Love this on the wall of the Refugio Collado Jermoso in the mountains of the Picos de Europa.
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Like a scene from "Lord of the Rings", today we enjoyed the spectacular delights of the Garganta de Cares gorge in the Picos de Europa. We missed breakfast and set off in the dark to catch the morning sun entering the gorge. Turned into a very warm hike which later needed copious amounts of cold beer in compensation.
Ed Viesturs responds to the attempt to rewrite history. A classy reaction from a highly regarded human:
“I truly believe that Reinhold Messner was the first person to climb all 14 8000ers and should still be recognized as having done so. He lead the way, not only in style, but also physically and psychologically, by climbing without supplemental oxygen. Other climbers, such as me, were able to follow in his footsteps by his inspiration.
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Had a great day yesterday with a group of returning friends from Northern Ireland. Intent on doing Stage 7 of the "Gran Senda de Málaga" from Canillas de Aceituno to Cómpeta, but bailed out at Salares due to the heat.
Loved the sign that warned "You have to be really fit and an expert in extreme trekking tough paths with difficult slopes and dangers as to fell into the abyss"
Been hanging around here today. The "Puente Colgante de El Saltillo" at Canillas de Aceituno in the Sierra de Almijara. An entertaining gorge walk.
Last night I stayed in the pretty town of Cómpeta, so that today I'm around early to join a group hiking in the Sierra de Almijara. This scene is typical of the villages in this area
Busy preparing my kit for next Thursday and the start of our week long holiday to the Picos de Europa, including another visit to the marvellous, Refugio Jermoso (photo). I love this area, it's wild and the summits are not easy.
Bit of a hiking day yesterday in the Sierra de Huetor range north of Granada
I'm a mountain person and my visits to the beach/sea, about 30 minutes away are very few and far between (years). Having said that my wife and daughters persuaded me to try kayaking today at Maro near Nerja on the Costa Tropical. Although out of my comfort zone, I enjoyed it and glad it was a bit rough as it made it more interesting. Here's a short video. Did I like it enough to buy a kayak though? 🤔 Sorry about the crappy music 😂
Nice to be out with my two daughters yesterday. They joined a group I was out with above the Hoya del Portillo in Spain's Sierra Nevada. Lovely day, nice temperatures and the predicted afternoon storms didn't materialise.
The Rio Bermejo cascading down over the waterfall of Tajos Cortes above Pitres in Spain's Alpujarra hills.
Yesterday I used Organic Maps app on my phone as an aid to navigation. Worked really well, the maps are detailed enough for hiking without being clustered.
Biggest win for me was using completely offline, just location on. This meant I hardly used much battery in the 6 hours of usage.
It's and based over Open Street Maps. I enjoyed it and got value out of it, so I donated to @organicmaps
Traditional "Tinaos" roofing construction, typical of the old villages of La Alpujarra, in the Spanish provinces of Almería and Granada. Photos of some from Pitres and Capilerilla
The "tinao" creates a covered space by arranging a structure of flat, locally sourced, beams and materials over the street
Views from my journey to work today. I say "work" rather loosely, as I'm retired but how can a day containing such views be really considered labour? In reality, I would work for free as walking in such scenery and showing people the beauty of the Alpujarra and the mountains is enough for me. Today with a group of Scots, Irish, English and Norwegians all enjoying the day. For me, it's truly a labour of love.
Good morning to you all from Lanjarón in the Alpujarras, Spain where it's building up to be another fine day after some early morning low cloud inversion. Enjoy your Sunday!
@NormanDunbar I think this is the view you saw and the mountains involved. Screenshot from Google Earth looking south west above the town of Schlanders on the Austria Italian border.
Thank you for the mind stimulation.
Enjoying this read by Cory Doctorow & can't put it down. Makes sense of the crazy online world we constantly visit but fail to comprehend. Shows us the way out of the "Big Tech" mire.
"The fight for a free, fair and open digital future isn’t more important than any other fight, but it is foundational. Tech is the terrain on which our future fights will be fought. If we can’t seize the means of computation, we will lose the fight before it is even joined."
@pluralistic
One of our regular hikes during the spanish summer is up the Rio Santos in the Lecrin Valley, south of Granada. Year-round water means deep, dense vegetation more reminiscent of the Amazon than ! There are some small obstacles along the route, requiring easy scrambling but in general it's an easy half day hike in the cool air. Fantastic on a hot day and recommended if you are in the area.
Waterfalls in Rio Santos, Albuñuelas, Lecrin Valley, Granada, Spain
The Mountain Stream
Take a break from your journey And lie awhile beside the babbling brook Senses burst with fresh sensations, as Rays of sunlight dance across breaking waves Orchestral notes play perfect harmony, and Scent of wild flower and thyme fill the air Hands caress well groomed grasses Lips taste pure, ice cold waters Absorbing nature the heart slows down, so Peace and tranquillity enter the soul Maybe this old world ain't so bad at all?
