A night under the stars with my husky friend, Khumbu
We camped in the upper Lanjaron valley by streams and under a spectacular night sky. This was to be his first overnight trip. My lightweight summer backpack felt strangely heavy, weighed down by the additional items such as dog food, extra water and a various assortment of chains, leads, slings and karabiners, in a vain attempt to control a huskies instincts for freedom.
Sunrise from the highest mountain in Spain
A one am start from Lanjaron, an hours drive to the trailhead, followed by 5 hours trudge uphill through the night might not seem the best way to climb a mountain. But when we approached the summit and the sun broke through the horizon, all the hard effort and discomfort seemed well worthwhile. We were at the highest point in mainland Spain, Mulhacen, 3482m.
Silver-studded Blue Butterflies on Mulhacen, Sierra Nevada
This beautiful butterfly rests on the branches at dusk and makes for a perfect photo opportunity against the fading light.
Trekking North to South across the Sierra Nevada
Report of a two day high level July trek in Spain's Sierra Nevada, from the ski centre in the north to Lanjaron in the south camping by a high mountain lake overnight
Tajos Altos, the hidden mountain of the Sierra Nevada
From the west of the Sierras and the Vega of Granada Tajos Altos is just a small lump on a long, seemingly flat ridge. From the north and south it is prominent, but often mistaken for Veleta, the Pico del Cartujo or some other more well known peak. But it is in fact a superb mountain in it's own right.
Is the Raspones the best ridge scramble in Spain?
The Raspones emerges from the upper reaches of the Poqueira gorge, just west of the Rio Seco. It is a long shark fin of a ridge. A serrated ridge with many turrets, twists and turns. Approach is normally made from two directions:
Villavientos refuge provides a high class mountain refuge
It lies between the jagged ridge of the Raspones del Rio Seco and Mulhacen. Useful as a base for mountaineering, trekking or when the Caldera hut is full.
Camping in high mountain country north of Siete Lagunas
Kiersten Rowland describes a 2 day trek camping by high mountain lakes and enjoying some of the wildest scenery and nature that the Sierra Nevada National Park has to offer
Winter mountaineering on the longest day in southern Spain
Sometimes you need to do a bit of lateral thinking for your mountain adventures. We might be only two hours from the sun drenched beaches of the Costa del Sol, but there is still some good mountaineering sport to be found. An early alpine start is the chief requirement. The snows are still quite plentiful in the Sierra Nevada, but do become soft and slushy after about 11am. At 6am above 3000m it is hard and icy.
Retreat is not defeat, a June day in the snows of the Sierra
In Fred Zinneman’s 1984 film "5 days one Summer", Sean Connery plays the part of a pre-war climber in the Alps. Driven by a burning desire to conquer peaks (and, it must be said, to pursue his affair with his niece) he pushes onwards and upwards, as it were, regardless of the dangers. We are treated to some superb climbing footage and some toe curling tension before it all goes fairly wrong – for someone at least.
Mobile Cell Phone Coverage in the Sierra Nevada mountains
There are only certain areas that will receive a signal. We tend to use and rely on sat phones or Spot Messengers for communication during our 5 day trek covering the main ridge of the Sierra Nevada.