El Perro Negro

Grumpy old mountain man living in Spain

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Rather wet perch but with a stunning view! Thanks to the kind client who sent me this

A man with a bright blue jacket stands on a sharp outcrop of rock in the rain. Behind is a lush autumnal forest

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Highest mountain in mainland Spain, Mulhacén, 3482m, this morning with snow blowing from the summit in the strong winds. Snow level 2500m.

Highest mountain in mainland Spain, Mulhacén, 3482m, this morning with snow blowing from the summit in the strong winds. Snow level 2500m.

Always nice to see the first snows of the winter arrive here in the Sierra Nevada. Here is a photo from 2500m at the ski area. The mountains change from summer to winter in an extremely short period, one week it's sun, t-shirts and shorts and the next its full winter kit and blizzards. Part of the attraction for me.

A snow scene which includes ski buildings and equipment

Couldn't resist it. I have a new camera, an A7Cii. Has to be Sony given the amount I've invested in their cameras and lenses over the last 5 years. I won't bore you with the details but suffice to say that a full frame 33MP camera with superb 28-60 kit lens, AI recognition system, advanced processor etc, yet weighing just over 600 grams really appealed for backpacking trips.

Now to gather together all my old APS-C gear - A6400, lenses, accessories etc to sell.

An image of the Sony Camera A7cii with lens attached

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Poor weather up high today so our hiking group settled for a simple circular walk up to the Ermita Santo Cristo del Zapato above the village of Pinos de Valle in the Lecrin Valley.

A town lies below with a reservoir above it. Some hikers stand looking out of the balcony of a small hilltop church

Has anybody used one of these from https://www.flipfuel.co/?

"What is FlipFuel?"

"Brought to you by backpackers to solve a simple problem. What do I do with this box of partial fuel containers I won't take on a trip? Now you can easily consolidate your backpacking fuel & recycle the empty fuel canisters. "

I must admit, I went ahead and purchased one anyway as they seem a great way to consolidate fuel, especially for this weight obsessed ageing backpacker!

A red Flipfuel device to consolidate fuel

Great Explorers: H. W. Tilman

'As a dedicated technophobe, I’ve always felt a certain kinship with the English explorer H.W. Tilman (1898-1977), who would have thrown a GPS into the trash, assuming he ever had one. On his mountaineering expeditions, he engaged in alpine-style climbing and refused to bring any oxygen equipment with him, while in his seafaring trips, his boats carried no technical devices other than a compass, a sextant, and a short-wave radio"

https://explorersweb.com/great-explorers-h-w-tilman/

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Picos de Europa - day 5

Spectacular morning departure from the Refugio Jermoso with cloud inversion until this all cleared at the Las Colladinas. Then it was a rough descent to the green, lush valley of the Vega de Liordes before bad weather arrived. Beautiful views of surrounding mountain summits. We past some ancient mines before descending steep zig-zags back to Fuente Dé. How on earth did they make that incredible path?

A spectacular gray and orange pyramid mountain (Torre de las Minas de Carbón 2483m) is at the back with some hikers passing in front in the foreground

The peak of Torre de las Minas de Carbón 2483m rises like a huge pyramid into the sky, clad in gray and orange stone. In the foreground the silhouette of two hikers

Some clouds gather in the west, blow is a small lake nestled between crags. To the right in shadow are a small group of hikers making their way along a narrow mountain track

The start of the very steep descent to Fuente Dé. Bad weather dark cloud gather to the right. The green fields of Fuente De can be see below

Picos de Europa - day 4/5 Evening sunset and morning cloud inversion

At the Refugio Collado Jermoso conditions were almost perfect for enjoying the beautiful sunset and stunning early morning cloud inversions. This is a beautiful mountain refuge if you ever get the opportunity to stay here.

A person with purple jacket is highlighted in the setting sun. behind is a dramatic mountain peak with gorges highlighted in the sun

Lines of mountain ranges spread into the background with the setting sun just about to go behind a mountain peak

The Refugio Collado Jermoso appears out of the low mountain mist with a huge mountain rising behind it highlighted in the morning sunshine

Some hikers are at a small pass on the bottom left of the image. Some low cloud is behind. To the right rises a mountain peak with it's summit highlighted in the morning sun

Picos de Europa day 4 - to the Refugio Collado Jermoso

From the top of the Fuente Dé cable car we had to hike 8km with 1000m of ascent over the mountains to the west, crossing the Colladina de las Nieves and the small passes at Las Colladinas. This is a very spectacular walk although care would be needed in mist as the trail is quite rocky. Arrival at the beautifully situated refuge is always a joy to behold.

