El Valle Charity Hike route
Since the announcement that this year’s charity hike was canceled many people have asked me for some hiking routes. So I thought I would compile my favourite THREE, all of different levels and distances and all leaving from the entrance of El Valle Golf. HIKE ONE – Around Casa Vieja and backDistance: 4.5kmTime: 1 hour 10 minutesStrava: https://www.strava.com/activities/3740706201 After leaving the resort, turn immediately right and join a wide trail with a gate, follow this trail up beside the perimeter fence and after about 500m it will peel off to the left. Follow the trail up in the direction of an old stone building (Casa Vieja) we will visit this on our way back. Before you reach the old house there is a turning on the right, take this turning and follow the track until you can see the new Altaona (Mosa) resort. Here you need to turn left and follow the track back to the old house. If you are feeling brave you can venture inside, but be careful. You now have two options One. Take the same route back to the gatehouse. Two. Take the route in front of the old house to the first roundabout as you leave el Valle and work your way back to the gatehouse from here. HIKE TWO – El Valle canyon (two versions)Distance 1: 10kmDistance 2: 6kmTime: 2hours/ 1 hour 40 minutesStrava: https://www.strava.com/activities/2972688355 Starting at the gatehouse, turn immediately right and join a wide trail with a gate, follow this trail up beside the perimeter fence and towards an old house, go around the old house to the right and follow the trail until another gate, you will see the Tennis Courts of Altaona (Mosa) on your left. Take a trail down in the direction of the tennis courts and at the bottom, you have to cross a dry river bed, turn right here and follow the river bed. This is a new trail so quite wild and overgrown but trust me, it gets better.
Turn right at the bottom to join the river bed Follow this trail for about 2kms until you see a steep path on the right and on the left here you have two options, ONE: if you want to cut the hike short take the trail to the right and join a trail that takes you towards El Valle perimeter wall and follow this back to where you joined the river bed.
TWO: Keep following the river bed for another 2 kms until you see some big concrete drainage pipes that were swept down the river in the floods, there is a trail on your right which you have to climb out of the river bed to join, follow this trail back to El Valle, you will pass another old house, a yellow gate (take the trail to the right of the gate towards Mosa) when you can see El Valle, just follow the perimeter Fence back to where you joined the riverbed and then back to El Valle.
HIKE THREE – El valle to garruchal returning senda del vagonExperienced hikers only!Distance: 19kmsTime: 4-5 hoursStrava: https://www.strava.com/activities/1889448146 After leaving the resort, turn immediately right and join a wide trail with a gate, follow this trail up beside the perimeter fence and after about 500m it will peel off to the left and follow the trail up in the direction of an old stone building (Casa Vieja) we will visit this on our way back. Before you reach the old house there is a turning on the right, take this turning and follow the track until you can see the new Altaona (Mosa) resort. Here you need to turn right and follow the trail next to the perimeter wall. When the trail turns to the left after about 30 meters take the trail on your right and head up to join another trail which you will follow to the right but always heading in the direction of the mountain. Once at the foot of the mountain you will see a gate post, continue past this and follow the marked trail for about 4kms where you will join a tarmac road, follow the road for 1km and you will reach Garruchal restaurant on your left, I would highly advise stopping here for a drink and a tapa and topping up your water before the home journey. Leave Garruchal and take the trail directly behind, you have to walk between the restaurant and the terrace area, follow this trail for 1km and you will see a single track on the left, follow this up quite a steep climb until you see a carriage from an old train, feel free to look inside and get some photos, the view is amazing. Continue along this trail for about 3kms (there are various trails but they all lead to the same main trail). The trail will come out behind El Valle but you can’t quite see el Valle as there is a small hill in front, You will reach a yellow gate and from here turn left following the obvious path up and around the hill until you see El Valle. From here follow the trail that you started on back to the gatehouse
Author – Anthony Cockings
