The summit of Aitana — Circular from the Font de Partagat

Starting from Font de Partagat (beware: do NOT drive through the ultra narrow streets of the village of Benifato) a clear pathway as far as the fuente forata. Walking through the Botanical reserve, at this time of the year, is delightful with so many flowers blooming. At the fuente, we take a left and make a little detour downhill to el Trinquet. This is an interesting rock formation with a bit of extra clambering for those who enjoy that. Then back up and onto the Passet de la Rabosa, where we enjoy another bit of clambering. Once through this pass, we make our way to the Summit. It is not possible to walk to the geodesic point as this is situated within the military base. The summit, which is accessible is marked by a cairn and a stake and is only 9 meters lowers than the actual peak. The views are phenomenal here, in every direction! We make our way back via Penya Alta and Penya Tagarine. This is a very comfortable downhill walk all the way around and back to the car.

Just before the summit it is extremely steep. The descent along the ridge is strenuous because of the many sharp and loose stones. We were up there in November and got fried. Not recommended in summer.

The route begins in the recreational area of Partegat that is accessed from Benifato, the road is being fixed, without parking problems, the route has no problems following the signs of the rabosa, the passage is not difficult, as it is not by air, it is well worth the visit pity, after this we will turn to the right, in 15 minutes we reach the top of Aitana, we descend again to the plain, we continue along the Tagarina ridge until we reach the hill of the same name, from this track we will reach the car without problems.

Aitana, at 1558 meters, is the highest peak in the province of Alicante. Just a week ago, it looked splendid with a thick blanket of snow, but the high temperatures of the last four days melted it all. Even so, thinking that some snow might remain on the north face, we got up early and headed there to do one of the usual routes via the Pas de la Rabosa (Fox Pass). We also visited a section we hadn't seen before, "El Trinquet," which is accessed through a narrow crack in the rock face that leads to a large chamber. From there, you have to climb some boulders to exit on the opposite side. It's called Trinquet because of its resemblance to a Valencian pelota court, as the dimensions are similar. From there, we continued to the Pas de la Rabosa, whose approach was covered in ice, requiring us to be extra careful. Once at the top of the mountain, the views are spectacular. The westerly wind brings clear days, and the views from the summit are priceless. It's a shame about the technological junk from a military base at the top that prevents access to the real geodetic point, but anyway, it's one of the great routes in Alicante.

A good round to run. You have a fantastic all-round view practically along the entire route. From Calpe to Alicante, Alcoy, Guadalest, the Serra de Bernia, Serra de Sella, the Puig Campana, the Cabezo d’Or and and and. There is often a slightly sweet scent in the air, like a mixture of lavender and thyme. The tour should also be possible for people who are not afraid of heights. The paths are wide and they never lead directly along the abyss. There are two really very short, chain-insured passages. One passage leads through a narrow crevice in the rock. However, the chains are not absolutely necessary there (at least not when descending; you can also sit on the boulders and let yourself slide down. When ascending, they can certainly be useful for pulling yourself up). And viewed from above it looks worse than it is anyway. The second leads through somewhat coarser boulders, but even there the route is problem-free. The parking lot is in a nicely equipped area with several barbecue areas, tables and benches. So it's worth planning a picnic after the hike 😉 - the place was also well occupied when we returned, although more by day trippers than hikers. Here's another video where someone goes through the eye of the needle and the Passet de la Rabosa: https://youtu.be/S9FfZESSkZ4?si=QbJ20Q5no5jl_ug-

Great circular tour, partly on slippery gravel or small, hard, impassable stones. A little climbing required. Sure-footedness is required.