El Perro Negro

Grumpy old mountain man living in Spain

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El Perro Negro (@elperronegro) on Khumbu

Yes, I know it's not but I can't wait that long to post these 😂 .

Stunning scenery in the Taha del Pitres today

Lush green scenery along a river with a large waterfall falling down the canyon

Lush green scenery along a river with a large waterfall falling down the canyon. A person is stood on a sunlit rock on the left

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)

Group of hikers on a trail with a view south to a snow covered mountain range

Group of hikers passing through some forest trails

Inside a dark cave with 2 openings. The right opening has a person passing by

A group stand at the entrance to a large cave system

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.

Waters plunge down an irrigation channel with green grassy banks and a short wall top right

I know this is a really poor shot but I was shattered and really couldn't be bothered to leave my tent 😀. So it's a shaky camera, hand held. Never mind, I'm not trying to win prizes, just want to show you just how many stars were showing in the sky that night. Always amazes me just how many there are.

Sierra Nevada, Spain

A grainy night image of some snowy mountains with hundreds of stars above, the sides lined by trees

I'm tired. Stayed up to watch the Barcelona v Real Madrid football final. Very exciting but it went to extra time so didn't finish until nearly 1am 😵⚽

Just had to go on an old windows laptop to download some camera updates. First time on windows for over a year. Needless to say I'm now feeling a wide mix of emotions. Frustration mainly, but also relief that I never have to return for further camera updates 🤣

There’s nothing quite like dawn in the alpine cold, crisp air, the last stars fading, and the sun igniting the summits in gold. These close-ups capture the raw beauty of the peaks at daybreak.

Morning in the Sierra Nevada mountains is magic ⛰️✨

Descriptions of each image included.

Puntal de la Caldera and Loma Pelada

Cerro los Machos, Veleta and Tajos Campanario

Alcazaba north west face

Veta Grande and Cerro los Machos

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

Been out in the wilds for a few days. The soul is restored. The classic "Vereda de Estrella", Sierra Nevada. No words needed

A heavily wooded river valley lined with colorful trees leads to a huge snow and ice face and mountains with cloud

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

A very spring like day today in the Alpujarra with sunshine and showers expected throughout the day. This is Lanjarón.

A Spanish town is highlighted in the morning sun. Behind are threatening rain clouds approaching

Been filling up an old gas cannister with gas from half empty ones and making sure weight compares well with a newly bought full one. The FlipFuel really does an excellent job at recycling gas and it is easy to accomplish.

https://www.flipfuel.co/

Weighing an old green gas cannister thats fiilled with recycled fuel

A newly bought gas cannister on the scales

A red FlipFuel gadget that transfers gas between cannisters