Bolulla ’23/’24

17th Dec – Flew from Teesside again which was chill.

Stayed here: https://www.airbnb.co.uk/users/show/6194155

18th Dec – Castell de Garx from the village to test Jenny’s knee on rough terrain.

19th Dec – Happy Birthday Mummy, here’s some house pics for you, have a nice day : )

20th Dec – Climbing with Adele, Jim & Dave McKenna at Alkalali. Jenny found her knee was ok to climb 5+. Tried her knee at the wall last week and that was a no, so we didn’t bring ropes etc but she has been getting stronger with the walking on rough terrain. Anyway forgot to take pics, soz. Took some of the locale:

21th Dec – Jenny walked round the Bernia Ridge, i ran to the summit then round it to meet her the other side of the tunnel for lunch. Then a drink in the square and a paddle in the sea at Altea.

22nd Dec – walked from the house over to the Fonts d’Algar then up the Rio d’Algar to Penya Pollastra.

23rd Dec – climbing Font d’Axia with Adele, Jim and Kevin

24th Dec – 15km ‘easy walk’ approximately half of which was spiky bushwhacking

Christmas Day – beach for a swim

Boxing Day – bought rope and draws and hit Guadal Valley next to old & young Germans.

27th Dec – climbing Garx, bit annoying – miserable sniffing woman, rockfall + belayers without helmets, hungry perros & too busy.

28th Dec – Cresta del Castellets followed by impromptu Menu del Dias in Confrides.

29th Dec – Walk 30 Bolulla Circuit of Raco Roig – then menu del dias in the bar with some people-watching and the parrot whistling for attention under the cover.

30th Dec – Lazy day: walked over to Font de something then drove up for a wander around Tarbena and frequented 3 bars, two of which occupied by: Annoying people A) had a yapping dog under the table that had trained the owners to attend to 1 in 5 yaps; Annoying people B had a video converstion and though the video was transmitted by the phone network, they thought it necessary to shout the audio direct to Holland. The bar full of Spanish people in the square was throbbing and fun. We heard castanets and hovered outside where the dancing and singing eminated from but when I poked my nose through the flyscreen it turned out to be someone’s house.

New Year’s Eve – Sierra de Toix sport crag with Kevin & Tracey

New Year’s Day – Alcolali sport crag with Kevin & Tracey

02 Jan – Walk 45 Pla de la Casa then menu del dias at Can Pinet in Tarbena

03 Jan – climbing Ambolo with Kevin & Tracey- smashed a few off then kicked back on the rocks. Jenny & I hit Melatoni on way home.

05 Jan – Walk 17 Carrascal de Parcent then café on Coll de Rates to listen to people bleating that the music was too loud (and he always asks them to turn it down everywhere we go), she needed a cardie to keep the chill breeze off her kidneys, Benidorm is like a zoo and they’re all from up North (in England) aren’t they and the wild boar casserole is very rich, very; rich.

05 Jan – Walk 46 Quatretondeta to Rectingle 1,360m & Penta Creus 1,353m. Tapas in the little bar in town – Comidas Bar Casa Cañares – great, only locals (like us) and local food.

06 Jan – coffee in bar in Tarbena then coffee in another bar in Tarbena, then Coll de Rates via ferrata; then a short cut around Penya Talai which wasn’t short and had to abort due to unnecessary gnarl (basically loose, steep unprotectable scrambling with no certainty of it going and no certainty it was reversible). Then Can Pinet for dinner.

Fly home tomorrow at 07:00.