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Great Malaga Path (GR 249). Stage 20. Embalses del Guadalhorce - Estación de El Chorro (Álora)

Diputación de Málaga
GR 249. Stage 20. Embalses del Guadalhorce - Estación de El Chorro.

Great Malaga Path (GR 249). Stage 20. Embalses del Guadalhorce - Estación de El Chorro (Álora)

Routes On foot On a bicycle
Difficulty - Blue -Easy
Access -

1. Initiation Stage:

Access Starting point: From A-357 road between Campillos and Ardales take the A-7286 then exit, following the signs to Pantanos on an unmarked road. Coming from Ardales take the MA-5403 to the Puerto de la Atalaya. There, the
described service road leads to the reservoirs. Take the road leading downhill, the MA-4400, to get to El Chorro.

Starting point: Reservoirs of the Guadalhorce and the Guadalteba, where both dams meet.

Enjoy the walk safely: The total of ascents and descents, the length of the route, the walk´s altitude and its solitude require planning this stage in detail. The road at the beginning of the stage has very little traffic but it is narrow and sometimes offers little visibility.

There is no possibility of stocking up on drinking water. The water from the Fuente de la Viuda spring has not been treated for consumption. The area of pine forest is very dense. Also, here you must take extra precautions to prevent forest fi res. You will cross the Arroyo del Chorro stream bed twice, but it is so unlikely that it will contain any water that there was no need to mark these crossings as fords on the corresponding icon of this stage.

2. Completion of Stage:

Access to finish point:  From the Puerto de la Atalaya, access as described above. From Álora, take the A-343 and turn off at the Valle de Abdalajís to follow the MA-4401 or directly from the MA-3401.

Finish point: The train stop at the Estación deEl Chorro.

3. Alternatives:

Possible "escape  routes": In the fi rst section the “escape plan” is clear: down the network of tracks to the dam of Guadalhorce. There is a tarmac track along its left bank leading to the starting point. However, once you are at the highest point of the stage, the best option is walking down the track to kilometre marker 16 to the Valle de Abdalajís.

No return point: From the Cortijo Campano it is best to keep moving forwar

Connections to other footpaths and trails:

GR-7 E-4, Overlap from km 15.8, GR 248, The Great Path of Guadalhorce, link up at end, PR-A 85, from El Nacimiento, posible link up at km 14.5 at La Fuente de la Viuda, All route 249.4, Link up at km 15.8, SL-A 207, Haza del río and PR-A 390, Mt Huma, partial overlap.

Hazards:

• Road traffic circulating at the Stage start and finish (1.7km)

Duration - 6:05 horas
Length - 22000 Km
Routes

The natural lookout spots over the three reservoirs (Up to km 4.2) 

The route begins at the meeting point  of the Guadalteba and Guadalhorce reservoirs,  where the road which accesses  the Nature Reserve from the north crosses  the water. Continuing along the service  road which heads north-east, you pass by  two turn-offs to reservoir management  facilities, both heading south. After a  kilometre and a half along the tarmac,  following the banks of the Guadalhorce  reservoir and very close to the aggregate  quarries used for the construction of the  dams, the route turns off to the right.  Just before a chain which closes off the  road, off to the left are two tracks which  lead to the old limestone mine. Continue  along the forest track heading south,  which is closed to traffic and you soon  encounter a steep climb through Aleppo  pines.

Native vegetation is fighting to  recover its territory not only in the shaded  and steeper areas, but also in among the  Pine forest. Holm oaks, Savin junipers  and reasonably-sized Turpentine trees  occasionally form clumps of woodland.  Undergrowth of Mastic shrubs, Scorpion  broom, Black hawthorn, Juniper and  Kermes oak also gives an idea of the  woodland’s former rich diversity. 

A short way on, you reach a section with  panoramic views of the entire hydroelectric  complex of El Chorro, Malaga’s western  Sierras and the opening of the first gully  of the Los Gaitanes Gorgeway. The most  common rock here is calcareous sandstone  from the sedimentary belt that encircles  the Nature Reserve along with its core of  limestone and dolomite. There is a sharp  turn in the track to the east, from where  the landscape becomes decidedly more  mountainous. 

Further up the track, you come to an  interesting expanse of shrubland with  Esparto grass, Rosemary and Laurel-leaf  rockroses beneath Pine trees shaped by the  wind. Looking south from here, magnificent  Savin juniper trees cover the Todosaires  stream and the northern slopes of the  Sierra del Huma with the flat, treeless  summit just under 1,200 metres high. 

