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La Pedriza, high heat of August.

I discovered this smallholding, closed for the summer, except open to the bees that were involved in the many beehives in its garden, when totally lost in this forbidding sierra. The other side of it is touristy, spectacular in its granite forms and also too easy to get lost in but you meet many other walkers and climbers who can help you. On this side, until recently not open to the public, no one is about. I had to climb these mountains and get down the other side in order to find a trail I recognised, then staggered into town with a huge thirst, having run out of water, and having to phone sainted girlfriend to come and get me as I had missed the last bus! I was also drunk by then as I had only beer with which to slake my raging thirst. My girlfriend assumed it was sun stroke! Bless...! I was also supposed to have only taken a gentle stroll to get my strength back after a spell of chemotherapy, so I couldn't admit the truth that a 5 km stroll at ground level turned into a 15 km epic over 1000 metres of waterless slogging uphill!
I felt good the next day though! I needed it! Both the exercise and the alcohol after months of sobriety!
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21 comments

Malik Raoulda said:

La maison est minuscule devant cette immensité ++++++
7 years ago ( translate )

William Sutherland said:

Gorgeous landscape capture!

Admired in:
www.ipernity.com/group/tolerance
7 years ago ( translate )

Pam J said:

Oh Andy !!
Love the story and yes.. she's a star !
Glad you weren't bad the next day.

Sometime you just have to do what you have to do.. but next time... take more water !!
7 years ago

Andy Rodker replied to Pam J:

It was the only time I didn't taken more water than I needed!!! I had mapped my route and knew that I wouldn't be more than a few miles from the town and certainly wouldn't be going far off a major low-level path. I still don't know how I got so lost; map-reading is something I'm normally good at!
7 years ago

Andy Rodker said:

Nick,
Therese,
Udo,
John,
Malik,
William,
Pam,
Thank you all!
7 years ago ( translate )

Yves Lurol said:

paysage typique de la cabrera / il devait faire très chaud ce jour la ...
7 years ago ( translate )

Rosalyn Hilborne said:

Very interesting notes Andy. What a contrast from one side to the other!
7 years ago

Marie-claire Gallet said:

Very dry and impressive landscape, Andy !!!!!!!!!!!!
7 years ago ( translate )

Marie-claire Gallet said:

7 years ago ( translate )

Jocelyne Villoing said:

Impressionnante la petite maison au milieu de ce chaos ! bien repéré Andy.
7 years ago ( translate )

Keith Burton said:

I sincerely hope your route planning skills have improved since this escapade Andy. I can see how you might have got in trouble - that is a really forbidding landscape and I can imagine that once you get among those rocks, everything starts to look the same.

A cracking shot............and a heart-warming story..!!
7 years ago

trester88 said:

Abenteuerliche Geschichte, Andy!
Aber ein paar Bier trinken auf einen großen Durst ist nicht schlecht ;-)
7 years ago ( translate )

Eunice Perkins said:

Quite an adventure, Andy! I'm glad it all turned out well for you. Not the sort of terrain I'd want to be lost and alone in, although it has its charm.
7 years ago

Fred Fouarge said:

Je bent op Avontuur Geweest zo te zien en te horen
7 years ago ( translate )

Andy Rodker said:

Udo,
Annemarie,
Gilbert,
Steve,
Erhard,
amelie,
Thorsten,
cammino,
John F,
Gudrun,
John L,
Manfred,
Yves,
Philippe,
Rosa,
Marie-claire,
Jocelyne,
Keith,
Pat,
Wilhelm,
Eunice,
Fred,
Very many thanks to you all!
7 years ago