With the first major snows of the year falling over Christmas it gave Ian Tupman chance to get his snowshoes out of the cupboard and enjoy the delights of a section of the GR240 Sulayr long distance path above Capileira.
Easy access in four wheel drive vehicle to the Hoya del Portillo, above the Alpujarras village of Capileira. The car can be parked here at the ample car park. The main forest track can then be followed eastwards until a sign points rightwards to the Loma de Jabali. This is all wonderful easy strolling in snowshoes, suitable for beginners and experts alike.
A return can be made the same way or diversions into the forest offer more difficult and interesting terrain. One alternative we use is to follow the forest track up to the Puerto de Molino which gives a superb view to the main Sierra Nevada mountain peaks. To return to the Hoya del Portillo the following options are suggested
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In deep snow and for more advanced snowshoers a direct return dropping steeply down through the tangled maze of trees of the forest. Prior knowledge of the terrain and location is preferable but the road will have to be met at some point and a return made from there.
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Come down the firebreak alongside the western side of the forest edge. Just before the final steepening, marked by some large rocks to the west of the firebreak trend westwards and down to pass through the forest and arrive back at the Hoya del Portillo.
Enjoy!
Thanks to Ian Tupman for the following short video
**Related links **Snowshoeing in the Alpujarras The Sulayr GR240 long distance path Snowshoe hire in the Alpujarras