The limestone outcrops in the northern Nature Reserve (Up to km 10) 

This brings you to a wide open and flatter  area (km 4.5) called La Cornicabra, with some  young Pine trees and Thyme shrubs, which  nearby beehives put to good use. Towards  the east, we begin to see the sheer rockfaces  that characterise the area. In this section, you  go alongside the high voltage power line,  the same one seen earlier at the boundary  between Campillos from Antequera. You then  reach a mountain pass, a natural occurring  passage between two imposing cliffs, the  smaller facing north and the taller looking  west. The area is famous for sport climbing  due to the very high quality of the rock and  the overhangs of the climbing routes. It is  actually known as Desplomilandia, meaning  ‘Overhang Land’, while the rockface higher  up is known specifically as El Triángulo due  to the shape of the rock. There used to be  pens at its base used for livestock. 

Having taken a northerly course from La  Cornicabra, the path then goes downhill,  and soon passes a small track off to the left  used by climbers (km 6). It then begins a  long climb to the east, up a treeless slope  with the impressive Tajo del Cabrito above. 

This rocky outcrop is a formidable obstacle  for both people and animals, towering a  hundred metres above the path on average  and two kilometres in length. At the Ramos  pass, about 7 kilometres from the start, the  karst landscape on the left gives you an idea  of what the top of the outcrops above is like,  with pinnacle rock formations, like stacks of  plates and similar to those at the famous  Torcal de Antequera and Savin juniper in  the passages. In contrast, the slope on the  right of the path is the result of rockfalls and  is less dramatic in appearance. 

The route begins another descent with  views over Antequera’s plains, while crossing an area of short but very dense Savin juniper,  which appear to form woodland yet maintain  their bushy characteristics. Two tracks join  the route, from the left and when you come  to a level area that is currently ploughed for  sowing (km 9.5), you gradually curve round  towards the south-west. Just a little further  on, you pass the turn-off to the zigzagging  track that leads to the Sierra Llana.

Along the boundary of the Nature Reserve (hasta el km 16) 

The most physically demanding part of  the stage begins here. Between the 10th and  13th kilometre marks, you are confronted with  a continuous climb, gaining 300 metres in  elevation. The Cortijo del Madroño trail runs  along the bottom of a rocky valley and has  another gully on the right, called El Salto  de la Zorra (The Fox’s Gap). The route then  abandons this pathway at a turn-off to the  left, where the slope becomes gentler and  you head east past the Cortijo de Campano  country house. This open and level area is  surprisingly agricultural, despite the rugged  nature of the terrain. There are excellent views  of the 1,186m high Capilla mountain, covered  with Scorpion broom shrubs. 

The highest point of the stage is the  Rosalejo pass after 14 kilometres, at 845  metres above sea level. Interestingly, this is  also where the Roman city of Nescania once  stood. Once you cross over into the Protected  Natural Area and the route begins its descent  and turns progressively south. On your left,  away from the pathway is the Viuda fountain  and nearby Cortijo de la Rejanada country  house. The highest peak in this mountain  range is the bulk of grey limestone called  Huma (1,191 m), which the section of path  runs round, keeping it on your right. There  are more country estates below the road,  named El Tajo del Palmito, Castillo and Los  Peñascales. This last one, lends its name to  the road coming from the Valle de Abdalajís,  or more specifically from the MA-4401 road. 

Los Pedregales Way (To the end of the stage) 

When you reach the municipal area of  Álora (almost at km 16), the route is joined  by the GR7 E4 and Alternative Route GR  249.4 and they head south-west together.  The hamlet of La Pedrera is a group of  houses amidst Olive groves at the foot of the  mountainside. It has a network of country  tracks that you must work your way along,  until the dense Pine forest of the Arroyo del  Chorro stream. Much like other reforested  areas visited previously, the woodland’s  main purpose is to prevent the silting up  of the wetlands through reinforcing, and  so stabilising the surrounding rocky slopes.  For the second time, the path enters the  Protected Area where it remains, practically  until the end of the stage. 

You soon come to a steep incline in the  track, which levels off slightly when you  come to an area of bends and from where  the Escalera Árabe path branches off (km  18). There is then a second section with  sharper zigzags, with a panoramic view of  the village of El Chorro and surroundings,  the Mesas de Villaverde and the first part  of the next stage. You cannot miss the  rockfaces close by on your right, which  have different routes for both sport and  traditional climbing. The crag is known  among climbers as Las Frontales (Lower,  Middle and Upper) and has a spectacular  collection of routes in a cave, called Poema  Roca (the Rock Poem). The traditional  name for these crags, however is Tajo de  los Castellones. As for the Escalera Árabe  (The Arabic Stairway), which is actually  from the middle of the last century, it  was built to reforestate the area beyond  the cliffs, which are not visible from this  part of the route. 

