RtG The Daily Dispatch - Carrera Andalucia - day 00 - Flipbook - Page 9
22 June to 3 July 2025
Day 4
Granada to Jaén (202km)
26 June 2025
We enjoyed something of a change of scenery today, as well as a change of pace. With just over 200km
to cover, three Regularities punctuated by a Time Control, lunch and an easy run to the night halt,
the crews could have been forgiven for thinking that the day was going to be an easy one. It wasn’t.
Photos: gerardbrown.co.uk
Christian and Rita Dillier, 1930 Chrysler 70 Roadster
Michael Eatough and Mike Timmins, 1970 BMW 2002
Spain is a vast country, boasting huge tracts of remote
countryside, and today we pushed deeper into the interior
on stunning roads past millions of ancient and welltended olive trees. The earth moved again for us today,
but not in a good way. In the words of Stevie Nicks, a
landslide (almost) brought us down.
Once we’d said goodbye to Granada we turned to the
north and the Embalse de Colomera before joining the first
Regularity through the endless olive groves of Buenavista.
This was a stunning section and the mood was good at
the Time Control in Íllora. The crews were eager to press
on towards the next Regularity to Montefrio, which had
just been driven by Mark Appleton and Anthony Preston
running as car 0.
So far, so good but, minutes later, the spectre of day one
paid us a visit with several fallen trees and a collapsed
embankment parking themselves soon after the start. More
of the Organisers best-laid plans had to be scrapped and the
crews were returned to Íllora to await re-route instructions.
Thanks to Gill and John Cotton, a forest of orange
arrows bloomed amongst the drab green of the olive trees
and, after a very short delay, the cars were round the
obstruction. Soon it was back to the safety of the Road
Book and on to the next Regularity through the Arroyo
de la Riviera, followed by lunch at the Time Control in
Valdepeñas de Jaén.
Sadly, Colin and Fiona Paton’s 1969 Morgan Plus 8
lost all of its oil pressure on the slopes of the Pico de
San Martina. Despite the best efforts of Andy Inskip and
Charlie Neale, car and crew clawed their way to the top of
the Santa Catalina to arrive at the night halt at the lofty
Parador de Jaén on a flat-bed truck.
This region is famous for its olives, and Jaén is
considered the capital of the Spanish oil industry, so
it was fitting that an informative tasting session had
been laid on for the crews, followed by dinner in the
magnificent vaulted dining room overlooking the Sierras
Morena and Mágina.
www.rallytheglobe.com
