Peak Bagging and Long Distance Walking in the UK and Spain: La Atalaya

Walk Summary

Camino Rural Fuente de la Carrasca covered by soil from
fields after heavy rain. Quite alot of tarmac washed away

Fifth and therefore penultimate P600's of what appeared to be a convenient group of six in and around Sierras de Cazorla, Segura and La Sagra that could be picked off on journey south from Moncayo to the mountainous coastal strip in search of warmer, drier Autumn weather between Alicante and Gibraltar.
After realising 60% of the Spain/Portugal P600's are concentrated in 20% of the northern strip on the Iberian mainland mass, starting on the Mediterranean coast with the Pyrenees - extending west through the Basque/Cantabian mountains, then on to the Picos de Europa, it has finally dawned on me that the remaining Iberian P600's are relatively isolated, spread across the remainder of the peninsula, meaning it is difficult to be settled in one place for more than a couple of days.

Looks like could be a prehistoric cave near Fuente la Carrasca

The NE/SW aspect of this group of Sierras with roads on NW/SE perimeter converging even further to the SW at Pozo Alcón results in a long drive to cover both sides. This was complicated in my case by not being able to access the trailhead for Morro del Buitre due to the access road to Camping El Cortijillo being blocked by road works at junction with Cortijo Martín (N38°49'26" W2°46'15"). Then further exacerbated by incorrectly deciding to head for Camping Maria rather than stay in the area of Martín to attempt Morro del Buitre another day and being close to Sagra and La Atalaya before heading further south. Instead Camping Maria was very close to Sierra Maria and although was a good base during a period of unseasonably heavy rain, was a longer drive to Sagra and La Atalaya.
The poor weather here, the forecast predicting more for the foreseeable future, circumstances at home that after 5 weeks away seemed to be calling me to return and finally a family funeral convinced me it was time to come home.

As expected La Atalaya summit area shrouded by low cloud

First stop on the journey north would be the isolated pueblo of Fuente de la Carrasca accessed along the aptly named Camino Rural Fuente de la Carrasca from Cañada de la Cruz a metaled single track road that in places had been destroyed by stone and soil washed off adjacent fields by the recent rains covered with liquid mud.
Leaving van parked at roadside on east side of Pueblo there is a short road heading north past the fuente (source) that gives the pueblo it's name. Very soon the track ends becoming a track which after a short time approaches what looks to be prehistoric cave enclosed by an old derelict wall. From here it is round the back of the hill to the left and following the gully marked in places all the way to the summit ridge where you turn right and head for La Atalaya summit.

Summit ridge heading towards Puntal del Calderón

I could see the cloud along the summit ridge during the ascent and it did not clear whilst at the summit, so it was taking photos from inside the cloud, dropping a GPS waypoint and logging the summit.
Descent was pretty much the same as the ascent other than a brief idea I might nip across to Las Cabras and the trig pillar. I did not bother and returned to the van just before 5:30pm, but during the descent I did think about setting myself the unreasonable objective to visit 4 more easily access P600's on the return journey through Spain and on in to France to catch the ferry from Caen 3 days later at 10:30pm on Wednesday.

Continue down gully in front of hill
and around end on left near walled cave

Spotting that Valencia was on the route home suggested by Google maps and that I could reach it by 10:30pm I decided to forget the extra summits and spend Monday on El Saler beach. So once again when it comes to a choice between hill walking and the beach, the beach wins. That is maybe why Spanish hill-bagging is such an attraction at the moment it gives me the chance to do both. As it turns out I did manage both as by 3pm on the Monday the strength of the sun had gone giving me the chance to aim for picking off Cerro de Javelambre.

Walk Statistics

Walk Date - 21 October 2018
Walkers - Steve Smith

Accommodation - Camping Sierra María, María, Almería

Start Point - Roadside on east side of Fuente la Carrasca (N38°02'49" W2°24'08")
Start Time - 15:54

Finish Point - Roadside on east side of Fuente la Carrasca (N38°02'49" W2°24'08")

Finish Time- 17:30

Total Duration - 1hrs 36mins
Overall Average pace - 2.07mph
Total Distance Walked - 3.31 miles
Total Height Ascended - 596.00metres

Peaks visited

Spain/Portugal 600m Prominence Peaks (168S - 185S&P - 2165E)

La Atalaya (33S - 34S&P - 63E)

Spain/Portugal 300m - 599m Prominence Peaks (1000+)

NONE

Spain/Portugal 150m - 299m Prominence Peaks (3000+)