If you visit Torrevieja, Orihuela or even the church hall in Bigastro, you will see just how much work goes into creating a Belén. The figures, the scenes of everyday life and the attention to detail are just remarkable. It obviously takes a lot of time, effort, skill and creativity on the part of the authors of these masterpieces in miniature.
There is however one group that goes even further to create the ultimate Belén. They climb up 600 metres above sea level, almost to the Alto del Águila on the Sierra Callosa to create their depiction of the birth of Jesus. And they have been doing this for 48 years. Did they have fleece, GoreTex and Vibran soled boots back then?
Each year more an more people take part in the climb. Yesterday, four hundred climbers of all ages made the ascent and completed their work. Then of course they had lunch, a huge picnic accompanied by wine brought up in wineskins. They even raffled a leg of ham. I bet they were hungry after carrying that lot up the mountain.
PS Please don’t hold your breath waiting to see my pictures of the Belén they created. My days of climbing mountains are sadly long past. It would take a lot more than the promise of a good lunch to get me up that mountain.
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