virgen de las nieves

The Virgen de las Nieves monument, (the virgin of the snows) You can see the Veleta peak in the background.
Various texts tell the story of the priest Martín de Mérida who came from village of Válor in the Alpujarra. He was with his his assistant Martín Soto. On August 5, 1717 they were crossing through Sierra Nevada on their way to Granada when they became lost in a blizzard. As a last resort they both prayed fervently because they were in grave danger of hypothermia. Many people have died at this altitude who are not fully prepared. Luckily for them the Virgin Mary appeared to them with Jesus her Son in her arms. She calmed down the blizzard and lead them down the mountain saving them from certain death. As a reminder of this event they built this shrine. There is a more close up photo of the virgin.
here

If you would like to go on a hike that goes past the Virgen de las nieves. Click here