W.A.R.M.  Latest Walk   August 2008

It’s unbelievable that our outing of 11^th June had to be cancelled due to the atrocious storms in the area. Who could believe that near the middle of June torrents of hail and rain would make it impossible for us to do this walk.  On top of that petrol tanker drivers were on strike. Sorry, Brian and Wendy, that you had to cancel and hopefully we can enjoy this walk in the Calasparra area another day.

Our final excursion before our summer break was into the Ricote Valley. Thankfully it was only a short evening walk as the temperatures were pretty high. We were glad of the shady paths under the pines.  Martin and Jess led us around the area of La Bermeja at the base of the Sierra de Ricote.  Along the forest tracks we enjoyed views of Almorchon, Sierra del Oro and Alcoy. We finished the evening with a sumptuous meal at Bar Carmen. Many thanks to Martin and Jess for organising the walk and the meal.

Now we’ve come to the end of our season all that remains is for us to prepare our next programme of walks which will start in September.

Walkers Around the Region of Murcia are people throughout the Region who enjoy walking in the countryside. Everybody tries to find a route in their own area which gives us all the opportunity to enjoy this fantastic and diverse Region. The leaders decide on the length and difficulty of the walks which vary between 2 and 6 hours. We either relax with a picnic en route or go to a restaurant where we enjoy a lunch at the end of the walk.

For further information contact: Pat & Lawrie Hunt 968 66 44 29 or 627 791 577 or by email : lawrieypat@terra.es

W.A.R.M.  Latest Walk   July 2008

Thanks to Andrea and Cecilia for leading us on our recent trek showing us more of the stunning Moratalla area. We set off from Andrea’s house, accompanied by her two dogs, walking on an uphill, rough track into the nearby mountain where the path soon levelled out. We continued along these paths enjoying the peace and natural beauty of this unspoiled area before returning to Andrea’s house to complete the walk.

Having enjoyed burning a few calories, we made sure we replenished them with a ‘menu’ in a very welcoming local restaurant.

Whilst this goes to print we are looking forward to our next walk, an early morning one in the Calasparra area. After that our last outing before the summer will be an evening walk in the Ricote Valley area on the 23^rd June.

The annual meeting to organise our programme for the coming season is on Friday 18^th June at 6.30 pm.  If you are interested in joining us and want more information, please contact: Pat or Lawrie Hunt on 968 664 429 or 627 791 577 or by email  lawrieandpat@gmail.com.

Walkers Around the Region of Murcia are people throughout the region who enjoy walking in the countryside.  Everybody tries to find a route in their own area which gives us all the opportunity to enjoy this fantastic and diverse region.  The leaders decide on the length and difficulty of the walks which normally vary between 3 and 5 hours.  We either relax with a picnic en-route or go to a restaurant where we enjoy a menú del día at the end of the walk.  For further information contact: Pat or Lawrie Hunt

For further information contact: Pat & Lawrie Hunt 968 66 44 29 or 627 791 577 or by email : lawrieypat@terra.es

W.A.R.M.  Latest Walk   June 2008

We started our recent walk above the canyon del río Alharabe near La Puerta campsite just outside Moratalla.  We climbed for about an hour eventually resting to enjoy the fantastic views across the valley to the Sierra del Alamos.  The track continued through the Sierras and we stopped for some refreshments at a point with great views over the huerta of Moratalla towards Calasparra and beyond.

The rest of the walk was on an undulating wide track ending with a steady descent down to the cars.  It was a delightful trek of 12 kilometres passing through a variety of landscapes and we concluded with a tasty lunch at the restaurant on the camp site.  Many thanks to Fiona and Steve for showing us this stunning part of the Murcia region.

Whilst this goes to print we are looking forward to our next walk on the 19th May.  After that our next outing will be on the 10th June.

