Or Puerto del Leon officially, is a mountain pass who’s starting point is five minutes from our flat. According to the wonderful resource which is http://www.altimetrias.com, the most comprehensive and lovingly curated web page dedicated to Spanish (and beyond) mountain passes, the length of the climb is 16.2kms or 10 miles. It tops out at 931m above sea level, and has a maximum gradient of 12%. This is by far the most popular climb out of Málaga for cyclists and I have often been treated to stories of when it was a rough gravel track back in the day. Happily the road surface is very good nowadays, and wide enough for cars to pass the cyclists which create a multi-coloured chain all the way up on a Sunday morning.

The road marks the Eastern margin of the Natural Park, Montes de Málaga, a protected area of around 5,000 hectares, which was populated by Aleppo Pine as a measure against the devastating floods which used to hit the City regularly. Leaving the house at 7:15 I was surprised by the lack of birds, the only noteworthy spot was a Cirl Bunting calling from a bush at the top of the climb.

So to make up for the lack of bird news, here is an entry from June 2018:

A later start than normal for my morning ride up the mountain. The Sun was already warming up by nine but a head wind helped to keep the sweating to a minimum. As I made my way out of town my first birds were the Common Swifts, some circling up high and others darting through the gaps in the buildings. Climbing up through the outskirts Goldfinches flew in and out of Eucalyptus trees and Collared Doves cooed on the power lines. There were calling Sardinian Warblers both sides of the road and a Blackcap piped up from a nearby pine. Just beyond the motorway bridge a lively colony of House Sparrows were gathered on the fence opposite the Venta. A Wood Pigeon flew northwards and a pair of swifts glistened jet black against the deep blue sky. The first pines were busy with Great Tits, Short-toed Treecreepers, Firecrests and Chaffinches, and a little further on Crossbills could be heard up in the treetops. As I climb, the landscape opens out and I can make out the roof of the Rosaleda, home to Málaga’s much maligned football club, and to the North, the Conception Dam. A Crested Lark flies up vertically from a gate post and a Sardinian Warbler crosses the road with it’s characteristic bouncy flight. Keeping an ear out for Turtle Doves (no luck) as the road dips back in to the pine woods, a family of Crested Tits witter plaintively overhead as they feed among the pine cones. Evidence of the burgeoning squirrel population as stripped cones line the roadside. At halfway the road angles back South and gives spectacular views over the city. A distant Kestrel hovered over the almond trees and a Jay burst from cover and flew across the road an inch from the ground.

Nuthatches and Long-tailed Tits were to be heard on the slopes over to the left and a Bonelli’s Warbler called from the right. Nearing the top, you can now make out the Torcal, a rocky outcrop forming part of a range stretching from East to West with peaks of over 4000ft. A sun bathing Red-tailed Lizard scuttled away and I had to weave my front wheel through the small brown butterflies which were soaking up the heat from the tarmac. More Chaffinches and House Sparrows greeted me has I headed over the top. The looming Maroma mountain now in clear sight, I shift to the big ring and push on, on the downhill. Up by the Galwey Restaurant Serins are calling and Rock Buntings sit calmly as I ride past. There is still a short incline to get over before the run down to Colmenar and a Nightingale calls from the low scrub. A Short-toed Eagle drifts out from the tall pines. House Martins, Barn and Red-rumped Swallows in smaller numbers than previous years dash out from the old farm buildings. Concentrating on the road ahead as I ride down into the valley, I can still make out the blurting Corn Bunting, reminiscent of a starting outboard motor, and the high pitched Zitting Cisticolas over the recently harvested wheat fields.