A group of hikers descend some rocky ground, behind and to the left rises a huge mountain wall

Three walkers in red stand looking at a huge mountain rising behind them. Blue sky all around

In the distance lies a grassy alpine meadow with a mountain refuge situated on it. In the foreground some walkers descend towards it.

A mountain refuge sits amid a grassy alpine meadow with two hikers walking along a path to it. behind rise high dramatic mountains

Been out today enjoying the Alpujarra villages of La Taha with a group of American visitors hiking with author Chris Stewart (Driving Over Lemons).

A group of hikers stand under an old oak tree

A group stand on an old "Era", an ancient threshing circle. Behind are steep hillsides with green shrub

Some people talk beneath some old ancient patios in a traditional spanish village

Street signs in the village of Fondales in the Alpujarras, Spain

Picos de Europa day 3 - Refugio Cabaña Verónica and Torre de Horcados Rojos

We used the cable car from Fuente Dé for access to the high mountains. A spectacular hike to the remarkable Refugio Cabaña Verónica, perched precariously on a rocky ridge. Then a loose scramble up from a col to the fine summit off the Torre de Horcados Rojos (2503m), seemingly overlooking the world!

A colorful group sit on the narrow summit of Torre de Horcados Rojos. Behind rise other mountains with blue sky above

The route up to the Cabaña Verónica rises through stonet and rocky ground with vertical cliffs on the right hand side

The small Refugio Cabaña Verónica sits on a rocky ridge. A futuristic refuge that hold just 6 persons. behind rises a dramatic mountain

A group of 5 hikers walk below the massive cliffs of Peña Vieja in the Picos de Europa

Picos de Europa day 2 - Sotres to Tielve

We did this hike as the holiday weekend crowds had closed the road to the Urriellu area. This was an impromptu alternative. Glad we did it as it gave us a glimpse of pretty alpine meadows and sleepy hamlets with distant views to the dramatic Naranja de Bulnes and other peaks. Too hot to complete the circular from Tielve so we sat in a bar instead and had some cold drinks.

The peak of Naranja de Bulnes dominates the upper left. A range of mountains continues in the background. In the foreground is a sunlit gorge

A small house sits on a plateau with distant views to high peaks

A huge shadowed peak soars up to the left. In the middle foreground lies a small hamlets of cabins sat in the trees

Looking down a forested and rocky valley towards the village of Tielve which lies at the bottom right of the image

Picos de Europa day 1 - The Garganta de Cares

We set off in the dark to catch the first of the sun's rays entering the gorge. This is an out and back route from Poncebos (26km), unless transport can be arranged at Caín de Valdeon (where there is a nice bar!).

The gorge is utterly spectacular and dramatic, but was rather overcrowded on our Friday walk. An early start will reward when the light isn't so harsh.

A couple of hikers are seen on a narrow path passing along a vertical yellow rock wall on the left. To the right is a deep gorge

A figure with a purple jacket (my wife!) stands on a rock pinnacle illuminated by the early morning suns rays. The gorge is in deep shadow

Some hikers pass along a narrow path on the left above a gorge in shadow. There is green shrub highlighted in the sun. To the back the gorge receives the suns rays

Two narrow paths to the right and left lead the eye into the narrow gorge that forms the Garganta de Cares.

I apologise if my timeline for the next week is filled with landscapes and scenes from the mountains of the Picos de Europa. I have only just been able to get the images off camera (I know, I'm a bit old school that way!).

The mountains here completely blew me away! Anyway, here's a sample from the week to come. Dramatic peaks, cloud inversions, narrow gorges and beautiful alpine meadows.

Hikers pass in front of a triangular shaped mountain with a sharp point.

The village of Sotres sits on a lovely alpine meadow to the right. To the left are forests of tress while behind rises high grey mountains

A mountain refuge appears out of the cloud. Above the cloud and illuminated by the morning sun rises a high mountain

A narrow mountain track cuts across from the left, with lots of green shrubbery. A deep gorge lies to the right in shadow

And this is the beautifully situated Refugio Collado Jermoso in the Picos de Europa. A proper, "old school", refuge. Cosy, a bit cramped, but very friendly with great food and all at a really fair price. I loved my stay here so much I do feel impelled to write a blog post about mountain refuges. But ... that's for another day. If you ever get chance to stay here, just do it.

A small mountain refuge sits on a grassy shelf surrounded by steep cliffs and high mountains

On the left is the Refugio Collado Jermoso, behind are dramatic steep mountains. In the foreground is a grassy expanse with two hikers approaching the hut