Grumpy old mountain man living in Spain
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I always get excited packing for a trip. Next week we are heading to the winter Picos de Europa mountain range in the north of Spain. They have just had mega snowfalls and more is to come this weekend, so we are looking forward to the snowshoeing and winter hiking/mountaineering to be had. I was there last autumn and the mountain scenery just blew me away.
packstack.io has been really helpful in getting hold baggage and carry on bags organised with the gear. Impressed!
After negotiating our way through the narrow streets of Molvizar we headed steeply uphill in a tough, hour long, battle against the strong winds. That all changed when we started the traverse to the Mirador de Las Minas and Mirador el Nacimiento. Lovely warm sunshine and light winds. We ate lunch looking out over the Mediterranean Sea before heading south to a welcoming cold beer back in the town.
Today, I'm trying out "Packstack", a packing list builder for backpackers. Get a detailed, categorized weight breakdown of everything in your pack. Quite impressed so far.
You can track all your trail equipment and input details such as weight, manufacturer info etc. Additionally, you can categorize your gear to keep things organized.
I was able to import a packing list from Lighterpack. Easy to adjust. So far so good.
Dueling Ibex, La Campiñuela
A tiring but worthwhile day today watering our olive trees the old way by flooding the land via the ancient system of irrigation channels. Fulfilling!
Came across a strange phenomenon that I haven't seen in 25 years of coming to the Sierra Nevada. Last weeks overnight snowfall was followed by days of sun, heat and high humidity. This caused streams to overflow and carry blocks of snow/ice downstream resulting in avalanche like debris surrounding stream beds. Strange to see avalanche-like debris on very easy angled or even flat slopes.
A few images from the Tajos Campanario ridge in Spain's Sierra Nevada today. Some hard neve on sheltered slopes made for a great crampon ascent. By the time we came to the steep descent gully the snow had softened a touch to give a quick descent to the upper San Juan valley. Memorable views throughout.
Been out in the high mountains of the Sierra Nevada with this lot today. A superb day with great snow conditions. Photos later when I have been fed 🤣
OpenAI collapses media reality with Sora, a photorealistic AI video generator
Scary stuff imo
Stunning sunset lenticular cloud over Lanjarón this evening.
Day 1 we arrive at the place where we hope to see the rarest cat in the world, the Iberian Lynx. Immediately Mick spots a lynx. We pour excitedly out of the car, grabbing binoculars & cameras. 1st attempt at a photo fails because I've left lens cap on. 2nd fails as the camera settings all wrong. Managed to get photo just as the lynx ... is heading into a bushy area never to re-emerge. Doh! Anyway, here is a photo of the arse end of a lynx 🤣🤣🤣
I'm here in the middle of nowhere in the mountains of the Sierra de Andujar north of Bailen. Hoping to see Lynx in the wild tomorrow. Fingers crossed 🤞
There's a spark inside all of us that makes us want to explore. To go to places others don't. Fill in blanks on a map. It was definitely there with early explorers, climbers conquering un-climbed peaks and pioneers crossing vast lands. That spark, not always be active, remains within all of us.
During our recent hike in the amazing "Desierto de Gorafe" badlands, just north of Guadix, that spark ignited once again amongst our ageing group.
https://elperronegro.com/posts/2024-02-09-hiking-badlands-gorafe/
If I ask Graeme, my fellow hiking buddy, to go stand on the edge of a huge drop, he always does, bless him. He is my go-to poseur when I need a bit of scale in photos. One day I will make an album of "Graeme" images. Here is a photo of Graeme in the badlands of the Gorafe Desert 😄. Cheers mate!
The Desierto de Gorafe badlands yesterday. Magnificent walking country!
After a long day driving and hiking yesterday, the last thing I needed was to be stuck in traffic whilst passing through Granada.
Farmers tractors blocking the motorways and protesting against subsidy cutbacks. This is happening throughout Europe (unless you just watch the BBC in which case you probably don't know this).
Was I upset or irritated by my 45 minute delay? Not in the least. We must support farming communities. Without farmers we are lost. No farmers, no food!
The dark recesses of the beautiful waterfall below Conchar today.
The Acequia Mezquerina waterfalls in full flow yesterday
My experience of how the OMM Core Hoodie fares as one layer of a 3 layer adjustable, flexible and lightweight mountain clothing option
"The OMM Core Hoodie may be designed for mountain athletes, trail runners and fastpackers who sole aim to travel light and fast in the hills. Let me tell you, it also works for slow, ageing plodders with dodgy knees who can't carry much weight on their backs!"
A recommended piece of kit!
https://elperronegro.com/posts/2024-01-31-review-omm-core-hoodie/
The Cerro de Caballo (3009m) in Spain's Sierra Nevada comes out of the cloud above the hills between Albuñuelas and Lentegí.
