Tuesday, February 11, 2025

10 February 2025 – Jalon to Alcalali Ermita


18 of us on today’s walk

But a new member packed it in within 15 minutes of the start

Apparently it was too difficult and she turned around without telling me

This was disappointing because we always walk at the pace of the slowest

However everyone does have to be able to complete 9km and 3 hours

Everyone is aware of this before they join the first walk

So I am surprised that she gave in so soon

The rest of us set off on a cloudy and overcast morning

Fortunately it soon cleared up and a little blue appeared

In previous years this would have been our almond blossom walk

In 2017 the almond trees in the Jalon Valley were hit by blight

There was no cure, the roots had to be dug out and whole fields were destroyed

Each year since then more and more trees were cut down

Whole areas which were once part of our almond blossom walk are now overgrown with weeds and not a blossom in sight

There are still a few trees in bloom and I was hoping for some good photos today

But you need a sunny day to see them at their best

The sun did make an appearance today, but not until we were on our way back to Jalon

I did manage to get a few photos, but nothing compared to previous years

Despite this there were a lot more walkers in the valley than normal

I suspect that many were attracted by the reputation the valley gained in earlier years

If they had not seen the blossom at its height, they were probably still impressed by the valley

It is still very beautiful, even without the blossom and even on a dull day

Jan met us in Casa Claudia for the after walk drink

It is still the best part of the walk

Temperature – 11-14c

Time Taken – 3 hours

Distance – 9 km

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