Walkers Around the Region of Murcia are people throughout the region who enjoy walking in the countryside.  Everybody tries to find a route in their own area which gives us all the opportunity to enjoy this fantastic and diverse region.  The leaders decide on the length and difficulty of the walks which normally vary between 3 and 5 hours.  We either relax with a picnic en-route or go to a restaurant where we enjoy a menú del día at the end of the walk.  For further information contact: Pat or Lawrie Hunt

For further information contact: Pat & Lawrie Hunt 968 66 44 29 or 627 791 577 or by email : lawrieypat@terra.es

W.A.R.M.  Latest Walk   May 2008

On a sunny Monday morning in March, the members of WARM gathered to walk a delightful route around the area of La Encarnación, near to Caravaca de la Cruz.  We commenced our walk in the Sierra de las Cabras by passing the local caves, a river with running water (quite unusual for Murcia) and then we climbed for an hour or so until we were treated with fantastic views of the mountains of Cehegin and Caravaca.  As a special treat at the end of the walk we visited the Ermita de la Encarnación and the remains of a Roman Temple.  Afterwards we went to a local restaurant to enjoy an excellent lunch.  Thanks to Shirley and Ros for organising this walk.

Two weeks later we met at Niño de Mula and then took some of the cars to the start of the Vía Verde at Bullas.  We enjoyed a relatively straight forward walk along the old railway track from Bullas to Niño de Mula.  We passed through a variety of landscapes including vines, apricots and almonds.  Towards the end we parted company with the Vía Verde.  For the last 4 kilometres we walked alongside the Río Mula until arriving back to enjoy our well-earned lunch at Casa Paco in Niño de Mula and can highly recommend the shoulder of lamb!

Walkers Around the Region of Murcia are people throughout the region who enjoy walking in the countryside.  Everybody tries to find a route in their own area which gives us all the opportunity to enjoy this fantastic and diverse region.  The leaders decide on the length and difficulty of the walks which normally vary between 3 and 5 hours.  We either relax with a picnic en-route or go to a restaurant where we enjoy a menú del día at the end of the walk.  For further information contact: Pat or Lawrie Hunt

For further information contact: Pat & Lawrie Hunt 968 66 44 29 or 627 791 577 or by email : lawrieypat@terra.es

W.A.R.M.  Latest Walk   April 2008

Annelise and Flemming chose a lovely walk in February in the beautiful forest area close to Cehegín. There were 23 of us, and the walk took us through the beautiful pine forests on very good tracks. Fortunately we didn’t meet any of the very popular but noisy squad cars, which sometimes use this area.

On the first part of the walk we had a moderate climb, which put our pulses up a little bit, but the rest of the walk was fairly easy. On some parts we had excellent views. After about 2 hours’ walk we had a break, with the traditional intake of water, fruits and snacks, and those who had had enough of walking for the day, had the option to stop  there, and later meet us at the restaurant. The rest of the group continued the walk for another one and a half hours. In total we proudly logged approx 14.5 km.

Annelise and Flemming had brought their 4 dogs, who really enjoyed being able to run around completely free in this wonderful natural environment.  After we had finished we went by car to  Cehegín, parked down town and had our last challenge - a  good climb from the bottom of Cehegín up to the restaurant El Sol (photo) in the old town. This last climb was of course a piece of cake for that group of experienced walkers.

The weather gods were on our side, so we had a day with both pleasant temperatures and not one single drop of rain. Thanks to Annelise and Flemming for preparing and leading this lovely outing.  At the time of going to print, walks are being planned for 17^th and 31^st March.  As well as walks we also enjoy some social time together. Seventeen of us thoroughly enjoyed an evening at restaurant El Molino de Abajo near Bullas to celebrate the conclusion of our third year with our annual dinner. Great company and food. (see photo).

Walkers Around the Region of Murcia are people throughout the Region who enjoy walking in the countryside. Everybody tries to find a route in their own area which gives us all the opportunity to enjoy this fantastic and diverse Region. The leaders decide on the length and difficulty of the walks which normally vary between 3 and 5 hours. We either relax with a picnic en route or go to a restaurant where we enjoy a menú del día at the end of the walk.

