Andy Rodker's photos with the keyword: La Machota Chica

A bit too far for as clear a shot as I would have liked, especially without lenses, tripod etc, but the magnificent palace / monastery is visible for many miles around, especially from the surrounding mountains of La Sierra de La Guadarrama.

It's in the 'new' town of Zarzalejo Estación, about a mile and a half from the ancient village of Zarzalejo up the road. Behind is the hill of La Machota Chica, a great pile of granite boulders. All very near the great palace of EL Escorial which I always include in the same walk (not least beacause it is the nearest bus station from Madrid). 5 minutes earlier, the congregation, followed by the priest who locked up after all had left, filed out at the end of Sunday's midday mass.

Las Machotas; the dip between La Machota Chica and La Machota Alta. www.youtube.com/watch?v=VKtAhJPZS6o Sight and sound; Paco de Lucia and Cameron de La Isla. Very Spanish and matches the landscape here, I feel.

A January shot and the oak still holding on to its leaves, as they do. They will drop in March and the new leaves will be ready to emerge straight away.

The monastery / palace of San Lorenzo de El Escorial from the summit of La Machota Chica (a.k.a La Machota Baja). The central peaks of La Sierra de Guadarrama are seen on the horizon

Not sure why this was taken with flash (a mistake of course) but I quite like the effect!

Near the summit after the exposed (but safe) scramble up a long slab. At the summit there are good views over the palace of San Lorenzo de El Escorial but unfortunately mine were too blurred to show. Although this was on October 21, it was extremely hot. I was relatively fit in those days but I was absolutely shattered at the end of the day!

The Roman road continued in a straight line to the right of where I stood but has long disappeared under woods and fields. The path you see here meanders away from the line of the old road for a kilometre or so before rejoining it. But the line of the old road can be followed easily enough from the air (or Google Maps). For Pam.

At the top of La Machota Chica and time for my packed lunch! This was in a very hot October 2011; my first visit to the palace, the Roman road and these mountains. I have returned many times since.

You can see it's not so steep!

For Janet and Eunice, who asked if I ever went to the top of La Machota Chica, shown in recent uploads. Yes, I went up here. Easier and not as steep as it looks from below and the granite gives superb grip. You can stick a limb in the wide crack at the left (shaded) if you ever feel a bit wobbly!

The Roman road passes by here at some point but it is lost under fields and woodland. Its path can be surmised from the air though.

Machota Chica from the Roman Road, Zarzalejo.

Seen from near Paralejo (our favourite restaurant village - it has four restaurants, a tiny church with storks nests and little else!), The Machotas are outlying mountains of the Sierra de Guadarrama and good fun if you like (as I do) scrambling around among granite rocks. La Machota Chica is seen ahead.