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I've been training for an ascent of Cadair Idris this year. I did Snowdon the steep way in 2008 and (surprising myself) enjoyed it.
I'm going to Spain in Sept and noticed that this:
http://www.spanishhighs.co.uk/climb-mulhacen-highest-mountain-in-spain.php
is nearby, so I'm going to attempt it.
So far, I'm doing 30k in the Surrey Hills including three steep but short climbs and arriving home without my legs feeling like they're trying to murder the rest of me. Progress!
Will another, say, four circuits be enough to get me up and down Mulhacen? In your experienced opinion?
You should be ok if you have a reasonable level of fitness anyway, just keep doing a bit of walking/jogging. MTB will help with cardo, but doesn't do the same leg muscles, so you need the walking/jogging bit.
Do the 4 30k circuits spaced out equally between now and sept, do 2 or 3 jogging sessions each week, no more than a few miles. short distance regularly, is best
Thanks, B.A. that's encouraging.
if you are looking for a leg killer to get used to ascending I would recommend Pen y Ole Wen on the Carneddau. its as much a killer coming down too!!
You'll be fine. As long as your feet are comfy and your head is fixed on completing it then you'll sail through it. Not saying don't stop practising or anything but just keep going the way you are on your regular training régime and you'll love it and want to do more
Good Luck
P.S. if you want a proper challenge come out with me in a couple of weeks for a 20 hour march/run over the dales three peaks route twice with a 55lb bergen on! You'll love it!
You'll be fine Mr Woppit its a long but non technical route. Did it a couple of years ago in winter, its a lovely day out. Little shrine on top and on a clear day you can see the Atlas mountains in Morocco.
Its a great part of Spain, been round the area a couple of times. The book Driving over Lemons is based around Orgiva, can't remember who wrote it but quite entertaining. If the campsite in Lanjaron is still open ask in the bar if the flamenco singers still do their stuff there.
They looked like 2 fat chavs in tracksuits but were amazing to listen to.
Ohh I want to go back now.
I'm going to see if I can't find some proper flamenco to watch/listen to. Couple of pals run a holiday let business in Orgiva, so they should know the score pretty much...
"20 hour" "run" - "55lb bergen" love to, big chief, but you'd have to give me back about 20 years...
Fat chavs have feelings to you know.
Should be fine, might ever so slightly feel the altitude at the summit but shouldn't be bad at all. I spent 10 days walking in the Pyrenees 2 summers ago and have just done Kili, I'm fit but don't do walking and did no specific 'training' for it and managed OK so just go pole pole (slowly slowly) as they say on Kili and have a good time!
FWIW:
Sorry if this is obvious but here's my 2p worth
If you're doing it with a guide just get as fit as you can and let them do the planning as that's why you pay them.
If you're doing it on your own then its a long day out regardless of route but up and down from Trevellez is probably easiest way with a nice long rest at Laguna Hondera. Or drive up to the highest car park at Hoya de Portillo from Capileira but that's cheating 😉
Being fit is only half of the challenge. A couple of things to bear in mind are:
get an early start!!
altitude - everyone reacts differently there isn't a rule of thumb here some people start feeling it at 2000m, 3000m, 4000m etc. If you start to feel bad, descending is the only way to feel better
weather - these peaks are over 3000m so if bad weather rolls in you need to be prepared in terms of kit and skills/knowledge. Admittedly it will be late summer but bad weather can happen any time at 3000m even in the Sierras, some Brits died there 4 years ago in a terrible snowstorm
sun - very high UV at altitude so be careful, there's no shelter up there
water - take lots! There'll be none up there in Sept unless they've had early snow
food - take lots
I'm sure you'll really enjoy it but its a much more serious route than Snowdon or Cadair Idris because of the altitude. (i'm not being a killjoy just trying to give you a balanced view).
hope this helps
The book Driving over Lemons is based around Orgiva, can't remember who wrote it but quite entertaining.
It's awful, formulaic tosh - washed out Brit arrives in strange country in search of tranquility / falls in love with trashed cortijo / gets to know whacky furrin neighbours who he endows with semi-mystic qualities / he gradually becomes more and more like them / lots of whacky anecdotes about how Spanish people say mañana a lot and are more chilled than Londoners / finally writes book to ensure that hitherto unspoiled area is swamped with middle class British tourists / sits around complaining that things ain't what they used to be.
Applicable to pretty much any country you can think of - Albania, Spain, Tibet etc. I'm thinking of writing a similar book about my experiences as a Londoner who's relocated to the Peak District and calling it: 'Driving Over Rabbits'.
Anyway... Mulhacen is technically and literally a walk in a park, it's quite long and just high enough to feel the altitude, but take it steady and keep fuelling and it should be fine. I guess it's all relative, but if you have basic outdoor skills and some common sense and basic fitness, you should be fine. Just be careful not to buy a run-down cortijo and write another awful travel book, please... 😉
I think you'll manage fine
washed out Brit arrives in strange country in search of tranquility
Uh-oh...
If you're doing it with a guide just get as fit as you can and let them do the planning as that's why you pay them
Yep. 2-dayer.
Mr W
have a great time up there
It would be more fun it it was written by a local rabbit and it called it
"Driving over Londoners"