For further information contact: Pat & Lawrie Hunt 968 66 44 29 or 627 791 577 or by email : lawrieypat@terra.es

W.A.R.M.  Latest Walk   March 2008

W.A.R.M. has been very active since our last report and has covered over 30 kilometres in two walks.  Newcomers, Doug and Liz, led the first one on 17th January starting off in the charming town of Alhama de Murcia. We enjoyed setting off through the bustling streets and there was the added bonus of coming across the filming of an archaeological dig where they were in the process of uncovering some Roman remains.  We continued and started our ascent out of the town on a good but steep track towards the top of the Sierra de la Muela. After an hour and a half of steady climbing we mopped our brows whilst enjoying the views overlooking Alhama de Murcia and the Guadalentín valley.  Most of our snacks were consumed at the top before we crossed over the Alhama to Pliego Road into the Sierra Espuña National Park. We were probably chatting too much to see any wild life but the tracks and the paths were joy enough. We then began our descent back towards Alhama de Murcia passing close to the area of Moriarra before arriving at our chosen restaurant in Alhama where we celebrated our 17k excursion. Many thanks to Doug and Liz for leading this walk on only their second W.A.R.M. outing.

Three weeks later we had our largest ever turnout for a walk led by Shirley, Ros and Juan Miguel. We met in Cehegín and drove in convoy in the direction of the Sierra de la Puerta to the starting point of our walk. Thankfully for Shirley the sun shone making up for the soaking we all had on her last trek. We made our way along wide gently undulating tracks passing mostly through pine forests. Towards the end of the walk our route took us past some interesting abandoned iron mines. Our lunch was in the very rural Spanish restaurant of El Campillo where they made the 30 or so hungry and thirsty walkers very welcome. Many thanks to Shirley, Ros and Juan Miguel for taking us on this most enjoyable excursion.

At the time of going to print Annelise and Flemming are planning an outing in the Cehegín area on 22^nd February.  After that our next walks will be on 17^th and 31^st March.

Walkers Around the Region of Murcia are people throughout the Region who enjoy walking in the countryside. Everybody tries to find a route in their own area which gives us all the opportunity to enjoy this fantastic and diverse Region. The leaders decide on the length and difficulty of the walks which normally vary between 3 and 5 hours. We either relax with a picnic en route or go to a restaurant where we enjoy a menú del día at the end of the walk.

For further information contact: Pat & Lawrie Hunt 968 66 44 29 or 627 791 577 or by email : lawrieypat@terra.es

W.A.R.M.  Latest Walk   February 2008

Ten Trekkers, Wet And Totally Soaked, could not enjoy the absolutely fabulous views during their pre-Christmas walk in the mountains above Moratalla due to the low black cloud and heavy rain, but the leaders on this occasion, Shirley and Tony, assured us that they were really spectacular!

Despite the disappointing weather we cheerily and resolutely strode onwards and upwards but after about an hour, as the rain continued to beat down, four of us decided to turn back to take shelter in the comfort and warmth of a bar. Whilst we were enjoying our third coffee two more joined us and finally the remaining 4 stalwarts appeared. We were a jolly, if rather saturated, crowd and after dripping all over the floor of the bar, some decided to go off for lunch whilst the rest of us went home to dry out.

We hope that Shirley and Tony will lead our group there on a fine day sometime in the future so that we all have a chance to see those wonderful views.

This was our first excursion in bad weather since the group started in February 2005 so we can’t really complain.

While this goes to print Liz and Doug are planning an outing in the Alhama de Murcia area on the 17^th January. After that our next walk will be on Monday 4^th February.

Walkers Around the Region of Murcia are people throughout the Region who enjoy walking in the countryside. Everybody tries to find a route in their own area which gives us all the opportunity to enjoy this fantastic and diverse Region. The leaders decide on the length and difficulty of the walks which normally vary between 3 and 5 hours. We either relax with a picnic en route or go to a restaurant where we enjoy a menú del día at the end of the walk.

For further information contact: Pat & Lawrie Hunt 968 66 44 29 or 627 791 577 or by email : lawrieypat@terra.es

