road turned left. Around 7 pm I had almost reached the area where I should have been 2 hours earlier if the small bridge had been passable. A few minutes later it was pitch black. I kept my nerve, but of course, this was a nightmare: walking at night against the traffic on a road with no shoulder.

Note to myself: next time start earlier in the morning like most pilgrims do.

Later I asked myself: Why on earth I didn’t hitchhike? More than a dozen vehicles drove by in the 30 minutes after 6pm, while it was still light. It just hadn’t occurred to me. Of course, as a little boy, I was told never to get in a car with strangers. Well, that should change. At 7:25, still more than 2,5 km to go, a car suddenly stopped and a guy shouted at me to get in. He was a resident of San Martin and had been a pilgrim on the Camino Frances. He was on his way home to watch the Netherlands vs Argentina football match and was happy to help a fellow pilgrim. I was of course very grateful, he even took me directly to Hostal Sabana (40 Euro).

I checked in, took a long hot bath and enjoyed dinner at the hostel's restaurant. It was packed as locals were there to watch the game. When I paid my check, Argentina had won on penalties. I was really tired, I had hiked almost 37 km instead of 27 km. If the friendly local hadn't saved me, it would have been 40km! I have never walked more than 34km on a Camino and that was a day I will never forget.

Days later I discovered that indeed there was an option east of the flooding. Even close! The JW Guide of 2018 had described it and it can be seen on Google maps (if one looks very closely):

(...) where a chain prevents vehicle access, go Left, then Right, to a “bump” in the path, over the Hozgarganta river. Cross carefully when dry or in shallow water. Caution: slippery moss underfoot. [In wet weather the water here could reach up to 1m. If this is this case, go back a little – to where the chain prevents vehicle entry – to go by the road]. KSO till the houses at the main road, the CA-513 (...)

Maybe that really small pedestrian bridge was also flooded? I don’t know. It would only have taken me 10 minutes. It could have saved me 9 km and a nightmarish night walk.

Note to myself: If you chose a remote camino in winter and there is a written guide, don’t just rely on wikiloc alone and better read it in detail! In Advance!

Anyway, I survived. I knew I would pay the price for the extra long distance the next day. Little did I know there was another Indiana Jones moment waiting for me.

To be continued…

 

[jungleboy]

Oh boy, what a rough first day. I hope it got better but I fear for the next Indiana Jones moment! I don’t even remember that bridge / river crossing so it must have been pretty uneventful for me as it was a sunny day.

 

[Kanga]

This feels like a thriller. I can't wait for the next episode! Thank you for the wonderfully vivid writing @Umwandert .

 

[Umwandert]

Stage 2: San Martin de Tesadorillo to Estacion de Jimena de la Frontera (18 km)

Thankfully the second day was a short stage. After breakfast (tostadas, juice and tea with milk instead of water) at the Sabana hostels’s restaurant I asked for a bottle of water as there would be no supplies along the way. I had taken a lot of magnesium powder the evening before and luckily did not develop cramps after the extra long walking the day before.

But when I left San Martin at 10am I felt my legs aching. I was running only at 50 percent of my usual camino energy. So slowly, like a turtle, I walked out of town and into fields along dirt tracks. The path soon went uphill with mighty wind turbines visible in the distance. I was entering a windpark. I took breaks after every hour, drank lots of water and ate powerbars.



When I was almost on top of the hill at the windfarm, I suddenly heard a friendly Buen camino behind me. It came from a man on a bicycle. Obviously an experienced peregrino and bicigrino as he tried to explain. He spoke only French and Italian and I didn’t, so communication was a bit difficult but I understood that he was surprised to see a foot pilgrim on the Via Serrana at that time of the year. We both took pictures of the wind turbines and I was grateful for the little encounter that broke the monotony of the day.

The weather was friendly right from the start and developed well with mostly clear sky, temperatures around 19 degrees and a little bit of wind. I could see one of the famous white villages on top of a hill in the distance. I was in good spirits. After the tremendous effort the day before, when I barely felt any camino bliss, I now regained mental strength. Of course it helped that the stage was short and I had plenty of time.

My deadline this time was not dusk, but 5pm, when the train would leave from the station in Jimena. Unable to find accommodation due to my spontaneous planning, I opted for the train solution mentioned in the JW Guide as an alternative. So I decided to stay one stage further in Estacion de Gaucin (El Colmenar). That meant I had to be on that 5pm train as it was the last of three daily trains going north.

After a long downhill phase, I reached a country road with little traffic and continued turtle-style. I took a long break and even lay in the sun for 30 minutes around 1:30 p.m. I was craving a cold soda, preferably Coca Cola, but the only restaurant I passed was closed for off-season. I was ready to follow the road to Jimena when the path suddenly turned into the jungle.

At least that was my impression. This time I was prepared, at least I thought so. The JW guide and jungleboy had both pointed out this wild, unkempt, wild uphill stretch of nature and recommended the road as the more comfortable but longer alternative.

But they both stayed on the camino. And after long walking on tarmac nature sounds great, so how bad it can be?



Boy, it was tough. The bushes were full of thorns and were mostly obstructing the path which at times was hardly visible but went uphill all the time. I was protected with my long hiking pants, I hid my hands in my jacket and used my hood, glasses and cap too. Some firefighter suit would have been a great idea. It was a battle. At the same time the ground was muddy and at times slippery. The whole ordeal lasted maybe 15 minutes and felt especially grotesque and self-tortured as the thorny muddy bushes were occupying only a small stretch of the hill. To the left and right there were open fields. But behind barbed wire.

Pull yourself together. Indiana Jones wouldn’t complain. Each day there is a new ordeal on your way to the holy grail Sevilla!

When I reached the top of the hill I was outraged. Then I laughed. After walking peacefully all day, this jungle survival episode felt so grotesque. If nothing is done here, this path could become really impassable and pilgrims in summer clothes could be injured. This track in heavy rain would have been a nightmare.

My reward soon came as Jimena (at least the part with the station called Los Ángeles) became visible soon. At 4pm I had reached my destination. The actual Jimena, a white village, is 3km further uphill. I found an open bar in Los Ángeles and treated myself to some tapas and a cold coca-cola. I was able to buy some provisions in a small supermarket, which came in handy as the next day was Sunday. 25 minutes before 5pm I was at the station where the loudspeaker informed about the obligation to wear masks on trains. No problem I thought, but then I couldn’t find any mask in my bagpack.

Oh no, you must have left them at either La Linea or San Martin. Remember, when Sara Dhooma on the Camino del Mar recently had to walk all the way back from the station because she forgot to bring her mask? No way to enter the train without. You must find a new mask immediately.

My inner voice was right. So I checked my map app and found a pharmacy just 5 minutes away. Upon entering I was given a medical mask for free, but of course I also bought some FFP2 masks. I made it back to the train station in time. The train journey lasted only 15 minutes, the ticket can be bought from the conductor on the train. The next stop was Estacion de Gaucin (El Colmenar), where I had booked a finca-style apartment for 3 days. Casa Rural Larios is very close to the train station, next to Hospederia Las Buitreras where Jungleboy had stayed. I chose the more expensive casa rural (70 euros) because it offered me more space and comfort. I was met by Maria-Jose, who explained everything to me. I had plenty of space and an extra heater as the air conditioning was too weak to heat the rooms in winter.

I picnicked with supplies from the store and quickly settled on the couch. Of course I then found my masks from home in a hidden place in my backpack. And a small elongated blister under my right foot.

In any case, after the unexpected fiasco the day before, I had the feeling that this second day had reconnected me with a real Camino feeling. The next day would also be short and I had plenty of time as I would have a late start due to the train schedule. I felt confident and happy.

To be continued..

 

[jungleboy]

Loving these updates despite the hiccups!

Boy, it was tough. ... To the left and right there were open fields. But behind barbed wire.

I had forgotten all about that part until you jogged my memory. Yes, it was tough. And I think for part of it I was actually somehow off the trail and in one of those open fields on the other side of the fence (to the left), not really knowing if I was on the right path or not.

 

[Umwandert]

Stage 3: Jimena de la Frontera to El Colmenar/Estacion de Gaucin (18 km)

When I woke up it was pouring rain. At around 9am I set out in full rain gear to search for some breakfast. Hospederia Las Buitreras was closed so I walked a few minutes to the station, where I found on open bar. I was astonished that on a Sunday morning there were already two dozen men drinking and chatting to the barmaid. I had my usual Camino breakfast of tostadas, butter, jam, tea with milk and juice. My shoes and underpants were already wet.

I had plenty of time because there is no morning train south. Therefore the JW guide recommends staying in Jimena de la Frontera and travelling northbound in the morning and southbound in the evening for the stages to Ronda. So for stage 3 I had to return Los Ángeles and walk then back to El Colmenar. The first train leaves at 11:53. So I went back to my spacious apartment, packed my little daypack including mask for the train and hoped the rain would stop. Due to the train schedule I had 6 hours till dusk for 18 kms. Quite doable.

Train was on time and at 12:20 I picked up where I left off the day before. The rain was hardly visible then and would soon stop completely. The sky didn’t look bad either. I saw the white village Jimena de la Frontera including the castle on the hill, bypassing it completely Of course, that’s really a shame. But that’s what my schedule required.

The trail was paved at first and then went off the road into a totally wet and quite muddy area. And again thorny bushes. And of course there was an arroyo full of water - not as wide and dramatic as on my first day – but still: impossible to jump over.

You can go back to the road and lose only 30 minutes with this detour. Otherwise you have to step into the feet-deep water and your shoes and socks will be completely wet. With more than 5 hours to go.



My inner voice was reasonable and I'm usually a laid back person, but now I got a little angry. NO MORE DETOURS! So I jumped in the arroyo and got my shoes and socks completely wet. With rather grumpy thoughts, I marched uphill, ready to yell at the next obstacle in my path. But the camino led back to the road and soon I arrived at a funeral home next to a beautiful cemetery miles from town. It caught my eye because there was a bench made for grumpy pilgrims. I stopped, ate a power bar and wrung out my socks. I hope this is not considered inappropiate behavior.

