Customer Comments

I cannot speak highly enough of Spanish Highs, myself and the mad bunch I’m lucky enough to call friends have just returned from a fantastic climb on the Playa De La Mata (Killer Mountain) near Granada.

Having hiked around Ireland and scrambled Snowden we felt we were looking for a decent challenge.

I reached out to the team at Spanish Highs and from the first email I was extremely impressed at the professionalism and acumen they showed in gauging our level and planning the perfect route.

Our guides on the day of the climb Jens and Felipe acted as teachers, historians and photographers ensuring the climb was a fantastic experience. From the pickup in Granada to the highest point on the mountain there was chat jokes and fascinating conversations on the history of the stunning trail.

I would recommend anyone with any interest in climbing or hiking to look this team up. You’ll be in safe hands and will truly get the full experience of trekking in Andalusia.

Hi Emma - a quick email to let you know we had a terrific time today and whilst Trevenque was covered in cloud - we got to the top and had lunch in the company of a cheeky Ibex. Sean is a tremendous guide and we really enjoyed his company and experience of the area. Thanks so much for making this happen.

We were staying in Granada and wanted to go for a long walk in the mountains but really did not know where to go or how to get to the trail head. Emma at Spanish Highs organised a guide for us and all interactions were prompt and very efficient. Sean (our guide) picked us up in Granada and drove us into the Cumbres Verdes where we spent a day hiking up to the peak of Cerro del Trevenque and back.

We saw several Iberian Ibex including one with large antlers and a number of wild birds including a massive Griffin vulture. Sean was extremely knowledgeable about all of the flora and fauna and guided us around a loop that was challenging but never out of our comfort zone. A great day out - thanks Sean and Emma!

After a lot of consideration and constantly checking multiple weather forecast on the 18th (thursday) me and my buddy decided to give the mulhacen summit a try (wind forecast was looking a bit better then earlier). We decided to go up from capileira up to hueya del portillo by foot - to mulhacen - down to the campinuela Refugio. We started very early around 4 am and made an assessment that the wind was within reasonable speeds and we were able to summit at about 2 pm!

On the east face near alcazaba on the way down was alot of ice and firm snow making the normal path nearly untraceable wich made the descent a bit more difficult then we expected. The Refugio was very nice and kept us nice and cozy definetly recommend that as an option for people :). We then went down the next day in quiete bad weather back to trevelez but it was quite manageable.

I want to thank you for all the help and aid for our trip and your advice was really helpfull for us and it would not have been possible without it! We are now heading back to the netherlands.

Today we successfully completed our 3 Spanish Peaks challenge. Unfortunately due to a dangerous weather forecast we couldn't climb Alcazaba, however our guides at Spanish Highs, Sierra Nevada worked effortlessly to resolve this by finding us another mountain close by to climb, we climbed Pico De Loma Pelada at 3183m.

Its not the 3369m of Alcazaba but we won't split hairs over 200 odd meters. It's been hot, cold, hard of breath, emotional and rewarding all roled into one, but today we stand victorious of 3 Spanish mountains above 3000m.

Thank you everyone for the messages of support this morning, I had loads flooding in prior to my signal dropping out on route, the love has continued on my return to civilisation. We've all had a great response re donations, we are so thankful to you all. If anyone still wants to help us hit our ambitious, but looking possible goal, see the link below. Off for food and a drink. X

Fantastic and memorable bespoke itinerary put together for us with professional, friendly and knowledgeable guides. Had a great experience.

Been a great week out here in Sierra Nevada with @spanishhighsmountainguides getting to grips with some alpine basics and then doing my first peak over 3000m.

We are back in Lanjaron, safe and sound! Thanks you so much for the amazing service you guys have provided. We were absolutely blown away by it, especially since we only booked the taxi ride through you guys. Also, I normally don’t do this but I added a review to google which I hope will help you guys in the future.

Thank you so much for all your help organising and answering all my questions. I really enjoyed the walk and feel much more confident in my hiking ability after Jens was so supportive.

Thanks guys….for everything

Great day today. Thanks for your help.

You guys have been magical on organising this trip

Big shout out to Richard from the logistical team I used down here, Spanish Highs. The Sierra Nevada, how beautiful is that, it has a stark beauty to it. A lot of the guides that I work alongside in Europe have talked about the Sierra Nevada, looks really wild and remote, and it is. Good weather this time of year, generally, it's just had it's first dusting of snow and it ticked all the boxes, relatively easy to get to, covid friendly, and I will certainly be coming back, for sure. It's a really interesting, none aggressive, in terms of the hills are quite rolling but there's some fantastic ridge lines, scrambling with abseils and easy grade climbing, great food, great coffee and great climate. Yeah definitely be going back, it's a beautiful place."

PODCAST Cool Conversations with Kenton Cool. Episode 60 Coolaboration - Let My 'Listeners' Go Surfing

Just a quick note to say what a great day we had on Thursday with Felipe.

The north ridge of Pico de Cartujo (full fat version) was great and we were lucky with the weather.

We had a wonderful time and Jens took care to bring us up and down the mountain safely.

We appreciated his expertise on the mountain and his guidance around pole use, breathing and walking technique.

Great two days out on the trails in the Sierra Navada Mountains. Chris has a vast amount of interesting knowledge about the area. As an added bonus, Chris helped us improved our trail running techniques. Which has made a huge difference to our running. Was a great couple of days. Highly recommend 5 stars.

Brilliant thanks. Also can I please stress how fantastic Leo was all week. I couldn’t have asked for a better guide. A great week in the mountains, thanks again.

We had a brilliant time, my confidence is much higher but understand we still have lots to learn, little by little eh. Leo was brilliant patient and informative. The refuge was chilly but not as cold as the other week at piedra negra, the sleeping bags we bought although not expensive or the best we could by are fab once in them we are often too warm which is not to be complained about.

Thank you for these great photos. We have had a fantastic three days with Spanish Highs and really enjoyed ourselves. Leo has been an excellent guide and did a good job keeping the kids motivated and trudging up the last bit to the summit of Mulhacen. Thanks for the photos - great snaps for the family album and shows that the sky’s the limit even in CV times! A very happy and enjoyable time. Our thanks to you and Richard for making it happen.

I just wanted to let you know how thrilled we were with our hike today! Jose was terrific and the hike was just perfect! We hope to return! Thanks for everything, KC

Dear Richard and Randolph, Thank you so much for 2 great days AND for all the photos which have so amazed our friends and family! I hope you got back alright. I will send on my fotos at the end of the month. Peace, Brian

Great experience snowshoeing above the Sierra Nevada ski station. Excellent service when booking the trip. And thank you Felipe for giving us such a good day. Highly recommend this company.

I had a great time exploring the Sierra Nevada mountains on snowshoes with my guide, Felipe, and two other travelers. We hiked the slopes of the ski station. Felipe was very attuned to our needs, fitness, and skill level, and our ability to deal with the wind and blowing snow.

He took lots of high quality photos for us, offered me better gloves when I needed them, and even chased a blown away glove that I thought would be lost. A great experience overall. I had many questions when making my reservation from abroad and the customer service was excellent. I was able to take the bus to the meeting point in Granada and Spanish Highs provided transportation from there.

I'm chilling with a glass of vino atm, after a great few days. Thanks to yourself for being really efficient, Jens and Leo for putting me thru my paces and helping me to get to that next level. Will be in touch soon. Thanks again.

My thanks to all - you, Dex, Emma, Felipe & Jens - for another good week's activities on rock and in the mountains. See you again. In the meantime, take care. Laurie

Once again I would like to thank you very much for the great guidance in your back yard which the Sierra Nevada has become to you. It was a memorable trip and I still realise that we were extremely lucky in not walking into one of the heavy thunderstorms occurring during our visit in the region.

I had a very pleasant surprise when I opened the guide book that you were so kind to give to me: where I kind of regretted the lack of time to ask you to write in it, you had already pre-empted that potential question. Have started reading in it last weekend and it is a very pleasant book! The maps are much better than the other book I have, so that's a big upside :) And I like the fact that you have continued the writing of a previous author, which makes for some history in it.

I am seriously thinking about planning a tour skiing trip, with 3 or 4 mates. Will discuss with my them next time we have dinner. All a bit more my age - so first half of their fifties - and in pretty ok shape for office guys. We all still tend to actively participate in playing sports. Will stay in touch and revert when I have spoken to them. Pleae give my regards to Felipe.

Hi Emma - apologies for the delay - below our brief testimonial for the guided walk Los Arenales and the Dílar valley (Spelling?) on 9th October this year. There was just five of us a Canadian couple, ourselves and Jose. The weather was wall to wall sunshine and 34 degrees so we needed all the water you advised plus a refill from the well! The day was definitely the highlight of a super week in Grenada - Fantastic scenery and Jose was just such a nice chap, so knowledgeable with all the wildlife, plants etc reckon he’s been just about everywhere in the world!

We walked through the stunning landscape for about 10-12 miles winding up the really super day with probably the most enjoyable beer ever in a little mountain bar - a Spanish version perhaps of our usual Cotswold walks ending up in the pub 😉

Also thanks so much for all your help with the arrangements & recommendations, references to your really great web site. We are really looking forward to the next trip with Spanish highs - probably next year.

We did the Mulhacen (3479m) ascent starting a way below the Hoyo del Portillo parking. By early October the bus to the Alto del Chorillo does not run consistently, so a one-day ascent from this lower trailhead would have been mighty tough and would have greatly limited our route options. Our fine guide, Jens, first took us along lesser-known trails to the well-run Refugio Poqueira at 2500m, where we spent the night - we even slept a few hours in that crazy dormitory world! - and the following day up to the summit with a circular route back down to the transport.

Jens is immensely experienced, an effortless and considerate leader, and very patient. A very cool guy to spend two days with. He has climbed all over the world, and not just climbed: had conditions permitted he doubtless would have had us skiing up Mulhacen and surfing back down it. Apart from the sense of security he gave us, his knowledge of the mountain meant we could choose alternative routes at every stage, whether to see the unmanned refugio higher up, get a close-up view of the north face, or gaze down at the Trevelez valley.

We were blessed with fabulous weather, the summit chill did not materialize, the overnight at the refugio meant we were passably acclimatized, and we got to experience the mountain in all its beauty, beyond - I sense - what might be possible in a one-day tour. The communication and organization at the Spanish Highs office end was exemplary; always fast responses to our many email questions which gave one real confidence that this is an outfit that knows its stuff. Mountains are not playgrounds, so it's hard to overstate how important this is. Brilliant trip.

Richard/Felipe thanks again from all The Plodders for another exceptional trip. It was absolutely awesome. We had a fantastic time as always. Hope you all made it home safely after that long drive and Richard hope your recovery continues at a speedy pace. Keep eating the bacon sandwiches🤣 Hope to see you all again next year🍺Cheers from all The Plodders

Just to say how valuable we have found your Cicerone guide book but more particularly for all the additional advice you've given. We've just got back from a great 2 day self-guided! trip to Alcazaba from Treveléz, following Route 1 in the book (a good place to start!) camping at Laguna Hondera.

Superb weather, up to 26C during the day, but down to about 3 or 4 overnight with a very chilly, gusty wind at the Laguna overnight. Now resting up by the pool at Hotel Last Fragua II in Treveléz, also highly recommended! Some photos from the trip attached if they're good enough to use!

I hope that this e-mail finds you well, and that you had a nice Easter weekend. I wanted to drop you a quick line to tell you that I've enjoyed my Mulhacen trek last week tremendously - everything went seamlessly, and the actual climb was one of the most enjoyable I've experienced.

Jens was absolutely fantastic - knowledgeable, professional, but also really lovely and friendly, with a cracking sense of humour. He did such a phenomenal job with managing our group, which consisted of a few complete novices. He had to contend with a range of abilities (and a couple of egos), and did it superbly by managing everyone in a firm but really nice way. In addition, I also wanted to say that I found my booking experience with you really easy and customer friendly - you were always really responsive, informative, knowledgeable, and extremely helpful. Thank you and the whole Spanish Highs team so much for everything!!

I have no hesitation in recommending Spanish Highs to all who are considering hiking in the Sierra Nevada, and I am hoping to use you guys again for future mountaineering expeditions in this area.

I can't even begin to tell you how precious having these photos is, thank you for sending them through, and would you kindly pass on my absolute gratitude to Leo please for taking them and for just the best day, he was absolutely brilliant with us & being able to look back at the pics is priceless.

He was brilliant I must say, felt completely safe and encouraged, but made it fun and a real learning experience too, i gave him a big hug when we left and said thank you for the best day ever, so I think he knew that I enjoyed it 😁. It was epic and awesome!!

Thanks for the photos and also for a fantastic trip. Really appreciate the tight turn around and we can safely say the whole group had a brilliant experience that we will remember for a long time!! Many thanks again

Thank you also from me for all your help and support in setting up an amazing experience in such a short space of time! Each and every member of the team had an amazing experience.

A special thank you to Felipe and, especially, Jens for all their support, guidance and encouragement getting up and down both the peaks.

Thank you for a lovely walk yesterday which we all enjoyed emmensely. We did the circular walk above Capileira from Hoya del Portillo at noon. Counter clockwise. Took us 1,5 hrs. A great, easy walk - and fantastic views. Perfect for the two of us today.

Thanks also for sharing the photos from our walk - and the video of you and Rita - but most of all for sharing you thoughts and experiences with regard to your life after accounting.

Very interesting learning for a couple of middleaged lawyers 😄 We’ll get in touch when we come back to this area. Please let us know should you ever come to Denmark/Copenhagen.

Thanks so much for the photos, links and such a fantastic time in Spain. Definitely felt like we learned loads and are keen to get out and try our news skills back in frosty Britain! Think we’re gonna have to put ‘mountaineering’ back into the Marylebone Mountaineering Club! We’ll keep in touch and definitely give you a shout when we’re back out in Andalusia. All the very best, Paolo

Hi Richard Thanks for these, some great pictures! We had a great time, thanks for having us. Good to meet you all too. We never made Camino del Rey, it was shut due to the weather. After weighing up our options, we headed home today. Best regards

We had an excellent two days in the Sierra Nevada with Victoria and Juan Carlo. The trip was extremely well organised, punctual, informative and hugely enjoyable.

I had requested that we learn winter walking skills and then maybe summit a peak and this was exactly what was delivered. We not only gained hugely in confidence on the snow but enjoyed learning about the geography and fauna of the area as well.

It was also very reassuring and helpful to have quick responses by email from yourself as to the details of the trip.

Thank you for the lovely day, the trek was very enjoyable and everyone was good company! Thanks for the extra consideration, very kind, sounds like a great idea, I confirm I agree with it! After a long stretch my legs feel good as new! I decided to have a bath but my entire legs were planted at an angle on the wall in front!

Just returned from dinner which was delicious and I took up the red wine recommendation which didn't disappoint either!

All went well, met Jose at 8am as agreed. Just as well as it threw it down as we arrived back at the car. Really appreciated Jose as a guide, very knowledgeable and informative. We really enjoyed ourselves and am now about to have a well beer and nap.

