I drove to Sol Y Nieve the ski station and walked the last bit twice back in the 70s when I was living in Granada. The last couple of miles are tough with the altitude, absolutely scorching sun reflecting off the snow, the dehydration and cold winds. My Dad came along on the second trip and was so spaced out with the lack of oxygen that he left his valuable camera on a rock and walked off. Luckily we retraced his steps in the snow and found it. The views from the top are amazing because you can see the coast and even Gibraltar; I have never climbed any mountain, which gives you such a clear idea of your height and the effort you have expended. I tried it again by MTB years later and fell victim to the mountain's notorious gusts of wind, which forced me to give up a long way from the summit.