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Trail Run Spain - Trail Tales. |
Trail Running in Granada.
" We're used to mud. How bad can it be ? You've been in Spain too long ! " - were our rejoinders when Paul suggested we delay setting off because the heavy rain would make the trails muddy. It was southern Spain in March and the weather wasn’t supposed to be like this! I had joined three others on a week long trail running holiday organised by Paul Bateson, Team Axarsport, and ever since booking I had imagined myself running through spectacular scenery in warm and sunny weather, not sheltering inside waiting for the rain to stop. We were staying in the old Moorish town of Alhama de Granada and the previous day we had been on a leisurely morning run on rolling tracks through the local woods so that Paul could assess our running abilities. This was followed by an even more leisurely Sunday lunch so we could get to know each other. Monday was going to be our first full day trail running and we were keen to set off. At first the going was easy as we climbed on dirt tracks through fields - then we hit the mud. Except that this wasn't mud, it was clay, and having trudged up hill for half an hour with enough clay stuck to our trainers to make a small dinner service we could understand Paul's reluctance.
Telling ourselves that it was good strength training and better than going to the gym we trudged on, until finally we arrived at the ridge. The track along the ridge was easier and we were among almond and olive groves. The almond trees were in flower and the blossom was like pink and white drifts of snow on the trees. We dropped down on swooping tracks to a village café and had a lunch of substantial " tostadas ". We opted to climb up the ridge on the way back and see more picturesque groves. A stop, to paddle in the local thermal springs, ended the day trip. This set the pattern for the rest of the week; approximately 4 hours of undulating off-road running a day plus a lunch break and plenty of stops to regroup, admire the scenery and watch the wildlife.
Each day the trails and scenery were different: the following day we headed to the mountains and ran through the " Pass of Hell " with views of the Mediterranean from the summit; the day after we followed the GR7 on forest trails with Paul dropping us off at one end and then driving round to meet us for lunch and set us on the trail for the afternoon run. My favourite run was in the foothills of Sierra Nevada where we took a wrong turning and ended up climbing nearly to the snow line - it was a great run down !
Alhama de Granada ( approximately 30 miles from Granada itself ) is a town built on the edge of a spectacular gorge with several restaurants and bars and a particularly good café specialising in hot chocolate that was so rich and thick it was like drinking liquid chocolate. We stayed in a small hotel in the Arab quarter and the hotel was refurbished in traditional Moorish style; it was very comfortable and the food was plentiful and good. On the edge of town there is a spa resort built around thermal springs. The thermally heated swimming pool is too hot for swimming, but great for floating around and relaxing after a long run.
Paul and Team Axarsport handled all the housekeeping - arranging tickets to visit the Alhambra, drying wet kit and ferrying us to and from the airport. As I found out, the weather in March can be unpredictable; one minute we were basking in warm sunshine, the next minute glad to be sheltering from torrential rain.
However, through luck, or more likely Paul's experience, we only had one thorough soaking. The weather steadily improved throughout the week and so by the end our waterproofs were at last replaced with suntan lotion. This was a very enjoyable holiday and a great pre-season workout. I hope to e back on these trails next year.
Louise Burt. |
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Poniente Granadino, Andalucia, Spain. |
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