Historic mountain refuge in Granada's Sierra Nevada to be restored

Ten years after the historic protest against the highest and possibly oldest mountain refuge in Spain, during which hundreds of people called for a halt to the demolition of Elorrieta, which is located at 3,187 metres above sea level, the restoration work to save it from ruin began on Tuesday 5 August.

This was confirmed to SUR's sister newspaper Ideal by the director of the Sierra Nevada Natural Area, Francisco de Asís Muñoz, who explained that the work is part of a wider project to restore fifteen mountain infrastructures in the provinces of Granada and Almería, with a budget of 700,000 euros financed by European funds from the recovery, transformation and resilience Plan.

The lodge, built between 1931 and 1933 and located near the Tozal del Cartujo and the Tajos de la Virgen consists of two parts: an exterior vaulted part made of brick and semi-cylindrical and another part of galleries excavated in the rock.

It has level three protection within the urban planning of the Barranco del Poqueira. The Granada Histórica association has even requested its declaration as an asset of cultural interest (BIC).

The work which was awarded to Tragsa has a budget of around 150,000 euros and a completion period of just three weeks. They will consist of repairing the roofs and exteriors, whitewashing and waterproofing, replacing doors and windows and installing bars to prevent the entry of animals and people, as some hikers take materials as souvenirs or throw rubbish inside. Debris scattered around the area will also be removed.

Given the altitude and the difficulty of access, building materials and workers will arrive on board a helicopter hired by the contracting company.

Muñoz insisted that the restoration will not involve a change in the use of the refuge, which will continue to be "scientific" or "rescue and protection". In other words, most of the site will remain closed to the public and only part of it will be open as a bivouac shelter - with a dozen places - so that those mountaineers who need it can take shelter from the wind, cold or snow.

Where there has been a 180-degree U-turn is in the philosophy of the Junta de Andalucía. The Andalusian mountain federation decided in 1993 to relinquish the management of the refuge - which it had had for thirty years - firstly due to a lack of means for its maintenance, but also because it considered that this infrastructure was "surplus to requirements" in the high mountains.

While the debate about whether it should be demolished or restored dragged on, the refuge began to deteriorate caused by time, the harsh weather and vandalism. The Acción Sierra Nevada platform started a campaign to have its historic importance and usefulness for mountaineers recognised and it even started a fund-raising campaign and carried out several voluntary tasks including clearing debris, painting and putting up a gate. However, in all these years there has been no serious conservation work by the national park, until today.