Final trip up the Penon to visit the summit cats. This hike had an unfortunate ending, but that's not a story for this blog.
A wild pig hunt took place in Sella the weekend before we left. As we drove to the cliffs in the morning we saw trucks and hunting dogs everywhere - we knew something was up. After climbing on the sunny cliffs for awhile, we packed up to go to Wild Side and quickly reached a barricade on the road preventing us from driving (or walking) any further. The valley was closed for the annual pig hunt, and the picture below shows the result. Not a good deal for these poor pigs...
A couple of days later, we did a lovely 10-kilometre loop hike adjacent to the climbing area. The walk followed an old road to the head of a valley below a mountain pass, then traversed forest to an adjacent valley before descending to the climbing area. It was scenic and peaceful, and we thoroughly enjoyed a casual exploration of the pretty countryside.
We passed an old house ruin near the pass and Elise and I enjoyed exploring what was left of the property. The only portion of the roof still standing were the timber supports.
The rain we endured sure brought out a lot of mushrooms, and we often saw locals foraging through the forests with their mushroom baskets in hand.
Beautiful light near the end of the hike. This house is perched on a ridge just above the "Wild Side" cliff.
Evening light on the Devino. We hiked to the summit of this iconic peak a week before. Climbers do scale the steep walls lit by the sun, but this wasn't for us.
Nighttime in our village.
The rains caused many plants to flower. This is the street in front of our apartment.
We did a day trip to Denia, a pretty coastal city where the Mallorcan ferries land. We enjoyed cold (!) swimming in this pretty cove and beachcombing just south of town where we found a great collection of nice seashells.
Elise near the Denia marina.
There were a few "nice" boats...
Our final hiking objective of the trip was the 1408-metre-high Puig Campana, the second highest mountain in the province. Climbers scale the steep walls on the west side of the peak, but a good hiking trail switchbacks up the north slope with an elevation change of 1004 metres, a hefty load for sure!
We started by hiking through a burned zone on the side of the mountain. Elise on the trail; fall colours in behind.
The trail led through pine forest to a pass, where the summit trail diverged.
As we switchbacked up the scree slopes, we saw mountain goats traversing the ledges. Look closely in this picture for the white objects. This is the best I could do without a big zoom lens.
Below the final stretch to the summit we encountered a couple of local hikers. We had trouble communicating, but this fellow reached into his pack and pulled out a small box. Inside was a collection of tiny objects he'd made using wire. He offered one to Elise and she was delighted...
Although the day started sunny and clear a cloud descended on the peak just as we arrived, obscuring our views. We decided to hang out and see if it would lift. Elise signed the summit register while we waited.
A small window opened up through the mist. This is the view west (away from the sea) showing the rocky ridgelines around the Sella climbing sectors.
On the top of Puig Campana!
A small fire kept us warm...
The clouds didn't clear, so we headed back down. Elise and I scrambled up to a notch between the peaks and found a wooden cross and a great view!
Of course the skies cleared as soon as we descended. Evening light on the valley below the peak.
Moonrise over Puig Campana.
For my final climbing day, I chose Cabezon de Oro, a beautiful cleft in a ridge about 45-minutes from Sella. The orange-streaked stone was amazing, the setting was stunning and, as always, we had the entire area to ourselves. I had a successful climb so we finished early and headed to Villajoysa for some afternoon beachcombing. It was a good day - a nice way for me to finish after a difficult two-months of injury laden climbing.
For our final day in the Costa Blanca, we choose a moderate, multi-pitch route above the sea. Elise really does seem to like multi-pitch climbing and this was our second of the trip. The day was absolutely glorious - we couldn't have asked for more. The route we did was named "Lara" (4+) and it was three pitches long. The climb went without incident and we descended the cliff by rappel before enjoying our lunch on the ledge at the base. It was a fitting end to our trip and we bumped into a couple from Squamish, of all places, as we were heading back to the car.
The gorge across from our climb.
Elise on pitch number two.
Back at the base after a successful climb.
With time to spare, we headed into Calpe (home to the Penon) to enjoy the last of the afternoon sun at the beach. It was brisk - a cold wind blew across the sand - but Elise eventually stripped down and started frolicking in the water. Pam and I, wrapped in our parkas, looked on in amazement. What can I say? Elise inspired me so I stripped down and jumped into the Mediterranean one last time. It was COLD, but we swam and splashed until Elise's lips turned blue. Time to get out! The water in Hawaii at Christmas will be downright comfortable by comparison.
On our final evening, the orange cat that followed Elise and I up to the church returned to our apartment and spent the evening lounging on our laps. The owner of our apartment, Steve, said his name was "Garfield". Just before it was time for Elise to go to bed, she walked over to him, put her arms around his neck, kissed him on the forehead and said "I love you Garfield". I'm pretty sure she's going to be some kind of crazy cat lady with dozens of cats roaming her home when she's an adult...
We are driving to Barcelona today (Sunday) and fly home tomorrow morning. If all goes well, we should be back in Squamish by Monday evening. Over and out from Spain...
Marc, Pam and Elise...
