Saturday 24th May

We drove to the top of the highest mountain in the park, Mount Espuna, and at 1583 meters it is the one that the Sierra Espuna Parque is named after, only to arrive at the top to find our way barred at ‘no el paso’ by a military parador.

The awesome Mount Espuna

No el paso due to military spoiling view

Some unusual features near the top of the mountain were the ‘Los Pozos de la Nieve’.  These strange structures were used to make ice by compressing snow prior to man’s invention of refrigeration.  The ice was subsequently packed onto mule trains and overnighted to Murcia and Cartagena.

Los Pozos, small on the outside

but big on the inside

Sunday 25th May

Another day, another walk this one took us up the Leiva Valley to the pass at the head of the valley, the main features of the walk from 700 meters up to 1200 meters were the sheer cliff walls on both sides of the valley.  For those rock climbers out there, you can climb straight up the wall to 1300 meters.

Those cliff walls

View from the pass at the head of the valley

We had another surprise mouflon sighting as a herd unexpectedly crossed the track in front of us.

Mouflon, front view this time

This area is also extremely popular with cyclist at all levels of fitness as we witnessed yesterday as they made their way up Mount Espuna lycra clad, with muffin tops, about to have a heart attack any minute.

A muffin top lycra clad heart attack

A more sedate way of getting up the mountain