A challenging new hiking route has been inaugurated in Alhama de Murcia, offering adventurers a scenic and historic 16-kilometre ascent from the town centre to the snow wells of Sierra Espuña, nearly reaching the height of Scotland’s Ben Nevis.
The trail, officially designated PR-MU 131, was formally presented on Friday at the Los Baños Archaeological Museum. Named “Sendero Baldomero Brugarolas – Camino histórico al Pozo de la Nieve de las Ánimas,” the route honours Baldomero Brugarolas, a pioneering mountaineer from the Region of Murcia. Brugarolas was the first climber from the region to join an international expedition, participating in a 1970 journey to Greenland where he named peaks after Murcia landmarks, including Segura, Espuña, and Murcia.
The path begins in the centre of Alhama, starting at an altitude of approximately 200 metres and rising to 1,114 metres, making it one of the more physically demanding routes in the area. It follows two branches: one leading to the main cluster of historic snow wells on the Huerta Espuña estate, and the other to the Pozo de la Nieve de las Ánimas, also known locally as the pozo de Alhama.
The trail’s route has been carefully reconstructed based on forestry replanting studies from 1892 and 1895, which helped identify original paths used by workers who maintained the snow wells—structures that eventually fell out of use and were largely forgotten until now.
The project was developed with support from the Alhama Town Hall and is now fully marked and open to the public. Despite its accessibility in terms of signage and direction, the steep incline and length of the trail make it suitable for experienced hikers.
Friday’s presentation was attended by local officials including Mayoress and Councillor for Tourism Leticia Pareja, as well as Miguel Ángel García Gallego, one of the region’s most celebrated climbers, and the daughters of Baldomero Brugarolas.
Gallego, who has played a key role in regional climbing for over five decades, was the first to conquer several notable climbs, including the north face of La Panocha in the Sierra del Valle, the Pico del Morrón in Sierra Espuña, and pioneering routes at the Cabezo de la Fuente climbing school in Calblanque Regional Park.
For more information on the trail or to plan a visit, contact the Alhama de Murcia Tourist Office at +34 968 633 512 or via email.
