Adventures of a mountain lover, heart attack survivor & grumpy old man
The original "Perro Negro" was my black labrador, Rocky, who came out to Spain with me in 2002 and was a faithful if somewhat wayward and uncontrollable companion!
My real name is Richard Hartley. I'm an ex boring accountant and now retired mountaineer & adventurer. Been living in Spain's Sierra Nevada for 20+ years. Set up and ran Spanish Highs Sierra Nevada until my daughter took over in 2020. I'm the current Cicerone Guide book author to the Sierra Nevada. I have run 6 expeditions to the Patagonian Icecap and in 2013 was invited onto a Berghaus sponsored expedition to ski volcanoes in Kamchatka.
I'm an amateur web developer. I hate what has been done to the web by big corporates, especially in social media and search. It's time for us to take back control. This is why I love the idea of the Fediverse and self hosted blogs
Are you interested in anything to do with Mountains? Mountaineering, Scrambling, Multi-day Trekking, Day Walks or maybe just viewing their immense beauty from a distance? Do you also enjoy Landscape Photography? Have you an affinity with Spain and an immigrants life here? If so, then this site may interest you.
Dog lover, Heart Attack Survivor & Grumpy Old Man!
Featured Posts
- Backpacking in the Pyrenees
- Wanderings on and off the Alta Via 2 trek in the Italian Dolomites
- Getting into Backpacking for the first time?
- A Collection of My Favourite Mountaineering Quotes
- Trips to the wild and windswept Patagonian Icefield
- Swapping Life Stories with Kenton Cool
- Surviving Blizzards in Kamchatka
- Skiing with Rita in the Back Garden
- The Early Days in Andalucia
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Portfolio
Alpujarra Nomads Walking Group
A small, private & friendly, hiking community exploring trails in the Alpujarras, Sierra Nevada and Andalucia. Latest Walks
- 5 August 2025 (182) - Las Campanitas Ridge to Veleta Sierra Nevada
- 29 July 2025 (181) - Durcal River to Cascada de los Bolos Lecrin Valley
- 22 July 2025 (180) - Tajos de la Virgen ridge Sierra Nevada
- 15 July 2025 (179) - Rio Santos, Albuñuelas (Bongos) Lecrin Valley
- 9 July 2025 (178) - Puente Palo (Sean) Sierra Nevada
- 2 July 2025 (177) - Traverse of the Sierra Nevada north to south Sierra Nevada
- 17 June 2025 (176) - Coastal Walk near Nerja Andalucia
- 10 June 2025 (175) - Mecina Bombaron (Graeme) Alpujarras
- 3 June 2025 (174) - Area Recreativa Aguas Blancas, Quentar Granada
- 27 May 2025 (173) - Lavaderos de la Reina Sierra Nevada
Projects
- Uses Page - all the things I use on a day-to-day basis
- Landscape and Mountain Photography - still lots of mistakes and errors but I am steadily building portfolios capturing my mountain adventures and experiences
- Guidebook Author - Cicerone Walking and Trekking Guide Book to the Sierra Nevada Mountains of Spain
- Web Development - Aiming for lightweight, bloat free, static sites that respect privacy and load like lightning! Hate mainstream corporate social networks, Fediverse is the way forward
- "Harry's War" - Investigating My Grandfather’s Part in World War One - no idea how the old boy survived but, thankfully, he did. An amazing story of survival I am piecing together
- Book for future publication - "The Last Journey of the Mountain Man" - It is the story of this humble hikers metamorphosis, evolution and journey up through the mountain world and back down the other side.
- Spanish Highs Mountain Guides - This is my baby and I have loved meeting people from all over the world, from all races, religions, colours and creeds. The mountains brought us all together under a single glorious banner