Meet in El Berro car park at 4.30 pm (opposite Camping Sierra Espuña) and from there we'll drive to the start of the walk, sharing cars.
If you haven't been on a NEST walk before, it is a nice way of meeting people in the area who also like beautiful views and the chance to appreciate lovely surroundings on easy walks. NEST walks aren't really for sporty people who enjoy scrambling and strenuous effort and perils! If you've been on walks that you didn't enjoy because people went at a very fast pace and didn't wait for you, or that involved nerve-racking steep bits that made you wonder if you might fall, then you'll find NEST is quite different. NEST is for people who enjoy easy walks without all that, and it's far more of a social thing.
When the autumn comes and the weather is cooler, NEST will meet in the mornings at 10.30 for walks which often end up as a sociable group having menu del dia in an authentic Spanish restaurant for about 9 euros for a 4 course meal including drinks. (The meal however is always optional, you can just come on the walk if you like).
In the summer it's too hot to walk in the late morning, so on Wednesday 27th August we'll be going to see the fossilized Dinosaur's footprint in the mountains in the late afternoon when it's cooling down. The walk entails going through various shaded parts of the mountains, so is not always in full dazzling hot sunlight, and it's an easy walk along narrow and wide paths strewn with pine needles, although there are a few slopes on tarmac involved, and there is also a short rope bridge to cross on this walk, which makes it all the more interesting! Don't worry, you're given a proper demonstration first on how to walk it easily and it does have a wide, wooden-slatted solid floor! If there are any daredevils amongst you (or even namby-pambies!) who want to impress your friends and make it look like you're in the Amazon jungle crossing terrific rope bridges, this is a photo-opportunity without any of the real hard work you'd find in a jungle scenario! The walk also involves going past the old sanatorium in Sierra Espuña, which many people find extremely interesting. The building is quite a stunning one. It is where people used to go and recover from TB in the fresh mountain air, which is still a joy to breathe all year round. The massive old building has seen more fame on Spanish TV as a source of ghost hunts apparently! It is certainly an impressive place.
There is always the chance of seeing wildlife in Sierra Espuna, although it can never be guaranteed. We sometimes see golden eagles and other birds of various descriptions, squirrels, arruis, foxes, wild boar, and all kinds of things...
It's a good idea to bring binoculars if you have them. Sometimes a herd of arruis has been spotted in the distance that you wouldn't see without them.. or a golden eagle circling in the sky can become all the more interesting with binoculars! There are certainly plenty of interesting photo-opportunities.
After the walk the group will briefly stop off in the mountains at a picnic area for refreshments before going home again, so bring refreshments if you'd like to join in with a leisurely friendly and informal picnic experience in beautiful mountain scenery, before it gets dark.
You need to book your place (which costs 5€) by phone 968607927 or 679002147 or email natureespunatrails@gmail.com and keep an eye on the website at www.freewebs.com/louisalivingstone for more information on walks in the future, it is regularly updated. You will also find detailed driving instructions on how to get to El Berro on the website.
Watch this space for news of future walks too!