Pico de la Miel: a photo story
At first sight, It seems the unusual dawn of a sun melts ice on the crater of a volcano. Photo refers to a secluded spot, perhaps by tropical greenery Moldy stone. The pictures, sometimes, you flee, but sometimes you stumble upon them as inadvertently, in the most unexpected moment. That's what happened to us that cold March morning as we walked down the pico de la Miel, in the Madrid Sierra de la Cabrera. The photo was there, waiting, but beside people passed so fast that not even notice he is given. walking is, also, look and, especially, look. And in the mountains, Now that everyone seems to cross it as if I lost the bus, must not forget.
Not, It was not the best day to go up to peak Honey, a rocky silhouette on the northern end of the Sierra Cabrera not noted for their height (1.392 meters), but has always caught my attention when circle by A-1. It was not the best day, course, but that we did not know when we turn on output 57 the highway, just above the village of La Cabrera.
The photo was there, waiting, but beside people passed so fast that not even notice he is given
Across the road, a wide avenue leads to school La Miel, against which we left the car battery before a small roundabout. The peak is in sight to our left, so small that it looks like we will play it if we stretch the arm. They are just 350 meter drop to the top and do not expect to find too many people, although it's already half past nine, but we soon will realize how wrong we are.
The first steps we take between a residential villas, until he found a wide path that clearly amounts to our right and that, after ten minutes, born a path to his left with a handful of stones shaped table. From here, Rise is uninterrupted and quite pronounced towards the rock peak Honey, that at no time lose face.
The climb is steep and fairly unbroken toward the peak rock wall
Soon we reach a group of climbers, with all the impedimenta (ropes, harnesses and carabiners) piggyback, they are just the prelude to the dozens of them we find in the next few minutes. Today it is celebrated here-that I will clarify later sr. Google- climbing race: the Twelve hours of Cabrera. This is to make the more possible routes in the mountains in twelve hours. A continuous up and down the race of cordadas. The fog, however, it will not be easy and hours later the race will have to be stopped prematurely for safety. Maybe it's the worst day of the year to climb to the peak of la Miel, but here we are, trying to overcome the competition.
Fortunately, climbers remain at the foot of the wall, where the race itself begins, and we continue left along the hillside along a path that descends a few meters and confused with the rock often, forcing some acrobatics to overcome the huge stone blocks surrounding the peak southeast.
Maybe it's the worst day of the year to climb to the peak. Today celebrated the twelfth hour escalation of Cabrera
From the hill we snow and ice and an increasingly lower temperature. In these final meters must move carefully to avoid slipping treacherous. The effort is intense, but short, because in just over an hour we planted at the summit. We are not alone. Two members of the organization of the race await the arrival of climbers with a large blackboard on which are writing down times each. The mountain turned into a tartan. For me, incomprehensible. It is not the mountain that I've met who taught me to love.
Fog proceeds from this leaning over the motorway, now our feet. Soon reached the Sierra de la Cabrera. It is cold and the weather is not inviting to stay long at the top. Two climbers arrive huffing and inching the race to the hill to undertake a new path as soon as possible. Needless to say jumping to walk this mixed terrain is exposed to a twist, or worse, at least neglect. One, aware of the danger, mountain slippers shoes to prevent slipping and ride down is lost between the languages that anticipate fog haze.
At the summit two members of the organization await the arrival of climbers and record times on a blackboard
We got off slowly, avoiding ice stepping plate. And prudence has, in this case, their reward. In the hollows of some rocks the dammed water is frozen and, as these hours (past ten thirty) the temperature has dropped, and only withstands a thin ice. In one of those stones, the circumference is perfect, although when lifting finger contour part melts. Bethlehem holds on the spherical cavity carefully and make photo, convinced that, with numb fingers and with little time to adjust settings, not succeed. But the viewer soon frightens my fatalism. At first sight, You can save.
Our idea is to continue through the Sierra de la Cabrera south to the Cancho Gordo (1.563 meters), its other representative top to complete a circular route to the municipality. But the fog has gone and, more and more snow and we are alone, so within five minutes we decided to give back to not tempt fate.
In the hollows of some rocks the dammed water is frozen and, as the temperature has fallen, and only withstands a thin ice
A few minutes later we are having lunch at a crag, with magnificent views, a few meters from one of the controls of the race. Some participants who come from making top, in fact, They are mislead to see us stray from the path and reaching our height, and then have to climb a few meters and thus return to the path of descent.
With fog making mischief, accumulating wall climbers peak Honey has phantom makings. It is high noon when we reached the car. Nothing better than to finish the day with a judiones and flagon of wine at the inn Gallery nearby town of Segovia Riaza.
