Pico de Veleta, 3.394m

The northern side of the Sierra Nevada is mutilated by the skiing industry. Nonetheless, the trail itself takes the ski circus out of sight and only during the last 300 m of altitude you will be reminded of it. The walk itself is not very strenous and can be shortcut easily. In contrary to the industrial appearance of Prado Llano, the Veleta itself has remained wonderfully undisturbed by the skiing area, wild animals of every kind can be sighted. The ascent to the peak is well worth the climb, as you can usually see the Mediterranean Sea from it, just 40 km away.
Rating: +++++ ascent: 1.200m Start: Hoya de la Mora (2.250m), above Prado Llano. Destination: Pico de Veleta, 3.394m
Difficulty:
low, I		 Hiking descent: 1.200m End: Hoya de la Mora (2.250m), above Prado Llano. Walking Time: Ascent 3,5h, descent 2h.

Directions:
Follow simply the road (which will extend your walking time very much) or get on the trail at the control point. Close to the top the trails can be hardly be seen, but the top is easy to find anyway: it is above you :-)
Base: none
Marking: none, make sure you have proper maps, an altimeter and a compass with you.
Information Flyer of the National Park Administration

Maps:
e.g. the Map of the Sierra Nevada National Park, 1:50.000 (available at the tourist information)
Map of the tour (1:50.000) 68k

Travel Season:
June till October

Notes:
The south face of the Veleta drops approximately 300 m to the valley, so be careful when you get close to the edge. Due to the height, weather conditions and consequently the visibility can change very quickly, so make sure you always know where you are.
Links: ./.