W.A.R.M.  Latest Walk

Sandra and Ken chose a fantastic day for their walk in Los Baños de Guico. Despite a negative forecast, the weather was sunny, dry and mild, with a beautiful blue sky - perfect for walking!  Twelve of us set off, picking up Ros on the way to make “lucky” thirteen, fourteen if you count her dog Oliver! After a leisurely stroll along the quiet road, we struck off across country, climbing gently to obtain good views of the vista behind us. Along the way we checked out what is thought to be a concrete shell of a new wine-bottling plant, still under construction.  After another brief spell on made-up road, we turned off into the woods, where the trail led gently up into the hills, crossing several stream-beds which would be fun after rain, but were no problem on the day. En route we had a quick snack and drink of water. (Some had something a bit more sparkly!)  Soon after the break we turned off the main track and continued climbing towards the highest point of the walk; on the way we puzzled over a strange growth within the branches of a pine tree - still a puzzle! Shortly after, we broke out from the forest to travel downhill through open ground with some wonderful views towards the Calasparra road.   Just before arriving back at the cars once more we visited what used to be a landfill site, now filled in, landscaped, provided with a garden and picnic tables, and fitted with “breather pipes” to disperse methane which is generated underground. It’s a bit neglected now but shows what can be done!  Following the walk we all repaired to “La Lonja” for a welcome drink and enjoyable menú del día.  While this goes to print Shirley and Tony are planning an outing in the Moratalla area on the 20th December. After that our next walk will be on the 20th January.

Walkers Around the Region of Murcia is a group of people throughout the Region who enjoy walking in the countryside. Everybody tries to find a route in their own area which gives us all the opportunity to enjoy this fantastic and diverse Region. The leaders decide on the length and difficulty of the walks which normally vary between 3 and 5 hours. We either relax with a picnic en route or go to a restaurant where we enjoy a menú del día at the end of the walk. 

For further information contact: Pat & Lawrie Hunt 968 66 44 29 or 627 791 577 or by email : lawrieypat@terra.es

W.A.R.M.  Latest Walk

WARM held their first walk of the 2007/2008 season in September with a short but challenging walk in the La Pedrera area south of Orihuela.  14 members took part in the walk near Orihuela organized by Lyn and Peter.  Starting from Casa Pedrera we ascended quickly and walked along a ridge for about an hour.  At this point you could call it the rosemary and thyme walk - as we disturbed the abundant brush all around us the aroma was wonderful.  The weather was a little cloudy but we were grateful for the breeze as we walked along at a steady pace.  We then descended to the foot of the two towers on the edge of the turquoise blue Embalse Pedrera and followed the shoreline back to our starting point.  To finish the outing the owner cooked a BBQ using orange wood instead of charcoal.

There were 22 of us on October’s walk, which was led by Jessica and Martin.  We started in the higher part of the Ricote valley that lies between Sierra de Ricote and the Sierra del Oro.  From the area of La Bermeja, the route took us along the lower slopes and tree line towards the village of Ricote for about 5kms.  At this point we descended and crossed the valley in the direction of Abarán and towards the Sierra del Oro.  After reaching the Rambla de Benito at Fuente Benito we turned back and walked up the rambla, which runs along the bottom of the Sierra del Oro, until we reached our finishing point at the village of Churrara.  It was a stunning, varied walk of about 14kms with some very interesting rock formations.  There were no difficult climbs but a few uphill stretches to exercise the legs and lungs, especially a short climb near the end.  It was a bright, sunny day which meant we had some wonderful views in the direction of Blanca but the last stretch down in the rambla was dry and very hot so the cold beer/water at the local bar, La Carmen, was most welcome.  This was followed by a delicious paella cooked for us by Mari Carmen.

Walkers Around the Region of Murcia is a group of people throughout the Region who enjoy walking in the countryside. Everybody tries to find a route in their own area which gives us all the opportunity to enjoy this fantastic and diverse Region. The leaders decide on the length and difficulty of the walks which normally vary between 3 and 5 hours. We either relax with a picnic en route or go to a restaurant where we enjoy a menú del día at the end of the walk. 

For further information contact: Pat & Lawrie Hunt 968 66 44 29 or 627 791 577 or by email : lawrieypat@terra.es

W.A.R.M.  Walks Restarted

W.A.R.M. has now restarted the programme of walks after the summer break.  If you enjoy walking and would like to join us on any of our outings, you would be most welcome.

The next scheduled excursions are:

Monday 8th October in the Sierra del Oro which is a mountain range overlooking         the Ricote Valley

Monday 5th November starting in Casas Nuevas and walking in La Selva which is a            natural area on the edge of the Sierra Cambron

Walkers Around the Region of Murcia is a group of people throughout the region who enjoy walking in the countryside.  Everybody tries to find a route in their own area which gives us all the opportunity to enjoy this fantastic and diverse region.