We spent a really enjoyable day with Jose our extraordinarily knowledgeable guide, traversing the villages and waterways around Taha del Pitres. I would highly recommend the route and Jose for anyone looking for a stimulating days walking in the mountains.

He pointed out the nuances of the local countryside, with highlights including a 1000 year old chestnut tree and a booted eagle, which we’d have missed if we’d been hacking around unguided. Great company in impressive surroundings.

Read original review here https://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/ShowUserReviews-g608983-d4941111-r619546838-Spanish_Highs_Mountain_Guides-Lanjaron_Province_of_Granada_Andalucia.html

An adventure without equal, and collection of well 40 peaks and summits over 3000m, over 5 days and carrying a good 17 pounds on our backs. We still have many peaks left so will be a good excuse to return once again to the Sierra Nevada. With Spanish Highs owners Richard and his book that he wrote himself was a great gift "Walking and Trekking in the Sierra Nevada", published by Cicerone.

Detailed route descriptions across all 3k peaks, summer and winter in the Sierra Nevada for walkers and climbers. And with that we are back to our everyday life again. Happy Saturday

Thanks for the pictures, what a great great trip we had! We had a lovely day at the Alhambra – truly a stunning place! Very much enjoyed our trek, your and Felipe’s professional guidance and last but not least, the good weather after all! For now, saluti.

Had a great day today , thanks to Andrew he was a credit to your company. I struggled at times but Andrew was helpful, kind and I would not have made the tip without his professional skill. It's a day myself and my daughter will cherish for many years. Please pass my thanks to Andrew.

We had a fantastic day walking with our guide Andrew, it was great introduction to the Sierra Nevada the views were stunning. Andrews knowledge of the habit and wildlife was excellent and really interesting. I would recommend Spanish Highs, well organised and good communication.

Thank you very much we had a great time. Great experience for Hamish and me. Hopefully see you again in the future.

Hi Richard just to say thanks very much. Yesterday was fantastic and Jose was a brilliant guide. He showed us so many wonderful things that we would have overlooked otherwise. He was very considerate, paced it well, and had great humour. The walk will be highly recommended to others. Thanks again, it was a highlight of Spain and a wonderful day.

Hi, I've had the most amazing time the past couple of days. I can't speak highly enough about Victoria & the mountains, just wow! Excited to look through the pics, thank you for the link, had such a good time, especially loved the waterfall detour, great walk and I want to be a mountaineer now from hearing of your adventures!

Thank you to Kiersten and yourself again for such a wonderful trio, I very much appreciate your knowledge, stories, guidance & patience.

I just wanted to thank you, your dad Richard, Kiersten, my wonderful guide Jens and yourself for your endless patience and responsiveness over email! From the cheery greeting at Granada Airport (despite them having to wait several hours due to my delayed flight) to the fascinating chat and obvious care and professionalism Richard and Kiersten got my trip of to a fantastic start.

The hotel you arranged was beautiful; staff were friendly, the room spotlessly clean, the views delightful, and the food delicious! (and the wine!). I'd recommend anyone doing long day trekking book in the half board option- it’s great value and waiters are helpful. They even added a huge side plate of chips to my main as I mentioned I’d hiked Mulhacén and was starving! I'll send you a pic - quite a feast!

And as for the trek- just WOW! Jens immediately instilled confidence in me, allowing me to relax and Just go with loosing myself in the walking and scenery... We enjoyed fascinating, and diverse chatter, I revelled in the majesty of the mountains, at no point did I feel anything other than safe and taken care of, and smiled and laughed all the way up and down! Jens is absolutely brilliant! And do is the Sierra Nevada

We managed it in 7 hours too- which was much better than the 11 hours I’d feared! Only problem now is I want to do it again! (oh and the three peaks, and the sea to peak, and maybe the 27 over 3000 metre peaks too!). So thank you to you all again; you've been amazing!

Right from the first email response to my enquiry about arranging a trek through to the hike itself Spanish Highs was exemplary! They kindly arranged me a transfer from Granada Airport - and the cheery welcome, despite them having to wait several hours due to my delayed flight certainly got my trip of to a great start. I discovered my ‘driver’ was in fact the fascinating Owner of the company Richard and his partner Kiersten. The obvious care, professionalism and extensive knowledge they were able to impart about both the area and it’s majestic mountain ranges as well the more technical information about their work engendered reassurance and made me very excited about my hike to the summit of Mulhacern the next day

The hotel they arranged was in a beautiful town; staff were friendly, the room spotlessly clean, the views delightful, and the food delicious! ( and the wine!) Id recommend anyone doing long day trekking book in the half board option- it’s great value and waiters are helpful. They even added a huge side plate of chips to my main as I mentioned I’d hiked mulhacern and was starving!

And as for the trek- just WOW!

My guide Jens immediately instilled confidence in me, allowing me to relax and Just go with loosing myself in the walking and scenery... We enjoyed fascinating, and diverse chatter, I revelled in the magic of the mountains, at no point did I feel anything other than safe and taken care of, and I smiled and laughed all the way up and down!

Jens is absolutely brilliant! And so is the Sierra Nevada

We managed it in 7 hours too- which was much better than the 11 hours I’d feared!

Only problem now is I want to do it again! ( oh and now I’ve discovered both the Sierra Nevada and Spanish heights I want to come back and do some of the other trips they offer; the three peaks perhaps, or the sea to peak, oh and maybe the 27 over 3000 metre peaks too! )

I have trekked all over the world- mainly as a leader of groups myself, Spanish highs impressed me, and at every stage they went above and beyond to ensure I had a wonderful time.

The prices were eminently reasonable- and there was even flexibility to hire a guide solo, to join with or go in a group and to create an itinerary or schedule to suit.

Thank you so much! I’ll certainly be back

Thanks Richard, was very enjoyable. Just what I needed to figure out what stage I am at. Also a nice trek up to the peak today. Lee Macdowell May 28th 2018

Fantastic, fun day hiking to Trevenque peak, taking in the majestic view, and then exploring the Cumbras Verdes. Jens is an expert guide who knows these mountains and trails and is great company. Richard and his staff are professional and attentive. Highly recommended!

I just want to thank you for being the professionals you are. Your communication and accommodation -- and patience -- is most appreciated. There's a TripAdvisor review up now. Mulhacen will be for another day. Trevenque was a fun alternative. Jens is a terrific guide and good company. Thank you for connecting us.

I hope to spend some extended time in Grenada, including a hike up Mulhacen. Thanks again.

We did it! That’s Nola second from left and me. Only 13 years in the planning! Thanks to Richard and Kiersten for care, consideration and guiding us to the very top of Spain. More photos to follow.

Just writing to let you know what a great experience we had on the course. We not only learned a great deal, we also had a wonderful time. I have to give particular credit to Jens. Over the decades, I've done a number of alpine climbing courses in Scotland, the Alps and the US, but I have to say (and I'm not exaggerating) that I learned more from Jens than all the rest of the guides I've had combined. And in addition to being patient, thorough and concise, he was also fantastic company.

Of course, what I really learned most from these four days is how how weak my skills are, yet how demanding the mountain environment is. With that in mind, we shall certainly be returning at some point for more instruction from Jens.

Until then, kindest regards to you, Richard, Javier and Felipe.

We had a great time and we’re lucky with the weather. Very much enjoyed the mountains. Sore calf muscles today! Jens was fantastic - an excellent guide and great guy. Please forward our thanks to him again. See you again one day soon, Andy and Giles April 4th 2018

I'd wanted to see those hills and hike across them and Kiersten was the perfect guide to show me how and where. From village to village as I'd hoped, with lots of varied terrain and some excellent naturalist observations. Thank you Kiersten and Richard for a marvellous day.

Highlights of the GR7 through Las Alpujarras. We spent a fabulous day walking 'La Taha' with Kiersten - through white villages, up and down La Aplujarra paths, past beautiful flowers (including wild orchids!) and hidden waterfalls. Kiersten was an excellent guide, who picked us up outside Orgiva and led us on the walk. She was knowledgeable without being a know-it-all (!), we really enjoyed chatting with her along the route, and she was flexible - taking off the main route to find waterfalls to have our lunch next to and to see beautiful unusual flowers. Thanks for a great day of stunning views!

Diolch Richard! We had the best time! We love the guidebook. Will do TripAdvisor too. Eluned Simon Gwil and Eleri

Hey Richard. Really enjoyed our walk with Jens!! Obvs we needed to refer to your guide...check out your photos!

Magnificent walking in the Sierra Nevada. We've just returned from a perfect 4-day break in Granada with our grown up children. We had 2 days hiking with Richard and Jens and the experience was unforgettable.

We were picked up in Granada, taken to start point in 20 mins by 4-wheel drive, and then absolutely glorious walking. Thank you Richard ( guidebook author to boot!) and Jens for your kind expertise.

We will definitely come again. Our plan was to visit Granada ( wonderful in itself obvs ) with a couple of days walking just to have balance, I'm ashamed to say that I hadn't realised how beautiful these mountains actually are and despite tough competition between delicious meals, Semana Santa ad the Alhambra itself these walks were the highlight.

We thoroughly enjoyed our tour with you and Clive. Thanks so much for making this a possibility. And, thanks for the pictures. Once I am back home and can deal with my pictures I will share some with you. Cheers, Tony

I expect you get bored of people singing the praises of your staff - you wouldn’t employ them if they weren’t good - but we just wanted to say how impressed we were with Felipe when he guided us the other day. Made the decision to turn back at exactly the right time (if we’d gone on very much further, I think he would have had to drag me off the mountain, or leave me in a heap! - and one of the other guys was tiring as well) - knew an interesting way to descend, without having to retrace our steps - always attentive helping the old folk with their crampons etc - always discretely watchful to make sure that we knew what we were doing - takes surprisingly good photos with his phone - and on top of all that he’s a thoroughly nice guy! Thank you, Felipe

Jose was also really helpful when he picked us up from Laroles - friendly and knowledgeable.

I really enjoyed the training that I had with Jane and you. It was exactly what I hoped for. And besides both of you were not only great teachers, but nice company too! Marla

Just returned back to the UK after a weekend break with girl friends to Granada. Whilst there we had a day trip to Sierra Nevada. All I can say is what a fantastic day we had. Our guides Richard and Felipe were brilliant. It was unsure for a while if we could go snow shoeing as the area was having freak weather and both ski lifts and treking area were closed. This didn't stop us and our guides took us through the pine forrest where it was much calmer.

I would 100% recommend Spanish Highs and will definitely book an excursion with them again.

Thank you again to Richard and Felipe for a memorable day.

I organised a group of 8 ladies for a day of snowshoeing (like rackets attached to our feet). It was absolutely fabulous! This was very easy to organise thanks to Richard and his team. We were staying in Granada, Richard and Phillipe collected us and took us to Sierra Nevada, they helped us put the shoes on (provided by Richard) took us on a forest walk of about 8k. The walk was magical, we took 100's of photos and they were both very patient even presented us with a great selection of their own photos at the end of the day! We had time for lunch in the central Ski Area (near the lifts) to experience the 'SKI' feel of the place ...we were then taken back to Granada (50 mins). We all agreed it was just the best day ever, we all plan to return, Spanish Highs were great we would never have been able to experience so much in one day and make so many fantastic memories.....Thanks again

I wish express words of thanks to Emma, Richard and special thanks to Nick. Nick, a most professional guide with a great way about him. I have climbed on all continents except the Antarctic. Nick is a world class guide and I fully enjoyed sharing the Sierra Nevada with him. In short notice you made a great experience happen. Thanks and all the best.

I just wanted to say a big thank you to you, Jane and Felipes for the past week. Mike and I have learned a lot and had a great time.

Victoria and Felipe are well recommended guides for a day of snow shoeing. They were very welcoming at the start of our tour and gave us a good introduction of the mountains. Victoria and Felipe were very helpful with getting our snow shoes on and getting equipment organised. They were very understanding with changing the route at the last minute, because our group of 5 people had different fitness levels and one took a while getting used to the altitude.

They where able to adapt the route to accommodate everyone. We all had a memorable shoe shoeing experience. I would recommend Victoria and Felipe as excellent guides.

Hope to return to the snow soon with Spanish High.

Andrew was an excellent guide and it was a pleasure to share the walk with him. Hasta luego! Mike Bradley

Thanks for the photo link. I’m back at work in sunny Singapore. Glad to have the opportunity to hike around the area. Many thanks to you and Jose for taking care of me during the hike and taking all the beautiful photos.

Robi and I would really like to thank you for our amazing journey in the Sierra Nevada. We sure learnt a lot of usefull stuff but we also discovered a new beatiful mountain range, got to know wonderful people that live the mountain as a passion and had a lot of fun.

Also, thanks a lot for the nice pictures. I'm sure we'll return to the Sierra Nevada one day, but I don't know when exactly. Thanks for everything and good luck for your future adventures.

Just returned from a great weeks walking in The Alpujarras. We have had a wonderful time thanks in no small part to Andy, Kirsten and yourself. Great experience, grand company and fantastic photos. All of your input very much appreciated. Best wishes for continuing success.

Just to let you know we had a great day out on El Caballo with Jens. He was very friendly and made sure he was setting a pace we were comfortable with. He also passed on lots of interesting and useful information from local geography/culture to restaurants and supermarkets. The 4x4 ride up from Niguelas and back down to Lanjaron was also really enjoyable.

Thanks to Spanish Highs and please pass on our thanks again to Jens.

We had a great time. Walks and company were great. Felipe, Kiersten and of course yourself looked after us all really well. I suspect we might be back in Lanjoran again.

Davis Shanks

Really appreciate the photos of Cavall Bernat ridge. I've often walked along the Boquer valley and looked up at the ridge in amazement!! Thanks again to you, Kiersten and Felipe for your expert guiding and great company. If you're ever back in Mallorca with a group let me know and I could maybe join you for a day if I happen to be there at the same time.

Ronny Martin

Did this with my youngest daughters (Morag,19 and Rhona,14) as a sponsored challenge for the charity Help Refugees and organised for us by Spanish Highs. We met Richard and Kierstan met us at Hotel Espana in Lanjaron on eve of our trip where we were introduced to Felipe our guide. All very friendly and informal. We had booked Hotel Espana through Spanish Highs. Very friendly staff in a traditional hotel. Helpfully we were able to leave luggage in our room for the duration of the 3 day trek.

We started out the next day for Alcazaba which was rough reaching our starting off point about midday and not being climatised. Nonetheless we made it to the summit and then over a number of passes to the Refuge pretty whacked with Felipe's support. Restless night in Refugio Poquiera due to an epic snorer above us! Consider taking ear plugs. Next day Felipe guided us up Veleta and back to the refuge on remote routes with dramatic scenery all the way. Really odd getting to the top and meeting hordes who came up from the Granada side. Again on our 3rd day Felipe guided us up to the summit of Mulhacen and back via different routes to complete our challenge.

Felipe is obviously an extremely competent all round mountaineer and guide. I was always certain my daughters and me were in god hands. Anyone wanting a really tough 3 day challenge this is for you. If you have the time it may be better to have a day at altitude before tackling Los Tres Picos.

The Sierra Nevada are brilliant mountains and if and when I return I'll certainly be contacting Spanish Highs.

