Author Archives: jhalstead1

Well the road biking is working well. 82km in just over 4 hours cycling time (longer if you allow for lunch, photo stops and sleeping in an olive orchard). At this rate I should be in the Pyrenees by early next week. Also beat my land-speed record by 0.1kph – now standing at 58.3kph. ButContinue reading “3rd June 2013”

OK, that’s enough. I have had another day of dead ends and dying trails. I reviewed my paths carefully on Google maps and my satnav, and there was no warning that the paths were to descend into unfeasible tracks –  no change in notation.  Here are the issues: The tracks that go where I wantContinue reading “2nd June 2013”

I have spent the previous evening reviewing today’s GR7 route to avoid yesterday’s problems – or rather mitigate them. I have studied the route on Google satellite, checked for gorges, and planned alternative routes and villages to fall back to if GR7 is impassable. I had identified that the GR7 leaves Montanejos on a steepContinue reading “1st June 2013”

I am going home this week to see my family in the UK, so am starting to head east to Vallencia. If you were recreating this part of my trip you probably would not do this part, but rather head north from Cofrentes. The route is a little disappointing in that it is all onContinue reading “18th May 2013”

Not a good day today – still feeling a bit ill, and it’s cold – around 12 degrees. I guess the weather that brought snow to the UK has come down here! There is a cold wind blowing out of the north so it’ll be against me all day. And although it’s sunny now rainContinue reading “16th May 2013”

The day starts with a phone interview live on radio with Radio Merseyside, arranged my ever efficient PA Vicky. International fame at last. Am feeling a bit better after my day off, but still not 100%. I leave the hotel outside Fuente Alamo and go into town to get some provisions. I discover a bakeryContinue reading “15th May 2013”

Not feeling very well today, not sure why. The next step is a short one to Fuente Alamo, so I went anyway to see how I was. I felt bad on the way and a lot worse once I arrived so determined to take the next day off. Sorry, no pics today. In fact gettingContinue reading “13th May 2013”

Fairly uneventful day today – I started out following the gorge out of Ayna, which had a tricky bit of singletrack at one stage, but then was back in rolling hills and on tarmac. Today marks the time I really do leave the mountains and start to move into lower hills and plains. I sawContinue reading “12th May 2013”

Wow – had an amazing day today. I had thought yesterday the excitement was over as I moved out of the high Sierras; but today I ended up in a land of gorges, probably formed as the rivers move down to the plains. The day started in rolling hills, but I soon found myself inContinue reading “11th May 2013”

Today I have reached a landmark – I am moving out of (the rather large) Andalucia and into a new region: Castilla – La Mancha. The scenery starts to change with the change in region. I am moving out of the high Sierras and into more rolling hills, but as I shall find out overContinue reading “10th May 2013”