El Chorro - a spout of water that shoots out the side of the mountain. You can see it on the way to La Granja. It's right there! The group decided to take a second shot at going there and at the last minute I decided to tag along. We got to La Granja, grabbed some supplies and started walking. I hadn't been there in at least 4 years but I had a general idea of the path. We found a lone sign pointing in a vague direction that said "45 minutes." Sounds good.
After a few minutes of walking it seemed wrong so we turned back and found the right path. We headed through the gate, walked for a few minutes on a small path when we came across a newly graded path that went almost straight up the mountain. I thought, "Wow! They finally got their act together and made a proper path." We headed up for a bit before the path got significantly steeper. No worries. We can do this! After a solid 15 minutes, which felt like 30, we came to..... a barbed wire fence! No problem. We took a snack break above a smaller waterfall, regrouped and continued on. And on, and on and on! Long story short. El Chorro? Didn't find it. However, we did find a spectacular view and that is one of the main reasons you hike up there in the first place. 2 hours turned in to about 4 but we got some good exercise, tightened up our glutes and now we look great in our jeans! ;) Enjoy the pics!
This was the worst hike that turned into the best hike I have ever been on! I suggested it to the group, and once we started the trek, I started to regret that decision... We had to stop to "take pictures" every now and then because the mountain was so steep. But, it was worth every pain, cut, bruise, and fall! The view we had from the side of the mountain was unreal. We were able to see La Granja and waterfalls, and I am so thankful we took so many pictures. Even though we got lost, we all made the best of it. In the end, I wouldn't have wanted it any other way! :)
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Lindsay
6/5/2014 05:56:49 am
So this hike was borderline miserable... no, just kidding, but really it was probably one of the most strenuous physical activities I've ever done in my life. As many of you know, I prefer sitting...
Nevertheless, it was quite the adventure and one I'm glad I was a part of! :)
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Alicia
6/5/2014 07:22:16 pm
So proud to say I survived this adventure! The views and fun we had on the mountain make up for every 90 degree angle step we took ;)
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Izabela
6/6/2014 11:33:41 am
Sad I missed this exciting trip. I wasn't feeling too hot so instead I had to suffer through a huge lunch and then took a really boring 2 and a half hour nap while you guys really got to experience nature in Spain. May or may not have been one of my less thought out decisions. :p But I'm glad y'all made the best of it & you did get some cute pics (:
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Maisey Ward
6/7/2014 08:51:59 pm
This hike!! Started out horrible. We were just climbing straight up for what seemed like forever. But once we got to the first waterfall, it was great! We continued to climb up a path that wasn't really a path and ended up finding some amazing views of La Granja! It was definitely a challenge but totally worth it!
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Kyle
6/7/2014 09:41:54 pm
This was possibly the most taxing thing I've ever done and definitely did not expect all that happened. Everyone started off extremely happy, expecting a brisk walk up a mountain to a waterfall. Little did we know... We got lost as hell and spent most of our time stumbling through the woods of Spain. At one point on tome I even thought we might even have to camp there for thte night, as we'd spent so many hours looking for something that seemed none existent. We never saw the actual waterfall but I enjoyed myself none the less. It also made for an interesting story to tell my host parents :-)
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David Leder
6/7/2014 11:20:11 pm
Hands down the hardest hike I have ever been apart of. I pictured a short easy hike to the waterfall but no, we were hiking up a 90 degree angle and then making are "own" trail through the woods. That all being said it was so much fun! The whole area was beautiful and even though we didn't find the waterfall we did find an amazing view and took some good pics .
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Cordelia
6/8/2014 12:11:45 am
Definitely one of the most difficult things we've done on this trip but also one of the funnest! Making our own trail through the woods definitely took a toll on my legs but it ended up with so many laughs and memorable moments!
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Xander
6/8/2014 12:21:07 am
I'm all for exploring, getting lost and having a great time...Until I was TERRORIZED by a swarm of killer bees! Okay, they may have just been flies, but it still was less than enjoyable. But in the end, I had a great time and made 2 new friends, (Jeff and Roger) flies who accompanied me the whole time. Til we meet again Jeff and Roger.
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Ellyse Hampshire
6/8/2014 02:13:16 am
This was a crazy adventure! The weather was perfect for a hike and I was excited to finally get some good exercise in, but I definitely wasn't expecting to hike for 5 hours! My legs definitely got a good workout from scaling the 80 degree angle of the trail. Even though getting lost was a little frustrating at times, the view looking out over La Granja was definitely worth it, and it was one of the random experiences from this trip I'll never forget!
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James McConnell
I'll be managing the blog but all of the students will be contributing. See what they have to say!