Crazy trip with no planned accommodation and travel timetable fallen straight down from gracious heaven...including visiting never sleeping Madrid, golden night behind medieval las Murallas of Avila and finally crossing Sierra de Gredos - the main mountain chain of central Spain culminating in its most impressive, high granite nest of Circo de Gredos, where I found myself after some surprising situations on the way, to call them even simply wonderful fickle fingers of fate...

Considering shortage of time I was absolutely lucky to get to the very heart of the mountains and get out of there on time to reach my plane back to Ireland and what is most important succeed in climbing Almanzor, the highest peak of the whole range. I've never seen mountains that in look of their postglacial forms and the highest rocky part remind my beloved High Tatras so much! Superb hiking and climbing area, wonderful nature with numerous herds of wild iberian ibexes...Unforgetable adventure that makes you want to come back there.

Sierra de Gredos, Castilla y Leon, Spain, 26/27 September 2009