Thank you SO much for a wonderful experience! You’ve been fast and easy to communicate with, very professional and Jane was a super trooper guide. Also, amazing photos was a terrific bonus! Thanks again. Once I’m back I will blog about the experience, I will send you the link.

Just wanted to say a huge thanks for facilitating a wonderful experience for Andrew and Caroline when climbing Mulhacen last week. Everything was so easy and straightforward to arrange and Jens was a great guide for the trek.

Andrew's school are putting an article on the school website, facebook and hopefully the Derby Evening Telegraph and Derbyshire Life in which Spanish Highs gets a mention - everyone was very impressed with their acheivement!

I'm sure Andrew will get back to you with news on how he does with Kilimanjaro has been good preparation for this.

Hopefully we will get back to you at some stage in the future to organise some more treks.

Thanks for the photos. We had a lovely time with you and we wish you the best for Patagonia and wish Richard the best for the 3 th. Marie and Eamonn.

Can I just pass on my thanks in behalf of the group. It was a great trip and we bonded really well with both Nick and Felipe. It's so important to bond with your guides on the mountains and both are really great guys! Top blokes! Thanks for a memorable trip!

Big thanks to yourself and Felipe for a great couple of days in the hills...we really enjoyed it and learnt alot. Thanks for the checklist and routes...we'll no doubt be back in the area again some time soon. All the best. Karl & Hayley

Had a great time with Sam and Laura, as you say they are really good people, and I enjoyed my time with them. I've offered them the flat in London for Christmas and New Year so they can experience a bit of grey dampness away from all your end to end sunshine.

Just written a review for Trip Advisor.

Thanks for everything, I came a bit stressed and wired and had such a great time with you both, and of course Ms dry martini.

Best wishes to Jose and Felipe, and I'll be in touch about both trips!

I just wanted to say what an amazing day I've had. Stewart was lovely and Jose is such a fantastic guide. I really can't apologise enough for the series of cock ups leading up to the trek but it really was wonderful and I'm very grateful. I will be recommending you and would love to come back sometime.

Fantastic two days - with totally diverse scenery and walking - very informative and interesting. Thank you Richard, Victoria! Clive and Jose - look forward to coming again. :-)

Just wanted to drop you an email to say thanks to you and your team for making our trip up to Mulhacen a very special one. If you can pass on a particular thanks to Nick for us that would be appreciated. He's a top man and a great guide.  Nick mentioned the alpine training course you do and it might be something we are interested in trying in the future. Thanks Again

Added comments from Damir B who joined the same trip

By the way, Nick rules, he's the best guide on the planet. I had some fantastic time. I am grateful to everyone in Spanish Highs.

After leaving Lanjaron on Friday morning, we drove along the coast and stopped off at the caves of Nerja. I think Nick (and possibly you as well) had told us that they were worth a visit if we were passing, but not to expect too much. In fact, we were very impressed and thought they were well worth a visit! (If you go with fairly low expectations, you can often be surprised on the up-side!) For anyone wanting to fill in a few hours between Lanjaron and Malaga, we felt that this was a good option.

The flight was uneventful although Bristol airport was in thick fog (welcome back to the UK!) and so we had to circle before we could land. And then the battery in our car had gone flat - but great service from Silver Parking at Bristol - they had a man with a charger circulating the car park and he had us started within minutes.

All in all, we had a great holiday - our thanks to you, Kiersten, Nick and Andrew - great walks with good company!

Review left on trip advisor: We booked the 6 days Alpujarras Escape walking tour, then allowed ourselves a couple of rest days before we did the 2 days Mulhacen ascent. We stayed in the Hotel Espana in Lanjaron, which was clean and friendly (and seemed to be popular with the locals!) We could not fault the organisation of our holiday in any way. A great variety of walks with three different leaders - Kiersten, Andrew and Nick - all of whom were great - good company, attentive to what we wanted to get out of our holiday and knowledgeable in their different ways (e.g. bird watching, farming and local customs). The walk up to the Refugio Poqueira was delightful. Unfortunately, the weather wasn't so good on our summit day and the top of Mulhacen was in thick cloud with strong winds. Thanks to Nick for getting us to the top and back down again safely! A great holiday - we will return!

A quick thank you for a great hike on Friday with Martin. We ski-toured Cartujo which was brilliant! Conditions were varied and my skiing needs so work but Martin was an excellent guide and we had a great day. Felt pushed pretty hard but that's what I wanted. Thanks again - look forward to coming back again soon.

Going up to climb Mulhacen, Spain's highest main land mountain...and quite high for Europe. I did it over two days. 1000m up day one, 1000m up day two, 2000m down day two. Everything wasn't a problem, email and the answer was almost straight back. Walking. Don't get me wrong, you need to put in the effort, but you will be rewarded,

A camera is a must. The views are spectacular. Clouds at 2000m and you are at 3500m.. Sunrise next day... Imagine the ground can't see what you see.

Be prepare to wear snow shows... never done that before. still got to the summit and never went over the side, but you do walk differently.

We just completed a 2 day trek to the highest point in Spains mainland with Spanish Highs. This was such an amazing experience and to make it even better the guides Felipe and Nick were the best. When the times got tough Felipe and Nick got the group going and our entire group summited. We felt in safe hands the whole time and the view from the top was worth the slog. Highly recommend them!

We made a two day climb of peak Mulhacen for my 50th birthday. It was a great experience! Everything was perfect! The guides, Filipe and Nick, were very nice, helpful, supportive, and fun ☺

I went on a scramble with my guide Victoria. We had a great day, she pushed me and encouraged me all they way. Victoria is an amazing and confident guide with great knowledge on the area which she's more than happy to share as well as taking tons of pictures along the way that i can take back with me! Can't wait to come back.

My thanks to Richard, Jane and Felipe for 4 excellent days out that fulfilled my expectations. The via ferrata was an enjoyable and exciting novelty but mountaineering routes are more my style for multiple days out.

Thanks for the Photos I had a wonderful time and your guides were great .I will give your card to my sons in America .Hope we meet again on another trip and thanks for the loan of the sticks .I got new ones in Lanjaron before I left. Regards Teresa Henshaw

Thank you so much for this donation and thank you also for looking after our 10 volunteers last week and returning them to us safely. It was a really tough challenge and we know that they all feel very proud of themselves that they were able to complete it. They have raised a lot of much needed funds for our charity. Thank you so much for helping them and this donation is a really nice touch. Warm Regards. All at L.I.P.S.

I got there in the end! Mulhacen has been scrubbed from the Nearly Mountaineering Club's record books! Jose was excellent and got us all to the top as a group. Thanks for the pictures. Regards and many thanks for being part of my being able to accomplish an ambition and also to have enjoyed an amazing day in the high mountains of the Sierra Nevada.

Hi Richard - Just returned from a great weeks walking in The Alpujarras. We have had a wonderful time thanks in no small part to Andy, Kirsten and yourself. Great experience, grand company and fantastic photos. All of your input very much appreciated. Best wishes for continuing success.

Came home to a full mail box and a stack of post, so am only now finding time to thank you for the excellent service provided by you and your team during our recent stay in Lanjaron. I know you were somewhat taken aback when you realised our ages, but you dealt with that admirably and tactfully. You managed to push us beyond what some of us would have thought of as our limit, and in doing so gave us a memorable holiday.

In particular I have to mention Jose, who gave most of us our heads, and then slowly, patiently and cheerfully got the slowest of us up Mulhacen. His love for, and knowledge of his country was very apparent, and he was a very interesting and informative guide. Although this was not a particularly arduous climb, it was one which we probably would not have undertaken on our own, and the fact that all 6 of us reached the top was wonderful - a day that we will not forget, and that will be talked about for a long time to come.

I have sung your praises to Jeremy of Camino ways, posted a review on Tripadvisor, and recommended Spanish Highs to all and sundry who enquired about our holiday - hope this might result in some well-deserved extra bookings for you next year.

Cheers for the photos. And thanks for the guiding and help during the trip. I think all three of us found it to be a great experience. Had a great time in the Sierra Nevada and Sierra de Cogollos, guided by Spanish Highs. All the scenery and landscapes are brilliant and definitely worth visiting. There is also some great fun to be had on the rocks and slopes of the mountains, with multiple scrambles and hikes to choose from.

Our guides, Richard, Jose and Victoria, were all very accommodating and informative, making the trip even better. Whether you’re new to being in the mountains or more experienced and looking for new adventures, Spanish Highs’ accommodating style, organization and openness will make sure you get a brilliant and enjoyable trip.

Hi Kiersten & Richard, just wanted to thank you both for your most wonderful support & so also my enjoyment on the recent Alpujarra walks! You possibly have less idea of your contribution than those of us at the receiving end.. you made it feel easy when it wasn't, so I would like it not to be understated or estimated, Best of luck in your next adventures & don't forget Slovakia or Tasmania in your next considerations!

Thank you kindly for the wonderful photos you sent to Eileen. We thoroughly enjoyed the walking with the wonderful guides. Will pass the word around and post a review on trip advisor!! Best wishes

Richard, many thanks for your very kind donation and a brilliant week. Really enjoyed myself and will definitely be back to try another challenge. Please say thanks to everyone including Steve, Jose and of course Snoopie.

Yes, it's brilliant! He took lots of lovely photos, please thank him for that. All proof that a good time was had by all, at least some of the time! We were lucky to have that sunshine as it's cloudy today. Thanks for organising our trip, I hope we can return to do some more walking in the future, maybe without unwilling children!

Thanks for the photos and for organising the trip, we had a great time.

I wanted you to know Judy and I had a fabulous time hiking with Victoria and Guadalupe, and another guest, today! Victoria was wonderful in every respect. Thanks again! Diane

This is just to say again a thousand thanks for taking me up the hill with you, and, what's more to the point, getting me down in one piece. I hope I wasn't too much of a burden... I don't think I was. But anyway I'll tell you again that I got so much confidence from your competence. I really thought for a moment or two about bottling out when we got up there in the wind and took a look at the Vasar; it was about as shaky a moment as I can remember in a long long time.

But, taking my cue from you lot, I stuck my courage to the sticking place or whatever it is that you do, girded my old loins and away we went... and I sure am glad I did. It was a truly unforgettable experience. The photos are fabulous, but of course do little justice to the real awe and magnificence of the scenery. Fortunately I still have it in my head.

All of us had a brilliant time so huge thanks again to you, Andrew and the whole team. The trek was exactly what we were after and Andrew's knowledge and guidance, along with the circular route, made it all the better. I'd recommend Spanish highs to anyone looking for a great mountain experience.

I spent my first day of being back in civilisation mostly sleeping!! I was exhausted!! Much more spritely today and back at the office – we've had some really lovely comments and feedback coming in from the participants. Thanks so much for the photos – it’s really lovely looking at them! I didn't take many myself so great to see others.

Likewise it’s been brilliant working with you and the team. I'm really glad I was able to take part with the team, and especially pleased that some of our slower participants accomplished peaks and had such an amazing time, some great achievements. Thanks for looking after us so well and the good humour – it’s all made for a really fantastic experience.

Knowledgeable and friendly guided walking. I had never taken a guided walk before so I didn't really know what to expect, nor if I'd enjoy spending hours each day in the company of complete strangers. How would they deal with a fairly taciturn client who was quite happy walking several miles in complete silence..?

I jest... Richard's company is first class and I need not have worried. He has a well chosen roster of seasoned professionals who, aside from being excellent guides to the stunning area, are extremely personable, friendly and totally sensitive to the client's walking styles.

I was fortunate to be accompanied by four different guides over the course of a week (Kiersten, Victoria, José and Andrew). All had warm, interesting personalities and were completely different but each an absolute pleasure to spend a day with in the mountains.

The walking can be as hard or as soft as you like. They instinctively know how to gently push you beyond your usual limits and the walking was invariably stunning and varied.

These people love this area and it was an honour to share their knowledge of, and their passion for the mountains - book with confidence, you'll be well looked-after. Highly recommended.

My father and I had a great time on the trip and I'm sure we will be revisiting the Sierra Nevada at some point in the future. Many thanks to you and your team and good luck with your Patagonia trip later in the year.

Just got back from climbing! This was really nice, instructive session, far more than we expected for 3 hours! Thanks to you and especially to Jens, we really enjoyed it!! We will recommend you guys! All the best, Maiju, Mari and Tuukka

We would like to thank you for an amazing experience. It was by far the most exciting experience we have ever had. Philipe and Nick where an amazing help, which we truly needed the last 400 meters to the summit. Amazingly challenged would be out way to describe out emotions now, and very very scared at the time. We will definitely recommend you to our friends.

Richard Hartley and Jens Foell, a big thank you for the excellent training we had with you in February. It was an essential part of my ability to reach the highest peak in Sweden in challenging conditions. I look forward to come back to you again for tres picos and more. I can strongly recommend anyone who is interested in alpinism to go and train with Spanish Highs. You guys rock! Via Facebook

Thank you for walking with us, it was so good to know that you/Kiersten were there as I was almost always staggering in the back. I have never been to 'walking holiday' before and this well might be the only one but what a wonderful time we had.

Lovely to have met up with you again and to have met Kiersten too – she was so knowledgeable about flora and fauna and a delight to walk with.  Thank you so much for the pictures I have forwarded your email to the group who I know will love them all. Home now to rain and cold – what a marvellous week we all had – very happy memories.

To kick start my interest in climbing mountains I decided to go with Spanish Highs for 4 days. Not wanting to sound too dramatic, but it was quite possibly one of the most important decisions of my life. Up until arrival I had contact with Richard with any questions or worries I had. I arrived in Lanjaron, which is probably is the cutest village ever...probably because it reminds me of home on the Isle of Man. - with Spring water in the taps and on the street.

That evening I met Richard and Kiersten, we had a beer and a chat. Very warm and very friendly with a great sense of humour. I instantly felt comfortable.

There were some issues which I spoke to Richard about and these were instantly solved...Richard is a man of solutions!

Next day we met for breakfast, had a chat and then headed out for Low Mountain Training with Richard - learning how to use ropes on ascent and rescue fellows from crevasse. I learned knots, techniques and how to appreciate such a perfect view. We had 'some' beers later that evening and the company was very warm with 'interesting' and flowing conversation.

The following day, Filipe took us out higher up to use crampons, snowshoes, avalanche assessment. I could see the angry peak of Veleta with the snow drifting off....she looked beautiful. Also learned some meteorology and cloud formations. We even went to visit the local Buddhist Temple.

Day three and four with Victoria - very professional with an epic sense of humour. We attempted a Summit of Veleta but unfortunately, the weather took a turn which meant we were unable to move to an unmanned refuge and rough it up. The guides at Spanish Highs have the experience to make choices to ensure your safety, listen to them. I stayed lower down in a manned refuge for the night.

Day four, we set off early and shoeshoed up to Veleta. It was hard work and challenging following a professional skier up a mountain. We made it up in very good time and the summit was still with no wind. It was perfect. Took pictures, ate, took more pictures, stared at the mountains and clouds below. It was perfect... Something inside of me just clicked, I can't explain.

