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.
Connect with me/us on the Fediverse at:
Battening down the hatches here for tonight and tomorrow. Amber warnings for wind and rain. No doubt our house roof will leak under prolonged heavy downpour (they all do 🤣). Schools and Universities in Granada closed until Thursday.
This is a big one and with an expected 100ml+ rain here in 12 hours there's going to be a massive amount of new snowfall in the mountains. Will be excellent conditions once the snow has settled and consolidated though.
Today's dog walk in between winter storms reminded me that spring is indeed just around the corner. This particular walk is only 100m lower in altitude than my house but I was surprised to see the white and pink almond blossom out in full force. Lovely.
A friend just shared this video he took from a ski touring trip we did together way back in January 2013. Must admit it has got me feeling all nostalgic for times past.
Nobody on the mountain, some good ski and crampon conditions, sun, snow, distant views. What more could one want? As the song says, I have indeed been a "Lucky Man".
touring
Came across this wonderful image from Arctic photographer, Martin Hartley, which shows me skiing up from base camp on Klyutchevskoy Sopka. The mountain had started erupting before we arrived and the volcanic ash on the snow gave the terrain an almost lunar look.
A rough, windy morning here in Spain's Alpujarra hills. Plenty of heavy showers heading our way too. Bring it on, the more precipitation the better for all, even though it will undoubtedly lead to more leaky roof repairs 🤣
Bruce Springsteen
'I wrote this song on Saturday, recorded it yesterday and released it to you today in response to the state terror being visited on the city of Minneapolis. It’s dedicated to the people of Minneapolis, our innocent immigrant neighbors and in memory of Alex Pretti and Renee Good. Stay free"
I'm really enjoying reading "The Secret History of Gold" by Dominic Frisby
If you enjoy learning how a single metal has shaped civilization and want a fresh, entertaining take on money and power this is a solid pick. Frisby’s background as a comedian makes the material engaging and immensely readable
🎶 "Somewhere ..... 🌈"
Have a great Monday fediverse folk!
Doesn't look very far from the snows of the Sierra Nevada to the Mediterranean coast at Salobreña. Ships seen on the sunlit Mediterranean but too hazy to see Morocco, which is only 230km away from my viewpoint
Some cold images I took during this weeks excursion into the high Sierra Nevada for this
Bumper very colourful chili crop this year. We ended up with 4 full dehydrating trays that are currently drying.
Never, ever thought I'd get excited by baking! Today, soft bread rolls. Tonight, some veggie burgers.
Walking with a few friends in the back garden yesterday. Best winter we have had in years. Another world up there and so beautiful.
Severe wind chill (-8C) & strong winds but perfect snow conditions
Cant believe they made me do this again at my age!
A beautiful evening sunset tonight on a sad day of tragedy for Andalucia
Un hermoso atardecer esta noche en un día triste y trágico para Andalucía
Well, I never knew making pitta bread was so simple. First time. Stuffed them with onion, avocado, cabbage, Greek yogurt and a spicy Moroccan tomato paste.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/pitta_bread_97296
A powerful, prolonged snowstorm that began on January 12, 2026, has paralyzed the Kamchatka Peninsula in Russia, with snow depths reportedly reaching up to 500 cm (16 feet) in some areas. A municipal-level State of Emergency was declared for Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky after two people were killed by snow sliding off rooftops on January 15.
Blizzard conditions in a whiteout in Kamchatka. Our camp had been hastily erected in the gloom
We had come to Kamchatka to make a ski descent of Klyuchevskaya Sopka, at 4750 metres in height, the highest volcano in the northern hemisphere. But the weather had not been kind. For two weeks we were beset by high winds and storms. Then we made an attempt to reach base camp by snowmobiles. The savage scenery blew my mind
Blog Post - In Memory of Chris Wright - Landscape Photographer and Friend
My relationship with landscape photographer, Chris Wright who sadly and tragically passed away on Sunday 11th January 2026
@chriswrightphotography
https://elperronegro.com/posts/2026-01-14-chris-wright-friend/