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My head is filled with images and experiences from this trip, the stars overhead, the tumbling waters, the stillness, the Ibex and even the mid-morning break to make a cup of tea! Here are just a few digital ones from a mind blowing overnight camp.
It had started out as a trip to visit the accessible but relatively unknown lake at Peñon Negro to the south east of Mulhacen. On checking the area around there on Google Earth I found another lake a kilometer further north under the eastern slopes. It looked to be situated spectacularly in a hanging valley, with waterfalls and abundant green grass, seemingly enlcosed to its south by steep cliffs. This lake had no name on any map we looked at. We decided to maybe go and take a look.
Due to not wanting to put undue weight and pressure on my pacemaker implant (my excuse!) Sean gladly volunteered to share his stove and fuel with me. I travel lightweight and by the time we set off my pack weighed 3.5kg with the waistpack another 3.5kg. This included all my food and a litre of water.
Smugmug Photo Album
We got got the late afternoon bus to Alto de Chorrillo from Capileira which dropped us off at 2700m at the Alto de Chorrillo. From there it was under an hour to a previous campsite at the sublime, Laguna Peñon Negro.
Here we debated whether to move onto the "Lake With No Name" or remain here. I was all for staying as the approach to the lake, according to Google Earth, looked quite steep with crags around. We sent our "scouts", Sean and Michael off to see if they could find a suitable approach route. They returned some time later saying they had seen a path and an easy way down to the lake. We set off in pursuit.
When we arrived at the descent point it quickly became apparent that Sean had erroneously identified another small lake far below. So far down was it that, in fact, next day would have been easier to descend to Trevelez rather than trudge back uphill. This also had no name on the map. In due deference to the discoverer of this lake we named it "Wallaby Lake".
In fact the entrance to the hanging valley containing the "Lake With No Name" lay some 90 degrees to our left. The route across to the exit of the stream led down and across steep scree and boulders.
The scree was well bonded together by recent rains and it looked trickier than it actually was. A clamber over a few rocks towards the end and we arrived at a glorious stream tumbling down from the lake.
The lake was superb and set in a deep valley with snow clad cliffs above and to the left. Obvious that humans never visit here. Maybe we were the first? I was quite honoured when the others volunteered to offer a name of this lake, Laguna de los Dos Dickys.
N.B Laguna de los Dos Dickys refers to the two Richards that were in the first party to discover this lake
Accompanied by Don Simon, we sat at the exit of the lake enjoying watching the shadows lengthen towards the eastern Sierra Nevada. When the sun fell behind Mulhacen at our backs we returned to the camp to eat out evening meals.
The sky darkened and the wind strengthened. It became cold pretty quick so everybody retired to their sleeping bags without haste.
I never have an unboken sleep, expecially at camp. It seems like you never sleep but in fact I reckon I got 6 hours sleep out of the nine we were in tents.
At two o'clock, after debating with myself for 30 mins about whether to venture out into the cold to answer the call of nature, I rose from my tent. The sky was amazing. I guess then was not the time to start learning astrophotography but I put the camera on a tripod and a 20 second timer and pressed the shutter. I took a lot of blurry ones but this is the best I managed. Might have to learn how to do it properly 🤣
At 7am I left the tent and returned to the bar area, not to finish the last dregs that Don Simon had left, but to see the rising of the sun. Magical!
We had to catch the return bus at 11:30am so a lay-in was in order. We set a 8:30 departure time which gave everybody, even Michael, plenty of time to have breakfast, pack up and just enjoy the scenery.
The ascent to join the main path, the Eastern Traverse from Siete Lagunas to the plateau area south of Mulhacen took just 30 minutes. Maybe we were acclimatised by then as it seemed very easy. Just maybe we had had help from Don Simon?
We had plenty of time to catch the bus so spent quite a bit of time enjoying the summit of Tajos de Peñon Negro. Continuing the descent and just before we met the main Mulhacen path and humanity again, we stopped in some rocks and made some tea. It was nice not to have to rush anywhere.
Thanks to Kate, Michael, Richard and Sean for being humerous and reliable companions. Enjoyed the crack immensely. Gracias Kate and Richard for bringing along the Don!