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Name: Peñalara, Risco de los Claveles and Lagunas de Peñalara

Distance: 12 km

Uphill: 756 m

Difficulty: medium (depending on the season)

Track GPS: here

We start the New Year 2009 with the most representative hike in Madrid. The highest point of this route is Peñalara summit (2428 m), which is at the same time the highest point of Madrid and Segovia. The peak’s summit is a designated nature reserve known as the Natural Park of Peñalara. Our trail let us obtain a general overview of the park, with its lakes, glacier and steep escarpments.

To arrive to the starting point of the route (Puerto de Cotos) there are the following options:

• Go by car.
• Go by train. You can check here the time schedule. You have to take train C8B direction to Segovia till Cercedilla, where you should take train C9 till Cotos. This last one is a mountain train which will let you enjoy of great views while ascending till Cotos.

At Cotos, just from the Centro de Visitantes of the Natural Park, there is a wide path from where we have to continue. You pass a fontaine and after turning to the left you will arrive to a small cotage from where a small trail starts to the right towards Peñalara Glacier.

Resting at Dos Hermanas mountain

Jorge explaining Madrid mountain chain

From left to right: Pedro, Jorge and Adam at Dos Hermanas

In this case you don’t have to follow it, continue straigh on following the wide path. There are not more paths to the left or the right, following the main one you will arrive to Peñalara summit.

Carlos in the way to Peñalara

From left to right: Carlos, Pedro, Adam, Heidi, Sandra and Jorge at Peñalara summit

From there you have to continue a little more to the next summit, Risco de los Claveles. Take care here, as it is a small path with rocks and a bit aerial.

Jorge and Carlos in the way to Risco de los Claveles

Path to Risco de los Claveles

Descending from Risco de los Claveles

Once there you start the descent and when the path turns to the right, you follow it, in direction to the lakes.

Adam and Heidi in the way back

Straight on, crossing a bridge and following the unique path to the left you will arrive again to the main wide path at the beginning of the route.

At the bridge

Scheme of the route:

Scheme of the route