Back in 2020, my boyfriend and I started looking for new adventures to forget about the pandemic for a bit. At the beginning of that year, we’d climbed Teide, so we set our sights on the second-highest peak in Spain – Mulhacén.

We came across a blog which said that the most beautiful, hardest and most honest way to climb the highest peak of the peninsula was, without doubt, via its north-face ascent. With our legs a little untrained after months of lockdowns and movement restrictions, we set off. We soon discovered that it would be a tough, incredible adventure.

Three years have passed since then and we’ve been lucky to climb Mulhacén again on other trails. In this Collection, I wanted to combine the two routes that I found most impressive: the north face climb, which passes through Cueva Secreta and the Mosca lagoon, and the descent through Siete Lagunas to the town of Trevélez. The adventure totals three great days through landscapes that’ll leave you speechless.

To complete this challenge, you’ll need to be fit; it’s not suitable for beginners. The routes are long and you’ll need to carry food and drink for three days in your rucksack. Warm clothes are essential, as the nights are very cold, even in summer. A sleeping bag and a tent are also necessary as you’ll be wild camping. You’ll occasionally come across a small stream where you can refill your water, so bring purification tablets or a filter. Cows are common in these areas. Don’t forget to bring your hiking poles, a sun hat and sunscreen,

I recommend hiking this route in spring, summer or early autumn when the days are longer and it’s not so cold. In spring, melting snow makes the streams and waterfalls a true spectacle, and the lagoons are an impressive shade of green. It’s very hot in summer, especially on lower ground, although it’s still cold at the summit. In winter the days are very short and the area is covered in snow. Seeing the Sierra Nevada covered in white is quite an experience, but only recommended if you’re an experienced winter hiker and you know how to use crampons.

You’ll need two cars to complete the route: one to get to the starting point at the San Juan ravine parking lot, and another at the endpoint in Trevélez. If this isn’t possible, you can also hike back – while the climb requires two days, the descent can be done in a single day. You’ll find more information about this alternative in the Tour descriptions. If you’d prefer to use public transport, the closest town to the starting point is Güejar Sierra, which is connected by bus to Granada, as is Trevélez.

This mountain has many hikes and they all have something in common: unforgettable landscapes.