Camping of young Muslims in the Sierra de Grazalema

Chronicle of the encampment of young Muslims in the Sierra de Grazalema

Last weekend a group of young Muslims between 11 and 16 years old from the cities of Granada and Seville, accompanied by some adults, made a trip to the Sierra de Grazalema, in the province of Cádiz.
The activity was promoted and organized by the Seville Mosque Foundation and the Al Andalus Educational Foundation.
This youth camp took place at the Los Linares campsite, located on the outskirts of the village of Benamahoma (from Arabic: Ibn Muhammad), within the Sierra de Grazalema Natural Park.
A beautiful enclave immersed in the heart of the mountain and surrounded by nature.
On Friday afternoon, after the Yumua salat, both the participants from Seville and those from Granada, set off for Benamahoma.
We arrived at the campsite a little before the Maghrib hour and we barely had time to make the relevant greetings, distribute the tents and set them up before it began to get dark and we made the salat.
It was perceived among the young people and in that place far from the lights, the noise and the technological devices of the cities, an atmosphere full of joy, enthusiasm and a certain excitement among the younger ones caused by that feeling of spending the night in a sleeping bag with three other boys of the same age, in a tent in the mountains and under the stars.
On Saturday morning we woke up early, it was a wonderful day and the morning dew kept the soil and plants moist.
After gathering strength with a great breakfast and preparing our backpacks with sandwiches for lunch, we set out on an excursion along the Pinsapar trail.
This is a trail that goes from Benamahoma to the town of Grazalema, crossing the Spanish fir forest that is located on the north face of the Sierra del Pinar, where there are special microclimatic conditions in terms of humidity and temperature.
Let’s remember that curiously the Sierra de Grazalema is the point in Spain where it rains the most throughout the year, and this was noticeable in the lush vegetation along the path and in the humidity of the land, despite being a sunny and hot day.
In the past, coal and firewood were extracted from these mountains and this path was used to transport the merchandise on the back of mules to the villages of the Sierra.
The trail is classified as a high difficulty trail, as it has a steep slope of more than 5 km that requires intense physical effort.
However, the route was pleasant and pleasant, changing groups of children and adults were formed in which sometimes the hardness of the terrain caused some silences to be kept due to the effort, but in which for most of the time there were conversations of all kinds; sometimes serious, sometimes accompanied by laughter, others interesting, others not so much, some loudly and some more intimate and calm.
Throughout the tour we admired the wonderful creation of Allah.
Glimpsing the birds of prey that flew overhead and the valleys, peaks and mountains that appeared as we ascended.
At noon, and after having ascended for more than 3 hours, we made a stop to eat, rest for a while and begin the descent back to the campsite.
The descent was easier and faster and we arrived at the camping area around 6:00 p.m.
In total we walked 13 kilometers.
After the Maghrib salat we cook dinner. After dinner and praying the salat of the isha we all sat in a circle to play some fun cooperation games with the aim of strengthening trust between the members of the group and developing logical reasoning, as well as having a pleasant evening.
That same night coincided with one of the best moments to appreciate the Orionid meteor shower and we were lucky, before going to bed, to be able to contemplate the majesty of Allah again, identifying in the darkness of the night and away from light pollution some of these shooting stars.
The next morning, after breakfast, sidi Muhammad Palleiro together with his son Yasin, offered us a theoretical and practical introduction to archery.
One of the sports practiced and recommended by the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him).
After this we played a cricket match, a sport little known in Spain, but very interesting and fun.
Finally, we picked up camp and headed home.
Those who were going to Seville left directly for their destination.
Those of us who were returning to Granada, made a stop in the city of Ronda to have lunch and contemplate the impressive Tajo de Ronda.
For most of the children it was the first time they visited this place and they were very impressed with its beauty when walking on the New Bridge.
After this cultural stop, we resumed our journey until we reached the city of Granada, where this magnificent experience concluded.
The meaning of this activity, apart from the great enjoyment that comes with visiting these beautiful places and carrying out interesting activities, and which arises naturally and spontaneously during these moments of coexistence, is to create links between young Muslims and with the adults who accompany them that make them feel they belong to the same group. and this group is none other than the group of people who follow the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him).
To strengthen their identity as Muslims and to be proud of it.
Convey adab and courtesy, the behavior of a Muslim; generosity, service, collaboration, good treatment and respect for their colleagues and their environment.
Also in this type of meeting, situations arise in which young people feel free to express their doubts, concerns or interests on a personal, social or existential level. Mohammed GutierrezAl Andalus Educational Foundation