We came back to base, had some beers and a chat. Made sure I was ok and wished me farewell.

Like a Family

Not one day did I feel like an outsider. It was like being part of an extended family... It literally felt like home. I would like to say with Spanish Highs, I made some friends...and when I return with my boots, I will be visiting Lanjaron and be greeting them as friends.

The Future...

Every Icecapped mountain I will climb, Richard, Kiersten, Filip and Victoria will ring out in my mind - with them at Spanish Highs they gave me the confidence to move that leg higher and forward on dangerous ground.

Thanks guys!! See you soon.

Thank you Richard, Jane and Filipe for a fantastic couple of days. The photos are great!

We really enjoyed our walk with you and had a wonderful climb up La Poqueira with Jose today.

Can't really put it into words about how epic this trip was. Richard and his team are so friendly giving their expert advice and very helpful. I will be back...

Many thanks for a great experience.  I learnt a lot in two days and although there remains a huge amount to be learnt we absorbed a lot in a relatively short period of time.

A huge thanks for the trip and your time and experience last week. Had a really great time and feel positive that the info is finally a bit more embedded than previously! I hope so. Also just bloody great to meet like minded souls and be back in the Sierras... love it there.

"Been hanging out with an outfit called Spanish Highs on a mini montain adventure, for a story somewhere down the line. A lovely arc to our little journey and superbly lead by Richard Hartley."

From both of us I would just like to say that we had a great weekend both with yourself and Jens and you have certainly given us the confidence and basic skills to take our alpine skills to the next level.

Read more about Sarah and Tara's trip here from their blogs

Dont Eat Yellow Snow ..!!

High is the Word

It has been some absolutely fantastic days. The instructional day we had with you was really good in terms of basic technical skills and as we learnt over the next couple of days it is good to practice these in less extreme conditions.

The three days in the high mountains with Jens were really fantastic. Jens is a super guide. What an awesome location! Certainly mixed conditions which is good unless you want to be a "fair weather" mountaineer. Our last day up there was absolutely amazing weather wise and a perfect ending to our "course".

Thank you and Jens once again - it has been fantastic!!!

Still on a high, 24 hours after the walk. My family were looking forward to snowshoeing in the Sierra Nevada. However, there was an unprecedented lack of snow for the time of year, and Richard offered to refund our deposit in full or put it towards a hike in the mountains. We went on the Vereda de Estrella trail. From the start of information gathering to the booking, Richard was wonderful to communicate with, with prompt and professional replies to each email.

We met our guide, Victoria, and immediately warmed to her. She was very attentive to our needs and pace throughout the whole 6.5 hour hike. She shared her passion and enthusiasm for the mountains, and was a fountain of knowledge. She is such a lovely, amazing and energetic person.

We had a great day. The disappointment of not being able to snowshoe very quickly dispersed, thanks to Victoria and the mountains. It was just mind-blowing to be amongst such stunning majestic mountains. Sierra Nevada, Vereda de Estrella and Victoria, will always have a special place in my familys' hearts.

Richard took me and my partner on a fantastic day out in the Cumbres Verdes. Started with an ascent of Trevenque which is a fantastic rocky peak. We then descended down through pine forests on meandering forest tracks and then completed a circuit back to where we started. Richard was a great guide and led us on a very varied route with stunning views. Would recommend Spanish Highs

Just thought I would drop you a line to thank you for arranging the climbing with Jens - the clients had a really enjoyable time and highly recommended Jens as a teacher and he is such a nice guy. If you ever have customers who like a bit of comfort between their activities then we would appreciate you recommending us. If you are ever you are near to us please come and have a look around.

Also to feedback how helpful and prepared the two guides - Felipe and Andrew were. I had a lovely time and felt in capable hands all the way. The hotel was also very satisfactory.

Thanks so much for organising our climbing session today. Jens was a fantastic guide - we learned heaps considering it was only one day, felt like proper climbing! We definitely will book in with you next time we are back.

We wanted to thank you for the organisation of the transport and the brilliant accommodation - we really appreciated it and it made our holiday much less stressful! We really hope to return, having fallen in love with the region, and hopefully to undertake some of the longer treks once we have got ourselves match fit.

Fourteen of us just back from a week in the Sierra Nevada Mountains organised by Spanish Highs. One of our best trips ever. Climbed Mulhacen, Alcazaba, Veletta and Cerro del Caballo with one overnight in Pogueira refuge. Stayed in Lanjaron in Hotel Espana. Spanish Highs is exceptional. Everything was organised to perfection. Richard the owner and the guides were absolutely brilliant. We cant praise them enough. Nothing could have been better. If you want an awesome trip professionally organised with a personal touch then Spanish Highs is the company to go for. You wont be disappointed. A superb trip by a superb company!!

Thanks very much.  We had an awesome trip.  The organisation was faultless, the walks were superb and all the guides exceptional.  It is the personal touch that makes the difference, meeting us in the bar for drinks, joining in the Irish craic and banter etc.  We can’t thank you enough for such a professionally organised trip and will be recommending Spanish Highs to everyone we know who is interested in walking in the mountains.  Hopefully we will be back again in the not too distant future.  Next week if we could manage it!!!!!

Sincere thanks again to you and the guides and we wish you all the success for the future.

Can i say that jose was an excellent guide one off the best we have come across the whole group was impressed with his experience and expertise. he was very caring and diligent. I hope you can pass on our thanks for all his assistance.

Thank you for your help in organising the trip everything went smoothly. We will be in touch again if we decide to do other walks in the area. Many Thanks

We had a great time and want to thank you so much, everything ran like clockwork and really made our trip, you run an excellent show. Also thanks for even going to the bother in getting the rugby game even though we lost! Victoria and Jose were unbelievable and so informative. They really looked after us and were great craic too!

We hope to return and do something else up there and you will be the first person we contact! I will write up a review in your site and Trip Advisor and anywhere else I can. Highly recommended! Thanks a lot Richard. Hope to see you again in the near future

Mulhacén night summit, sleeping under the stars. We summited late in the afternoon, travelling 2700m by bus and the remaining distance to summit by foot. We took up bags and slept under the stars. Our guide was Victoria Montañes who is skilled, knowledgeable and great company.

Fabulous evening and morning, thank you guys so much!

Mulhacen climb in July. What a wonderful day away from the crowds and the heat. Climbing Mulhacen was a great experience and our guide made sure we got to enjoy the most spectacular views.

Mulhacen climb in August. My husband and I climbed Mulhacen with our guide Felipe from Spanish Highs via the Ski lifts on Thursday 6th August. We had a fantastic day. Felipe was so helpful, he gave us names of all the mountains and valleys and shared his knowledge with us as we went. We did some scrambling on the way back. He took photos of us throughout the day which meant that we didn't have to stop to take out our camera etc. Would highly recommend Spanish Highs if you are thinking of going into the mountains.

High quality tailor made guiding. Loved having Richard from Spanish Highs take us into the big mountains. He made sure we got the best experience out of the Mulhacen climb. Loads of experience, customizing for the client, inspirational ideas, loving to share his 'backyard' with anyone who's up for a new adventure... needless to say, I will definitely be back for more.

All three of us really enjoyed ourselves on the hike. Victoria did a great job introducing us to Mulacén and the surrounding area. The day started off really well because we were both at the meeting place on time. Victoria is a great conversationalist and adjusted her pace nicely to ours. We were very pleased with her skills and abilities as a guide, chauffeur, and Spain language teacher.

Mullhacen and Veleta with Spanish Highs. I spent almost a month touring Spain all-around in June/July. Already when I was planning my journey at home I decided to do some hiking at Sierra Nevada. Because I've never been there before I searched for a guided hike. Found then Spanish Highs and their very informative website. Richard answered really quick to my mail and everything with the arrangements went so well with him.

I did two hikes ( one/day ): one to Mullhacen and the other to Veleta and los Machos.The views were fantastic and thanks to my guides ( Felipe first day, Victoria second day ) I walked routes that I would never been able to find by myself. So I really recommend these lovely, easy-going professionals, you get so much more of your hike with them.

I'm already planning my next journey:-) I'd like to do 3-5 days hike at the mountains. Muchas gracias a todos! ( Victoria, Richard y Felipe )

I was studying in Granada and wanted a worry-free way to do some hiking in the Sierra Nevadas. It was really easy to make arrangements with Spanish Highs via email. I did not hike with Richard but instead I went with Victoria who clearly knows the mountains around Andalucia very well. I particularly enjoyed the 2-day high on Mount Mulhacen with an overnight at the refugio. The treks were among the highlights of my time in Granada.

Our 8 man team has just returned from 2 days hiking on Cerrillo Redondo with Richard, Andy and Felipe from Spanish Highs. Cant praise this company highly enough as they looked after our every need from initial contact all the way through to a beer and some tapas before we headed off at the end of our adventure!

They are not only professional, fun and very reassuring but also very flexible and were able to tailor make a package to match exactly what we were looking for. I'm sure we'll be back very soon!

Great pictures! We really enjoyed the trek. Has some great views, lots of variety in terrain (and in the weather yesterday!) Nice feeling to be looking down for a few moments on the rest of mainland Spain from the Mulhacen summit. Very well organised and good company! All the best George, Christine and Karen

Just returned from a fantastic 2 day hike to the top of Cerillo Redondo in the Sierra Nevadas with the Spanish Highs team of Richard, Andy and Filipe (and Rita the dog!) who looked after our 8 man team perfectly. They gave us a trip to remember which was exactly on brief as requested - they were professional, reassuring and lots of fun from start to finish. Highly recommended!

For an unforgettable experience, join these guys for a trek into the Sierra Nevada. We went off the beaten track and never saw another person all weekend, tapas, beer and wine awaited at the refuge then we were guided to a 3000m+ peak. Amazing views and great company from the guides and Rita the adorable dog. Brilliant.

It was a pleasure to use this company. Reliable, very friendly and happy to go the extra mile for the costumer. Would happily recommend to everybody.

Not very tech minded but I think I've just shared my photos from the recent trip to Mulhacen with you! Had a fab time hiking; would be keen to return and do some snow touring to try and get my confidence back skiing which I'm really poor at but would like to improve.

Spent a cracking few days with Richard Hartley and friends in Lanjarón which we used as our base for hiking in the high Sierra Nevada mountains. A day scrambling on Penon de la Mata and a fantastic summit day on a snowy Mulhacen. From the 1st email to the goodbye handshake the trip couldn't of gone any better. We will definitely be returning

Our family spent the day hiking in the Sierra Nevada, amidst clouds, sun, a little rain, and totally enjoyed the scenery and being in this gorgeous area. Richard is so responsive with communicating and helping to ensure everything will go smoothly. Victoria was enthusiastic, professional, exuberant, and a lot of fun for our family!

There is so much to explore in this region, we hope to return to do more hikes in the future. This is a # 1 company, that anyone coming to this area should carve out time to do a hike, trek, any outdoor activites under this team of professionals.!We loved it!!!!

Along with 9 other friends I spent a week with these guys in May 2015. Take it from me Richard and his team are excellent. If you want adventure in Sierra Nevada the go with these guys. Helpful, professional, good fun - and all at a really fair price. I'll be back next year for more of the same. Alastair.

Thank you very much for a lovely trip. I loved reaching summit of Mulhacen and this was made possible by Felipe and Andrew. Thanks to both of them. I did not like the heat and arrived back to rain and cold and even whilst shivering in my flat on Saturday night I was so pleased to be back to the cold.

Thanks for all the information and your patience!

If you want to get the best out of Sierra Nevada then go with Richard and his Spanish Highs team. Professional, helpful, friendly. I'll be back next year.

We had a great trip up the mountain. We were well led and the route was particularly good. I would recommend this organisation and to do the trip while the snow is still on the ground.

Many thanks again for organising two great days of trekking. Erik & Christine

Jens did a fine job and was an enthusiastic and encouraging guide. Fran and Michael were very nice companions and made the experience even more memorable and nice.

Thanks once again for all of last week. All 3 of us enjoyed ourselves. I spoke to Alistair today to brief him. I wish I had the time and resources to come back out with him. Hopefully see you again for another adventure sometime. Best regards, Damien, Neil and Robbie

We spent six amazing days with Spanish Highs covering a huge range of mountaineering experiences. From Alpine gulleys and peaks, through ice climbing, ski mountaineering, a stay in an unguarded refuge deep in the mountains to grade 1 and 2 scrambling, and Via Ferrata. The region is simply stunning and I was deeply impressed by the quality of the guides. Richard and his crew were professional, friendly and also knew the best watering holes!

Thanks for a fantastic week! Can you thank Filipe again for us too. We had a great time, despite not making it to the top again. Ethans mum made him go to the hospital today because of his sunburn but I think he's wearing his battle scars with pride!

Cheers for organising everything, had a great couple of days with Jens. Hope to make it over again sometime.

I can do the rope knots with my eyes closed now and soon there will be one in the garden on a tree to climb in. That rope part was really fun! It's really nice to talk with someone who is so much experienced and understands the mountains. You give me the confidence to go up alone where other people say I'm crazy going there. It would be nice to keep in touch by e-mail and Facebook. If I have questions about equipment, techniques or other stuff I will bother you by sending e-mails! And I don't know when but I will come back to the Sierra Nevada and then I meet you again!

Thanks for the great experience!!!

Thanks Richard - great pictures - many thanks again to Jens for being great company and a great guide. It was much appreciated. It was indeed tough getting back to reality again.

Richard, Pepe and Felipe, Thanks for a great weekend including a very wet (as you can see) Sunday. Thanks also for the photos. Hope the knee is on the mend and good luck with this season. Maybe be with you again in 2016..

Hi Richard and team. We got the pictures and they were magnificent. We just have to snatched a lot of them. Very professional. Please give our regards to the rest of the team and hope to see you all again by the summer. We will be very happy to endorse your company to the rest of the clinical staff here who wants to climb the Sierra Nevada Range.

Got the pictures you've sent.very nice and beautiful. Thanks to Pepe, Gordon, Felipe and you for this trip and the rest of the gang who came with us. This is an unforgettable memory for me

I thank you, Felipe and Pepe, who guided us perfectly and of course Richard, who organized. Also was my great amusement to be with the whole group. Hopefully we will meet in the Sierra Nevada again.

I thoroughly enjoyed myself, it was a pleasure to meet everyone and Filipe and Pepe did a great job. You and Kiersten made the trip a delight, from help with the travel arrangements to meeting up the evening we all arrived. Thanks to you both.

Thanks for the course I found it very useful and increased my arsenal of techniques I now have at my disposal. I made a little video of our course linked here

Thank you for the great trip and great photos. It was pleasure to have met you, Kiersten and Jesus.

Patagonia 3 week ice cap expedition expertly led by Richard Hartley of Spanish Highs Mountaineering. The expedition was successful in crossing the ice cap. The secondary aim of climbing one of the many rarely climbed peaks on the ice cap was cancelled due to lots of fresh deep wet snow causing avalanches.

This was my second visit to Patagonia in the last two years it is a stunning location well worth the long journey. It is challenging and enough time should be allowed to deal with the weather which dictates what can and cannot be attempted. We were lucky on this expedition that we experienced a great weather window.

