Cogollos Vega, Spain
May 16-20See photos below
The bus ride to Cogollos Vega was smooth and full of great views. Upon arriving into the small city, the climbing wall was unmistakable as a backdrop to the whole area. Our walk up to the hostel, you guessed it, was up a steep hill. When we arrived to the front door, however, we couldn’t believe our eyes; our tired legs quickly became an afterthought. The crag was literally in the backyard of the hostel, with the back area hosting dozens of climbs coined “the Garden”. It was breathtaking, and as a climber, it was like heaven. We were quickly greeted with smiles, given the tour, and showed to our room. After unpacking for the next few days and stowing our things, we explored the property. As we walked into the backyard, we noticed someone seemingly floating in thin air, nearly one hundred feet directly above us. Not only did the hostel have climbing and nearby hiking, there were also two highlines about 400 feet long! It truly seemed like we had stumbled into a Spanish circus act.
It didn’t take long to meet some friendly faces around the hostel. The whole vibe of the place was very relaxed and family oriented, with one main common area where most people congregated for some guitar, games, and singing. We got to bed early the night we got there to be fresh for a hike we had planned for the next day. When we woke up, the weather was perfect for a day in the hills; overcast with a breeze but warm enough for shorts and a long sleeve. We left at about midday, making a left turn out of our hostel and followed red-painted wooden posts as we walked. We made our way up the rocky terrain passing long-forgotten, half built structures, barking dogs, houses built straight into the hillside, and many beekeepers’ colonies. The conversation was flowing as we marched on, finally reaching one of the nearby summits a few hours later. After sitting and enjoying the views, we made the long walk home, getting a bit turned around in the process. Tired after the hike, we made dinner and anxiously awaited the next day which we were going to spend in Granada city proper to celebrate our seven year anniversary.
It was a busy, wonderful day. We left the small town in the morning and went to a beautiful, local cafe to enjoy some café con leche and a few games of cribbage. I gifted Ashley a simple, white beaded necklace adorned with a tiny evil eye. We then walked to the stunning Carmen de los Mártires gardens, thanks to a recommendation from a good friend (thanks Cole!) that has peacocks roaming around freely! It was bizarre to experience one of these animals walk right up to you as if it was completely normal. Walking around some more, we got caught in some rain and took shelter in the lower covered area of the gardens and played some more cribbage to pass the time. After the storm broke we walked to get some beer and tapas, something Granada is famous for. In nearly every restaurant in the city, a small plate of food, or tapa, is brought out with each drink that is ordered. For €10 we got 4 beers and 4 plates of food. Can’t argue with that.
The next day we would finally get on the wall for some climbing. I started out and lead a short route in the Garden. The weather was perfect and it felt great to be climbing again. Next up was Ashley, and she was ready to tackle the same climb. Having never lead a route before, this would be her first time off of top rope, which was both exciting and terrifying for me to witness as I would be belaying her. Nevertheless, she killed it and breezed through the climb like she had done it ten times already. We each climbed a few more routes and I lead another, longer, climb. It was hard to keep my nerves in check, but I eventually topped out and enjoyed the views from the anchor. That night we had an impromptu cribbage tournament with some friends we made in our hostel. We all sat on low boxes huddled around a long bench-turned-table, akin to a back room poker game. All of this cribbage worked up our appetites, so we walked into the “downtown” area to one of the four restaurants for some pizza. We all shared food and drinks and laughed about the day we had all had and enjoyed the sunset through the large windows we were seated near.
In the morning it was time to say goodbye to the quiet town and return to the city for a bit more sightseeing before heading to the next city. A trip to Granada would not be complete without a visit to the world famous Alhambra, the last Islamic stronghold in Spain full of history and stunning architecture. We walked in awe through the towering structures that made up the ancient fortresses, as well as the sprawling gardens. The opportunity to see this world wonder is one I will never forget. I am so grateful to have the opportunity to explore other cities and take pieces of their culture and lifestyle back to the US with me so that I can live a well-rounded life.
It was finally time to leave Granada, but not without a hiccup. While waiting for the bus we noticed that the road was closed on both ends. Deciding to take our chances and walk, we stumbled upon the cause of the delay; a protest outside of a government building. We barely made it onto the bus that took us to the station where we met our ride for the 2.5 hour trip to Sevilla.