The leaders decide on the length and difficulty of the walks which normally vary between 3 and 5 hours.  We either enjoy a picnic en route or go to a restaurant where we enjoy a menu del dia and well-deserved chilled beers or wines at the end of the walk.

For further information contact:

Pat or Lawrie on 968 66 44 29 or 627 791 577. We’d like to hear from you.

W.A.R.M.  Having a Rest in the Hot Weather!!

We’re now “resting” during the months of July and August as it’s too hot for our excursions.  So we can now reflect on the past years’ excursions. 

This group was formed in February 2005 and our first two outings were near Bullas: El Castellar and the Río Mula taking in the Salto del Usero. Since then members have led walks in or around Pliego, Bullas, Caravaca, Cehegín, Ricote, San Pedro de Pinatar, Sierra Espuña and Mula and in 2006 we spent three days in the beautiful Cenajo area near Calasparra.

Our first walk of this year was around the orchards of Cehegín taking in the Observatory and in February a fantastic walk around the Embalse de Alfonso XIII was our choice. In March we met at Casas Nuevas and discovered a new 16k circular route passing under La Umbria del Bosque and making our way back along the (almost) dried-up rambla. The Windmill Walk at the Mar Menor in May was the group’s first coastal walk and made a big change from the inland walks we had previously done. In June, just before the full heat of summer, a few of us did the Pedro Lopez walk in the Sierra Espuña being very fortunate in catching sight of several families of muflones, the protected goat-like animals that live high in the National Park.

The members of WARM live in different areas of the Murcia Region. We all enjoy walking and we take it in turns to find routes in our localities. This gives us all a wonderful opportunity to enjoy the whole of this fantastic and diverse Region. The walks vary between 3 and 5 hours and we try to find restaurants where we can enjoy a menú del día and well-deserved chilled beers or wines at the end of the walk. 

We will be planning our 2007/08 programme in September. If you would like to join us please contact Pat or Lawrie on 968 66 44 29 or 627 791 577. We’d like to hear from you.

W.A.R.M.  (Walkers Around the Region of Murcia) The June Trek

Our trek in June (after this edition has gone to print) is in the Sierra Espuña where the higher altitudes and fresh breezes will keep us pleasantly cool.

We start at 1,400 meters at the Mirador de Collado Mangueta and walk past the ruined snow houses and the restored Pozo de Cartagena. We continue on an uphill stretch which soon gives us wonderful views across the plains to the distant mountain ranges.   As the track twists and turns up to a height of 1,600 meters we are rewarded with wonderful views on all sides with the dome of the RAF base on the top of the Morrón de Espuña, the highest peak, visible above us from various angles. We then make our way round the peak of Pedro López in the shady pine forests, rejoining the path back to the Mirador.

This is a wonderful walk of 16 kilometres where you feel “on top of the world”, and, if you are lucky and quiet, you will see the captivating inhabitants of this beautiful national park (muflones [large goat-like animals] and javalí [wild boar]) with their young in their natural environment, as we did on a recent recce.

We are a small group of like-minded individuals who live in different areas of the Murcia Region. We walk about once a month and the treks vary between relatively flat terrain to mountainous areas taking between 3 to 5 hours.  Sometimes we picnic en route and sometimes we finish at a restaurant for a Menu del Día.  There is no charge but it is appreciated if all participants find routes in their areas giving us all a wonderful opportunity to enjoy the whole of the Region. If you would like to join us on a future walk please contact Pat or Lawrie on 968 66 44 29 or 627 791 577.

Caminantes en la Región de Murcia

Este grupo cuenta con personas que les gusta andar una vez al mes por el campo de Murcia. Las excursiones son variadas de una duración entre 3 a 5 horas. A veces llevamos comida para todo el día, y a veces acabamos el paseo en un restaurante.

No hay que pagar pero los miembros que viven en diferentes partes de la Región de Murcia se turnan para buscar senderos adecuados en sus zonas. Los miembros son de distintas nacionalidades y edades pero se debe tener algo de forma física. Para obtener más información llama a Patricia 968 66 44 29 o 627 791 577.