We did two hikes with Spanish Highs - the first in Los Alpujarras and the second in the Cumbres Verdes. Jens was our guide for both hikes, and a second guide, Victoria, accompanied us on the second hike, as she was learning to lead hikes in that area.

Jens was an excellent guide, knowledgeable of the area, friendly and interesting, with a real passion for the outdoors.

Both hikes were 5-6 hours, and Jens adjusted the route and terrain to suit our fitness and interests. On the first hike, near La Tania, we detoured to summit a nearby hill with an excellent view, which we never would have found without him, as there was no path (we went cross country). We also stopped in one of the white villages on the way home, and had a chance to sample and purchase some excellent local chocolate!

On the second hike, Jens took us on a much more challenging route, and we hiked about 1000m of elevation over the day, including a 2100m summit. I was definitely challenged by the elevation and the heights (I'm not brilliant with high places) but Jens and Victoria slowed the pace as required, helped me with my poles, and distracted me when necessary :)

The scenery was spectacular, the weather absolutely perfect for hiking, and we had a real sense of peace and accomplishment at the end of the day.

We will definitely be back in Spain, and plan to use Spanish Highs when we need a guide

Just a quick one to say a big ‘Thank You’ for organising and leading such a successful and enjoyable trip. I have some wonderful memories that, barring the onset of Alzheimer's, will stay with me for ever!

Just wanted to let you know Paul and I really enjoyed the hiking, Jens was a great guide. Certainly challenged my fitness/nerves more than Paul's but it was absolutely brilliant and just made us want to do more hiking in the area!

Hopefully will manage some ski touring in the future with your company - after talking with Jens, Paul has agreed to try skiing and take lessons, as he thinks ski touring would be brilliant!

Cheers,

Mel

Just a quick note to say THANK YOU. Thanks to you, Pepe and Felipe and off course Richard we had a great experience on Mulhacen. Due to the nature of the group the task of guiding us was not easy and all of you handled it in the utmost professional and pleasant way. This is very much appreciated – THANKS!!! Daniel

Having found "Spanish Highs" website, my request for information was answered really promptly. Richard was very helpful, answered each of my queries quickly and offered various dates and walks. I was particularly pleased that they were able to meet us at our hotel. The walk was very satisfying and challenging enough for us to feel that we had stretched ourselves without being out of our depth. As a guide, Kirsten was supportive, friendly and great company. We thoroughly enjoyed our walk with Spanish Highs and the views and countryside of the Alpujarras are spectacular.

Coming from Asia (Singapore),this is my first solo trip to Spain's Andalucia. I must say this hiking experience is THE highlight of my trip!!! Richard and Kirsten made me feel very comfortable immediately when I met them. They are very knowledgeable guides who shares lots of their experience during the hike. They have also added some exploration elements, i.e. trying out a slightly more challenging short cut, digress to search for owls and eagles etc...this made the experience truely unique.

Moreover, I get to climb up a steep rocky hill to take a gorgeous photo...I have decided to name that hill after me...hehe...Cumbres Verdes is mystical & spectaculat route with ever changing surroundings from deserty to greenery pine tree forest to river flowing down the gorge...Highly recommend Spanish Highs to anyone interested in hiking Sierra Nevada...you will not regret!

Thanks Richard great trip the guys all enjoyed it great experience. Managed to get great pictures and some stunning views despite the crazy weather. Thanks to all that helped.

Thanks Richard. It was a pleasure to meet you and all the staff. We certainly got a good physical work out and greatly enjoyed the overall experience. I have forwarded your mail to all participants in the wider group. My wife Una and I plan to be in Lanjaron again and may call on you for a days walk.

Found Spanish highs in 2011 and this is my 4th time here with them. Richard and Kiersten know the area like any good guides but they treat you as friends from the moment you arrive. Lanjaron feels like a 2nd home thanks to Spanish highs. Oh yes and the Alpujaras are fab too. Just go!

This was a stress free way of enjoying the lovely Cumbre Verde with views of the Sierra Nevada and lovely pine woods. My sister and I had just one day to spare for a walk in our five day break in Granada so walking with Richard and his colleague, Julia, saved us the hassle of planning our own walk, getting ourselves there and finding our way. It was a plus that they were such good company.

A fantastic family adventure. Richard was a great host and guide for a day trip in the Sierra Nevada. He judged the level of our family and mixed the right amount of exposure and perceived risk to create a very enjoyable adventure, even if we were worn out at the end of the day. Clearly knowledgeable about the locality with an easy going style. A few bonus elements - uploaded pictures on flicker so we had more of us to add to the scenery. Recommended

One day hike in Sierra Nevada; great experience. Our guide Richard provided us with lots of useful and interesting information. In advance, he responded quickly to our questions. He is easygoing, checks on you, and offers the possibility to avoid the 'main road'.

Absolutely fantastic trip - Excellent, professional guides. Having just completed a 2 day expedition to the summit of Mulhacén (at just under 3500m, the highest mountain on Spain's mainland) I would thoroughly recommend Richard and Spanish Highs for any kind of adventure, particularly exploring the vast Sierra Nevada.

We reached the summit on the second day, but on the way also summitted Alacazaba, bivvy'ed next to a lake, saw the Milky Way + a couple of satellites whizzing around, and traversed the treacherous north face of Mulhacén, all experiences I won't forget.

Excellent trip, already planned the next one.

That was a great trip! When planning my summer holiday, got an idea to walk in Sierra Nevada. Just wrote to Spanish Highs and resolved in a moment which guide I'll choose. Richard was very informative and helpful in planning the trip, asked me what I need and provide me with equipment. He choose the great way for walk with amazing views and moreover I got an a great company.

That was amazing unforgettable overnight trip in Sierra Nevada, thank you very much!

Many thanks for the lovely walk. We had a great time in Andalusia!

Thanks again for a great day in the mountains - we all really enjoyed ourselves and learnt so much with your guidance

How Lucky Am I? I spent a great day with Richard learning the basics of walking with crampons, ice pick usage and self arrest. The course was informative and Richard is a most patient and professional teacher. An all round fun and useful day and highly recommended.

This is a belated thank you... ten thousand of them in fact, for all your kindness, generosity and hard work in enabling us not to make too much the fool of ourselves up on the hill. For me the whole thing was quite unforgettable, and although while I was up there puffing and panting and enjoying the agonised moaning of all my muscles I was thinking 'right, this is the last time I put myself through this stuff; it's just not necessary'... well I hadn't been down more than four hours when I started thinking how wonderful it would be to be back up there. Funny isn't it.

“Friendly and professional guides in the Sierra Nevada”. I was part of a motley group of 6 guided around 3 separate areas of the Sierra Nevada by Richard and Kiersten (and on the last day, joined by David and Anna, some friends of theirs visiting from Guernsey). Although I think their services are generally targeted at experienced bush walkers, mountaineers and extreme-sport types, our group had 3 lovely & varied days of fairly gentle walks (between 8 and 14km over 5-6 hours per day).

Richard and Kiersten helped us experience the variety and beauty of the Sierra Nevadas, and arranged our pickup and drop back at Granada and our accommodation (with plenty of tips for food and drink) in Lanjaron. Highly recommended for a few days of peace and beauty, doing something a bit different.

Many, many thanks, a great day and great memories via the photos and video

“Wonderful walking tours”. My friends and I spent three days walking with Richard and Kirsten in May 2014. It was a wonderful experience. Three very different walks were selected by Richard to suit our requirements and capacities. The first walk in the Las Arenales and Dilar Valley, Cumbres Verdes gave us an experience of walking through a diverse landscape of forest and almost desert. Amazing views! The second walk traversed the Taha del Pitres in the Alpujarras and gave us the experience of walking on a medieval road and through old villages. Again amazing views and an unforgettable experience. The third walk was the Rio Chico, Puente Palo, Sierra Nevada - a high walk that provided a very different experience to the first two.

Richard and Kirsten were adaptable, knowledgeable, and very friendly guides. They arranged accommodation at a lovely hotel in Lanjaron, provided advice, transport and general good humour during our time together.

I can't recommend this company highly enough. I'd love to do more trips with them. Thanks for a great experience!

“Three fantastic days". We spent three fantastic days with Spanish Highs in May. We were a group of six and our walks were tailor made to suit us - duration, altitude, low level, mid or high level. We walked in the Cumbres Verdes, Taha del Pitres and around Rio Chico. These areas offer high mountains, beautiful pine forests, streams, waterfalls and picturesque white mountain villages.

It was my first time to the Sierra Nevada and I absolutely loved it. Our guides Richard and Kirsten were both very professional and also great company. I can really recommend going with them!

It was such a great experience that I plan to tell as many as I can about it. I've been reading Driving Over Lemons these past couple of days. It's such a great portrait of the Alpajurras. Thanks for giving us a wonderful experience.

Fantastic photos, Richard! You make it alive and vibrantly dramatic. Some of them from the last day made me laugh out loud. Thank you for making the tough bits smoother and the wild beauty accessible to us all.

George and Gustav were very enthusiastic about their experience in the Sierras. It was totally different and much better than they had anticipated. They send their best and were sorry they forgot to thank you and say good by at the hotel.

I do thank you for two wonderful and interesting days. It was a great experience to finally ski the Sierras. We are planning on a trip next year too. Hopefully in slightly better physical form. It was a surprise to find my legs so heavy on Saturday. But I prefer to blame it on the altitude!

My dream is still to ascend the Mulhacen both on foot and on skis. I will try to make it in October.

Dear Javier, I am writing to thank you for creating, for the second time, a wonderful experience for me in the Sierra Nevada. Clearly you know your stuff, but where you go beyond is in creating the atmosphere, the fun, the enjoyment of the mountains and mountain life. I really appreciate your efforts, and am looking forward to a next time - that time it’ll be the ‘Integral’. All the best, Robert

The last two weeks have been amazing! Nice to be back again and doing a multi-activity holiday with winter skills, alpine mountaineering, scrambling and ski touring. I felt confident on doing those things with your guidance. It's been fun and spectacular! Thanks so much to you all at Spanish Highs!

Thanks Spanish Highs for a fabulous experience! We took a family holiday at the start of April 2014 with no prior experience of any outdoor activities and wanted to try a few new things in beautiful surroundings. We tried scrambling, rock climbing, sleeping out in the mountains under the stars, and walking the GR7. Eve(10) loved the rock climbing, I loved the birds and butterflies and we all loved the amazing scenery.

One of the highlights for us was the honour of having Rita La Perrita the lovely mountain dog accompany us on our two-day walk to La Cebollar. We had loads of fun sledging with her! Thanks for great memories and the best holiday photos ever! Definitely be back!

Still it was an excellent hoot in Spain! Really enjoyed the trip. Plenty of variety. I would like to get more experience climbing on snow and ice as the last day was a good taster. It was good to meet up again, Thanks again for the experience, much appreciated. Please pass on our thanks to Felipe and good luck on Aneto.

You have all been great and this has been a very memorable holiday. Best wishes to you, Kiersten, your beautiful dogs and all the Spanish Highs crew

This was another good and varied trip. Best wishes to you and all at Spanish Highs. I'm fiddling around with my photos and if any are good I'll send you

Thanks for a great trip. Varied mixture of walks which made it interesting for us all. Superb pictures

Thanks so much for a great trip. The walks were superb and varied and thanks for the photos. We really liked the hotel in Lanjaron too! Hopefully see you in less than 10 years!

Just to say thanks for some great walking last week. It was a really well rounded itinerary with lots of variety. We enjoyed staying in Lanjaron and its fair to say that the Bodega was a real highlight.

This was a stress free way of enjoying the lovely Cumbre Verde with views of the Sierra Nevada and lovely pine woods. My sister and I had just one day to spare for a walk in our five day break in Granada so walking with Richard and his colleague, Julia, saved us the hassle of planning our own walk, getting ourselves there and finding our way. It was a plus that they were such good company.

A note to say thank you for our day in the snow, and many thanks for posting the photo's and video. A great souvenir of the experience! It was a day we all have positive memories about.

Just to say very many thanks. We really had a marvellous time with you & everyone was SO helpful to me. I really appreciate it & sincerely hope we can go again next year.

I spent five days walking with Richard and his team at Spanish Highs at the end of October/beginning of November 2013. I wanted a trip that would take me off the tourist trail, provide stunning scenery and an invigorating hike but allow me to return to a comfortable bed at the end of each day and a decent glass of red wine and tapas. Over my five days we hiked:

• Taha del Pitres
• High Forests of the Alpujarras
• Tabernas Desert walk
• Trevenque

The trip excelled and met every expectation. It was very well organized and Richard gave me great advice pre-trip as to what kit I needed, weather conditions and the likely terrain. He devised a trip to suit my wish of tackling several different types of landscape, giving real variety and an insight into this often overloked part of Spain. Both Richard and his guides were extremely knowledgeable about the Sierra Nevada and interesting to talk to. At the end of the day, over a glass of red or a beer, it was great to hear their tales and experiences from many years living and hiking this part of Spain .

I would thoroughly recommend Spanish Highs and taking any of their walking tours in Andalucia in this beautiful part of Spain.

Mulhacen was a hard but perfect ending to an awsome week,so thanks to you and your crew Richard. Hope to see you all again some day!

I had a fantastic day with Spanish Highs. This is a memory to cherish for a long time . Thanks again Richard

Back in the UK, had a great day out with you, it was just a perfect introduction to the hills for Lois who is now keen to do lots more.

Great walk in the Cumbre Verdes just out of Granada, made really easy with a pick up from the Alhambra car park. This walk was to the summit of Trevenque, and was a really great day out for both my teenage daughter and myself. Our guide from Spanish Highs was good company, the day was unrushed and we took in some fantastic scenery. If you have done a bit of hill walking in the UK this is for you, take usual kit and food, but if in any doubt just ask Spanish Highs for advice, they will look after you!

Had a fantastic time and will be back

Thanks for the nice time in the mountains!

Thank you very much for those "do not try at home" photos and movies! That makes the experience even more enjoying and unforgettable. An Oscar for the dog’s POV trailer!

The girls all very much enjoyed the day, even with the wind!

Thanks to Richard Hartley and Kirsten for two fantastic days learning alpinism and discovering the absolutely stunning village of Lanjaron. See u guys again soon. I'll be back

Just got home after a pretty good journey all round. Thank you all for a most enjoyable weekend - good weather, good country and lots of duct tape - a little adventure in the Sierra Nevada! I am sure we will see you again albeit not this year. Good luck with everything

All that to say that the experience I gained through our Sierra Nevada experience turned out to be very valuable for Aconcagua. Richard, we did get the face mask (cold avenger) and the icebreaker gear to shield us against the -25°C plus 60km/h wind chill factor. Thank you. Javier, your spirit and mantra traveled with us - 'ENJOY every step of the way'…

I would just like you to know that we had an amazing time in the mountains, we have created memories that will live with us forever. We often tell friends or reminisce as a family at the things we did. You and Pepe provided an amazing experience for us as a family, one that we will treasure forever! My next job is to print some of the amazing pictures to canvas and then to keep looking for cheap flights to Granada! Mark and I would love to meet you again for a drink in lanjaron and will definitely visit and take a trip in the mountains again.

