Costa Blanca Walks Vol 2 East - southern Spain - Europe

• Location
• Description
• Contents
• Introduction
• Sample Route
• Maps
• Updates
• Further Reading

 A customer has kindly given some thoughts, having used the guide in February 2012:

The information below has been supplied by David following a two-week trip based on Calpe.

This guide is badly in need of revision and is now out of print.

Advice to Readers ( page 2) Last line : the website is now www.cbmwalkers.org

 Maps ( page 25) It is worth noting that the mapas military are available free of charge to download from  http://centrodedescargas.cnig.es/CentroDescargas/buscador.do. They can be geo-referenced using the same site and combined into one map so giving GPS users a suitable maps, either at 1:25 000 or 1: 50 000. The walks in Volume 2 (East) only require the following maps:

1:50 000          Alcoy              (0821)

                        Benissa                       (0822)

                        Altea                (0848)

1:25 000          0796-1 0796-3 and 0796-4 for walks 32 and 39

                        0822-1, 0822-2 and 0822-3 though 0822-4 is useful ; most walks in the guide are cetred on these sheets

                        0821-2 for walk 41

                        0848-1, 0848-2 and 0848-3 for Bernia, Severino, Sierra Toix and Sierra Olta walks

A road map can also be downloaded from the same site.

Ovenga ( page 43) the two crosses have gone.

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Walk 3 (page 56) Making a start: the third line would be more helpful if it said ‘take the left-hand road(east) signposted Forat’. There is no indication of the fuente at this point (and the walker is not intended to go as far as the fuente).. The ‘narrow path’ could easily be missed as it may be overgrown. (We missed it and reached the fuente!) However all is not lost as walkers can proceed past the fuente, up towards the Forat but at the obvious big scree slope take the red way-marked path steeply up the right-hand side of the scree to reach the ridge. If you don’t fancy the fixed ropes on the ridge head round the foot of the buttress on the right (west) and join the intended route.. Good paths either way – not as reported- so that when you have traversed Berna Oeste and descended towards the fort you are on a decent path(page59, second to last line)

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Walk 4 (page 61) My first observation applies to most of the guide and refers to Km markers. Those shown on the military maps and mentioned in the guide have been replaced by modern metal road signs on posts and the numbers are usually very different. Km markers were re-done throughout Spain in recent years. Hence looking for Km 14 is unhelpful as the stone has been removed. In ‘Getting there’  the second and third sentences should read something like, ‘Beyond the new 20km sign you will pass the Pinon restaurant….   At Km16.6 turn off left(south) on a road named Cami de les Cases Verdiola and signposted Finca Rustica.’ ( There are no signs anywhere on this route for Casas Berdiola, just the road name of Cases Verdiola by the CV 750.) No chain on the Casa Dolores drive nor at the left fork (last sentence of Down into the Pinos Valley on page 63

Towards the rock gateway (page 63) This description misled us. There was no ‘gateway’, merely a place where the road cut through the line of cliffs. Mentioning the quarry and rock gateway in that order is unhelpful as you cross the ‘gateway’ then turn off right so never reach the quarry. The track up to the col from here is good often with low walls as it zig-zags up. It never ‘disappears’. The col has an iron cross –worth noting in the guide, possibly.

To the Belvedere (page 64) In the first line a ‘yellow rock wall’ is mentioned but there are several such walls. Walkers want the last one (most westerly) which overhangs in rather pleasing curves, about 500m from the col and iron cross) on a good path between the cliffs and the trees. The ‘rock bridge’ is not formed by a slab falling across a chasm – it is all an integral part of the ridge.

On the arête (page 64)’…. rock staircase’ going left

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Walks 5 and 6 map (page 67) I think WALK 7 written on the map above SIERRA BERNIA should read WALK 6 and similarly WALK 6 written near Ruins of FORT should read Walk 5

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Walk 10 (page 87) Maps Altea (0848) not 898 as printed

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Walk 12 (page 9) Getting there : not Km5 ( see above ) but at the obvious bodega Maserof

The walk in ( page 95) ;end of first sentence should now read  ‘but only for 200 metres’ Then ‘Continue  on a clear track  heading north of west towards a surfaced road and follow this road north ( downhill) for a time. The third from last line could read ‘….the road starts to drop down to the right. Here you leave the surfaced road to start a VERY rough and PRICKLY climb up to the rocks….’ I think this part of the route has become almost impracticable and a different approach is probably needed. The ridge itself was tremendous and worth the agony of ploughing through the undergrowth.

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Walk 13 ( page 100) To Punta Del Mascarat The third paragraph  talks of the road running on the sea-ward side of the development but another newer development now means you pass between them, ie above the newest development, called ’Panorama’. Just round the corner further new building destroys the description (page 102) as the ‘quarry’ and ‘yellow marker’ no longer exist. We walked up the road to a lone lamp-post then cut across the open slope to join the obvious climbers’ path ( miraculously no prickly bushes!)

Ascent of the Castle (page 103)  A sign post  points the way up the path to the Castelet with fixed ropes in place for part of the route. The old road is now tarmaced almost to the collado and you can pick your descent route down through the new apartment blocks back to Pueblo Mascarat.