After that it got better. I felt the sun on my skin and the sky looked blue. I crossed the Train tracks, hiked through appealing nature and got my camino vibes again. At 2:15pm I had reached the only town on this stage, San Pablo. In the center I saw two open bars. I chose La Cantina and enjoyed some tapas, coca-cola and a. After this lunch break I passed palm trees, orange trees and nice looking houses before slowly climbing uphill. I reached a gate, actually an important marker (with photo!) on my wikiloc file of this stage. There the gate was wide open and the camino went through. But now it was closed and locked with a chain. According to a sign, there was even camera surveillance. But I couldn't find a camera or anyone around behind the gate. The whole area looked deserted.

Well, you seem to have to walk around. The owner obviously doesn't like pilgrims tramping through his property anymore.

I couldn’t scale the gate but I overcame the adjacent wall and stamped sullenly uphill on the official Via Serrana marked in my wikiloc.

You are aware that you are probably on private property. If there is a free roaming dog it could tear you into pieces. And rightfully so.

I didn’t feel great. But my motto now was: No more detours! Thankfully nothing happened.
I walked past a house to another gate, again closed, but this time it was easy to open and close again, just like the cattle gates on the first day.

The path now went really uphill into the hills and got muddy. And then at 3:30 p.m. there was another obstacle. Right in the middle of the path. Cows! About a dozen stood or lay about and two blocked my way.

They won’t attack if they are no calves and you don’t have a dog. Don’t move hectic.

That’s what I could remember. But what to do? Maybe staring them down? Or playing some cow-friendly music? Do cows like country songs?

As I thought about cow-themed songs, I walked very slowly towards them along the side of the path. Then a cow jumped to its feet and left enough space for me to pass. They seemed only moderately interested in a sunday pilgrim. I turned around the corner and could see the trail getting extremely muddy uphill. It was covered in hoof prints as if the cattle had spent all week running up and down to make the trail look like very tough liquid dough.



I struggled a lot not to slip but finally made it to the top, where I sat on a big stone surrounded by straw and mud. It felt like having a break in a cow’s toilet. What’s up next I asked myself.

You wanted challenges. You wanted adventures. Don’t complain. At least its sunny!

The path now led along the hill, the ground became much more walkable, although I was now on the shady side of the hill. I fell into my rhythm and enjoyed the trail again, which offered beautiful views of the valley. A few minutes after 5am I could see El Colmenar down in the valley. Great, with an hour of sunlight I'd be done before sunset. I reached the road to El Colmenar, which went downhill with only a small shoulder but little traffic.

Then I had to choose between staying on the road or taking the camino, which was much more direct across the meadows.

Think about wet arroyos, muddy trails and roaming cattle. The goal is in sight. An understandable and responsible decision would be to stay on the road at least this time.

Out of the question, no more detours, grumpy-me replied to my inner voice, and I slid down the fields in excitement. The path had become a small river, water was flowing downhill, but there was enough room to walk on the wet, uneven grass next to the path. I even enjoyed moving like a rabbit at times when trying to dodge cow dung.

Then I heard several shots. Very close. I stopped abruptly and turned pale. There were a lot of hunting pictures in my apartment, this is obviously a hunting area. And fall is hunting season. I froze and blended into the landscape as my hiking gear was olive green from head to toe and didn't reflect anything. Could I be mistaken for an animal? Maybe a deer?

Then I saw a small hunting dog followed by its owner. He carried a large gun and was walking uphill, possibly hunting birds? He walked by and greeted me. I came back to life and ran down the hill like I was real prey on the run.

I approached the village at exactly 6pm and was really happy and proud that I made it in time before dark. After 3 days it was clear that the Via Serrana has many surprises and challenges in store at this time of year. After a hot shower I went back to the central place and found a restaurant open. The atmosphere wasn't very Sunday-like with loud pop music and young men drinking loudly beer, but the food was eatable. The mixed salad was ok, but Costillas de Cerdo wasn't really my taste.

The restaurant owner stamped my credential upside down and I remembered what my late mother once told me about what it means to receive a letter with the stamp upside down: Leck mich am Ar... (I don’t give a sh… about you). This made me laugh a lot on the way back to my apartment, as I felt it was somehow appropriate for the day. The weather forecast was unfortunately less amusing. The center of the storm "Efrain" would soon reach my area, I hoped that I could at least enjoy the next day with what is probably the most spectacular stage of the Via Serrana.

…To be continued

 

[islandwalker]

Stage 3: Jimena de la Frontera to El Colmenar/Estacion de Gaucin (18 km)

I'm enjoying every word of your stories! Thanks so much for taking the time to put these up. As someone who has also walked in this area during an unusually rainy period, I can picture it all. Hurray for sunny breaks in the weather!

 

[jungleboy]

I am nervous (even in hindsight) about tomorrow’s stage.

Hope it goes well!

 

[Umwandert]

Stage 4: El Colmenar to (Estacion de) Jimera de Libar (23 km)

During the night the rain returned. I was a bit apprehensive as this stage is considered to be as beautiful as it is challenging. To climb a wet and muddy gorge away from civilization at a time when nobody else is walking made me feel a bit uncomfortable. I started as early as possible with first light around 8am. The sky was full of heavy clouds, a lot of fog covered the hills. My first steps were dry, but only a few minutes later I had to put on my rain poncho.

The trail was pleasant for the first hour and not too complicated. I crossed the river on a small suspension bridge. The more I walked, the more I was surrounded by nature. I took my first break in sight of the railroad gallery in the rock formation high above me. At the same time the path went uphill, the rain became heavier. There were breathtaking views down the river valley and up to the rocky hills all around. But where were the vultures?

At home in their nests of course. A single pilgrim in the rain doesn’t lure them out. And you didn’t bring any dead mice.

I could imagine how stunning this trail would be with sunshine and blue skies. I had a bit of trouble with the climbs, luckily there were man made steps to help me get uphill. I was expecting much worse as the as the JW guide had recommended doing this stage only with a daypack. That was one of the reasons I had opted for the train solution. But I totally agree with jungleboy here: It’s not exceptionally difficult. In comparison I was more challenged on the Salvador.



The canyon occupies about 8 km of the 23 km stage. Shortly after 10 am I reached the Puente de los Alemanes bridge, which was built high above the river in 1918. Why the name? As I found out later, the bridge is actually a water pipe that ensures the water supply to the pumped storage plant in El Colmenar. It was built by engineers from Belgium, my source said. Maybe they were from German-speaking East Belgium?

But luckily the bridge looked very solid. And there it was – my daily Indiana Jones moment: First I had to duck into a very low tunnel that was full of water, then cross the bridge in the rain and wind and finally climb a slippery rock with the attached rope.
The rope gave me a strong déjà vu and made me remember the Munisteriu variant on the Salvador. 15 minutes later I came across a picturesque ruin with beautiful old trees and had my second break of the day. A wonderful place. I was a bit sad and stunned that the canyon was already over and I hadn't seen any wild animals, but the next few hours also gave me many beautiful views. Most of the time I could see the railway line next to the river down in the valley and many tunnels.

The path was now wide and mostly gravel, which was easy to walk when it was wet. The rain came and went, thankfully it never went apocalyptic. I saw a beautiful rainbow and came across free roaming friendly cattle and pigs, goats and lambs (behind fences). The path slowly went downhill and I knew that the only settlement would appear soon. Cañada del Real Tesoro (or Estacion de Cortes) was the only chance to get supplies. I bought bread and a canned tuna salad from a small corner-shop and had a picnic on a bench in the central plaza.

It was now 12:30pm and I was doing the math. Would I be able to get to Estacion de Jimera de Libar by 4pm? There were two train options for the return to El Colmenar: 4:01pm or 10:30pm. When I started in the morning I didn’t think I could catch the earlier train but now it seemed possible.

Go for it. If you miss it you’ll have to spent more than 6 hours in a small village with nothing to do.

Well, in that case I could wander 3km uphill to the centre of Jimera for sightseeing and dinner.

Probably in the rain. And you would hate to return to the station on a downhill road in the dark.

My inner voice was right. Thinking about my day one finish I walked quickly, the rain had stopped almost completely. I encountered more livestock, easier dirt tracks and beautiful mountain views. At 2 pm I was back down by the rail tracks, now following them along a dirt track. I now had a good rhythm and was walking in my t-shirt – one of the big advantages was that, despite all the rain, the temperatures were still very mild: 15 to 19 degrees, so even when wet I wasn't afraid to catch a cold. Or so I thought.



In the last few kilometers, the track felt like freestyle walking over meadows that had turned into a swamp. Of course there were arroyos to cross, so my feet quickly got wet and muddy again. Lots of little hoofprints (and some fresh excrement) told me this trail was pretty popular with the local venison. At 3:15 p.m. I reached the outskirts of the Jimera station area. Two local women were just emerging from a swim in the brown Rio Guadiero, which looked fairly tamed and unlike the wild river I had seen hours earlier. Another rainbow awaited me when I saw the train station. This section of Jimera is really small. I had time to look around and only saw a small church (closed), a grocery store (closed, only open a few hours) and a small bar (open).

While I was waiting for the train all alone at the station, the rain came back quite heavily. I was happy to have finished the walk in style and on time. Too bad I wouldn't visit the uphill white village of Jimera de Libar. I have to admit that the train variant has disadvantages. On the other hand, I was able to walk some stages with a daypack, while my always wet laundry had enough time to dry in a safe place.

To be continued…

 

[islandwalker]

Ooh - well done on a challenging day! You not only made good time to the station, but you also got some beautiful photos in spite of the weather. Your write-up, along with that of Jungleboy, will inspire others to give this rewarding area a try.

 

[Umwandert]

Camino stop due to higher forces

Finally my luck ran out. The rain and wind had increased during the night and in the morning it was still pouring. And for the first time I felt a bit sick with a headache and a sore throat. Maybe walking in a t-shirt the previous afternoon wasn't all that smart. I couldn't see anything from the surrounding hills, everything was shrouded in a gray mist. After checking out and having breakfast, I had planned to take the train back north to Jimera (at 11:25am) and walk 16km to Ronda, the shortest of all ten stages. Jungleboy had reported that the trail was easy to walk, not muddy at all, and that he had liked this stage the best of the first half of the Via Serrana.

But when I sat in my rain poncho at the train station with my full backpack (for the first time in three days) and saw the streams of water pouring all around me, I couldn't imagine walking anymore.

If you start now, you'll be soaked in less than 10 minutes. And yesterday's weather forecast looked absolutely devastating. “Efrain” has arrived with endless rain and strong winds. Face it, it's over for now. Even Indiana Jones would quit on those terms.