My tactics going only in low winds and also using a satellite messenger for receiving the weather forecast proved to be essential for getting through the icefield without risking to loose the tent! (This was advised by Richard from Spanish Highs to me! So very helpful and maybe life-saving advice!)

I have holidayed with Spanish Highs 5 times. The guides are professional and really care about your enjoyment while also being very aware for your safety. Not only is there complete flexibility around dates of travel, the walks are tailored made to suit you - duration, altitude, low level, mid or high level. The guides are really good company, will also guide you through the local tapas bars if you wish, and they know the area as they live there. Wherever you choose to go, you will have a fabulous experience of inland Spain, a special place...enjoy

We had such a lovely time on the mountain and loved both the guides, thanks very much for organising. The sunset was indeed incredible on the Sunday and loved the fact that you could see across to Morrocco.

Richard and Kiersten, your love and passion for the mountains will always inspire me! Thank you so much!! Spanish Highs Mountain Guides got 2014 started with a bang.. nothing like the thrill of nature.. so so wild at heart

Wonderful to catch up and your guidance and hospitality was again, as always, both superb and much appreciated. Lovely time up there in the Sierra's

Last night in Sierra Nevada, home for me tomorrow! Good luck with your 2/3 day trek up Alcazaba boys, thanks Richard Hartley and Spanish Highs for a great time!

Superb support from these guys for our Mulhacen trip 14 December 2013. Thanks lads

Still, my most memorable adventure to date, and largely thanks to your good leadership and an incredible team. Anyone "half thinking" of doing this should pull their finger out and do it, it's the closest you'll get to a polar experience.

What a great trip, Jon and I really enjoyed it and it’ll give us some fantastic memories (albeit some painful ones too!) for a long time. Really appreciate all your efforts in hosting and organising everything for us, so thank you very much. It was certainly tough, but it’s very true that you do get out what you put in. Anyway, thanks again for a really memorable experience

Thanks for these photos and for leading us on a great weekend. What a challenge! Its something we'll remember for a long time. I look on my freezer in the kitchen in a whole new light now.

I really enjoyed my one hike with Kiersten, she is really good company on a walk, and I hope we can make a return trip in the New Year perhaps.

This was awesome,thanks Felipe and Richard for this fantastic trip

It was amazing! I really enjoined it, have to go climbing again as soon as possible.

@spanishhighs Thanks guys for a great couple of days for the ascents of Pulpito and Mulhucen! See you soon.

The traverse of the Sierra Nevada is a superb trip to do. It offers great hiking, many beautiful sights and scenes, and a very special experience of the conditions and culture of the Sierra Nevada. The proposed 5 day trip can only be accomplished (by normal mortals) if previously acclimatised. Otherwise I'd plan 6 or maybe 7 days. Doing it from East to West (as per most propositions) might be more efficient as from West to East. Clearly I would recommend the traverse to anyone.

I thoroughly enjoyed Javier as guide. He is knowledgeable and experienced in the Sierra Nevada, has a very pleasant and helpful disposition, and is cautious yet adventurous. He creates an atmosphere in which one wants to explore/hike. Javier knows what he knows and is confident, and he is open to new ideas and other experiences. That requires natural self-confidence, which he has. I would recommend Javier to anyone as a guide.

The services and network of SpanishHighs are more than sufficient to have a great experience. I would recommend SpanishHighs without hesitation.

Think I left one of my walking sticks in the car yesterday - today I borrowed Felipe's so I had two. He is an excellent guide. Was tough for me on second half of the ascent and the first half of the descent - am a bit nervous - but Felipe was very helpful and patient.

We haven't tired at all telling people about the walk so many thanks again, Was the highlight of our trip. Cheers again mate Rob & Claire

Thanks for a good week. Regards to your team, who were all helpful. Am considering returning in April 2014 while winter conditions prevail but daylight hours are reasonably long.

Good stuff! Very sore body yesterday and really sore thighs this morning!! Like to get another day in early November.

I had an absolute blast! Thank you so much for taking me with you! I will definitely go through those shots and see what came from our amazing day out!

Thank you again for the excellent service, it made my job organising the trip so much easier with being able to obtain all we needed from one source, particularly as our collective Spanish doesn't amount to much.

Thanks! I enjoyed the hike tremendously, was the highlight of the trip. I have already recommended you to a friend of mine who has visited Spain many times, and loves it enough to keep coming back.

Thank you both for a great couple of days and some interesting ideas!

Now firmly ensconced back in Blighty and my day in Las Alpujarras already seems very distant. So many thanks indeed for these mementos and thanks again for your guidance.

Thanks for making this a very successful trip.The walk, hut, organisation and the guiding were excellent. I had my doubts about one or two of the guys managing, Javier was great. As you will have gathered Philip and I plan to do Mera and Island peaks next year so will need some winter walking/climbing practice /experience.We had intended to go to Scotland but a week with you would be a very attractive alternative, costs, time and practicalities permitting.

Thanks Richard, it was a please to walk with you. I had an amazing holiday, I look forward to coming back to Spain one day.

I had a really good day, Felipe is an excellent guide and we did the climb in 6 hours which I am pleased with. All in all a really good day and I'd like to return and maybe try the winter activities. Thanks for organising it and it would be nice to meet up again in the future.

Many thanks for your advice, assistance with route planning and transport on my recent trek. I went "off-script" a couple of times but that only added to what was a great adventure. Tough. Demanding. Committing. Rewarding. Satisfying. Just some of the words to describe my trip.

Thanks for organising a brilliant trip we enjoyed every moment and Javier was a brilliant guide

Thanks for everything. Had a brilliant time

it was an incredible experience and a great holiday: maybe the 'Spaghetti tour' next time round

Thanks for the links to your fabulous photos; I’ve passed them on to my fellow Sierra Nevada walkers. Have you got over the shock of guiding a bunch of weird Irish walkers yet? I must say I really enjoyed the trip.

You were quite right about the crampons! Thanks for the helpful advice

I had a meeting with Berghaus on Monday and they are made up with the imagery from Kamchatka. Absolutely delighted in fact. So thanks to you and Kiersten for your efforts and involvement

Thanks for a wonderful hike and an enjoyable fiesta. That story is going to be told a lot! I look forward to looking at the photos and will send through mine if you would like.

I had two options for a weekend trip: Lagos, Portugal for beaches and partying, or hiking through the Spanish countryside with a local, knowledgeable guide who knew everything from what type of nuts each tree produces to the traditions of a hidden Spanish pueblo. I chose the latter, and it was one of the better decisions I made this summer.

On our two-day visit, we (myself, Javier, the expert Spanish guide who also knows English, and three friends) visited Umbria, a small town with friendly people in Sierra de Aracena; swam in a natural outdoor pool that overlooked the mountains for a breathtaking view; slept in a mountain refuge complete with a fireplace, water and a theater-style movie experience; hiked to an ancient monastery; and serendipitously met local farmers who showed us how to milk goats. We did all of this while being guided by Javier, who told us about trees and pigs and Spanish culture. Without him, and without the stay in the refuge, the trip wouldn’t have been nearly as rewarding. It was a full cultural immersion.

I would recommend booking a trip with Javier's company to anyone who loves the outdoors and hiking, and anyone who would like to really learn about Spain. Sangria and tapas are great, but true Spanish culture is hidden away in the mountainous countryside. Javier helped us find it.

Just wanted to say thanks for a brilliant holiday experience climbing Mulhacen. Javier is a fantastic guide we really enjoyed his company and felt very safe at all times whilst doing the climb. It was lovely to meet you all as well. Did you get to ski off the top the following day?

Hey Richard! It was great to meet you on Mulhacen! I will never forget the wonderful atmosphere, your bivouac shelter, your dogs, the icy cold, the tea from your friends that saved us, the light, the view of that morning! Now I am back in Switzerland but I already miss the Sierra Nevada!

Thanks a lot Richard.. I will cherish my time in Sierra Nevada for many years to come. In terms of money, probably this is the best value for money I ever got. Some views were priceless and sliding down the snow ...:) Thanks again, hopefully will meet again.

Despite the less than brilliant weather we had some great walking, even if not as much as planned . We were very pleased with Felipe..............great sense of humour and a very good guide

Thanks a lot for the wonderful experience and great photos.

We had a great day and I was great to meet you both

We had a great time at the Sierra Nevada. Luis was the perfect guide for us. We felt absolutly safe with him and we got a lot of information about the local area.

Well-organized, accommodating, friendly, and experienced guide service. My friend and I did the two-day Mulhacen winter trip. Were lucky to have cooperative weather and a successful ascent with great views but even if we hadn't I still would have felt that the trip was well worth it. Our guide was familiar with several routes and involved us in deciding which option would be best for us.

There was enough time allotted in the schedule to allow for flexibility with our pace when one of us was coping with a stomach bug (whose origin was unrelated to this trip). Despite extreme familiarity with the mountain, our guide never seemed bored (in fact his summit photo looks much more triumphant than my own). Instead, his extensive experience was channeled into teaching us about the location and his apparent enjoyment of the trip added to our own.

Based on this experience, I would definitely feel comfortable planning another trip with Spanish Highs and I would recommend them to anyone seeking some memorably enjoyable and safe mountain time.

I am back home now, very much missing Spain and the Sierra Nevada. Thanks again so much for being a fantastic guide (Jens Foell). Summit day was definitely the highlight of my week in Spain!

Thank you again for our week of adventures. I had so much fun and have learnt a lot. Now, only a sore red nose is left, memories and the superb videos and photos.

Thanks for such a great time & experience - lots of good learning too!

Thanks again for a terrific week.

We are back in Perth and into our usual routine which includes temperatures of 40+C at this time of the year. The other extreme of January in the Sierra Nevada. The experience was incredible and the scenery breathtaking. Hope to get back to Spain soon.

Just to let you now how much we enjoyed today... many thanks!

Thanks for all the lovely photos. An even bigger thank you for making our stay in Spain so fantastic. We will defintely be back to do some more walking and some runs in the mountains. You may well be getting some of ours friends joining you for a few days in the near future as we've been raving about Spanish Highs and the whole experience.

Thank you for your help in organising our ski holiday. Today is our last day and we've met many friendly and wonderful people here, from the hotel staff, telemark staff and our ski instructor. Sierra Nevada is a beautiful place and I hope to be back again.

Thanks to James and Richard for showing us a really great time in the Sierras, my buddy and i spent 4 nights in the Refugio Poqueria the food was good and the wine was plentiful. The weather was excellent which allowed us to trek throughout the high summits of the Sierras. It was a terrific adventure walking with the Chamois and watching the vultures circling overhead it was everything i had imagined and would recommend it to any one.

Thanks to you Richard, a superb 4 day winter break with excellent company

Richard - thanks for your help. We had a good final day scrambling

We had a great day. It was freezing on the way up (snowing for most of the way) and on top, but the sun came out as we headed down. Luis was fantastic, we went up to and down from the summit on very interesting routes, and after the hike he took me down to his village and we had a great traditional Spanish lunch together, before he dropped me back to Granada. Really excellent day out. I highly recommend Luis to other clients.

Your guide was great - really enjoyed getting to know him and was glad he was our guide, especially with the weather conditions.

Javier and Richard, thank you for some great memories and looking after us so well. All the best for the future with Spanish Highs and the refugio.

Thanks for making it a wonderfully smooth-running & memorable trip.

Back from a 3 days trek in the Sierra Nevada, I appreciate how Spanish Highs approach the distinct needs of each customer with the utmost importance and flexibility. It was an exciting event excellently organised by experienced and responsible experts. I highly recommend them without any reservation.

For me it was worth every penny and km(s), i saw some pictures, there was a nice atmosphere under the group!!

Thanks a million for a great time in the Sierra Navada. We loved every minute of it. Twas a pleasure meeting all you guys in Spanish Highs

Really enjoyed the trip n meeting u guys

Thanks for a wonderful two days trekking with James up to the south summit of Mulhacen! CU next time in Sierra Nevada!

Thanks a million for a fantastic 3 days of walking. It was a wonderful experience and great to spend quality time with you both getting great tips for EBC. Please thank Jane too.

Thank you for arranging my morning with Jane and James, it was great fun. They knew just how much to push me on and I really feel like I've achieved something today! I've been up and down that road a number of times when I lived in Orgiva and it took on a completely different look today. I'm planning on being back out in September with my daughter and will be back in touch to arrange something with you again. Please say thank you again to Jane and James, they are lovely people and hope our paths cross again!

Thanks again for being so flexible yesterday. Can you also give a big thank you to James and Javier too for their help.

Thought I would write to let you know how it worked. Your administrative handle was fine. That part was smooth. James was great. On time and most competent. Very nice kid. He did a fine job. You are lucky to have him in your organization. He does you proud. Good luck to him and his developing career. I just hope I did not work him too hard. Tell him I said so! Next time I am out and about, I will check with you to see what other areas you cover. Good to know you are out there.

I would like to thank you again for the organization of our Sierra Nevada Trek. James has been a fantastic guide, who has done a great job and we enjoyed our trek a lot. After climbing Veleta and Mulhacen and due to the strong winds, we finally decided to shorten the trek and skipped Alcazaba. Nevertheless and especially for my brother, for whom it was the first Sierra Nevada Trek, it was a unique an unforgettable experience. After having reached the two highest peaks in the Peninsula, we were more than satisfied.

Hi guys, back home now and big thanks to Richard and James for all your help!

Thanks for organising the Mulhacen ascent for me on 6/7 April. I had a great time any enjoyed it thoughly. Would you pass on my thanks also to James and Jane, they did a fantastic job of guiding us all to the summit. I will recommend you to any of my friends who visit the region and hopefully will be back myself sometime in the future.

Many thanks for the good time we had these last few days, we learnt so much, it was great. We will be planning a return early next winter. Thank James for us, Dexter too as he was good company.

Thanks for your help last week,good to see you again. till covered in face cream,hope to be back next year.Vic and boys.

I want to say that I had a week in the Sierras that are a lifetime highlight. This is in now small part thanks to Richard Hartley, Kiersten Rowland and James Jackson. Their suggestions, help and bonhommie and that of everyone in Lanjaron have inspired me (again). I will return. I would have no hesitation recommending Spanish Highs to anyone who wants to visit the Alpujarras.

Thanks for a great holiday

Thanks for a great couple of days. We got everything we wanted from the course and we all enjoyed ourselves enormously. As I said on Friday, I have rarely felt as confident trying something new, which is a testament to your skill and teaching ability. We had a great time and have a healthy glow! Sadly for you, I think you may see us all again!

Thanks for showing me the ropes (literally) and the fact that its not only the Alps that have great hills to play on. I may well be in touch again to try the route from the hut out over Veleta. In the meantime I'll practice the rope techniques over in the smaller crags of the Lake District at Easter.

I would like to thank you once more for friendly efficiency in managing our trip. We have really got out the best from the unlucky snow season in the Sierra. Of course, it was not what we had imagined, but mountain adventures are always different from our wishes!!! Wish you good luck for some more snow this year and, in any case, for happy days strolling around peaks!