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Walk 14 (page 110) Descent is now by a clear and easy path signposted from  Corralet PR CV 340 Pou de la Mola with way marks in yellow and white down to the ‘circuit principal’ which continues clockwise round the Sierra Olta back to the camp site. Excellent paths throughout.

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Walk 15 (page 111) Getting there  ‘……over the level crossing, turn off this road in 1.2km ( not 1.6km) at a brown sign to Monte Olta and Zona Acampada…….. reached in another 1.2km and where there is parking.’

Making a start (page 111) second line ‘following a path (PR CV 340), waymarked in yellow and white, up beside (not through) the terraces…..’

Around the North summit (b) Little Olta variation ( page 113) turn right at the PR CV 340 signpost up a rough but well-defined track to reach a small ruin…..

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Walk 18 (page 123) Getting there Km number again wrong.

The Ravine (page 125) second sentence : …..a path ( not ‘very indistinct’ at all)

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Walk 24 (page 151) Making a start  ; sixth line : At Km 1.5 turn off left, …….signposted ’Bernia’ and waymarked in blue to the summit and beyond….’

Towards Alt de L’Ample (page 152) fifteenth line ‘tiny finca’. The implied route here is no longer realistic and anyone wishing to visit the finca should do so from the pre-summit path when directly above it, heading down through terraces to the era and ruins. Return to the path the same way and continue to the summit.

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Walk 28 (page 167)Making a start:  A car park is signposted on entry to the village. The Bar Oasis may have changed name. The only letters of the Cooperative  Agricola San Roch now visible on the disused building are C and O.  The path down the first mozarabic staircase is signposted near the Fleix wash house as PR CV 147 with white and yellow waymarks which continue for the whole of this route.

Camino De Juvias (page 169) line 7 : ‘……becomes very eroded and overgrown..’ Just not true now. Similarly in the second papragraph ;line 8 : ‘The track at times is badly eroded…’ Not true. It would help to call the three trough spring ( Tres Abeuradors) by the name used on the map in the guide(page 168) , on map boards and on sign posts ie Font Reina

Down to the Rio Ebo (page 170) ‘There is a good trail leading to the river bed, waymarked in yellow and white. ( No point in saying what used to be. The ‘new’ path does its job perfectly well.)

To Corrales de Jeuves Del Poble de Alt(still on page 170) It would be helpful to change the second to last line to read ‘……..reach a level area with THE well….’ ( It is the same one seen in the second line and the same one in the first line of the next paragraph on Down into the Barranco Del Tuerto.)

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Walk 31 (page 180) Getting there Same problem with re-numbered km signs. Omit ‘near Km19.5’ as the junction is well signed but on line 8 change …’park near to Km8..’ to ..’near  Km 19.5, where a sign indicates the outskirts of Pego.

To Paso de Manzanera (also page 180) The ruined finca on the rigfht, Corral de Catrrascal, is now partly restored and the PR CV 58 ( Pego to Val de Ebo) crosses the road at this point , with sign posts. In the next paragraph on  the second line ‘a good track’ now is marked by a panel giving information on rockclimbing in the Barranco del  Oms. The next section is very vague and needs clarification. We made it to the top but no thanks to the guide. There was no sign of the small shelter on top (very last line on page 181)

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Walk 32 (page 186) To the Ridge-Collado De Barranvc De Ramon. The path is clearly waymarked in yellow and white.

To the Iberian ruins (page 187) For clarification add ‘top’ in the first line to read …’fence surrounding the top transmitter..’ Maybe extra transmitters have been erected recently.

Variation: Summit and Circuit (page 188) second line : The route is way marked in yellow and white

Descent of South Flank from the Summit (page 189) third line: …;there are waymarks in yellow and white throughout. Further down this page on line 13 change to ‘Follow the yellow and white markers to descend…’ and

Amend the sentence lower down (end of line  17) ‘But beware…..’ The waymarks are very clear and the path very prominent but the ceramic panorama at the mirador has been smashed.

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Walk 34 (page 197) introduction above Getting There; The route is waymarked in yellow and white.

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Walk 36 (page 207) Getting there:  sixth line …’until an electrical substation at 400m.’ The road is tarmaced well beyond this point now. ‘The road, which continues upwards and to the north-west..’ is concrete with small stone slabs set into it and is signposted ‘CIM’ (meaning summit).  Later      ‘You, however, turn right after about 50m on a track…’

Making a start (page 208) Goddard’s Gully is now impossibly overgrown and cannot be recommended on safety grounds. Hence this part of the route needs re-writing, probably to direct walkers up the main path via Great Gully on a well-established path.

To the North  summit (page 209) There is no need for rock climbing experience as there is a ‘brown’ path between the summits  and onwards back down to the main path and signpost now.

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Costa Blanca Walkers (page 237) : the website is now www.cbmwalkers.org as previously noted.

Updates January 2007

Note: the author's new website is at www.costablancawalking.info

p2, 'Advice to Readers': Costa Blanca Mountain Walkers issue ... this book on request': this no longer applies.

p237: 3rd para: for 'Weekly Post' read 'and other local newspapers'; 5th and 6th paras no longer apply