Well, I had only walked once in apocalyptic conditions, the last hour of my first camino (Ingles) to Santiago in January 2020. Every pore of my body was wet, the water came from all sides, it got into my boots and I could barely see where i went. It was awful but I had to finish it and when I got to Praza do Obradoiro it was completely empty - a dramatic ending and quite a privilege.

But hiking a whole stage in a pouring rain with possible thunderstorms was just out of the question. So I got on the train, bought a ticket to Ronda, where of course it was raining too. I walked across town to the Parador and didn't leave my room except for a short walk to a nearby supermarket. I enjoyed a long siesta.



The day after it looked even worse. I just took a little walk to see the famous bridge from different angles and stayed at the wonderful hotel (I must confess I'm a Paradores fan and a longtime member of their amigo program). I used the break for business work and looked at the weather report almost every hour. I had planned one rest day in Ronda, where I had been 20 years ago, to do some sightseeing, but now I didn't feel like it at all.

The next day I had to make a decision. Stop the camino, wait longer and cancel some stages, or resume the camino. I hadn't booked accommodation for the second part of Via Serrana yet. It was time to decide what to do.

To be continued...

 

[jungleboy]

That’s such a shame. Yes, I liked that stage a lot. It wasn’t as dramatic as the canyon but I liked the mountain views, the agricultural landscapes (eg non-industrial olive trees) and the views of Ronda in the distance. I hope you were able to continue!

 

[Umwandert]

Stage 6: Jimera de Libar to Ronda (16 km)
(Due to circumstances I walked this in reverse order)

I had extended my stay in Ronda to 3 nights but by day 3 things were finally looking a little brighter. The heavy rain and wind were gone, but it rained lighter in the morning. I saw a chance to catch up on the cancelled stage in the afternoon. Rather than returning to Jimera de Libar by train, I would walk there from Ronda doing the stage in reverse. This made the day easier as it was now mostly downhill.

The train back would leave at 18:26pm, so I left Ronda at 1pm, crossed the famous bridge and headed south. By then the sky still looked in disarray, but the rain hat finally stopped. The road would soon change from asphalt to gravel. Of course everything was wet, but there was no mud on my way.



Crossing a wild looking creek over a bridge, I hoped I wouldn't face any major problems on this short leg. For the further stages I needed a little encouragement. An encounter with two loose dogs went well, they were just curious and a bit scared. After more than an hour I walked over a hilltop and I could see already Benajoan, far ahead on the hills.

But now the surface was getting terribly muddy and watery. An hour of serious mud caking began. And of course I had to wade through a swollen arroyo again. I was pretty used to it by now. The camino bypasses Benajoan and the much lower Benajoan-Montejaque train station, but the latter is very close, so instead of bypassing it, I went into the small village around it. Now that I was halfway through the stage this was the perfect spot for lunch. I had checked beforehand, the only restaurant, Asador El Muelle, was open. I entered at 3pm, it was quite busy, only one table was empty. Most guests finished their meal or ate dessert. I ordered an Andalusian soup and a flan and calculated the time for the rest of the way. Still enough time to catch my train at Jimera. The weather had been stable, if it had been too ugly I would have stopped here and taken the train.

With renewed energy, I exited the Asador, snapped a selfie with a giant inflatable Santa, and walked to the other side of the outlet to reconnect to the camino, but the bridge shown on my map was not accessible. A large fence prevented me from reaching it. So I had to go back in the wrong direction and lost more than 20 minutes. Passing the place from the other side, I saw that there was no bridge at all. The Wikiloc map obviously is not perfect. It was now 4pm and there were about 8km left.

I followed the river and the train tracks, soon the trail would gain some elevation giving me nice views of the valley. A sign told me that this was a nature park. And indeed, suddenly a deer with huge antlers was just a few meters away from me on the path as I turned the corner. I was just as shocked as the deer that ran away at full speed.

To my right was a steep descent to the train tracks, to my left was a fence. The deer had little freedom of movement, I saw its hoof prints on the path. I'm guessing it must have come from the nature park upstairs through a gap in the fence. I saw it again ten minutes later but was too slow to take a picture.



As jungle boy had promised, the path was fine, I encountered sheep and of course had to wade through another arroyo. My boots were just dry again from the previous one. I noticed that the hills were again covered in fog and the sky didn't look very promising in the direction I was going, but I finally reached Estacion de Jimera at 5:30pm. Unfortunately I had forgotten my mask (once again) in my day pack and there was not enough time to walk uphill into Jimera town to visit the only pharmacy.

So I went to the bar next to the train station instead. There were a couple of German youths and a group of four older Brits who must have been partying for quite a while as one of the ladies already had her head on the table next to her wine glass. The owner decorated the bar with Christmas things. As I walked in, one of the Brits recognized me, he had been at the restaurant in the Estacion de Benajoan a few hours earlier. We chatted a bit and he offered me his mask, which I gladly accepted.

The bar owner didn't have a stamp for my ID as the bar had only been open a couple of weeks so he just signed my ID. The 6:26pm train was slightly delayed and I returned happily to Ronda, fully in the camino mood again. Little did I know that the next day would present me with a new obstacle.

To be continued…

 

[alipilgrim]

I'm enjoying your posts and check often for new updates. I hope to start the Serrana myself in 2.5 weeks so am busy gathering all the information I can....

 

[islandwalker]

Stage 6: Jimera de Libar to Ronda (16 km)
Passing the place from the other side, I saw that there was no bridge at all. The Wikiloc map obviously is not perfect. It was now 4pm and there were about 8km left.

Yes, that much-used, much-loved bridge was swept away by a dramatic storm in the fall of 2018. Normally, the bridge stood many meters above the high water mark and withstood years and years of bad storms, but that fall, areas upstream were inundated with as much as 396 liters of rain per square meter over a 24 hour period. The bridge and much of the railroad bed were gone in one night. It took years to get the railroad up and running again. I wonder if the bridge will ever be replaced.

The bridge in the spring of 2018:
_____________

 

[islandwalker]

For anyone walking this part of the Via Serrana who wants to be able to access the station area in Benaojan, here's advice from a group who found a way across the river just above the old bridge (but not as far north as the new highway bridge). Their Wikiloc track, made in 2021, has flags and photos to show the old bridge and the location of the ford.

Their comment (translated by Google) says:

We also passed by an old bridge, demolished, which gave access to the Benaoján Station and we arrived at a beautiful place, where the river forms a small dam and where a row of stones allows passage from one bank to the other to access the small nucleus station population.​

Sendero Vía Serrana Camino de Santiago. 7ª Etapa: Estación de Jimera de Libar a Ronda (Málaga)

Sendero Vía Serrana Camino de Santiago. 7ª Etapa: Estación de Jimera de Libar a Ronda (Málaga) Hiking trail in Jimera de Líbar, Andalucía (España). Download its GPS track and follow the itinerary on a map. Sendero realizado el 26 de mayo de 2021, parte del cual, hasta la Cueva del Gato...

www.wikiloc.com

​

 

[Umwandert]

Thanks for the information, @islandwalker. I didn't know about the 2018 storm. Without the bridge, people arriving on the camino from Jimera have to make quite a detour to reach the train station (and restaurant). The dam seems to be a good way to shorten the path if the water level allows it. When I passed the dam area the rocks were not visible because of the high water level.

 

[Umwandert]

Stage 6: Ronda to Olvera (28 km)

I felt ready for the second half of the Via Serrana and had booked accommodation for all 5 remaining days. Longer stages, after 3 stages with only small daypack, walking again with a full backpack and hopefully sunny days at last. Well, not yet. This day was the last one affected by “Efrain”, the forecast was mixed but it would not rain all the time. So, for my standards, I started early at 9am under dark clouds heading west. There were wonderful views from elevated Ronda down into the valley and surrounding landscapes.

When I left town the arrows didn't match my wikiloc, I think the arrows wanted me to stay on the ridge a little longer. There was a very prominent rainbow that looked like it had been rammed into the hills. The path was gravel at first, then soon asphalt as I followed small country roads.



And then, fairly early on, a new Indiana Jones-style ordeal began over the next few hours.

The dog incidents deserve to be described in police log style:

Km 3,5: Pilgrim passes open gate of a residence. Dog A (bulldog) runs out and attacks. At the last moment, the owner calls the dog back. Pilgrim is shocked and recalls a warning in the JW guide to this particular section. Pilgrim seeks and finds a wooden stick just in case.

Km 4.3: Soon the pilgrim approaches some houses before a tunnel under a road. Pilgrim is passing a neighbor with a poodle on a leash when Dog B, a free-roaming German Shepherd, suddenly appears. Dog B attacks the pilgrim, who keeps him at a distance with the stick. The situation is complicated by the fact that neighbor yells at the aggressive dog (stop attacking) and yells at the pilgrim (hit the dog). Poodle gets hysterical too. Shocked pilgrim walks on, refusing to shout or hit. After 5 minutes pilgrim disappears into the tunnel. Dog B gives up.

Km 5.7: After a short pause, pilgrim sees medium-sized dogs C and D occupying the path near a farm and barking at him from afar. Pilgrim stops, watches, and identifies the dogs as “Angstkläffer”. In fact, they immediately hide from the pilgrim as he approaches.

Km 6.8: Pilgrim passes a small, deserted looking village, but with many dogs behind fences. They all start a loud cacophony of barking at the same time. Annoyed pilgrim loses his nerve, confronts dog E, a large great dane, and yells at it, "Halt’s Maul, ich hab’ das blöde Gekläffe satt!" Dog E is stunned by the outburst and immediately stops barking. Pilgrim is also stunned and considers using his mother tongue as a weapon more often in stressful situations.

Km 20,4: Hours later, the pilgrim spots dog X from 100 yards away, a giant white quadruplet sleeping next to a farmhouse in the middle of the camino. No detour possible. Pilgrim had previously lost his stick and conveniently grabs half an olive tree lying around. As pilgrim tries to pass, dog X attacks vehemently. Pilgrim uses all sorts of dog commands like "Aus," "Platz" and "Pfui", but to no avail. Four little dogs appear and cheer on their big companion. Pilgrim uses the olive tree like a torero's cloth to prevent the dog from snapping at his legs. Owner calls from inside the farm, but dog X ignores this and attacks again. Desperate pilgrim manages to pass, but the dog follows. Pilgrim turns and walks backwards, using the olive tree as a shield while keeping an eye on dog X, who follows him at some distance for almost 1 km.

