Castaño Santo from Descansadero La Fuenfría (don't follow!!)
Trail photos
Author
Trail stats
- Distance
- 12.49 mi
- Elevation gain
- 3,819 ft
- Technical difficulty
- Very difficult
- Elevation loss
- 3,819 ft
- Max elevation
- 4,347 ft
- TrailRank
- 49
- Min elevation
- 2,421 ft
- Trail type
- Loop
- Moving time
- 4 hours 33 minutes
- Time
- 6 hours 2 minutes
- Coordinates
- 3438
- Uploaded
- January 6, 2024
- Recorded
- January 2024
near Igualeja, Andalucía (España)
Viewed 9 times, downloaded 1 times
Trail photos
Itinerary description
Reaching the millennial chestnut tree (castaño) from the north. However, while this is a good idea, do not follow this particular route. I opted for a very dangerous and silly shortcut to get there.
The route starts just before the Fuenfría recreation area, where there is also a private house. It starts uphill. About 55 minutes in, there is a bifurcation where I turn right and follow a much narrower dirt track all the way to the Puerto Bermejo, where I made a silly choice. I decided to take a shortcut descending via a dry waterfall, which was very steep and with a lot of loose rocks. It's the kind of place where you trip or the rocks slip under you, and you fall and break an arm or a leg, or worse. It was quite long, and I went at a terribly slow pace, so the question is: did I actually save time, or could I have just as well followed the initial route down to the "Merendero"?
After risking my neck down the arroyo, I finally arrive at the dirt road that takes me to the Castaño Santo. It's an amazing tree, but unfortunately dying.
From the Castaño Santo it's all dirt track all the way back to the car, some 12 kms, and it gets a little boring and monotonous.
I've qualified this route as "very difficult" because of that shortcut down the arroyo. Don't do that. Follow another route instead.
The route starts just before the Fuenfría recreation area, where there is also a private house. It starts uphill. About 55 minutes in, there is a bifurcation where I turn right and follow a much narrower dirt track all the way to the Puerto Bermejo, where I made a silly choice. I decided to take a shortcut descending via a dry waterfall, which was very steep and with a lot of loose rocks. It's the kind of place where you trip or the rocks slip under you, and you fall and break an arm or a leg, or worse. It was quite long, and I went at a terribly slow pace, so the question is: did I actually save time, or could I have just as well followed the initial route down to the "Merendero"?
After risking my neck down the arroyo, I finally arrive at the dirt road that takes me to the Castaño Santo. It's an amazing tree, but unfortunately dying.
From the Castaño Santo it's all dirt track all the way back to the car, some 12 kms, and it gets a little boring and monotonous.
I've qualified this route as "very difficult" because of that shortcut down the arroyo. Don't do that. Follow another route instead.
Waypoints
Car park
Photo
Mountain pass
Waypoint
4,321 ft
Pluviómetro Icona
An old rain gauge that would measure the amount of rainfall in the old days
Intersection
4,012 ft
Go right - Puerto del Algarrobo
Puerto del Algarrobo. Crossroads. Go to the right, it will take you down a narrow dirt track. You will end up at the very same spot on your way back.
Tree
Fountain
Panorama
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