A spectacular walk high above Soportújar with stunning views. The walk’s highlight was the 30 m waterfall on the Chico River.

In April, I spent a day in and around Soportújar, a municipality in the Alpujarra region of the province of Granada, in the Sierra Nevada Natural Park, Spain. I split the day into two: half a day for a walk above Soportújar and the rest to explore the village of Soportújar itself. This post is about the walk.

Walk statistics

Distance walked: Approximately 11 km.
Cumulative height gain: 450m.
Difficulty: Moderate.

Film photo details

I took all but one of the photos on this page using a Nikon FE2 camera with Nikkor 35-105 zoom.

Film: Ilford Delta 100
Developer: Spur Acurol-N 1+70 @20C for 8.5 minutes @20C.

The photos were digitised using a Nikon Z6 mirrorless digital camera with a Tokina AT-X Pro Macro 100mm f2.8 D lens and processed using Capture One software.

The first part of the walk

The first part of the walk (about 3 km) was a steep uphill slog along a concrete path. It was hard going, but the views were stunning. I called this post “a stroll above Soportújar”, but the first part was anything but.

Click on any photo to see a larger version.

A black-and-white film photo of the concrete path at the start of the walk.
The path out of Soportújar - it started as a reasonable slope but quickly got very steep
Camera: NIKON Z 6, Lens: 100 mm f/2.8, Exposure Time: 1/5 sec, f 11, , Film ISO: 100, GPS location

It was a beautiful spring day, and the wildflowers were prolific.

A black-and-white film photo of a poppy and wildflowers growing by the path
A poppy and wildflowers growing by the path
Camera: Nikon FE2, Lens: Nikkor 35-105 zoom, Exposure Time: 1/125 sec, f 8
A black-and-white film close-up photo of wildflowers
Wildflowers
Camera: Nikon FE2, Lens: Nikkor 35-105 zoom, Exposure Time: 1/125 sec, f 8
A black-and-white film photo of a stunning mountainous panorama.
As I gained altitude, the views were stunning. This is looking out towards Orgiva.
Camera: Nikon FE2, Lens: Nikkor 35-105 zoom, Exposure Time: 1/125 sec, f 8, GPS location
A black-and-white film photo of Spanish broom and wildflowers growing by the trail
Spanish broom and wildflowers growing by the trail
Camera: Nikon FE2, Lens: Nikkor 35-105 zoom, Exposure Time: 1/60 sec, f 8, GPS location
A black-and-white film photo of the Sierra Nevada mountains in the distance.
As I climbed higher, the snow-capped Sierra mountains came into view
Camera: Nikon FE2, Lens: Nikkor 35-105 zoom, Exposure Time: 1/125 sec, f 8, GPS location

The middle part of the walk

Once the trail levelled off, the walk was stunning. A meandering dirt track through a pine forest with glimpses of the Sierra Nevada mountain, with a dusting of snow.

A black-and-white film photo of a dirt track through a pine forest with the snow-capped Sierra mountains in the distance
A dirt track through a pine forest with the snow-capped Sierra mountains in the distance
Camera: Nikon FE2, Lens: Nikkor 35-105 zoom, Exposure Time: 1/125 sec, f 8, GPS location
A black-and-white film photo of a dead pine tree on the side of the trail leaning at a precarious angle
A dead pine tree at a precarious angle
Camera: NIKON Z 6, Lens: 100 mm f/2.8, Exposure Time: 1/4 sec, f 11, , Film ISO: 100, GPS location
A black-and-white film photo of the meandering trail through the pine forest
The meandering trail through the pine forest
Camera: NIKON Z 6, Lens: 100 mm f/2.8, Exposure Time: 1/4 sec, f 11, , Film ISO: 100, GPS location
A black-and-white film photo of the Río Chico flowing over rocks and boulders.
Río Chico before the waterfall
Camera: Nikon FE2, Lens: Nikkor 35-105 zoom, Exposure Time: 1/10 sec, f 22, GPS location

The walk’s highlight was the Río Chico waterfall and the dam structure; for some strange reason, it is known simply as Dique (dam) 24. The dam is a 30 m structure built in 1943 to stabilise the adjacent slopes. It is an imposing structure. In the last few years, 642,000 euros has been spent on repair and maintenance.

A black-and-white film photo of the waterfall
The waterfall and Dique (dam) 24
Camera: Nikon FE2, Lens: Nikkor 35-105 zoom, Exposure Time: 1/250 sec, f 8, GPS location
A black-and-white film photo waterfall and the top part of the dam structure comprising masonry piers and arches
The waterfall and the top part of the dam structure
Camera: Nikon FE2, Lens: Nikkor 35-105 zoom, Exposure Time: 1/125 sec, f 8, GPS location
A black-and-white film photo of the whole of the waterfall.
The waterfall in all its glory
Camera: Nikon FE2, Lens: Nikkor 35-105 zoom, Exposure Time: 1/60 sec, f 11, GPS location
A black-and-white film photo of the waterfall from further along the trail. The view is through trees; the trail is on the right-hand side of the photo.
The waterfall from further along the trail
Camera: NIKON Z 6, Lens: 100 mm f/2.8, Exposure Time: 1/4 sec, f 11, , Film ISO: 100, GPS location

The descent back to Soportújar

The final part of the walk was along an acequia (irrigation ditch). The path by the acequia was narrow and precarious in places, with the acequia on the left and a sheer drop on the right.

A black-and-white film photo of the narrow path following the acequia
The narrow path following the acequia
Camera: Nikon FE2, Lens: Nikkor 35-105 zoom, Exposure Time: 1/60 sec, f 8, GPS location

After that, it was a steep descent along a concrete path back down to Soportújar.

Film roll No 387