Ten minutes after dog X is finally out of sight, pilgrim stops and eats all the chocolate he carries in his backpack to calm his nerves.

The JW Guide says about this stage:

(…) The road climbs and then bends to the Right. 140m later, turn Right, accessing a path by the gates of La Hacienda del Conde. Pass some buildings on the left, then the Finca Shangrilah left and the Villa Nerea (with dogs) right. Later pass between more houses - with more dogs! (…)

Well, it was probably just bad luck. In the end no damage was done. But if it weren't for the huge olive bush, I would definitely have been bitten. As a dog person I could understand the dog. It protected its territory with great devotion. Certainly it wasn't used to passing pilgrims, which are rare on the Via Serrana.

Luckily, the view of Olvera, a white village with a castle perched majestically on a hill, quickly came into view and made me look ahead. But there were still 12 km to go. I had lost half an hour after leaving the camino due to a misleading yellow arrow on a building in the small village of Venta de Leche, apparently leading to Setenil (off-camino). When after more than a kilometer downhill I realized my mistake I had to climb all the way back.

But now the path was finally going downhill. Soon it was raining again so my poncho came out. I reached Torre Alháquime, which is built on a hill. The Camino only touches the town slightly on the edge.

You need more candy. It is absolutely necessary to walk straight uphill into town to a cafe, even if it is a detour.

I reached the cafe at 4:30 p.m. It was like stepping into a time machine back to the 80's. The decor and the waitress' hair looked to be from that period. And on TV Germany was shown against Argentina. The 1986 World Cup final. I'm no football expert but I know who lost that one. A large table was occupied by a family who had finished dinner some time ago. Another table with young girls in conversation. I ordered cake of the day, tea and Coca-Cola. A lonely guy standing at the bar took an interest in me and struck up a conversation.

He had never heard of Via Serrana and didn't quite understand what I was doing here, but he seemed friendly and offered to take me to Olvera in his car. Well, I had thrown out my don't-get-in-cars-with-strangers-principle into an emergency situation on day 1, but now, with over an hour of daylight and only 3km to go, I declined politely. A pilgrim must walk the camino alone, I explained, and I meant it.



Of course, as Olvera is on a hill, the rest of the trail was uphill but very appealing. While the road ran in serpentines, the path was more direct but beautifully laid out with wooden bridges like in a nature park. In Olvera I saw a quaint little church open and went in, attended half a mass and got a nice stamp from the office that was open. Passing a supermarket shortly after, I restocked supplies and finally, at sunset at 6pm, I entered the Olvera B&B Hostel.

Jungleboy was there too and I agree with him: not as nice as the hostel in San Martin at the end of stage 1. No one was there, I had been given a code to open the door and found my keys in a small box. Towels and hot water were also missing. Unacceptable. I took a cold shower. When the owner whatsapped me Todo bien? I answered no. Half an hour later she appeared and chaos ensued as she tried to get the water heater to work. Other guests arrived, an electrician had to be called and everything was hectic and noisy. I just retreated to my little room, cranked the air conditioner to maximum, and ate my dinner from the grocery store. At 9:30pm the water was hot again and she apologized but I wasn't interested anymore.

It had been a long and difficult day, after battling the elements the previous days I had to deal with bad tempered four legged friends and a cold shower.

With new ordeals every day, this adventure stays fresh, interesting and varied!

At least, I still felt confident and determined. The next day finally promised sun all day long!

To be continued...

 

[islandwalker]

When I passed the dam area the rocks were not visible because of the high water level.

I was afraid of that. Given how much rain there is in the winter and spring in that area, the stones are probably underwater a lot. I wonder what 5 years without a bridge has done to businesses in the station area. I'm hoping you had better luck with rain and dogs on the rest of your walk! Thanks again for taking the time to write this up. What an adventure!

 

[Umwandert]

Stage 7: Olvera to Estacion de Coripe (22 km)



Finally I was staying in a white village after having passed so many in distance, so I used the next morning for a little sightseeing. As the day’s stage was only 22 km, I went uphill, where there still was some fog and spent some time around the Plaza de la Iglesia close to the castle. A lot of stalls with local products were erected and Christmas themed decoration including hay was everywhere in the main street. When the tourist office opened at 10am I asked for a nice stamp and then I was ready to start the day.

And what a day, clear blue sky, no more clouds, the rain finally was over for good. The stage completely took place on an old railway track and was made into a Via Verde for hikers and cyclists (no vehicles allowed). That meant there was almost no elevation, the track went very subtly downhill. On the way to Estacion de Coripe I went through 30 tunnels and had to walk over one viaduct. The underground was tarmac first and gravel later. I met no other pilgrim but a lot of cyclists and a worker from the Via Verde organization.

It was really amazing. I never walked a Via Verde before. The hike was easy. Usually on the camino I am a bit dreamy and lose the camino and need to correct afterwards, but today it was literally like walking on tracks. I enjoyed the sun and the tunnels were a great distraction. Some were lit, some weren’t, a few times I needed my headlamp to make it safely to the other side.

My Indiana-Jones-moment of the day came at the longest and darkest tunnel close to the Peñon de Zaframagon. There was no light and the tunnel was wet and at the end incredibly muddy too. Like a cave. I had to use my headlight and my phone light and almost fell. Later I saw a bicyclist covered in mud who must have had fallen there the way he looked.



And finally I saw vultures. There were flying around the mountain. The big rock is a nature reserve for them, at the nearby information centre with a cantina I had a rest with some patatas bravas. When I wanted to have a look at the museum I was told that the camera, which is fixed to the rock in order to observe the nests of the vultures was unfortunately broken.

At 5pm after Tunnel number 30 I arrived at the old Estacion of Coripe, which is a small hotel (48 Euro). As it is located 3 km out of town it shortened my stage of this day, but the next morning I would have to catch up. I had chosen this place because I found it charming to stay in an estacion. There was a cafe and quite a lot of people having refreshments. The owner, himself a peregrino, was very friendly and explained to me, that I was the only guest that night and that I would stay alone in the area, as everyone from hotel and café would leave to Coripe later, him included.

Thankfully they served food, so I didn’t need to hike up the road to Coripe for dinner. After having a rest I had a nice dinner of local specialities (a completo with meat, egg and sausages) together with the local boys football team. Their Christmas party took place that evening in the restaurant. Soon it became far too loud to my taste so I retreated to my room.

Like in San Martin in the hotel there is a sign that says “We don’t have wifi, we like to talk”, but this time it was meant as a joke! One of the best days if not the best of Via Serrana!

To be continued...

 

[Umwandert]

Stage 8: Estacion de Coripe to El Coronil (32 km)

Sunday morning. I hadn't booked breakfast and wanted to leave early with dusk. But the hotel owner said he wouldn't be back until 9am. So I had to close all the doors and put the key in a conspiratorial flower box. After climbing more than 2km to Coripe I had my standard breakfast at Coripe's only open bar and started out in a good mood to the sunny and dry 17 degree weather.

Of course, a week's worth of constant rain had left its mark. So there was a lot of mud on the sandy tracks on the way to Montellano, the only place on this stage, where I had planned to have lunch. I passed some sort of mining area and Castillo de Cote, an old prominent tower in the landscape. Again I had an unfriendly dog encounter, but this time the dog was small (although with great barking qualities, it didn't stop during my entire 10 minute break). I escaped unhurt. I met several groups of local Sunday walkers all walking the other way towards Coripe.



It's quite a long way to Montellano and I was craving for a cold drink, so at 1:30pm I sat down at the first downtown I came across and ordered tapas, which weren't anything special. Aside from the center (and a long queue at a bakery), the town was quiet. After lunch I was motivated to move on quickly as the stage is over 30km long and I hadn't covered such a distance since day one. But I did make time to snap some selfies with some larger than life superheroes like Spiderman, Superman, and Peppa Pig. The city had decorated some places with it.

The path led through an area with run-down looking garden houses, which apparently also served as garbage disposal. Then it went on dirt roads across fields and it was mostly ok. But just before I got closer to the tarmac road to El Coronil, there was another arroyo with more water than usual. So Indiana Jones came out again and I tried walking over rocks while using hanging branches for balance. Of course I stepped in the water inelegantly, so at least I lost the mud. Then, out of the blue, at 3:10pm a gas station (Sol in this case) popped up.

That’s a sign! Of course you gonna have an ice cream and some juice.

I took the opportunity to buy fresh water as well, as the water I got from the hotel tasted a bit strange. The next part of the stage was annoying as I had to follow the road with only a small shoulder. I was surprised that on Sundays there was so much traffic and the cars were going at a speed more appropriate for highways in my country. I fell into a rhythm, passing the perfectly flat remains of a roadkill cat and a lone sunflower emerging from the tarmac (the latter quite romantic).



As the trail branched off to the left, I had a déjà vu moment remembering Day 2. Should I stay on the road to have an easy arrival? No way, too much traffic. So I had the pleasure of visiting an old Moorish castle (Castillo de las Aguzaderas) and spent the last hour on dirt roads, which unfortunately became more and more muddy. With El Coronil in sight, I stepped so deep in the mud my boots were almost completely covered like chocolate muffins.

Perfect for entering a nice hotel!

When I entered El Cotonil I didn't see anyone, it was like a ghost town. Understandable, the World Cup final had already started, so I texted my hostess, Lisa, hoping she wouldn't get too hung up on soccer. El Cotonil has only 2 accommodations, both side by side. I decided against Hotel Don Juan (where Jungleboy had stayed two weeks earlier) and opted for La Casa Cuadrada, at 58 Euro a bit more expensive but with a washer dryer which I badly needed.

Lisa is an artist from Amsterdam and lives in Cotonil. She was very friendly when she met me at the door. I was on my socks and had my boots hidden behind my backpack. Again I was the only guest, this time in an old, beautiful and newly renovated house with shared bathrooms. She provided me with liquid detergent and fabric softener but was unable to explain the machine to me. As it was from a German manufacturer this turned out not to be a problem. So I stuffed all my clothes in the washing machine and took a long, hot shower.

What are you going to wear to dinner at the restaurant now? A towel? Think first, then act.

I didn't have a second pair of pants, which of course restricted my freedom of movement. So I ate what was left of my supplies and watched the World Cup finals online. My clothes were dry by 11:30pm and that seemed too late to visit the restaurant. Anyway, I was too tired then.

