I recently had my first experience of vertical ice climbing on Cascada de los Militares at the Sierra Nevada ski resort. The ice is formed from water running from pipes out the back of a military building near the Hoya de la Mora. Unfortunately, these pipes originate from the toilet block of the building which [...]
In mid-January, after almost a week of constant fresh snow, a group of us set off on a 3 day trip to the Poquiera Hut and Mulhacen. The plan before we set off was to do a winter climb on the Puntal de la Caldera on day 2 and a night ascent of Mulhacen to [...]
The attached video shot by Richard Hartley (el boss) shows our recent attempt at ski mountaineering in extremely unpredictable snow conditions. One minute you’d be skiing along fine then you’d hit some deep powder and do a face-plant into the snow. The motion would be similar to running along a jetty blind-folded and not knowing [...]
When you head off into the mountains, it’s impossible to resist the temptation to capture the amazing scenery, a tricky pitch, or just the extreme weather or snow conditions. A lot of people are happy just taking little pocket cameras but for enthusiastic photographers like me who want to take home some great photos, these [...]
ice-axe breaking We recently had a client who came to do a winter skills course because he is going on a commercial trip in a few months to Everest…..sort of. He’s actually paying to go all the way to Everest, climb to the North Col…….and then stop! What is the point in that? He may [...]
In stark contrast to the relatively bare and barren summer landscapes of the Sierra Nevada, the Sierra de Huetor is more like a touch of the French Pyrenees in Southern Spain, just North of Granada and only a stone’s throw from the Sierra Nevada. The lower hills are covered in dense green pine forests leading [...]
These are a few photos I took on a recent two day trip up to Loma Pelada after the Sierra Nevada’s first proper snows of the year. Loma Pelada is a seldom visited peak but offers amazing views of Mulhacen and Alcazaba to the East, and Veleta and the Los Raspones ridge to the West.
The 5 day traverse (A.K.A. Los Tres Miles, A.K.A. The Integrale) is a 5 day across the main ridge line of the Sierra Nevada from Lanjaron in the South-West to Jerez de Marquesado in the North-East. The trip takes you to the summit of almost every mountain above 3000 metres in the mountain range including [...]
I may have moved to the South of Spain to learn the tricks of the trade as a moutain guide but that doesn’t mean that my life is dominated by Gore-Tex jackets and Italian-Hitch knots. Sometimes I get chance to get out and experience what else Andalucia has to offer. Recently I got the chance [...]
And what the hell is that huge whack-off spike sticking out it’s arse?! A huge vicious grasshopper learning how to conjucate Spanish verbs in my apartment! In England the scariest thing I had to worry about was a ladybird learning it’s times-tables.
Today is Wednesday, I’ve just finished a long lunch of Alpujarra meats and cheeses (plus nachos) along with a perfectly good carton of wine that costs just one euro. I ate in the porch of my apartment which is my favourite place to chill out (see the photo) sat in shorts and a t-shirt in [...]
Walking, Trekking & Mountaineering activity holidays,
Sierra Nevada & Alpujarras, Spain