Mulhacén, 11,414 feet, is the highest mountain of the Iberian Peninsula. The mountain’s height and location make the summit views expansive. Reportedly, the view extends as far as Morocco. I decided to include climbing the peak as part of a family trip to Spain. I was joined by my Mother and brother Bill and his wife Diane. Our itinerary included stops in Madrid, Toledo, Segovia, Granada and Seville in addition to our a week hiking in the region around the small mountain town of Capaliera in the Sierra Nevada Mountains.
Our group on the summit of Mulhacén.
My research uncovered a small, local business that offered a reasonably priced, six day, hiking/cultural tour in the mountains around Mulhacén as well as a summit climb on the final day. The all inclusive tour was impossible to pass up.
There were seven other people in our group, all from either England or Ireland. For five days we were guided by Irish expatriates, Sheila and Dennis, on hikes in the lower foothills to cultural sites, over small peaks and through deep gorges. Evenings were filled with dinners of local delicacies and on one night a flamenco show, that was straight out of a Hemingway novel.
My Mother, who was 76 made all of the foothills hikes but decided to pass on the climb of Mulhacén. On October 4th the group boarded a bus which took us to the Mirador Trevelez trailhead at 8,860 feet. From the trailhead we can walked to the summit in three hours via a trail up the South Ridge. Although it was a cool blustery day, it was an enjoyable hike.
The hazy view from the summit.
The summit hut.
Next: The First Ascent of Triple Peak