To be continued…

 

[Umwandert]

Stage 9: El Coronil to Utrera (19 km)

Before the long final stage, which is also part of the Via Augusta, there is a short one that I expected to be rather boring. I woke up early and found a bar nearby for breakfast. When I was done, the supermarket opened and I stocked up on supplies. After a nice farewell to Lisa, I took it easy and was finally out of El Coronil at 10:45 am. Quite late again.



The hills were finally over. The trail was flat, I walked through fields with almost no distraction. At first I enjoyed the different landscapes, then I slowly got a little uncomfortable. I literally felt like the fields had swallowed me as I walked because I couldn't see very far to the horizon. When I heard the sound of an airplane flying low over the fields, my mind played tricks on me.

I was wondering is this a agricultural plane? But there is no more harvest on the fields. As it turned in my direction, I almost thought of hiding somewhere.

Put yourself together. You are not Cary Grant and this is not “North by Northwest”.

I first passed a farm that didn't appear to be in use at this time of year. No one there but the farm looked a bit run down. After another hour I came to a second, larger farm, which was also completely deserted. Broken glasses in the house, open doors in the barns. I had an eerie feeling. Another Hitchcock film came to mind, Torn Curtain and the farmhouse in East Germany where stasi officer Gromek is murdered in absolute silence (On the camino del norte I had a Hitchcock moment too).

Perhaps you should refrain from ever entering the Meseta if your mind is playing tricks like this. The explanation is likely that in December the fieldwork is completed. And the farms are not permanently inhabited.

After my Hitchcock break, it was 1 pm. The track was in better condition today than yesterday, not that muddy. I walked another hour through harvested fields until I reached Los Molares, the only place on the way to Utrera. There I stopped for lunch at gastrobar La Carreta behind the Castillo at a place near the church and experienced a big surprise. I opted for tapas, the specials of the day, which were of exceptional quality. Paella style rice and chickpeas with prawns. I liked it so much that I ordered another one: jabalí glaseado (glazed boar) which perfectly matched the motif of my hat I had bought in Ronda.



After Los Molares, the camino was paved. 6,5 km to Utrera. Luckily there was almost no traffic on the country road. Arriving in Utrera at 4.15pm I had a nice urban feeling for the first time since Ronda. There was a huge Christmas party in the center with rides for children. I found my accommodation, Hospederia Santa Clara (61 euros), went about my usual pilgrimage routine and set off to collect a nice stamp. But the nearby tourist office no longer existed and the church was closed, so I went to the cultural center.

The office was empty but the stamp was in sight, when no one showed up I helped myself. Now there were only two free spaces left on my credential. The last stage would be the longest on a camino for me so far and I still had to decide which of the two options (Via Dos Hermanas or Via Alcalá de Guadaíra) I would go.

To be continued…

 

[Umwandert]

Stage 10: Utrera to Seville (35km, but in my case: 41 km)

For the longest, almost completely flat stage of the Via Serrana, I started early at 8 a.m. at sunset. I chose the longer route via Alcalá de Guadaíra simply because this town seemed more interesting to me than Dos Hermanas. After discussing the options on the forum Jungleboy had walked that route two weeks ago and reported no incidents. The difference between the two variants is less than one kilometer anyway.

As I had to make my way through the northern parts of Utrera, I missed an arrow. I finally found the right turn. I crossed a bridge over the railway with a beautiful orange sunset. Then fields with olive trees and a few houses appeared. During my first break I was still on the outskirts of Utrera.



There was an encounter with three free roaming German shepherds that appeared out of nowhere between the olive trees and gave me a big shock but they didn't care about me. I was wondering about some advertising signs. Who is interested in motorizaciones de puerta or espuma de poliuretano?

Perhaps pilgrims can insulate their walking shoes with polyurethane foam?

Another sign, an old truck tire, read No tire mas basura Gracias! Obviously dumping garbage is a big problem in the outskirts.

Then suddenly the fences and all the coto privada signs were gone and the country opened up. I was 10:10 am. The path turned to dust and I could see for miles. A long drudgery with no distractions. For the next two hours I only saw one car and a couple of mountain bikers. I took another break and ate the penultimate energy bar I brought from home.

I could see the outline of Alcalá de Guadaíra on the horizon, but it was getting closer very slowly. After a small hill, I finally got a view of the city. I entered it in the south and got the bright idea to go to the tourist office to get a nice stamp. I was fed up with the unimaginative, letter-only stamps in bars and hotels. My map app showed the tourist office on the edge of the large Parque Oromana, unfortunately quite off the camino.

It is a 1.5km detour. Is that really necessary on such a long day? You should conserve your strength.

I walked through the park and found...nothing. My app was of course outdated. So I went back to the camino and downtown. I walked past the large Santiago church and looked for a café. But there was construction everywhere, the streets were torn up. I finally found a small open bar on a roundabout almost on the outskirts. I walked in and found myself in a telenovela-like situation.

I chose a chorizo sandwich and a Coca-Cola. Then an old woman came in, not to buy anything but to talk. Another customer came and also ordered a sandwich. And there were more people there just to chat. I was waiting outside when the waitress called for the caballero. The other guy walked in but then she called No el otro. I went back and had to choose between two different types of chorizo. I spoke to the other one, he was from Paraguay and here for work.

After my lunch break, it was 1:15pm I left the path, the path now led north-west along the river, the Rio Guadiana. It was nice to walk, the weather was still holding, but it was now windy. I passed an old mill and crossed under the freeway. The wind was picking up now and I feared rain as the forecast for Seville was rain for late afternoon.

But not yet. After another hour at 3pm another bridge came into view. This is a bridge for the canal to cross the river. It's also a bifurcación. The official camino turns right towards an industrial area of Seville. The former camino led along the canal to the Complutense University. Jungleboy was there too and reported that yellow arrows can still be seen on this path.

And it was there, that I could see my goal, Seville, for the very first time. And my hotel too, as it was in the highest building in town, the Torreespaña. But around the tower the sky was dark violet, it looked like a thunderstorm was about to erupt while I still had sun.

It was a long slog, again I saw no one, although there was a mountain bike trail just a few meters away. But also big signs, that said its forbidden to pass along the channel. Why the camino had been rerouted, I wondered. It didn't look dangerous?

Maybe some pilgrims fell into the canal? With the sloping walls, it's probably impossible to climb back out.

I later discovered that 5 years ago a pilgrim was stopped by police 5 years ago on the same canal but on a different stage (the last stage of the Via Augusta ending in Utrera). Anyway, the path was accessible and I went.



At 4pm I approached the place where the canal meets the highway, where I had another break. I underpassed the tram, went right and passed a sign of the University. Now I had reached the urban area. For a moment I hesitated, when I saw the modern tram coach.

You will not board public transport so close to the end. And especially on the last day!

But actually it wasn't close at all, my somewhat questionable choice of hotel extended the stage by 2 km and I had to cross the motorway again. I walked north on the green bike lane. After many bends and bridges, I finally reached a city boulevard and felt like I finally was in Seville. But still more than an hour to go.

I stayed on the green path and was disappointed. The neighborhood I walked through wasn't charming at all, it looked like an anonymous Spanish sleeper town. At 5 pm a light drizzle set in, which I ignored. I now reached my limits and generated my last strength. At 5:30pm I recognized an area from my last visit in 2008, Jardines del Prato on my right and Plaza de Espana with the Parque on my left.

I only saw a glimpse of the cathedral as I walked straight through town to the hotel. When I reached the Guadalqivir river, the rain got heavier and I had to put on my rain poncho.

That rounds it off. It’s raining just like at the start of this adventure.

I reached Torreespaña at 6.15pm but it took me another ten minutes to find the right entrance to the Eurostars Torre Sevilla hotel. For the first time I didn't finish a camino in Santiago and the feeling was pretty overwhelming. After a long refreshment period I couldn't bring myself to walk back over the bridge downtown and just stayed at the nearby mall for a teriyaki bowl.

The cathedral and the last stamp for my credential had to wait until the next day, which was also my departure day.

To be continued…

 

[Umwandert]

The day after in Seville & Conclusion

I chose this hotel for the city view and was given a room on the 21st floor, but since I chose the cheapest room it faced away from the city. In the evening I saw highways and car lights, but the next morning I saw nothing. The entire upper tower was shrouded in fog.

I didn't have any injuries or cramps – I think it's because the long stage was flat and I took a lot of breaks – so I was able to use my last hours in Spain for the final chapter: the cathedral. In order to be able to enjoy this to the fullest, I had booked a guided tour that started at 12 noon. I also wanted to buy a ticket for the famous El Gordo Christmas lottery. I had seen many lottery booths along this Camino but thought I had enough time.

But as this was the last day before the lottery, there were huge lines in front of the lottery office which I encountered on the way to the cathedral. Actually, I had planned an extra day for the sights in Seville, but my unfortunate camino stop after 4 stages and the subsequent stop had swallowed up this day.

Of course, that means you have to come back. And you will, for the Via de la Plata!



The guided tour was more than 2 hours and really interesting. I didn't know that Columbus' tomb is in the cathedral and I enjoyed all the sacred sights. At the end of the tour I asked the guide for a stamp. He walked me to the gift shop but that was the wrong place. A guard in the cathedral near the tower entrance had hidden it under a staircase. That's how I got my last stamp, a very picturesque one.

Then I climbed the tower, which has no steps, so it's easy to get up there on horseback. I enjoyed the view over the city (which my hotel didn't have) and made my way back to collect my bags. My return flight at 5.30pm was on time.




Conclusion:

Although I had to overcome many obstacles, mainly due to miserable weather, I absolutely would recommend Via Serrana. It offers a lot of variety and above all beautiful to breathtaking nature.

I absolutely second jungleboys opinion about the three different parts of this camino, which I allow myself to quote here from his Via Serrana live thread worth reading:

I think of the camino as unfolding in three distinct parts:

Part 1 (my days 1-3): La Línea to El Colmenar

Nice but unspectacular, more like 'setup' for the stages to come. Gibraltar is fun as a side trip from La Línea. Jimena de la Frontera is really the only historic town on these stages, with a castle and a nice town centre. The trail is rural and without much asphalt (IIRC), the views back to Gibraltar on the first day are great but other than this, the scenery is perhaps just 'pleasant', especially compared with what's to come.