The track passes through some Pine  trees, with very little ground cover of shrubs  due to the dense canopy overhead. It then  crosses the gully twice in areas where the  track is protected by stone wall terraces  and retaining walls. The first houses come  into view, and you soon enter the village of  El Chorro. Winding your way through the  streets in a westerly direction brings you to  its railway station, where this stage ends.

GR 249. Stage 20. Embalses del Guadalhorce - Estación de El Chorro. The inlet (tail end) of the Guadalhorce reservoir dominates the landscape to the north of the walk Imagen de GR 249. Stage 20. Embalses del Guadalhorce - Estación de El Chorro. The inlet (tail end) of the Guadalhorce reservoir dominates the landscape to the north of the walk GR 249. Stage 20. Embalses del Guadalhorce - Estación de El Chorro. Panoramic sign of the three reservoirs in a bend of the Path Imagen de GR 249. Stage 20. Embalses del Guadalhorce - Estación de El Chorro. Panoramic sign of the three reservoirs in a bend of the Path GR 249. Stage 20. Embalses del Guadalhorce - Estación de El Chorro. The Huma peak in the background and the junipers of the Natural Park Imagen de GR 249. Stage 20. Embalses del Guadalhorce - Estación de El Chorro.  The Huma peak in the background and the junipers of the Natural Park GR 249. Stage 20. Embalses del Guadalhorce - Estación de El Chorro. The Chapel (Capilla) peak seen from the middle of the road Imagen de GR 249. Stage 20. Embalses del Guadalhorce - Estación de El Chorro. The Chapel (Capilla) peak seen from the middle of the road GR 249. Stage 20. Embalses del Guadalhorce - Estación de El Chorro. The limestone walls of El Chorro at the end of the Stage Imagen de GR 249. Stage 20. Embalses del Guadalhorce - Estación de El Chorro. The limestone walls of El Chorro  at the end of the Stage GR 249. Stage 20. Embalses del Guadalhorce - Estación de El Chorro. The lane at the end of the route from the so-called Arab Ladder Imagen de GR 249. Stage 20. Embalses del Guadalhorce - Estación de El Chorro. The lane at the end of the route from the so-called Arab Ladder GR 249. Stage 20. Embalses del Guadalhorce - Estación de El Chorro. The front walls of El Chorro or Cerro de los Castellones Imagen de GR 249. Stage 20. Embalses del Guadalhorce - Estación de El Chorro. The front walls of El Chorro or Cerro de los Castellones GR 249. Stage 20. Embalses del Guadalhorce - Estación de El Chorro. Starting climbing Sierra Llana, in the foreground of Palmito and Sabina scrub, Guadalhorce reservoir and Campillos area in the background Imagen de GR 249. Stage 20. Embalses del Guadalhorce - Estación de El Chorro. Starting climbing Sierra Llana, in the foreground of Palmito and Sabina scrub, Guadalhorce reservoir and Campillos area in the background GR 249. Stage 20. Embalses del Guadalhorce - Estación de El Chorro. Path bordering the Natural Park of the Gaitanes Gorge to the northeast Imagen de GR 249. Stage 20. Embalses del Guadalhorce - Estación de El Chorro. Path bordering the Natural Park of the Gaitanes Gorge to the northeast GR 249. Stage 20. Embalses del Guadalhorce - Estación de El Chorro. Northern view of Sierra Huma Imagen de GR 249. Stage 20. Embalses del Guadalhorce - Estación de El Chorro. Northern view of Sierra Huma GR 249. Stage 20. Embalses del Guadalhorce - Estación de El Chorro. Fountain of the Widow (La Viuda) next to Cortijo de la Rejanada Imagen de GR 249. Stage 20. Embalses del Guadalhorce - Estación de El Chorro. Fountain of the Widow (La Viuda) next to Cortijo de la Rejanada GR 249. Stage 20. Embalses del Guadalhorce - Estación de El Chorro. Mountain agriculture between the Sierra del Valle de Abdalajis and Sierra de Huma. The Guadalhorce Valley and Alora Hacho in the background Imagen de GR 249. Stage 20. Embalses del Guadalhorce - Estación de El Chorro. Mountain agriculture between the Sierra del Valle de Abdalajis and Sierra de Huma. The Guadalhorce Valley and Alora Hacho in the background GR 249. Stage 20. Embalses del Guadalhorce - Estación de El Chorro. Port of Flanders and River Haza Imagen de GR 249. Stage 20. Embalses del Guadalhorce - Estación de El Chorro. Port of Flanders and River Haza GR 249. Stage 