The Fuente De Cable Car and Refuge Hike

It was cool, grey and damp when we got up, so we decided to drive to the other side of the coastal range and hit the cable car at Fuente De where, according to the live webcam at the top of the tramway, it was sunny.

To get there, it was a 1 1/2 hour drive through very small towns and up the mountain. It was really a nice way to start a day. Bought our tram ticket and got on like we had a private trip. Gotta love the off season. You should be able to just make out the cable car coming up the mountain in the photo.

In the last post I said we were getting the hang of how to hike in these mountains by getting transported up the steep part and then taking the easy way back down! That is mostly true of this hike as the short ride in the tram did look down on a half-day's worth of switchbacks. Dodged a bullet there.

But on the top we had to deal with suddenly cold air and the prospect of a long hike in the peaks to get to our intended lunch stop at the refuge hotel. We walked along a gradually uphill trail when around a corner the trail dropped off sharply into a valley deep below. It was beautiful, but that descent meant a long climb back up after lunch. In the picture below, look for the little white building with the red roof.

The hike down to lunch gave us big vistas, was a little hard on the knees, and had a shock at the end. The white building with the red roof was closed and our "refuge" was still another mile DOWN the trail! Check out the white roof in the picture below. We had to have lunch so we pushed on down.

The beer and bocadillo at that hotel was indeed glorious. The sandwich was another of those thin-on-substance creations, but it was a gift in the middle of nowhere.


Probably shouldn't drink beer before a long pull back up a steep climb. We made our way back very slowly. We actually used the "small steps" mountain climbing technique we'd learned from our mountain guides earlier in the trip. Not that I had a choice about going that slow or not.

It was a little more hike then we expected but still an easy day. Tomorrow we're off to do the Cares Gorge, which is considered one of "the most beautiful walks in Spain." We're also looking at 13 to 14 miles of foot time and probably more complaining from me.

Love to all,

Earl and Gwen