Part 2 (my days 4-7): El Colmenar to Coripe

These are the queen stages of the Vía Serrana and I think they would stack up pretty well with the best four consecutive stages on any camino. The scenery is spectacular, starting with the canyon and continuing with mountains and olive groves and lots of panoramic views on all four days. Ronda is a fantastic city and well worth exploring. The other interesting things are the Roman theatre (requiring a detour), the town of Olvera and the abandoned railway tunnels between Olvera and Coripe.

Part 3 (my days 8-10): Coripe to Sevilla

These stages are on flat plains as the mountains recede into the background, so IMO it's the least interesting scenery of the camino. The path tends to be either on road or through fields, which were brown for me in December. On the plus side, there are several castles along the way and Utrera and Alcalá de Guadaira are historic towns with things to see.

The train option described in the Johnnie Walker guide from 2018 has pros and cons.

Pros: You stay in one place for three days, your laundry can dry and you are able to walk a few stages, especially the El Colmenar gorge, with a small daypack.

Cons: You need to be very organized to reach the trains on time and you miss places worth to explore like Jimera de Libar.

By the way, this is the train schedule I photographed in the station of El Colmenar (Estacion de Gaucín):



I really want to hike in Andalusia again and I will look at both the Mozarabe and the Via de la Plata. Camino Estrecho/Via Augusta is also not excluded. I think after three caminos I'm now able to do longer stages and even more challenges!

Thanks a lot for reading and commenting on my report. I enjoyed writing it a lot!

 

[jungleboy]

Thanks for bringing us along for the ride, even if it was slightly bumpy! I also had my own challenges on the Vía Serrana (albeit unrelated to the actual route) but separating this out I thought it was a great camino. I'm also very keen to return to Andalucía and was planning to walk the Mozárabe this spring with Wendy but in the end we decided to do something shorter in Portugal instead as it suits us better timing-wise.

 

[islandwalker]

Many thanks for the sharing of your camino! Your words and photos brought the walking in Andalucia alive for all of us. Wishing you happy planning for your next camino there.

 

[debigetsout]

Stage 1: La Linea to San Martin de Tesadorillo
(usually 27km, but due to unfortunate circumstances 37km for me)

Sunrise was at 8:30am, sunset at 6:15pm. With 27km to go I decided to start at 9am. I'm not an early riser and I hate walking in the dark. I figured that at my usual pace, I shouldn't have a problem getting there on time in daylight. I had downloaded the wikiloc data of all ten stages set by the official Asociación Gaditana Jacobea. This made me fairly independent of missing or misleading arrows.

What could possibly go wrong?

The first raindrops fell as I passed the last houses of La Linea on my way north. The dirt path went slighty uphill and streams of latte-coloured water came down. Thankfully there was enough space so that I could avoid walking in the coffee stream. After two mostly wet hours with occasional free-roaming cattle (I had to open and close a few gates to keep them in their designated areas) San Roque emerged, the only town on this stage.

I immediately thought of a verse I had learned over 30 years ago, when my Spanish teacher desperately was trying to get me to pronounce the Spanish letters R and RR correctly.

El perro de San Roque no tiene rabo, porque Ramón Rodríguez se lo ha cortado.

Well, to this day I still can’t properly roll that letters. Instead of meeting that cruel Ramon or his poor tailless dog, I walked past the empty center of town and stopped for tea at a small café next to a large Mercadona supermarket. I had just started walking again when hell broke loose. A thunderstorm poured out masses of water. For 20 minutes I stood under a small canopy of a kiosk and watched the road turning into a stream with constant rumble of thunder overhead.

Maybe it’s time to take the train?

After a few hours on the first day? No way. That wouldn’t have worked anyway, since San Martin, unlike the latter villages on the Via Serrana, is not on the railway line to Ronda. As the rain eased, I pushed my inner voice aside, took a deep breath, and walked on, hoping for the best. After walking on tarmac through some of the outskirts of San Roque, the trail soon turned into fields of strange dried plants. The sun made an appearance, I saw horses, a small lake and finally entered a forest. Lovely landscape. But as I walked on over a hill, I realized I was heading towards a dark, dramatic sky again. As jungleboy had predicted I had to climb over a gate.

Why is it locked on the camino? There is no cattle behind it. All other gates could be opened and closed easily. Strange.

When it started raining again it became difficult, as the camino was going downhill. It was slippery and getting increasingly muddy. I had to avoid big puddles by walking on the edge or even beside the path. Once I slipped and landed in the mud butt-first.

Now I am looking like the swamp thing from the 80ies horror movie.

But then the rain stopped. I was nearing the end of this stage. Only 4 km left. I was already thinking about the bathtub for me and my pants at the hostel, jungleboy had mentioned two weeks ago. I had booked it too. Then suddenly after a bend I came across this setting:

View attachment 140303

The Rio Hozgarganta had swelled and swallowed the bridge. I was shocked. It looked deep with a strong current in the middle. Could I try to cross this?

Who are you, Indiana Jones? It’s too dangerous. Not even a car would cross here.

It was 5pm with a bit more than one hour daylight left. What now, call the hostel?

Sure, they’ll send their helicopter in right away.

I looked at wikiloc and my maps app. No alternative crossing in the east. But there was a roadbridge to the west. The only safe option. But it was a 9-km-detour! I refused to believe this.

Doesn’t help, move your legs, the clock is ticking.

And this time I followed my inner voice and went west on a flat dirt track near the river. My mood was gloomy, I met two horses along the way and reached the roadbridge at exactly 6 pm. I ate a chocolate powerbar and a mandarine because I knew I would need all the energy I still could produce.

Dusk started slowly. On the other side of the bridge was a country road with no shoulder. I turned on my headlamp on at 6:30, as it got visibly darker. It was a strange experience, a car appeared every few minutes. I walked on the left side, only changing sides (and putting my headlamp to the rear) when the road turned left. Around 7 pm I had almost reached the area where I should have been 2 hours earlier if the small bridge had been passable. A few minutes later it was pitch black. I kept my nerve, but of course, this was a nightmare: walking at night against the traffic on a road with no shoulder.

Note to myself: next time start earlier in the morning like most pilgrims do.

Later I asked myself: Why on earth I didn’t hitchhike? More than a dozen vehicles drove by in the 30 minutes after 6pm, while it was still light. It just hadn’t occurred to me. Of course, as a little boy, I was told never to get in a car with strangers. Well, that should change. At 7:25, still more than 2,5 km to go, a car suddenly stopped and a guy shouted at me to get in. He was a resident of San Martin and had been a pilgrim on the Camino Frances. He was on his way home to watch the Netherlands vs Argentina football match and was happy to help a fellow pilgrim. I was of course very grateful, he even took me directly to Hostal Sabana (40 Euro).

I checked in, took a long hot bath and enjoyed dinner at the hostel's restaurant. It was packed as locals were there to watch the game. When I paid my check, Argentina had won on penalties. I was really tired, I had hiked almost 37 km instead of 27 km. If the friendly local hadn't saved me, it would have been 40km! I have never walked more than 34km on a Camino and that was a day I will never forget.

Days later I discovered that indeed there was an option east of the flooding. Even close! The JW Guide of 2018 had described it and it can be seen on Google maps (if one looks very closely):

(...) where a chain prevents vehicle access, go Left, then Right, to a “bump” in the path, over the Hozgarganta river. Cross carefully when dry or in shallow water. Caution: slippery moss underfoot. [In wet weather the water here could reach up to 1m. If this is this case, go back a little – to where the chain prevents vehicle entry – to go by the road]. KSO till the houses at the main road, the CA-513 (...)

Maybe that really small pedestrian bridge was also flooded? I don’t know. It would only have taken me 10 minutes. It could have saved me 9 km and a nightmarish night walk.

Note to myself: If you chose a remote camino in winter and there is a written guide, don’t just rely on wikiloc alone and better read it in detail! In Advance!

Anyway, I survived. I knew I would pay the price for the extra long distance the next day. Little did I know there was another Indiana Jones moment waiting for me.

To be continued…

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Yep, there is a bridge east, it is a kind of tow bridge with planks to step on, will never get flooded as it is two meters above the water…. Sorry to tell.. (G) To add to what my partner, G, just said, be aware that there are some dicy parts of the bridge that could use repair (loose and broken planks, a broken wire support, lots of rust on the wire supports), and do not inspire confidence. It is do-able for now, although I would not want to challenge it with a lot of weight or force. Another place where the VS could benefit from regular maintenance. (debi)

 

[Umwandert]

Yep, there is a bridge east, it is a kind of tow bridge with planks to step on, will never get flooded as it is two meters above the water…. Sorry to tell..

Thank you, yes, in the meantime I have found pictures of the tow bridge online. So my exhausting 9km detour was unnecessary. I should have informed myself better beforehand. Anyway, hopefully others won't make the same mistake.

 

[debigetsout]

Stage 6: Ronda to Olvera (28 km)

I felt ready for the second half of the Via Serrana and had booked accommodation for all 5 remaining days. Longer stages, after 3 stages with only small daypack, walking again with a full backpack and hopefully sunny days at last. Well, not yet. This day was the last one affected by “Efrain”, the forecast was mixed but it would not rain all the time. So, for my standards, I started early at 9am under dark clouds heading west. There were wonderful views from elevated Ronda down into the valley and surrounding landscapes.

When I left town the arrows didn't match my wikiloc, I think the arrows wanted me to stay on the ridge a little longer. There was a very prominent rainbow that looked like it had been rammed into the hills. The path was gravel at first, then soon asphalt as I followed small country roads.

View attachment 140737

And then, fairly early on, a new Indiana Jones-style ordeal began over the next few hours.

The dog incidents deserve to be described in police log style:

Km 3,5: Pilgrim passes open gate of a residence. Dog A (bulldog) runs out and attacks. At the last moment, the owner calls the dog back. Pilgrim is shocked and recalls a warning in the JW guide to this particular section. Pilgrim seeks and finds a wooden stick just in case.

Km 4.3: Soon the pilgrim approaches some houses before a tunnel under a road. Pilgrim is passing a neighbor with a poodle on a leash when Dog B, a free-roaming German Shepherd, suddenly appears. Dog B attacks the pilgrim, who keeps him at a distance with the stick. The situation is complicated by the fact that neighbor yells at the aggressive dog (stop attacking) and yells at the pilgrim (hit the dog). Poodle gets hysterical too. Shocked pilgrim walks on, refusing to shout or hit. After 5 minutes pilgrim disappears into the tunnel. Dog B gives up.