20. Embalses del Guadalhorce - Estación de El Chorro. Last stretch to El Chorro station Imagen de GR 249. Stage 20. Embalses del Guadalhorce - Estación de El Chorro. Last stretch to El Chorro station GR 249. Stage 20. Embalses del Guadalhorce - Estación de El Chorro. Mesa de Villaverde and Tajo de la Encantada in front of the Chorro station Imagen de GR 249. Stage 20. Embalses del Guadalhorce - Estación de El Chorro. Mesa de Villaverde and Tajo de la Encantada in front of the Chorro station GR 249. Stage 20. Embalses del Guadalhorce - Estación de El Chorro. Griffon vulture in crowned flight Imagen de GR 249. Stage 20. Embalses del Guadalhorce - Estación de El Chorro. Griffon vulture in crowned flight GR 249. Stage 20. Embalses del Guadalhorce - Estación de El Chorro (Álora). Views over the reservoirs Guadalhorce and Guadalteba during the first steps of the Stage Imagen de GR 249. Stage 20. Embalses del Guadalhorce - Estación de El Chorro (Álora). Views over the reservoirs Guadalhorce and Guadalteba during the first steps of the Stage GR 249. Stage 20. Embalses del Guadalhorce - Estación de El Chorro (Álora). Gaitanejo reservoir ́s stable water levels sustain well-preserved riparian vegetation Imagen de GR 249. Stage 20. Embalses del Guadalhorce - Estación de El Chorro (Álora). Gaitanejo reservoir ́s stable water levels sustain well-preserved riparian vegetation GR 249. Stage 20. Embalses del Guadalhorce - Estación de El Chorro (Álora). Planted pine woods envelop the dams of the two reservoirs Imagen de GR 249. Stage 20. Embalses del Guadalhorce - Estación de El Chorro (Álora). Planted pine woods envelop the dams of the two reservoirs GR 249. Stage 20. Embalses del Guadalhorce - Estación de El Chorro (Álora). Unusual shapes of Aleppo pines and slopes of the Huma with Savin juniper thickets, seen from the first vantage points of the walk Imagen de GR 249. Stage 20. Embalses del Guadalhorce - Estación de El Chorro (Álora).  Unusual shapes of Aleppo pines and slopes of the Huma with Savin juniper thickets, seen from the first vantage points of the walk GR 249. Stage 20. Embalses del Guadalhorce - Estación de El Chorro (Álora). The impressive los Gaitanes cliffs and in the background Mesa de Villaverde with a chimney on top Imagen de GR 249. Stage 20. Embalses del Guadalhorce - Estación de El Chorro (Álora).  The impressive los Gaitanes cliffs and in the background Mesa de Villaverde with a chimney on top GR 249. Stage 20. Embalses del Guadalhorce - Estación de El Chorro (Álora). One of the most interesting vegetation formations of the Stage are the forests of Savin Juniper Imagen de GR 249. Stage 20. Embalses del Guadalhorce - Estación de El Chorro (Álora). One of the most interesting vegetation formations of the Stage are the forests of Savin Juniper GR 249. Stage 20. Embalses del Guadalhorce - Estación de El Chorro (Álora). Oaks and Savin junipers in the nooks of the karstic relief of limestone cliffs Imagen de GR 249. Stage 20. Embalses del Guadalhorce - Estación de El Chorro (Álora). Oaks and Savin junipers in the nooks of the karstic relief of limestone cliffs GR 249. Stage 20. Embalses del Guadalhorce - Estación de El Chorro (Álora). Around the summit Esparto grass and cistus bushes prevail, amongst scattered Aleppo pines Imagen de GR 249. Stage 20. Embalses del Guadalhorce - Estación de El Chorro (Álora). Around the summit Esparto grass and cistus bushes prevail, amongst scattered Aleppo pines Etapa 20 Adulto y joven (derecha) de alimoche (Neophron percnopterus) Imagen de Etapa 20 Adulto y joven (derecha) de alimoche (Neophron percnopterus) Etapa 20 Cumbres rocosas de la sierra Imagen de Etapa 20 Cumbres rocosas de la sierra Etapa 20 Pinares de carrasco y sabinares Imagen de Etapa 20 Pinares de carrasco y sabinares Etapa 20 sabina negra o mora (Juniperus phoenicea) Imagen de Etapa 20 sabina negra o mora (Juniperus phoenicea) Etapa 20 Rupicapnos africana subsp. decipiens Imagen de Etapa 20 Rupicapnos africana subsp. decipiens Etapa 20 Muflón (Ovis gmelini) Imagen de Etapa 20 Muflón (Ovis gmelini) Etapa 20 Mariposa Pandora (Argynnis pandora) Imagen de Etapa 20 Mariposa Pandora (Argynnis pandora)

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