Part 2 Latest Trip to Andalusia Oct 29th to Nov 16th 2019

Part 2 Latest Trip to Andalusia Oct 29th to Nov 16th 2019.
 headed up to my favorite of the three large reservoirs at Ardales Park the Guadalteva reservoir which is the middle reservoir. The dam for this reservoir was completed in 1971 and is therefore the same age as me ... 48 years old as I type ( today's date is Nov 2019).
I actually took an unusual and rather long diversion where I first headed down to the old hydroelectric station below the Conde Del Guadalhorce dam. This is a much older dam being built in the 1920's. The reason was to further investigate the power station in more detail than previous and see if I could find a shortcut route to the other side . However the area is heavily secured with fences and walls due to danger of electrocution etc. The only possible way  across I think is either using a ladder or creating a raft to float past it on the adjoining lake. Maybe the raft is a future possibility as a ladder would probably be classed as illegal !!

I forgot to say that on the way down to the Hydro station walking through the woods I bumped into Sylvia and her huge dog. Sylvia is a lovely girl from Seville who I first got chatting with in summer . She asked " tu bien? " (are you good?) A traditional Andalusian greeting I replied ” Bien bien!" Traditional reply then I added "Mucho trabacho!" Which made her laugh as it means "much work" she knows I'm hardly working just fishing. We went on or ways but meeting her cheered me up after awkwardness of seeing the other two ladies. I think she's a bit more similar to me in character .

After the afore mentioned examination of the Hydro station I headed up diagonally through the woods past two other abandoned cottages these are in quite a ruinous state compared to the one I often stay in and are overlooked by the hotel so I don't think I would habitually stay in them. The cave round the corner I have slept in back in summer and I's not overlooked. It's in a great location with forest above it and a lake below the only thing puts me off a bit Is the many spiders , but these didn't cause me a problem the night I slept there.

After going up hill cross country past the ruined cottages i continued diagonally through the Aleppo pine forest till I came to the two enormous concrete water shutes that descend down from the Guadalteva dam up above. I usually stop and lie down here and take in the fantastic view across the valley onto the forest clad lower slopes and bare rocky summit of Mount Huma , a good size mountain at over 1000 metres. In the foreground Huma is also surrounded by ,slightly lower , unusual shaped wave- like peaks. There is also the distinctive box shape summit of Pico Convento to my right and slightly nearer than Huma.

Huma is the highest peak in this immediate area , it is however outclassed by the enormous
block -of- a -mountain Alcaparain which rises up 1400+ metres , beyond the opposite end of the Conde del Guadalhorce lake. Nestled at the base of  Mount Alcaparain Is the small white town of Ardales . Seen from a distance Ardales looks stunning at night lit up like a fairy tale town  , all alone, far off across the lake and in the black shadow of Alcaparain.

I took in the wonderful view of huma as I lay on the soft forest floor composed of brown pine needles at various stages of decay . The smell of wild lavender and numerous other local aromatic herbs wafted past me. I watched the Griffon vultures circling high up to my left . Down below me and across on the slopes of huma I imagined the many small groups of wild ibex would be slowly grazing their way through the pine woods  , feeding on the grasses and herbage on the woodland floor. Continue to part 3