Km 5.7: After a short pause, pilgrim sees medium-sized dogs C and D occupying the path near a farm and barking at him from afar. Pilgrim stops, watches, and identifies the dogs as “Angstkläffer”. In fact, they immediately hide from the pilgrim as he approaches.

Km 6.8: Pilgrim passes a small, deserted looking village, but with many dogs behind fences. They all start a loud cacophony of barking at the same time. Annoyed pilgrim loses his nerve, confronts dog E, a large great dane, and yells at it, "Halt’s Maul, ich hab’ das blöde Gekläffe satt!" Dog E is stunned by the outburst and immediately stops barking. Pilgrim is also stunned and considers using his mother tongue as a weapon more often in stressful situations.

Km 20,4: Hours later, the pilgrim spots dog X from 100 yards away, a giant white quadruplet sleeping next to a farmhouse in the middle of the camino. No detour possible. Pilgrim had previously lost his stick and conveniently grabs half an olive tree lying around. As pilgrim tries to pass, dog X attacks vehemently. Pilgrim uses all sorts of dog commands like "Aus," "Platz" and "Pfui", but to no avail. Four little dogs appear and cheer on their big companion. Pilgrim uses the olive tree like a torero's cloth to prevent the dog from snapping at his legs. Owner calls from inside the farm, but dog X ignores this and attacks again. Desperate pilgrim manages to pass, but the dog follows. Pilgrim turns and walks backwards, using the olive tree as a shield while keeping an eye on dog X, who follows him at some distance for almost 1 km.

Ten minutes after dog X is finally out of sight, pilgrim stops and eats all the chocolate he carries in his backpack to calm his nerves.

The JW Guide says about this stage:

(…) The road climbs and then bends to the Right. 140m later, turn Right, accessing a path by the gates of La Hacienda del Conde. Pass some buildings on the left, then the Finca Shangrilah left and the Villa Nerea (with dogs) right. Later pass between more houses - with more dogs! (…)

Well, it was probably just bad luck. In the end no damage was done. But if it weren't for the huge olive bush, I would definitely have been bitten. As a dog person I could understand the dog. It protected its territory with great devotion. Certainly it wasn't used to passing pilgrims, which are rare on the Via Serrana.

Luckily, the view of Olvera, a white village with a castle perched majestically on a hill, quickly came into view and made me look ahead. But there were still 12 km to go. I had lost half an hour after leaving the camino due to a misleading yellow arrow on a building in the small village of Venta de Leche, apparently leading to Setenil (off-camino). When after more than a kilometer downhill I realized my mistake I had to climb all the way back.

But now the path was finally going downhill. Soon it was raining again so my poncho came out. I reached Torre Alháquime, which is built on a hill. The Camino only touches the town slightly on the edge.

You need more candy. It is absolutely necessary to walk straight uphill into town to a cafe, even if it is a detour.

I reached the cafe at 4:30 p.m. It was like stepping into a time machine back to the 80's. The decor and the waitress' hair looked to be from that period. And on TV Germany was shown against Argentina. The 1986 World Cup final. I'm no football expert but I know who lost that one. A large table was occupied by a family who had finished dinner some time ago. Another table with young girls in conversation. I ordered cake of the day, tea and Coca-Cola. A lonely guy standing at the bar took an interest in me and struck up a conversation.

He had never heard of Via Serrana and didn't quite understand what I was doing here, but he seemed friendly and offered to take me to Olvera in his car. Well, I had thrown out my don't-get-in-cars-with-strangers-principle into an emergency situation on day 1, but now, with over an hour of daylight and only 3km to go, I declined politely. A pilgrim must walk the camino alone, I explained, and I meant it.

View attachment 140742

Of course, as Olvera is on a hill, the rest of the trail was uphill but very appealing. While the road ran in serpentines, the path was more direct but beautifully laid out with wooden bridges like in a nature park. In Olvera I saw a quaint little church open and went in, attended half a mass and got a nice stamp from the office that was open. Passing a supermarket shortly after, I restocked supplies and finally, at sunset at 6pm, I entered the Olvera B&B Hostel.

Jungleboy was there too and I agree with him: not as nice as the hostel in San Martin at the end of stage 1. No one was there, I had been given a code to open the door and found my keys in a small box. Towels and hot water were also missing. Unacceptable. I took a cold shower. When the owner whatsapped me Todo bien? I answered no. Half an hour later she appeared and chaos ensued as she tried to get the water heater to work. Other guests arrived, an electrician had to be called and everything was hectic and noisy. I just retreated to my little room, cranked the air conditioner to maximum, and ate my dinner from the grocery store. At 9:30pm the water was hot again and she apologized but I wasn't interested anymore.

It had been a long and difficult day, after battling the elements the previous days I had to deal with bad tempered four legged friends and a cold shower.

With new ordeals every day, this adventure stays fresh, interesting and varied!

At least, I still felt confident and determined. The next day finally promised sun all day long!

To be continued...

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Hallo Umwandert
i enjoyed your writing about your Via Serrana walk. Thanks for that. We did the same 35 days later and oh my, the circumstances were much different, much more positive weather and road conditions. As regular walkers i am always on the lookout for things to do better and i have two questions for you If you have the time.
The first is, how does your feet react to all that walking in wet shoes. I mean you can put dry socks on after you dipped in the water, but the shoes are soaked so that would not help much, and there are only so many socks you have in the pack. Did you get blisters? How do you prevent from getting them?
And secondly, the dogs. We had our encounters as well and we tried to yell, to swing a stick, i even kicked one because it kept coming. The owner then started to blame me but kept talking to her phone, no help from that side. I recall you saying that you are a dog person. And that didnot help you in all cases, i have no knowledge of dogs. Could you explain maybe why the dogs in that area are especially worse compared to other camino’s and what is the best way to handle a dog that harrasses you. I noticed that being agressive to them sometimes have the adverse effect, they become more persistent. My last idea is to go out of the way, like you would do when you meet a bull in the meadows. No eye contact. Not sure if that will make a difference. So if you are willing to comment on that, it may make me a little bit more confident in dealing with dogs.
Thanks again, i enjoyed your humor.
grtz G (Debi’s partner)

 

[Umwandert]

Thanks G for your comment. Of course I will answer your questions:

Wet feet: After the 2nd day, I only got a small, elongated blister on the sole of my foot, but it didn't cause any problems and went away quickly. Before my Via Serrana adventure, I had walked two Caminos for 36 days without blisters. I use deer tallow (called Hirschtalg Fußcreme in German, quite cheap, unscented and available in drugstores and pharmacies in German-speaking countries). I've been told it's virtually unknown in Spain, so I always carry half a kilo in 100mg tubes in my hand luggage, which sometimes raises eyebrows at airport security.

I grease my feet liberally before putting on socks. The deer tallow forms a film on the skin that prevents blisters from forming. And the socks are easy to wash out. I suspect that combined with my hiking shoes was the secret (I always prefer ankle boots especially in hilly terrain and they are a size and a half larger than my normal shoes). And of course sometimes I would stop and wring out the wet socks (I didn't think to change them). I think that only worked because of the mild temperatures (16 to 19 degrees). If it had been 0 to 5 degrees, I would certainly have had problems.

The Dog Incidents: On the busier caminos like the Norte, dogs are used to passing hikers. They don't see them as threat. But here they do and that causes problems. I grew up with hunting dogs so I'm very friendly with dogs and not usually afraid. I think the best thing is to ignore the dog, not look him in the eye and move slowly. Don't hesitate and don't show fear. But that doesn't work if the dog perceives you as an intruder in his home (like Dog X did when I walked by his farmhouse). Walking sticks (or half an olive tree in my case) will help you keep the dog well away from your ankles. But of course there are also mean dogs and carefree owners. 6 years ago I was bitten by a local dog in a remote area of Chile where I spent an evening in the hospital getting a rabies shot and the next morning at the police station where I was told that this particular dog had a criminal record and should have been towed away.

Sorry I don't have a better answer, if you can walk around the dog for sure that's the best option.

 

[debigetsout]

Thanks for your time, on to the next walk !
G.

 

[debigetsout]

Stage 8: Estacion de Coripe to El Coronil (32 km)

Sunday morning. I hadn't booked breakfast and wanted to leave early with dusk. But the hotel owner said he wouldn't be back until 9am. So I had to close all the doors and put the key in a conspiratorial flower box. After climbing more than 2km to Coripe I had my standard breakfast at Coripe's only open bar and started out in a good mood to the sunny and dry 17 degree weather.

Of course, a week's worth of constant rain had left its mark. So there was a lot of mud on the sandy tracks on the way to Montellano, the only place on this stage, where I had planned to have lunch. I passed some sort of mining area and Castillo de Cote, an old prominent tower in the landscape. Again I had an unfriendly dog encounter, but this time the dog was small (although with great barking qualities, it didn't stop during my entire 10 minute break). I escaped unhurt. I met several groups of local Sunday walkers all walking the other way towards Coripe.

View attachment 140871

It's quite a long way to Montellano and I was craving for a cold drink, so at 1:30pm I sat down at the first downtown I came across and ordered tapas, which weren't anything special. Aside from the center (and a long queue at a bakery), the town was quiet. After lunch I was motivated to move on quickly as the stage is over 30km long and I hadn't covered such a distance since day one. But I did make time to snap some selfies with some larger than life superheroes like Spiderman, Superman, and Peppa Pig. The city had decorated some places with it.

The path led through an area with run-down looking garden houses, which apparently also served as garbage disposal. Then it went on dirt roads across fields and it was mostly ok. But just before I got closer to the tarmac road to El Coronil, there was another arroyo with more water than usual. So Indiana Jones came out again and I tried walking over rocks while using hanging branches for balance. Of course I stepped in the water inelegantly, so at least I lost the mud. Then, out of the blue, at 3:10pm a gas station (Sol in this case) popped up.

That’s a sign! Of course you gonna have an ice cream and some juice.

I took the opportunity to buy fresh water as well, as the water I got from the hotel tasted a bit strange. The next part of the stage was annoying as I had to follow the road with only a small shoulder. I was surprised that on Sundays there was so much traffic and the cars were going at a speed more appropriate for highways in my country. I fell into a rhythm, passing the perfectly flat remains of a roadkill cat and a lone sunflower emerging from the tarmac (the latter quite romantic).

