Grumpy old mountain man living in Spain
Since Dec 2022 we have been running our own Mastodon & GoToSocial servers. What a breath of fresh air the Fediverse has been. We have made many hundreds of new friends from around the world, mostly related to our mountain, tech and nature interests.
Connect with me/us on the Fediverse at:
Don't normally post foodie pics but I thought this evenings meal was a bit unusual. Watermelon curry.
In the summer here watermelon is abundant and cheap. Sauté chunks of watermelon in a mix of spices and you may just forget that it is a fruit after all.
My brain went into overdrive at 3am again… 😅 Result was a fresh tinkering session exploring my Fediverse setups.
Slowly moving away from paid Mastodon to self-hosted GoToBlog + PureBlog micro-blogging. Imported 3000+ Mastodon archives with AI help (turns out CursorAI can be useful!). Monthly savings & retaining ownership of my digital footprint. The Yorkshireman in me approves.
Full write-up: https://elperronegro.com/2026/tinkering-social-networks/
My daughters never liked the mountains. Horses, yes. Hills, absolutely not. So naturally, 20 years later, they're qualified outdoor guides who go caving for fun. Cold, dark, wet caves. With bats. I'm so proud. And deeply confused.
New blog post: "I'm So Proud of My Kids", a father's tale of irony, mid-life crises, and bat-infested hobbies.
https://elperronegro.com/2026/proud-of-my-kids/
A rare moment of clarity and hope.
The Barranco de la Luna. A short but very, very sweet half day hike in the Valle de Lecrin this morning. An early start rewards with the best light and colour. And ... we had it all to ourselves. Marvellous!
RE: https://mastodon.social/@hikingdude/116860209716532538
Report about hiking in the Frankische Schweiz (Franconian Switzerland) area of Bavaria, an area that I didn't even know existed.
When mountain forecasts promise "light drizzle" but deliver thunderstorms & hail... & your gas stove dies mid-crisis?
Our 3-day trek near Pic du Midi d'Ossau that turned into a comedy starring a bright pink tent, 30ml/hour rainfall, and an entire 36 hours of tasteless energy bars.
The lesson? Trust nothing, neither meteorologists nor cooking equipment 😂
https://elperronegro.com/2026/mountain-forecasts-wrong-hiking-adventure/
New post is up!
The Nomads hit the Pyrenees for a week of classic day hikes around Panticosa. Alpine meadows full of orchids to a Black Woodpecker being dive-bombed by a Booted Eagle. We crossed into France for Refuge Pombie under the Pic du Midi d'Ossau, tackled Bachimaña Alto's chain-assisted waterfalls, and I somehow managed to lose my wife on a well-marked trail.
Full trip report and zero mountain heroics here https://elperronegro.com/2026/day-hikes-pyrenees-walking-group/
Although I've just got back from 3 weeks and in the I haven't had much chance to tell you about our trip. I was far too tired each night to put together coherent sentences 🤣. This is the first of 3 blog posts and covers the 1st week of the trip (replicated on my GoToSocial site @richard )
https://elperronegro.com/2026/backpacking-pyrenees-june-2026/
Future writing will cover day hikes with our walking group and another about our stormy overnight adventure. Have a great weekend all!
"The World Cup is proof that if not for our leaders, the vast majority of the world's people would get along just fine."
Very true! From @michelleroy78.bsky.social on Bluesky
The Tunnels - Presa de Vadiello, Huesca
The isolated and stunning looking Pic du Midi d'Ossau 2884m as seen from near the Col de Houer to the SW.
I was surprised by the amount of snow still remaining in the Pyrenees. It's going fast though and leaving behind some incredible snow tunnels
Yes, we are definitely back in Andalucia 🤣 Staying in the Sierra Magina mountains near Jaen. There's a party going on at our hotel. So why not join in? So friendly. Good to be back.
RE: https://loops.video/v/gm_ascE5iC
And it all started so nicely 🤣. This day ended with us camping by the lakeside of Ibon de Escalar at 2000m over the border in Spain. A perfect hiking day which finished at the perfect campsite ... until the thunder, lightning, hail and heavy rain hit us for a couple of hours. Don't you just love contrasts!
"Patatas a la Riojana" and a glass (hmmm...OK, bottle) of Rosado! We have moved into an alpine chalet for a couple of days rest and recuperation before we head up on another backpacking trip.
For those interested in the recipe https://www.thespanishchef.com/recipes/patatas-riojana/
Previous post talked about the lake at Ibon de Piedrarafita but I forgot to add an image of the lake itself. Here's a short video showing the stunning cirque of peaks rising above the lake
Early start to visit the Ibon de Piedrarafita today. A laborious forest trail suddenly opened up to alpine meadows, lake scenery with a backdrop of a huge cirque of magnificent peaks. We ate lunch by the lake before continuing our circular hike round to the natural arch of the "Arco Geotectonico" before dropping down to the Mirador Puntal el Baro and Piedrafita village.
So we headed over the Col du Pourtalet into France and did a hike taking in the Refuge du Pombie. This day hike has inspired us come back next week and do a 3 day backpacking trek. Lots of lakes, streams and grassy banks amid wonderful scenery. Should be good. Fingers crossed for the weather holding.
RE: https://loops.video/v/gf6SqP6jql
Crossed over into France today. Much greener scenery. What a view and a fine lunch stop below the mighty Pic du Midi d'Ossau.