This hike takes us to El Yelmo, the highest point of the Pedriza, one of the most popular hiking areas of Madrid. This region owes its name to the large quantity of boulders and stones it contains, as well as to its magnificent rock faces. It is also characterized by the presence of a lot of water, since the river Manzanares and its branches flow here.

  • From the car park “Canto Cochino” (1) we walk downhill through the asphalt road past the bars.
  • At the end of this road we take at the left the little bridge over the river Manzanares, on the other side of the bridge we turn right. We walk a short stretch through an open field and cross another small bridge. We reach a trail (3) which we cross. Here we continue straight on, onto the narrow trail that runs uphill and is marked white-red.
  • We follow this trail a while and ignore various side-trails. At the point where the white-red marked trail goes downhill (4) we turn left and follow the white-yellow marking. Occasionally this trail is also marked with milestones.
  • After a good ascent via the rocks we reach a flat space (5). Here we follow the white-yellow marking to the right. We follow this trail a while until we further on enter a trail on the left, indicated with a couple of arrows (6). From here on we no longer follow the white-yellow marking. Via this trail we now approach El Yelmo.
  • When we get close to El Yelmo we turn left leaving the trail (7). Via the rocks we walk to El Yelmo. The last stretch to the top goes via a difficult narrow passage (8).
  • From the top we return to the trail (7) and turn left. We now walk with El Yelmo behind our back over the trail until we join the white-yellow trail again (9). Subsequently we follow the white-yellow marked trail to the Collado de la Dehesilla (10).
  • From the Collado de la Dehesilla we follow the trail to the left a long time until just below the refuge "Refugio Ginar de los Ríos" (11), where we turn right, going downhill. We cross a small bridge and at the other side of it turn left (12).
  • We follow this trail - the "Autopista" - until its end at the small bridge near the parking lot (2). We cross this bridge and walk back to the car (1).

Route El Yelmo