View attachment 140875

As the trail branched off to the left, I had a déjà vu moment remembering Day 2. Should I stay on the road to have an easy arrival? No way, too much traffic. So I had the pleasure of visiting an old Moorish castle (Castillo de las Aguzaderas) and spent the last hour on dirt roads, which unfortunately became more and more muddy. With El Coronil in sight, I stepped so deep in the mud my boots were almost completely covered like chocolate muffins.

Perfect for entering a nice hotel!

When I entered El Cotonil I didn't see anyone, it was like a ghost town. Understandable, the World Cup final had already started, so I texted my hostess, Lisa, hoping she wouldn't get too hung up on soccer. El Cotonil has only 2 accommodations, both side by side. I decided against Hotel Don Juan (where Jungleboy had stayed two weeks earlier) and opted for La Casa Cuadrada, at 58 Euro a bit more expensive but with a washer dryer which I badly needed.

Lisa is an artist from Amsterdam and lives in Cotonil. She was very friendly when she met me at the door. I was on my socks and had my boots hidden behind my backpack. Again I was the only guest, this time in an old, beautiful and newly renovated house with shared bathrooms. She provided me with liquid detergent and fabric softener but was unable to explain the machine to me. As it was from a German manufacturer this turned out not to be a problem. So I stuffed all my clothes in the washing machine and took a long, hot shower.

What are you going to wear to dinner at the restaurant now? A towel? Think first, then act.

I didn't have a second pair of pants, which of course restricted my freedom of movement. So I ate what was left of my supplies and watched the World Cup finals online. My clothes were dry by 11:30pm and that seemed too late to visit the restaurant. Anyway, I was too tired then.

To be continued…

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Yes, the stay at Lisa's place in El Coronil was definitely a highlight, and worth a bit extra money. A stunning building. She recommended that we eat at the hippy place -
Bar Sala Alternativa Hippytano)
- which serves decent Mexican food and has a great vibe. There is another bar across the road from the hippy place called I think Paradise, also with a great vibe. There is something countercultural going on in El Coronil, judging from these spots, which you would not notice from a stroll around the town.

 

[C clearly]

I have just read this thread, months after you wrote it, and want to thank you for the excellent and entertaining account.

 

[Umwandert]

I have just read this thread, months after you wrote it, and want to thank you for the excellent and entertaining account.

Thanks a lot!

 

[peregrina2000]

I do not have any idea how I could possibly missed this entire thread! It is now at the top of my reading list, and I look forward to digging in.

Thanks for quoting yourself on another thread, @Umwandert, or I might have never found it!

 

[Umwandert]

I do not have any idea how I could possibly missed this entire thread! It is now at the top of my reading list, and I look forward to digging in.

Thanks for quoting yourself on another thread, @Umwandert, or I might have never found it!

Thank you. Well, the thread was hidden at the end of another thread I had started well before I walked Via Serrana. When I wrote the live journal afterwards one month after I had finished the Via it seemed logical to post it there. But obviously it was only seen by people interested in the original thread. When moderator C Clearly thanked me much later I replied that I regretted not having created a new thread for my journal. So the moderator did it ten months after it was written (thanks a lot by the way!).

I plan another journal of (at least parts) of my upcoming Andalusian winter camino (Estrecho Reverse followed by Camino Fray Leopoldo) in December. I hope this time I will be able to do it live while actually walking (I was too exhausted last year to fight English grammar in the evening).

 

[milkybar93]

Stage 3: Jimena de la Frontera to El Colmenar/Estacion de Gaucin (18 km)

When I woke up it was pouring rain. At around 9am I set out in full rain gear to search for some breakfast. Hospederia Las Buitreras was closed so I walked a few minutes to the station, where I found on open bar. I was astonished that on a Sunday morning there were already two dozen men drinking and chatting to the barmaid. I had my usual Camino breakfast of tostadas, butter, jam, tea with milk and juice. My shoes and underpants were already wet.

I had plenty of time because there is no morning train south. Therefore the JW guide recommends staying in Jimena de la Frontera and travelling northbound in the morning and southbound in the evening for the stages to Ronda. So for stage 3 I had to return Los Ángeles and walk then back to El Colmenar. The first train leaves at 11:53. So I went back to my spacious apartment, packed my little daypack including mask for the train and hoped the rain would stop. Due to the train schedule I had 6 hours till dusk for 18 kms. Quite doable.

Train was on time and at 12:20 I picked up where I left off the day before. The rain was hardly visible then and would soon stop completely. The sky didn’t look bad either. I saw the white village Jimena de la Frontera including the castle on the hill, bypassing it completely Of course, that’s really a shame. But that’s what my schedule required.

The trail was paved at first and then went off the road into a totally wet and quite muddy area. And again thorny bushes. And of course there was an arroyo full of water - not as wide and dramatic as on my first day – but still: impossible to jump over.

You can go back to the road and lose only 30 minutes with this detour. Otherwise you have to step into the feet-deep water and your shoes and socks will be completely wet. With more than 5 hours to go.

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My inner voice was reasonable and I'm usually a laid back person, but now I got a little angry. NO MORE DETOURS! So I jumped in the arroyo and got my shoes and socks completely wet. With rather grumpy thoughts, I marched uphill, ready to yell at the next obstacle in my path. But the camino led back to the road and soon I arrived at a funeral home next to a beautiful cemetery miles from town. It caught my eye because there was a bench made for grumpy pilgrims. I stopped, ate a power bar and wrung out my socks. I hope this is not considered inappropiate behavior.

After that it got better. I felt the sun on my skin and the sky looked blue. I crossed the Train tracks, hiked through appealing nature and got my camino vibes again. At 2:15pm I had reached the only town on this stage, San Pablo. In the center I saw two open bars. I chose La Cantina and enjoyed some tapas, coca-cola and a. After this lunch break I passed palm trees, orange trees and nice looking houses before slowly climbing uphill. I reached a gate, actually an important marker (with photo!) on my wikiloc file of this stage. There the gate was wide open and the camino went through. But now it was closed and locked with a chain. According to a sign, there was even camera surveillance. But I couldn't find a camera or anyone around behind the gate. The whole area looked deserted.

Well, you seem to have to walk around. The owner obviously doesn't like pilgrims tramping through his property anymore.

I couldn’t scale the gate but I overcame the adjacent wall and stamped sullenly uphill on the official Via Serrana marked in my wikiloc.

You are aware that you are probably on private property. If there is a free roaming dog it could tear you into pieces. And rightfully so.

I didn’t feel great. But my motto now was: No more detours! Thankfully nothing happened.
I walked past a house to another gate, again closed, but this time it was easy to open and close again, just like the cattle gates on the first day.

The path now went really uphill into the hills and got muddy. And then at 3:30 p.m. there was another obstacle. Right in the middle of the path. Cows! About a dozen stood or lay about and two blocked my way.

They won’t attack if they are no calves and you don’t have a dog. Don’t move hectic.

That’s what I could remember. But what to do? Maybe staring them down? Or playing some cow-friendly music? Do cows like country songs?

As I thought about cow-themed songs, I walked very slowly towards them along the side of the path. Then a cow jumped to its feet and left enough space for me to pass. They seemed only moderately interested in a sunday pilgrim. I turned around the corner and could see the trail getting extremely muddy uphill. It was covered in hoof prints as if the cattle had spent all week running up and down to make the trail look like very tough liquid dough.

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I struggled a lot not to slip but finally made it to the top, where I sat on a big stone surrounded by straw and mud. It felt like having a break in a cow’s toilet. What’s up next I asked myself.

You wanted challenges. You wanted adventures. Don’t complain. At least its sunny!

The path now led along the hill, the ground became much more walkable, although I was now on the shady side of the hill. I fell into my rhythm and enjoyed the trail again, which offered beautiful views of the valley. A few minutes after 5am I could see El Colmenar down in the valley. Great, with an hour of sunlight I'd be done before sunset. I reached the road to El Colmenar, which went downhill with only a small shoulder but little traffic.

Then I had to choose between staying on the road or taking the camino, which was much more direct across the meadows.

Think about wet arroyos, muddy trails and roaming cattle. The goal is in sight. An understandable and responsible decision would be to stay on the road at least this time.

Out of the question, no more detours, grumpy-me replied to my inner voice, and I slid down the fields in excitement. The path had become a small river, water was flowing downhill, but there was enough room to walk on the wet, uneven grass next to the path. I even enjoyed moving like a rabbit at times when trying to dodge cow dung.

Then I heard several shots. Very close. I stopped abruptly and turned pale. There were a lot of hunting pictures in my apartment, this is obviously a hunting area. And fall is hunting season. I froze and blended into the landscape as my hiking gear was olive green from head to toe and didn't reflect anything. Could I be mistaken for an animal? Maybe a deer?

Then I saw a small hunting dog followed by its owner. He carried a large gun and was walking uphill, possibly hunting birds? He walked by and greeted me. I came back to life and ran down the hill like I was real prey on the run.

I approached the village at exactly 6pm and was really happy and proud that I made it in time before dark. After 3 days it was clear that the Via Serrana has many surprises and challenges in store at this time of year. After a hot shower I went back to the central place and found a restaurant open. The atmosphere wasn't very Sunday-like with loud pop music and young men drinking loudly beer, but the food was eatable. The mixed salad was ok, but Costillas de Cerdo wasn't really my taste.

The restaurant owner stamped my credential upside down and I remembered what my late mother once told me about what it means to receive a letter with the stamp upside down: Leck mich am Ar... (I don’t give a sh… about you). This made me laugh a lot on the way back to my apartment, as I felt it was somehow appropriate for the day. The weather forecast was unfortunately less amusing. The center of the storm "Efrain" would soon reach my area, I hoped that I could at least enjoy the next day with what is probably the most spectacular stage of the Via Serrana.

…To be continued

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Went Gib to Sevilla on the Via Serrana end April to mid May 2024. Looking at your (very excellent) photos, you had to contend with some rather difficult weather and conditions underfoot in Nov 2023 which did not present in the Spring of 2024. Because of that may I say very well done. I'm sure you enjoyed your Camino just as much as I did when the weather was kinder. Best wishes and Buen Camino on your next one.