The route starts at the car park in the mountain village of Cortijo Cabrera, from here descend through Cortijo Grande to the junction with the main road. Turn right and continue through Turre, past Mojacar Pueblo until reaching the fountain roundabout on Mojacar Playa. At this roundabout turn right and continue until reaching Sopalmo, a small village on the way to Carboneras. Turn right in Sopalmo by the fuente; here you can replenish your water for the climb ahead.
The Climb
After you have taken on water and had a short breather it’s time for the climb; it’s not particularly steep but it does go on for around 10km on a wide roughish track. You will need around 3 litres of water for the climb and an energy bar is always very welcome along with a large handkerchief to cry into as more of the mountains keep appearing just when you thought you were getting in front. About two thirds of the way up you will go through the small mountain village of La Adelfa, continue on until the track changes to asphalt; continue climbing and then turn right at the next junction. Continue on for 200m or so to the next junction. At this junction you could turn right and descend past El Dondo, Los Peralicos, Cortetes and back into Cortijo Cabrera on a quick asphalt downhill that will make your discs turn blue!
But That Can’t Be Right, Can it?
While it was a nice thought, it’s just not going to happen. After stopping at that junction to wipe the stinging sweat from your eyes and to allow your tunnelled vision to return to normal, you will notice a peak up on your left, this is Cerro de la Mezquita. At 962m, it is the highest peak in the Sierra Cabrera. Now, after a climb like the one you’ve just done, you may think that you deserve a break. Quite right, and this one comes in the form of a track that goes right to the summit so that you haven’t got to carry your bike over all that rough ground. So, at the junction, turn left instead of right and continue on for about 150m before turning left again onto a dirt track; this track leads directly to the summit taking in the odd heart attack. This climb is steep and after what you’ve just done it feels even steeper. Continue to the end of the track before falling off the bike; consciousness will hopefully return within a few minutes.
The Good News
At this point almost any news would sound like good news but now that you’re conscious again you'll start to feel as if things are moving in your favour. The view of the total climb that you have just completed is spectacular; it’s all been worth it! Take a few minutes to savour the feeling and then descend by the same track to the road, turn right and then on past the junction; in a few minutes you will be back at the car park in Cortijo Cabrera.
Safety
The asphalt descent back to Cortijo Cabrera is fast and due to the condition of the road, often not without the odd scare. There are the normal lumps, bumps and broken surface but it's the accumulation of loose stuff on the corners combined with the extremely steep drops if you get it wrong that's the real danger. I hope you all enjoy this as much as I do.
No mountain bike route would be complete without a few statistics, so here they are.
Distance: 50km (31 miles). Total ascent: Around 1160m (3806 feet). Time: Around 3 hrs. 30 mins.
Don Russell - Don Russell has over 35 years of varied outdoor experience, specialising in navigation and technical gear evaluations.
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