4AN2401 Southern Spain Extreme
Welcome! Hello and welcome to our adventure in southern Spain. The pack is complete, the bikes are ready and the weather is....well, let's wait and see;-) There's not much to report today. In the afternoon we meet for our welcome briefing, after which we have time to load our bikes. We all get to know each other better over a hearty dinner. if you want to know how our adventure takes off stay tuned. Nicolas and Thomas
on the coast of liquid sunshine Today is the first day of driving, the view out of the window bodes well... Unfortunately, the hope of dry conditions doesn't last long. But what the heck, we're here to experience an adventure, so get on the horse and off we go. After the first few kilometers on the highway, we finally turn off into the mountains and despite the weather, we get a good first impression of what awaits us over the next few days. In a small mountain village, we warm up with our first coffee. But the weather doesn't get any better. So we decide to split up the group. While Nicolas takes part of the group straight to the hotel, Thomas heads down to the Coste del Sol with some of the more daring. There we have tropical salads and hot tea for lunch. What a mixture. Fortunately, our hotel has 2 bars. One for the bikes and one for us;-)
Towards the sun Riding day number 2 is just around the corner and unfortunately so is the rain which has been raging incessantly during the night, accompanied by storms. Nevertheless, we managed to persuade the bikes to leave the bar. And the weather has certainly left its mark. Fallen trees, small muddy streams crossing the roads... admittedly not exactly inviting. So we decide to take the quickest route to the next hotel. Not least to avoid the snowfall in the mountains. This gives us time and so we can take it easy. We ride comfortably from coffee stop to coffee stop, warming ourselves with a coffee or hot chocolate every half hour. After just a few hours, we finally reach our destination of La Callahorra, a village of 700 souls in the mountains overlooked by a mighty 16th century fenestration-like estate. Our hotel is no less stately. A lovingly designed place with winding corridors and lots of little details. And while our clothes hopefully hang out to dry in front of the heaters for the last time, we enjoy the good atmosphere and the camaraderie of our group.
Day 1 but V2.0 Finally! Today, we woke up with a crystal clear sky and ice cold Air. The wind blew the rain clouds and the disappointment away over night. I would say it is time for another "first riding" day with the chance to get one with our bikes. The first little Adventure was the rough gravel road up to the castle for a group picture before climbing the first of many mountain passes today. "Puerto de la Ragua" welcomed us with a perfect set of nice dry tarmac and sweeping curves. That soon changed to some wet spots in the forest and even black ice around the 2000m mark, but that was only a warning for the oncoming adventure. After a splendid coffe stop in the warming sun of the next valley we concluded the loop around the eastern Sierra Nevada Range with another set of fun mountain roads. The day should be like a roller coaster, up and down over mountains and through valleys. But nature had other plans and we got our april fool on time. Even though "Puerto de Escullar" should be open, according to a sign at the bottom of the pass, it was impossible to do it with our bikes and street tires. Near the top we were stopped by a closed snow blanket and after a quick risk assessment we decided to ride back down and look for another route. In the afternoon we were back on the original track and could enjoy the other highlights like the "La Tetica" pass and the Observatory "Calar Alto" before reaching our nice, little hotel in an old moorish/spanish convent.
from Sierra to Sierra Riding day number 4 is coming up and the weather is perfect... Yes, that's how it should be. Almost 360 varied kilometers lie ahead of us. As is usual in Spain, breakfast is late, so the early risers among us have all the time in the world to enjoy the sunrise. After a few kilometers of freeway, a seemingly endless ribbon of dream roads awaits us. Hardly any traffic, almost flawless asphalt and one bend after the next. The landscape alternates between rugged and bizarre-looking rocky landscapes and carefully cultivated hills full of olive trees, while in small villages along the way we repeatedly encounter the lush yellow of lemon trees. And although this day is not without its surprises. We really get going again in the afternoon. After a connecting stage with few bends but beautiful scenery, we reach the mountains around Puerto Tiscar. Once again, spectacular roads and even more spectacular views await us. Not to mention the orgy of bends up to our hotel in Arroyo Frio.
take it easy Today is a rest day, which of course doesn't mean that we have to sit idly in the hotel. The weather is perfect and so everyone can organize their day as they like. And while some people explore the town and relax, others go off on their own to explore the beautiful countryside. Of course, there is also a guided tour, which, as befits an extreme tour, has it all. No less than 250 km have to be covered. But with our group, it's a short trip. So Charles, Ted, Jörg, Colin and Thomas set off to explore the mountains around Arroyo Frio. There are reservoirs, extensive forests, high plateaus, castles and, of course, a thousand and one bends to discover. In the evening, we all meet up for a cozy BBQ. What a day
variety Rested and full of energy, we start a new day. A day that will once again impressively show us the beauty and diversity of this region. We start early, the fog is still heavy in the valleys of the Sierra Carzolas. The first few kilometers through the coniferous forests are almost mystical. Escaping the fog, we ride along seemingly endless side roads lined with olive groves. At some point, we turn onto one of the main roads and finally onto a highway. After all, we don't want to spend too much time in the lowlands;-). We stock up on snacks at a rest stop and continue towards the wilderness. We stop for a picnic in the countryside on a small and narrow road that leads us through a lush green hilly landscape. Strengthened and rested, we continue until we finally reach the Sierra Morena. Spectacular views and even more spectacular motorcycle roads await us here. Our destination today is Mengibar, where we spend the night in a real castle....What a day
Farewell It is already a comfortable 15 degrees Celsius as the sun rises over our "palace" in Mengibar. So this promises to be a good last day of riding. After a short briefing, we set off. Our first destination is Jaen, a historically significant city with a wonderful cathedral.... and a parking problem;-) After some back and forth, we and our bikes finally find a nice spot in the shadow of the impressive cathedral. After that, we continue on wonderfully winding roads until we reach the highway. Of course, we could just ride through to Malaga, but anyone can do that. So after a while we turn off and climb up into the mountains one last time. Spectacular views and countless bends await us once again. A nice spectacle to say goodbye. Once we arrive at the hotel, we review our experiences over a glass of Rioja. A great tour with great people comes to an end Thanks to everyone, we hope to see you all again soon. Nicolas and Thomas