Thanks for a great weekend. We thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. Please pass on our thanks to James for looking after us. We all like the idea of returning next year. So we will be in contact. Many thanks again

Thank you Spanish Highs for a great two days ‘learning the ropes’. As a mountaineer rather than a climber, I wanted to increase my confidence in rope work in exposed and more awkward situations. Richard’s relaxed and calm teaching style enabled me to absorb a huge amount of information and to learn some potentially life-saving techniques that I simply would not have got from books. And the rock climbing was fun too!

Just wanted to send a quick note to say thanks for the help, and for the wonderful website. We had a great time and hope that we can make it back soon.

We spent 5 days in El Chalten awaiting a good weather window doing 4x hikes, 1x 5-pitch multipitch climb, 1 bouldering afternoon and tons of eating and drinking. Then 10 days traversing the ice-cap, surrounded by formidable mountains, walking up and down glaciers, falling into crevasses, crossing icy rivers, melting snow for water and sleeping on ice and under the stars. Best adventure yet!!!

Thank you Richard Hartley, Kiersten Rowland, Tracy Coote, Chris Wilcox and Brett Wakeley for being awesome team mates.

Wow! What an achievement. Many congratulations to you all and to Richard in particular for safely getting you there and back. He certainly is a master at what he does!! We were able to follow you every step of the way with that fantastic tracker system. The updates were helpful to because we could actually read about what you were doing and where you were.

We thought James is an excellent guide. He advised we stop our ascent at 2700m due to whiteout conditions. He is very good company and has a great knowledge of wines!

A rather belated but sincere thank you to you and your team for making our week in Lanjaron so successful and enjoyable. The effort you put in in organising and adjusting walks to suit our varying meeds as well as the relaxed atmosphere your team exuded made for a really wonderful week acclaimed by many as the best away week ever for Fitzamblers. A few of us are talking about a repeat ( non Fitzambler) performance and I'll stay in touch as this progresses. Say hello and thanks to Kiersten, Javier, James and the rest of the team.

Many thanks for all the support you gave us. Your services were very professional and allowed us to have a brilliant trip. Good luck in South America.

I just want to say how much I enjoyed my trip on Monday with James. He was very good company and knows the mountains, just as well because the mist came down on our decent. Despite my recent Kilimanjaro trip, I did find the altitude a bit of a problem as I struggled over the last stages, I guess it was lack of acclimatisation. It was day 5 when we did the final Kili climb. 3,483m is not to be sneezed at (wheezed at??).

I had a great day on Mulhacen yesterday thanks. I slept well last night! Thank Kiersten again for me.

The weekend trek went well, the ascent at some points I found bit harder than expected but it was my first time up a mountain this high. I'm hoping to convince a few more friends to hike up to Mulhacen, if things go well I hope to be in contact again to arrange help for winter ascents, winter skills training, a guided winter ascent etc.

I just wanted to let you know about my time on Mulhacen. It was wonderful! The climbing and the views and the Refugio de Poquiero were all fantastic and the guding was good too...now that I have the feeling back in my legs (!) I will be recommending to my friends your tours. With many thanks, Alex.

Thanks for a lovely trip to Mulhacen with Javier last week. The sunrise was wonderful and gave us a good feeling on the way down. We do have some nice pictures and as soon as we get back home you will get copies.

I would definitely recommend this trip to others. A great challenge and fantastic views make the uphill exertion completely worthwhile!

Richard, many thanks to you and Kiersten (and Javier) for the very warm welcome. What an eye-opener it's been, fantastic adventure! Thanks!

I found this trip a fantastic and unique trip, First, I liked the professional team who took care of everything and was always on time, secondly, it was a good chance to enjoy the mountains in Spain. I do recommend it to anyone who love adventures and enjoy a special experience.

Also the experienced staff, helped me to have the right expectations about the trip, therefore I was prepared to everything. it is unforgettable experience. Simply, at the top, you have just reached the highest summit in Spain.

It was a great pleasure knowing you all and I am so lucky to have spent the days trekking with you. Will share photos when I get the chance to upload them.

Desde aqui reconocer la profesionalidad de los guias de montana de Spanishhighs, por su constante empeno en seguridad en la montana, como del porte humano de sus componentes.

I think Muhz, Joe and I all thought that our time in spain was amazing and I am grateful for the experience and lessons while we were in the Sierra Nevada..... Thank you very much and I’m sure it won’t be long until we visit again.

My sincere thanks for organising our trip at such short notice, we had a really fantastic time. Jens was excellent, could not have been better, kept up a good pace and was good fun as well as very helpful, safe and aware of our limitations. I am very interested in future trips for our guests in this area and also personally in your winter skills, ski mountaineering and your Patagonia trips - sound fantastic.

Thanks again for organizing the winter skills day with James, I had a great day.

Hard day in the Sierra Nevada. Turning back for safety when 80% done. Soft snow and hot sun exhausting, but "spanishhighs" superb leader

Back home wishing I was up a spanish mountain. We did the walk in memory of my late wife, who loved horse riding in Alpujarras; so thanks again to James for getting us there and back safely.

Paul.... "Many thanks for the trip. We had an excellent time with some good memories". Ross..."I’d just like to echo Mr Treadwell’s sentiments. Great trip and enjoyed meeting you both."

Just wanted to say thanks for a great day on Saturday. Enjoyed the march up the hill (What was that peak called again?) and it was nice to quench the thirst with a few cold beers afterwards and listen to your advice about Mt. Blanc. I am returning in October so I can have another attempt at Mulhacen then and maybe try the Camino del Rey or another activity.

Just wanted to write and say thank you for a super week. Ben and I really enjoyed ourselves. Yesterday was a superb finish to a thoroughly excellent week of ski touring. Please pass our thanks onto everyone who made it so great: James, Jens, Emma and Kiersten.

Many thanks for showing Franzi and I a great time in the Sierra Nevada a few weeks back!

Just wanted to send a quick note to let you know we had lot of fun climbing the Mulhacen (west then south ridges) and the Alcazaba. Perfect weather and good snow to ski in the afternoons. Thanks for your help w/ the conditions and keep up the great work you are doing w/ spanish highs. Enjoy la sierra

Thanks for the weekend fantastic, had a great time. Props to Jane. Was great, just need a fitter body thanks again see you end of the season for a walk if you head to Mallorca let me know.

Just a note to say cheers for all the help while we were in Sierra Nevada. The cebollar trip with Jens was great but also all the additional stuff you sorted and the local knowledge which made things so easy. We will definitely be coming back. Here are some snaps of our trip if ur bored...not jealous in anyway that you have all that on ur doorstep. Pic 88 shows Jens et al gearing up for their traverse, albeit from half way up Mulhacen west flank. Oh well, back to the grind.

Hi there just a quick email to thank you for a brilliant few days in the mountains great experience for all of us. Gathering up the last few photos and then ill send you them for the website.

Back to reality with sore legs... haven't done so much hiking in ages, it was definitely worth it though!!! Your valued expertise with our self-guided walks were spot-on. It's such a wild, raw and unspoilt location here. We made a few local friends in Lanjaron who made our evenings enjoyable. This is the best kept secret for mountain activities in Europe! Maybe we'll see you again in September...

Many thanks for the last ten day's Richard. I thoroughly enjoyed the whole experience and meeting everyone. I'll be in touch when I get back out since this isn't the last you've seen of me I'm afraid.

Hi Richard, Kiersten and the hounds! Great to catch up with you too, it's been too long, and I'm sure it wont be long before we are back out. Bryony really enjoyed her break, and felt very relaxed, to be fair, the whole week could not have gone any smoother!!

Made it back to France in one piece just in time for the rain but means snow in the mountains. Just sorting life out and getting ready for next trip. Thank you to you and everyone for making my trip enjoyable. Had a great time. Will check your website to see how you get on down South !! Have a great trip and hope to visit in the future.

Thanks a million for all your support. We really could not have done it without you. I will put a write up on the club website with blazing recommendations for your company. The whole group have nothing but good words for you and your team.

Just wanted to thank you (and James!) again for the climb. I had a really great time and am so glad I did it!

Just to let you know we had a fantastic day out last Sunday. Jens was an excellent guide for the day and we really enjoyed his company. Many thanks

Just wanted to thank you for your help setting up our climbing last week - we had a great time and were sorry not to meet you to say thanks personally! Please pass on our thanks to Jens - he was the perfect instructor - great at combining encouragement with tips and technique, and knowing how far he could push us!! Hope to come back someday, until then all best

Many thanks for the climb in August with Clive. we enjoyed very much. I believe Lloyd (my son) has already contacted you regarding a climb in February for 2 days. Anyway, please see the video we made and posted on YouTube. Its called Mulhacen spanish highs....

I was revisiting some of my trips from this year and wrote a short review of our Mulhacen climb (click link). Thanks again for your help. We have very nice memories and are looking forward to our next winter climb.

It was a great experience and has inspired me to train for another big hike next year

I found this trip a fantastic and unique trip, First, I liked the professional team who took care of everything and was always on time, secondly, it was a good chance to enjoy the mountains in Spain. I do recommend it to anyone who love adventures and enjoy a special experience.

Also the experienced staff, helped me to have the right expectations about the trip, therefore I was prepared to everything. it is unforgettable experience.

Simply, at the top, you have just reached the highest summit in Spain.

Thanks for organising the walk - I had a brilliant time. I spent the rest of the week 'resting' my legs by and in the pool. Bliss! Now back to rain in Scotland.

Thanks for the successful trip. Four 3000 metre peaks in 6 days walking is a reasonable tally even if we did cheat on Veleta and use the cable way.

The team led well throughout, assessed the ability of their clients during the fortnight so that no-one was extended beyond their capabilities

Had a fantastic day trek on Trevenque. Planning to post some pix of our trek there soon. Our guide was great too. Please send our regards to Mike.

Belated word of thanks for the great personal service and friendliness I found from yourself, Kiersten and Mike - plus the tapas and general feeling at home in the town, on what was my first time in Spain. I don't know what the next trip will be, as usual, but I certainly am not short of options. Wishing you all well, and with envy for the weather in Lanjaron!

The weather here is the typical British Winter stuff - overcast and raining. Still, I can look back at last week's and bask in the memory! Thank you very much for making last week so enjoyable and my thanks to you and Tracy for your hospitality. I hope that Phil and I will be able to get out onto the Lakeland Fells while there is still snow and get some practice in.

Many thanks for the trip and for sending on the link. I'm now a laughing stock around the world for that headplant! I'm hoping there's a big dump of snow in mid-April so I can come back and do some more.

Hard to know where to start with thanking you (and Tracy, Jane & Dennis) for a fantastic few days together. Felt like I was walking and climbing with old friends, and you all had the rare combination of being totally professional and totally approachable. It'll be tough to forget the Welsh flag and hymns on ridges, Dennis and me slumped over the Eiger Sanction, sunsets out to Africa, blue sky and crisp snow!

The photos on the site are a lot better than the ones I took! Thanks for a brilliant week in winter was a fantastic experience, even better than my first climb in the Sierra last summer. After two ascents, I'm almost beginning to feel like a mountaineer (although navigational skills need some fine tuning, I know...) Let me know how you get on in the Atlas mountains. I would definitely be interested if you plan a future trip there. Please send my thanks to Mike & Jane - I couldn't have done it without their help.

Thanks for very interesting trip across the Sierra - I really enjoyed the stay in the Elorietta Hut and the amazing views en route. The GR7 walk from Soportujar to Lanjaron was a nice relief after the harder trek on higher ground.

I just wanted to say thanks for making our trip to Spain such an enjoyable one. I'm sure it isn't always easy dealing with a sucession of new clients but you and Jane made us feel like individuals rather than just the 'next group'. In particular, Jane's teaching was spot on both in terms of content and pace. Please pass on my thanks to her. Also, given the weather, I really felt you both did what you could to make our trip a success

Just a note to thank you, Jane and Mike for your expertise and help during my recent week in Lanjaron. I really enjoyed the climbs and the fiesta. As you've probably heard the weather has been, and remains, dire in the UK. Clouds, rain, strong winds and an autumnal 13 degrees C here in Worcester today have dispelled any illusion that I might still be in Andalucia... Looking forward to seeing you again sometime.

I just wanted to say thank you to you, Mike, Kiersten and the rest of the team for looking after us so well. I have already sent details recommending you to two people. We had a fantastic (although knackering) time. (Tahir)

I'd just like to mirror Tahirs comments. Sincerely grateful to the entire team for your warm hospitality, masterful guiding and for opening the door to a more adventurous world of winter trekking. (Alif)

Just to say thanks again for a fantastic week, we learnt and did so much and it was all fun. Maybe you might see us out there again at some point, and if you are ever South Wales way let us know.

I just wanted to thank you so much for the fantastic trip you arranged for us. From the moment you collected us at the airport we knew we had picked the right people for our trip. We asked for a challenging trek and you managed to pitch the level perfectly. Thanks go to all of your team for making us so welcome and extra thanks to Kirsten and yourself for sharing and evening of drinks and tapas with us on our return to Lanjaron. I'm sure I speak for all my little group when I say ' We will be back' Maybe winter skills........... Thanks again guys, Hasta pronto.

Just a quick, and rather belated, note to say thanks for a great (and safe) week of climbing. I really enjoyed it, and it was good to meet yourselves, Martin, Renee, Crystal, Jack, Jean and anyone else I may have forgotten! Feel really pIts really just a brief e-mail to say thank you for a great week in Spain. I can't believe I get back and its still raining here, what a depressing sight. Anyway Lisa is extremely jealous, especially after seeing the pictures, which just show a blue sky. The slight tan also seems to annoy her, can't imagine why. Anyway thanks for an informative week and I can't wait to plan my next trip back to Spain.

Lisa and I had a fantastic time and we both wanted to say a big thank you to you both and to PJ for making it such a good week. We felt we learnt so much in such a short time and I know Lisa feels much more confident about climbing now and placing protection

Sarah and I just wanted to thank you and Kiersten for the fantastic walks in the Sierra Nevada and the villages...not to mention the swim in your pool and getting to taste a raw olive! I'd say it made our holiday!

I just wanted to thank you once again for such amazing support. In my previous experiences in the wild, I have totally relied on myself to navigate the tough terrain and to make sure that sojourn partners were safe. This time I had your team backing me up and that felt great, so thanks.

Thanks for the trip to Spain. Walking up a 2000 ft peak in Snowdonia yesterday was a doddle!

We both had a brilliant week and really enjoyed everything we did. We're now busy tieing knots, working out how to make spam carbonara and planning our next trip. We really enjoyed the time we spent with yourself, Jane and Tracy and have many good memories of our nights in Lanjaron.

I would certainly recommend Spanish Highs to anyone considering a Winter/Alpine skills course as our trip easily exceeded all our expectations. If you would like me to write a detailed reference letter please let me know or if you wish to pass my e-mail onto prospective clients I'd be very happy to inform them of our wonderful experiences.

Just a quick note to say thanks a million for a great holiday. Apart from enjoying myself I learnt a lot at the same time and yours and Kierston's experience was invaluable. I'll defo be back some time so keep in touch.

