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.
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Exciting 4WD exploration/adventure this afternoon into some hills to our SW. Sketchy tracks with huge ruts and big drops. No real idea what was coming round the next bend. Mrs Google no help at all 😀
BTW at furthest distance, managed to send a text message 12km (straight line) back to my house via radio. A record distance for me. Used a SenseCap T1000-E
@bergmeister It certainly beats my self made map of the northern section of a trek on the Patagonian Icecap which I made in 2010 using a large scale map but with my own grid lines superimposed (and probably wrong 😂 ). How times have changed!
Building a small local Meshcore network here with LoRa radios. Managed to communicate with the repeater on my roof from a SenseCap T1000-E, some 7 kilometers away. Much further reach than I originally anticipated.
Just started using the excellent https://gpx.studio to create and edit my gpx files. Very accurate and intuitive to use. Free to use, so please support the developer if you find it useful.
I know it's old news now but I wish I had been able to sit down and take a morning coffee chatting to Jose (Pepe) Mujica. He certainly led by example, a trait our current leaders fail to do.
https://apnews.com/article/uruguay-pepe-jose-mujica-death-obit-d6074a22d7c0510697b8e684fe173cd3
Just ordered a new thru hiking tent from Durston - a X-Mid-2. My first purchase from them. 3 season, good reviews, only 880 grams (31oz) and very reasonably priced.
Hoping it arrives from Canada in time for our adventure to the Pyrenees in June.
https://durstongear.com/products/x-mid-2-tent-ultralight-backpacking
Unusual hike to visit the Cascadas del Rio Dilar yesterday. Route up the valley involved 30 river crossings! 15 there and 15 back. The water was between knee and mid-thigh level deep, flowing quite strongly with extremely cold snow melt from the . Care required, walking poles very useful. Great fun though!
Cascadas del Rio Dilar today, , .
400km round trip taking my mate back to Malaga airport but managed to visit a few nature reserves along the way ... Fuente de Piedra (Flamingos ✅, Dark Spreading Dragonfly ✅) and El Torcal (Griffon Vultures ✅).
@khusky will have some good photos, I just took my binos. Only problem was the amount of very loud and uncontrolled school kids at El Torcal. Any species would have been long gone by the time that they arrived. Not really getting in touch with nature?
The wonderful Barranco de la Luna today. A short half day trip but well worth it. The ravine features dramatic rock formations, lush vegetation, and a small, crystal-clear stream.
The trail follows the ravine, with some rocky sections and shallow river crossings - adding a sense of adventure. The highlight is the "Cañón de la Luna," a narrow canyon with towering walls that feel almost otherworldly.
Not often we head for the beach but glad I did yesterday. Nice hike between the Playa Nudista at Cantajirran to Playa Caleta, Costa Tropical
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Yesterday we hiked the Ruta Gollizno, Moclín, a scenic trail that offers stunning views, through areas with rich history, including old defensive structures & remnants of medieval pathways.
The trail is a mix of dirt paths & rocky terrain, winding through forests, deep gorges & open landscapes.
Some spectacular sections in the gorge itself with a high bridge & raised platforms to provide some superb situations. See photos
Today we've been exploring, amongst other things, the charming village of Fondales in the Taha del Pitres. Known for its traditional whitewashed houses, narrow winding streets & flat slate roofs.
Like much of the Alpujarra, Fondales has Moorish roots and was heavily influenced by the Berber settlers who farmed the terraced hillsides.
I had to put on my guiding hat and return to work yesterday. I know, it's not really work is it? 😂
La "Ruta Medieval, Taha del Pitres"
Charming Alpujarran villages with narrow streets, flat-roofed houses & historic churches.
Ancient Moorish water channels that still irrigate the land today.
Fresh mountain springs & waterfalls, perfect for a quick rest.
Hike dates back to the Nasrid period, reflecting the region's Moorish past.
Yes, I know it's not but I can't wait that long to post these 😂 .
Stunning scenery in the Taha del Pitres today
That was a good morning's work ... getting set up and installed on laptop and mobile with a repeater on the roof terrace powered by rechargeable battery/solar
Exploring the big 3 caves of the Sierra de Huetor. Fascinating 14km hiking route takes you to 3 impressive caves formed by karstic erosion in limestone rock. A mix of natural beauty, geology & a bit of spelunking
Cueva del Agua – underground stream and stunning rock formations
Cueva del Gato – named for its openings that let in light, accessible without headlamps
Cueva de los Mármoles – large chambers and historical significance (poss Roman burial site)
Spain power cuts - fortunately we are somewhat prepared with solar electricity, cash supplies, 15000 litres of water storage, fuel in car & about a months worth of dehydrated meals 😆. In case of a zombie apocalypse 🧟♂️or natural disaster we also have walkie talkies, LoRa radios & I have been developing off-grid networks (experimenting with , & ) 🤣.
Bit of a wake up call though - prepare for these events no matter how far fetched they seem. They can and do happen.
Electric power down throughout Spain and Portugal. Traffic lights, hospitals, communication, shops all down. Never experienced a whole countrywide loss of electricity before. A bit scary how humanity is so dependent. Hope it comes back soon 🤞🤞🤞
The melt waters from the Sierra Nevada in full flow down the irrigation channels (acequias) this morning. Nice sight.
