A route full of spectacular landscapes
Last Saturday we had the opportunity to discover one of the most spectacular sceneries that can be seen just a few kilometers from Colmenar, the source of the river Guadalmedina and the impressive giants of limestone of the Sierra de Camarolos and Sierra del Jobo. Although the snow fall on Friday morning had predicted a leaden gray day and not a very good start, Saturday morning appeared clear and cloudless, with cold temperatures in the early hours but very pleasant as the sun was reaching its peak.
We started at nine o'clock at the Tourist information centre of Colmenar where students of the Escuela Taller El Entorno showed us a brief presentation of the route and with this better idea we then set off to the beginning of the route. The group consisted of students of Axalingua, neighbors of Colmenar and students of the Escuela Taller which during 2012 offers free guided hikes around the village.
With boots and backpacks tight we started the hike, on this splendid morning, with a good atmosphere and a desire to reach our goal, the Cerro de la Cruz. Along the way we could indulge views of Colmenar to which we are not used. As we went up and as our guide told us, in the distance appeared Riogordo, the lake of Viñuela and further south the Mediterranean Sea. The trail passed bushes, small trees and open stretches at the foot of the giants of limestone, over sometimes soft ground and sometimes along significant slopes. Upon reaching Pilas de Marchena, named after the troughs for cattle found there, we took a well deserved rest and regained strength. Short after that we got back on track, quickly reaching the source of the river Guadalmedina, which unfortunately is drier than usual due to the lack of rain this winter.
We continued climbing with in the background the Cerro de la Cruz and on our right small remnants of snow of the previous day, scarce but enough to give a nice touch of color in the winter. Encouraged we climbed to the top, the terrain became more vertical and we had to use our hands to keep our balance for the ascent to the 1,444 meters, where we could see the spectacular views, a great reward for our efforts. We did not rest too long, with a few minutes we were off again, now looking for a small hole of a base of a mountain in the distance that, oddly enough, gave way to the south side and our path for the way back, a gentle descend that leads back to the Pilas de Marchena, and from there back to the cars.
Axalingua likes to thank the people from the Taller de Turismo de Aventura (adventure tourism workshop) for their kindness in organizing this hiking day. The next ocasion with the guys from the workshop is the hike to the Chamizo organized by the Department of Youth and Sports (Área de Juventud y Deportes del Ayuntamiento) of Colmenar. See you there!
Incluye Axalingua en tu alojamiento. 