Thanks for your company both professionally and socially. I had a good week and look forward to doing it again in a year or two.

Thanks again for our trip. We really enjoyed it and learned a lot. We'll be back again for some ski mountaineering and winter walking on the peaks

We had a very good stay in the Sierra Nevada, also the children for their extra trip (they followed Trevelez, col de Trevelez, ..., collado de vacares to loma del calvarido, la estrella, loma de cassillas, collado del ciervo, Capileira. The climb was good for them.

In refugio Carihuela we stayed with 30! (we arrived at 5 o'clock so we had a bed...). I just want to thank you for the extra information you gave although you have an organisation for guiding

Thanks for the photos : That mediterranean sunshine is but a distant memory now !!! Thank you so much for a great few days. I was expecting great climbing and personal attention, but I was unprepared for the stunning and varied scenery, and the generosity of your hospitality.

You and Tracy treated me like a guest rather than a client, and it was really lovely to have people to eat with in the evenings . Thank you very much indeed for giving me such a great experience. I do hope to return in the winter sometime soon

Just to say thank you for last weeks expedition . Thanks for the warm welcome, it was just like walking with old friends.

It was a marvellous experience and one I hope to repeat some day when I can actually see the view!

Just a quick email to say many thanks for organizing our guiding last week on Trevenque on tuesday and also the ice climbing on wednesday. We all really enjoyed our holiday and these two days were certainly highlights. You were right about the skiing conditions too - we went on Thursday and it was fantastic and so quiet too

I was particularly impressed with the way you generated such a good team spirit and a sense of determination in all members of the group, as well as providing everyone with the necessary climbing skills, and yet the resultant enthusiasm was always controlled by a proper concern for safety above all else

just a quick line to say thank you for a great week. I`ll get back to you soon with a longer blog. in short, great time had by all. enjoyed the lot, the mountains, the beer and the tapas.

Thanks for everything during the week. I had a brillliant time, and learned a huge amount - I can't wait to put it into practice myself. You taught us way more than we expected, and your cd collection certainly helped with the early mornings. I honestly can't say what was the best part, the ice was brilliant, including my spectacular fall, as were the gullies and the time up in the hut, and especially the Puntal ridge (probably the best part). As Pete would say, 10 out of 10 for you

We love the video! Thanks once again to you and the team for organising such an excellent challenge for us. Going the extra mile on organising the additional bits and pieces was much appreciated. Thank you.

The legs are a little stiff today but everyone thoroughly enjoyed themselves. We'll be spreading the word about Spanish Highs, Lanjaron and the surrounding area. The flamenco group and spotting a small herd of ibex on the way down the mountain just rounded things off nicely.

A short mail to thank you, Tracy, Jane, Dave and everyone else who made our stay so enjoyable. I had a fantastic time, and seldom felt so welcomed before. The mountains were amazing, and we learned more than I ever expected, and had some unforgettable experiences like the day on the ice and especially up on the Puntal ridge! I feel a lot closer to achieving a trip to the Alps thanks to you all.

Mulhacen Climb: I would definitely recommend this trip to others. A great challenge and fantastic views make the uphill exertion completely worthwhile!

It was really nice to meet yourself, Kiersten and Jane. You all made my time really enjoyable and I loved exploring the Sierra Nevada. Thanks again for a good trip! I will keep your website on my favourites list and would love to come out for another holiday!

Thank you very much indeed for the winter skills course you took us on last week. I felt I learnt a lot of technical details, as well as picking up valuable experience of being on the mountain. I also thought the personal service you gave us (for example, airport transfers, taking us down to the bar, etc) was very good in enabling us to settle in well while we were there

Thank you both for an excellent adventure - personally the poor weather only added to the experience (Yes - it can rain in Spain!)

I had a great time in the Sierra Nevada's. It would have been worth the trip just for the approach! Mulhacen was my favorite climb so far. You guys made me feel right at home, and made my holiday much better than any package tour could have been. I'll be back just as soon as my bank manager lets me.

Your paramount concern for safety and careful attention to protection are just what my shaky confidence needs

Lizzy, Tania and Alicia asked me to email on all our behalfs to say a very big thank you for all your help in making our trip so very enjoyable. We will definitely be back next year!

Thanks again for a wonderful trip! Now that I'm home, back in the fray, Spain seems very far away. I have to keep looking at the pictures to remind myself of what a magical place it is. We really had a wonderful time. Thank you all so much. Hello to Jane and Mike, too. You're a great team!

Just a quick email to say thanks again for a great couple of days in the mountains. Please pass on my thanks to Jane also, for being an excellent guide and getting me up and down safely too. I hope I didn't complain about my legs too much ha ha. Looking at some of the pictures now back in Mijas and have a big smile on my face, it really was very cool.

Just a brief mail to thank you and the team for a great few days on Mulhacen last week, (and afterwards in the Flowers!). Unfortunately all good things must come to an end, and I'm now back at my desk dealing with economy in recession etc. Please give my best regards to all especially Kiarsten (did I get that right?), Mike and Dave. I hope to get out to you again in the future.

Just wanted to thank you all so much for the hiking and rock climbing you arranged for me in el churro, camino del ray! it was the best 4 days of my life!!!! the Camino del ray gorge was far more beautiful than i expected! and my guides JENS and JANE were far more FUN + HELPFUL than i expected! JENS was extremely skilled and intelligent when it came to rock climbing and safety! he was very patient with me , because i climbed very slowly! and JENS climbs like a monkey! like speedy gonzales! he is an EXPERT! oh, and Jane was so fun to talk with and she was the perfect roommate at our lodge! and the food at our lodge was so yummy and all the people were so nice!

Also, Jane made an amazing video! what moments she captured! and i loved how you shortened it perfectly! i love the music you added to the video too! so i just want to thank you so much for the best 4 days of my life, and for sending me Jens, who made me feel 100% safe while doing dangerous rock climbing! and thanx for sending me both Jens + Jane who made me laugh the whole time! they both made me laugh so much ! after the 4 days were over, i did not want to say goodbye to Jens or to Jane! they became my really good friends! i wanted to continue on with them and climb with the next customers that you all were taking to the sierra nevada mountains! oh, i was so energized and ready to climb and hike more !

I will definately come hiking and climbing with your company again! thanx so much, big hugs, Kimberly Stein

Anyway thanks again and I look forward to climbing with you in the future. roud I led a few climbs, and really did everything I wanted to do - and more and felt perfectly safe throughout. Just got to go practice those knots now

Many thanks for a fantastic 3 day hike across the mountains. Personally and I think I speak for all of us it was exactly what we wanted, even though we are all a little sore ! Your advice & tips were helpful and we now have some thinking to do regarding doing something like Kilo - Everest base camp or something a little more adventurous like winter skills & Mount Blanc.

Personally i would sum up the weekend. Day one - Hard and a good test of fitness & getting use to altitude Day two - Out of my comfort zone great challenge & enjoyed the results when back at camp. Day three - Hard decent and will always check if ever planning my own route to come down via ski lift ( only joking) Seriously but will take into account fatigue after previous hard days.

The other good thing was brushing up on camping skills, and there will be a few changes that I will make on my preparation next time. Once again thanks for everything

We are hoping to get back out to the Sierra Nevada next winter for some ski touring. We really loved it last time and you all were such good company and we would love to see Khumbu and the other dogs again.

I too had a fantastic week down south. Thanks a million to you for a job well done. Glad to hear that we infected Lanjaron with a bit of Poguery! The idea of returning to do some olive picking in the winter gets more appealing every day!

Many thanks to you and all the crew for such a memorable week. I not only enjoyed myself but learnt a lot. Photos look great, the family enjoyed them.

Just wanted to say thanks for a great two day trip with michael on mulhacen last thurs/fri .found it very enjoyable ,but hope we didnt bore him too much.!!! will keep in touch with a view to doing smthing different with ye again . thanks for fitting us in at such short notice.

You were very accommodating from the outset of our trip. We spent a couple of days learning ice climbing before attempting our first 3000m+ summit. We found the guide extremely professional and very willing to teach and help us whenever he could. We would highly recommend you to both beginners at Alpine mountaineering and those who wish to expand their skills and climb more challenging peaks

Thanks for a superb fortnight! You took a group of ordinary people and gave us an extraordinary experience. We were made to feel safe at all times even when trying out new things (e.g. ice climbing). Your expert knowledge of the weather and mountain conditions meant that we remained dry, comfortable and active for the whole two weeks when other groups nearby spent hours drying out kit after aborted climbs!

You achieved a good balance between professionalism in the mountains and then invested much of your 'down time' to ensure that we enjoyed the more social side. I have already started recommending you to others and you will definitely see us again. Thanks again.

Hope youre keeping very well and many thanks for a great trip. I learnt so much, learning to ski, mountaineering, climbing instruction. All this and transportation and accommodation too ...... unbelievable! Many thanks again, Ill be spreading the word. Take care of yourselves and safe days in the hills.

Just a short email to say thank you for the alpine lesson, me and Teresa had a great day out with yourself and Kiersten. It was good fun and we learnt valuable information on the day.

Just a short note to say thanks to yourself and Tracy for all your efforts in ensuring our trip was a roaring success. I, like the rest of the M.A.D. Club, had a great time both on and off road (and in the bars etc). Thankfully feeling a bit more human today; the excesses of Lanjaron's nightlife meant Sunday and Monday were very tough going. Hopefully the M.A.D. Club in some shape or form will pay a visit to Spanish Highs in the not too distant future.

Hi R, K and M. Thanks for a great time on and off the snow (ski crampons rule!) and for looking after me. Will see you all again

Just wanted to say a big thanks for the fantastic trip to Spain. I felt I really learned a lot and gained very valuable experience towards my SPA. It was especially kind of you to organise the weather! As suspected, the piccies haven't come out so I hope yours have.

Great week! Home safe and sound. Enjoyed our dealings/meeting with people in your team. Nice scene I like informal, but reliable..good. So thanks! Have a feeling will certainly be seeing you again Here in Ireland weather exactly same as Spain so great to come back to. Regards to you all

Have been rather pitched into frantic activity since I got home, so this is just to say thanks again to you and Kiersten (and Mike and Jane) for a - it really was fab and I am visualising limestone scenery and snowy mountain tops while grappling with the peculiarities of copyright law for a meeting this afternoon - makes it all more bearable!

Just to say thank you very much for a great few days, they were varied and really interesting I hope all is well over there, regards to Kiersten and Mike and the Flower Bar!

Just a quick email to say thank you for a superb holiday. It has given me the wish to do more and experience other things. The guiding was excellent, and your business is very efficient. Hopefully see you next year

Just wanted to drop you guys an e-mail and let you know what a great time we both had over in the Sierra Nevadas. Great experience. Tough and demanding but totally worth all the effort. We were going through our photos last night and will upload a selection soon. I would definitely love to come back ? there?s so much potential and so much more to see and do. Hope to see you again soon

Just a quick note to thank yourself and Jens for our stay in the Sierras, we thoroughly enjoyed our trip despite not making it to the summit.

We just wanted to send a massive thank you for all your assistance over our recent ascent of Mulhacen (15/16 May 2010). All of the detail in your 'how to climb Mulhacen in a day' feature on the web site was spot on. The timings were exactly right (the drive to the car park correct to the minute) and every bit of the route was as described.

It was great to meet you the day before and get your opinion on our intentions. Getting a crash course in the use of ice axes and crampons over beer and tappas may be unconventional but was brilliant. All courses should be done that way. The climb was hard but very rewarding. Finding you waiting at the pub with a tray of cold beers on our return topped everything off.

Even then you were able to offer advice as to where to get the best tappas in Granada - which we tried and you were right. All in all I'm not sure we could have done it without your help and the hire of the crampons and ice axes ( hope you recovered the set of crampons one of us left in the refuge), certainly we wouldn't have enjoyed it as much. As far as we are concerned we would recommend anyone attempting Mulhacen ( especially middle aged drunks) should get in touch with Spanish Highs first. Thanks.

Just a couple of pics attached to a very big thank-you, without your help and guidance I wouldn't have the knowledge and confidence to have made them happen.

Thanks for a fantastic experience,it was well beyond anything I expected (and more! ). Also thanks for making me feel so welcome,a more friendly bunch of people would be impossible to find. I'm now of to consult the calendar to see when I can fit in another trip ASAP,so I can do some more climbing before I forget all the knots !

Thanks for the film, its amazing how watching it makes you re-live all the emotions that you felt at the time. I had a really good time and I put it down to the knack you have to make me laugh when I should be weeping!

Just to say a very big thank-you for an amazing experience, made all the better by sharing it with some great people I'd like to think of as friends. I really hope we all get to climb together again.

Thank you for such a fantastic holiday. Now back at home it is hard to imagine that only last week we were setting off for Lanjaron. Thank you for your excellent leadership and guidance and also for showing us around and your recommendations.

We had a fab time in Granada, the tapas bar was wonderful and just across from our hotel. We do pack so much into such a short time that it feels like a week or two by the time we get home. I feel so exhilerated that I managed to climb Mulhacen, I know the pace you set was slow and I did appreciate that.

We have come home with wonderful memories and feelings of high achievements (literally). I would love to return and climb the other mountain you mentioned, fingers crossed. Best wishes and many thanks again.

Thanks for an excellent holiday / course, we both really enjoyed it and covered all of the stuff that we wanted to. I will certainly recommend it to anyone looking for something similar

Greetings from Grand Slam Land! hope you and everyone else we met recently are well. I'm sure that you are getting used to all these plaudits, but we all found our week with you and Jane extremely useful and enjoyable. Personally, it was one of the most productive times I have spent mountaineering and proved that you do not have to be totally knackered to achieve and advance your skills!

I enjoyed Spain immensely and hope to return one day. Next time I'll talk to you about staying in Lanjaron. Thank you again for your help. I really enjoyed my time with you and your merry band.

Thank you so much for a great 3 days walking. We would never have found those footpaths by ourselves! We were very impressed by your expertise and accommodating friendliness, as well your flexibility when we were booking the trip. I'd love to come again

Thanks very much for the couple of days we spent with you last week. We both enjoyed the walk, and I enjoyed the bivvy. For the rest of the week (and from the plane) we kept seeing our peaks - in particular Caballo. From a distance it was difficult to make out the refugio.

The dehydrated food you supplied was excelllent, far nicer than that commercially available, and I'm sure far healthier and wholesome. It cooked really quickly and was gobbled up even quicker. Thanks for introducing us to Lanzaron and the high sierra, and being so social with us in the evenings we were in town

We really enjoyed the week.It was pretty tough but very worthwhile. We were both keen to try ski mountaineering and you provided us with a great introduction.

We had a fantastic holiday, and the walk to Cerro del Caballo was the icing on the cake for me. It was a perfect day trip in terms of length and scenery, and I am grateful to you and Kiersten - and your dogs - for making it so enjoyable.

Belated thanks from the boys for a most enjoyable weekend in Spain. Everything went according to plan and we had a most enjoyable 3 or 4 days. Thanks to all the team from all of this team.

Just to say a big thank you for an excellent week. I enjoyed every minute. Can you tell the same to Mike who was superb all week and a pleasure to walk with.