Micro Blog

El Perro Negro's Day to Day Ramblings

Notes (1046)

I have been trying out a new (for me) mountain dehydrated meal from Radiz Nutrition, a New Zealand based operation. Maybe @Ali has used them?

I'm not a full on vegetarian but the Smokey BBQ plant based meal was excellent, really enjoyed it and even better, it was ready in only 5 minutes.

A pack of dehydrated Smokey BBQ mountain meals

I can buy this amazing cheap and lightweight (26 grams) BRS-3000T camping stove here in Spain for a mere €8! Incredible value. Works well too.

BUT - it's not very durable. I accidentally put a boot on it a few days ago (just a light touch) and the titanium legs collapsed. Broken. My fault, but a warning to all that relying on this stove for a multi day trip might not be wise. Take a backup. It's not very durable and needs to be handled with great care.

A BRS-3000T camping stove

I don't normally celebrate birthdays but I was quite happy, that at 70, I could still manage 25km and 1100 meters ascent/descent. Took it's toll though 😂 . Here's me at camp, absolutely wasted. Still, proves there's life in the old dog yet.

A person (me) in a red jacket and shorts sleeps on a grassy slope

View

Just installed on an old laptop with Gnome DE, as I saw an article and quite a few people recommending it this morning. Bit of a learning curve but quite a different and exciting way of package management. Enjoying it so far.

Just read this mind-blowing article about someone summiting the UK’s highest mountain, Ben Nevis, wearing the Hypershell exoskeleton! 🤖✨Helps hikers tackle tough terrain with less fatigue—like having superhuman legs!

Personally, not sure about this, but could exoskeletons be the next big thing in outdoor adventures? 🧐 Whether you’re a gearhead or a purist, crazy to see how tech could change exploration.

Full story: https://www.advnture.com/features/rise-of-the-machine-i-just-hiked-the-uks-highest-mountain-in-hypershells-new-exoskeleton

Yesterday’s hike was a scenic loop from Cónchar down the Río Dúrcal & back over the hills. The valley was absolutely breathtaking - lush, quiet & full of untouched beauty.

Following a little-used path winding along the river, soaking in the peaceful vibes… until we hit a snag. The river, swollen with Sierra Nevada meltwater, was way too wild to cross safely. After a few failed attempts to find a good spot, we made the smart call to turn back.

A group of hikers are walking alongside the right hand bank of a muddy river. Green shrubs and trees adorn the river banks

A group of hikers are walking alongside the right hand bank of a muddy river. Green shrubs and trees adorn the river banks

A person trying to cross a fast flowing stream over a dodgy looking fallen tree

A group of hikers walking alongside a river

Bad weather up high today so we went exploring instead and just 20 mins drive from home, we found this amazing valley. A "Shangri-La" sort of place ... peaceful, quiet and colorful. Never been here before nor knew of it's existence.

The day didn't quite turn out as planned but that's the detail for a later post. And, I guess that's the whole point of exploring?

A peaceful river scene in Spain. Lots of greenery with a small river winding its way around the valley bottom. To the right are a group of hikers passing through the undergrowth

A peaceful riverside scene with the river heading off into the distance. The banks are full of green trees and shrubs. The light illuminates the river

Images from yesterday's ascent of La Concha 1215m. We got lucky with the weather in that we had no precipitation and superb views.

Not an easy hike. Involves 13km & 800m of ascent & descent from Refugio de Juanar. Track is well marked but there are a couple of sections, partly protected by chains, where head for heights is useful. Would be quite slippery in wet weather. Don't let this put you off though, it's a marvelous walk to a fine viewpoint.

3 people descend some airy slabs holding onto a chain for safety

An undulating ridge with mist and clouds to the left. In the foreground to the left are some hikers ascending

A narrow mountain track which is starting to rise amongst rocky outcrops. Some walkers are on the track and a huge grey wall of rock lies to the right

Looking down from a pass towards Marbella on Spain's Costa del Sol

Doing something that I don't normally do today. Heading for the costas! 🏖️ Marbella on the Costa del Sol. Fully expect to feel like a fish out of water there. Until tomorrow that is, when I get to go up the wonderful peak of La Concha in the Sierra Blanca 🏔️

Spring has arrived so it's time to fire up the sun oven 🌞. Today we are slow cooking a traditional meal here in the Alpujarras ... "papas al pobre" a tasty mix of potatoes and green peppers

A parabolic shield is open allowing the sun into a sun oven

Deserts one day, high mountain snowshoeing the next. Today we have been above Capileira on our snowshoes. The snowshoeing is incredible at the moment, even though we had threatening storm clouds around it didn't start snowing until we had reached the cars on our return.

Short 1min 10 sec video