Switchback heaven

Our first real day of biking, we planned on starting early to beat the heat, so we got up early to eat some breakfast and prepare ourselves. At about 9 o'clock we head of with the light descent to the 'Rio Guadalfeo', after crossing it and a slight stretch of asphalt we were at the start of our long climb of the day . The climb is a steady climb in the beginning till some asphalted piece comes and the steepness of the climb increases, then the asphalt stops but the steepness continues, I just manages the first part but it continues to climb and have to walk a small piece too.
Finally the climb flattens a bit, but a junction we're faced with another 'wall', after conquering this wall we find a nice view of the Orgiva surroundings:

After spending our lunch on the highest point of the day, we started on our descent, which is divided in 3 pieces: a large fast jeeptrack descent with a lot of loose stones

The second part was the most exciting one and lends the name to this blog entry: single track with short switchbacks, I lost count of how many switchbacks there were but I guess about 30... At the end of this section you know from yourself which turn you like, for me it's a right turn switchback gives me a little more problems to take cleanly.

The third part of the descent is the continuation of the single track without switchbacks.

After this fine descent we head back to the chalet, but we have to cross the 'Rio Guadalfeo' again, and we don't want to make the trip to the bridge... So some cycle through the water, others remove their shoes and the rest just go through it with their shoes on. . A climb on the road to Orgiva ends our biking for today.

Video of the switchback descent is being edited at this moment...

Statistics: 20 km, 800 m height gain, 3h50
 

On our way to Orgiva, in Spain (Andalusia)

It's finally here my first mountainbike trip to Spain, destination Orgiva located in the state of Andalucia in the south of Spain just beneath the Sierra Nevada after several visits to the Alps I was curious about the surroundings there...
We arrived at around 12 AM after a early morning flight, but we still had a 2 hour transfer from Malaga to Orgiva ahead with the car. The car ride was already an eye-opener, nice scenery and high mountains, I'm anxious to get on the bike.
After arriving in Orgiva, David (from Biking Andalucia) showed us around our place for the next 10 days. David Jones (aka David Moots or Moots to differentiate between the two Davids) was already there a few days and came to say hello, he'll be going us the next days and will also participate in the High Altitude program.
We assembled the bikes, which survived the plane trip very well (I expected more damage to those cardboard boxes, but I don't complain :-) and went for a ride in the David's 'garden' a nice hill with a nice singletrack going over the top of it and a short ride through Orgiva 'City'. Except the surroundings which were a surprise, also the heat was a surprise, this will be our biggest battle each day probably...
After this short ride, the first of many resting sessions on the terrace began before we went to eat something. The first day was finished and was a nice appetizer of things to come...