As some of us headed down to the south of Spain (50km from Granada) to get
some heat ham and sun, we thought it would be rude to try out one the biggest
passes in Europe named the Pico Veleta with a road reaching 3394m (11 135ft)
in the Sierra Nevada.
We started off at 6AM on the outskirts of Granada in order to avoid the crushing
afternoon heat. The climb took about 4.5 hours on the saddle, passing through the
Sierra Nevada ski resort, and an hour flat out for the descent.
We could not have picked a better day for the climb, the weather was perfect
and we maintained a good temperature as we went higher and higher. We feared
for the lack of oxygen as we would reach the 3000m but it did not hinder us too much.
As opposed to the steeper climbs we usually try in the Alps, this one was surprisingly
even with a comfortable gradient. However, it is without a doubt the longest climb
and one to be taken slowly and very surely.
A selection of the best pics below with some video to footage to be posted shortly.
