Grumpy old mountain man living in Spain

Latest Posts

Threading the Raspones Ridge

Published on 12-07-2022 by El Perro Negro
This was an interesting day. Interesting as it crossed some terrain I have never trodden before, threading the Raspones ridge.

Blurred images and lost opportunities

Published on 04-07-2022 by El Perro Negro
In trying to learn camera techniques to take good landscape images you are bound to have some failures. It's a shame as those failures can sometimes happen in superb mountain settings, resulting in lost opportunities.

Lazy ways to paint the house

Published on 04-07-2022 by El Perro Negro
After many years of neglect our outer walls and cortijo walls have been repaired, re plastered and repainted.

Hard Going on the Tozal del Cartujo ridge

Published on 03-07-2022 by El Perro Negro
A tough return for me to high mountain scrambling on this mountaineering ascent of the north ridge of Tozal del Cartujo in Spain's Sierra Nevada

Wet and Windy in the San Juan Valley

Published on 03-07-2022 by El Perro Negro
A very unseasonal hiking day in Spain's Sierra Nevada which brought welcome relief from the heat of the lower villages

Fields of Gold on Las Alegas

Published on 07-06-2022 by El Perro Negro
Describes a walk up the quiet and relatively remote peak of Las Alegas above the Alpujarras in Spain's Sierra Nevada mountains

Life of Luxury in the Sierra Blanca

Published on 02-06-2022 by El Perro Negro
A visit to the towns of Monda and Tolox visiting mountains of the Sierra Blanca and waterfalls in the Sierra de las Nieves

Walking into a surreal Martian Landcape

Published on 28-05-2022 by El Perro Negro
We had an eventful, interesting and ultimately fulfilling day on the western slopes of the Cerro de Caballo a couple of days ago. The route is along the Acequia los Hechos and up to the remote and lonely, hidden lake of Laguna Puesta Cura.

Scrambling on warm limestone

Published on 28-05-2022 by El Perro Negro
After a recent period of inactivity, due to having a pacemaker fitted, it was good to get back out on the warm limestone rock of the Peñon de la Mata and feel the exposure.

The best photo I have ever taken?

Published on 28-05-2022 by El Perro Negro
The story behind the circumstances that led me to take the best landscape image I had ever taken.

Into the Mouth of the Fish

Published on 11-05-2022 by El Perro Negro
A chain across the dirt track halted our walking plan for the day. Instead we had to look for an alternative. As in many cases like this, the alternative turned out to be superb! The peak of Boca de la Pesca, located in the Cumbres Verdes just 15 minutes from Granada.

Catching the sunrise, Sierra de Lujar

Published on 07-05-2022 by El Perro Negro
At 5:30 this morning I dragged my weary ass out of bed, out into the morning cold and drove up precipitous mountain dirt tracks in the dark

Cadiar, Lobras and Tímar Circular

Published on 28-04-2022 by El Perro Negro
Nice walk with the Nomads today after a couple of weeks away battling Covid. A pleasant circular walk of 12km with 400m ascent.

Snowshoeing above Puente Palo

Published on 28-04-2022 by El Perro Negro
The great thing about living in the foothills of the mountains is that you can take last minute advantage of snow conditions.

The Eve of Destruction

Published on 28-04-2022 by El Perro Negro
Email to two old friends catching up on recent events

The Solar Installation

Published on 28-04-2022 by El Perro Negro
In response to the Electricity Companies doubling their prices we have gone solar. Sod em!

Exploring the Sierra Mágina

Published on 30-03-2022 by El Perro Negro
Photos from the trip into the Sierra Mágina over the last couple of days. A lovely, compact and interesting mountain range largely overlooked by foreigners. We saw only 1 other hiker in 2 days of wandering here.

Car Cleaning on a Weekend???

Published on 26-03-2022 by El Perro Negro
I've never been one for spending my weekend cleaning cars, preferring the mountains to that thankless chore. After nearly 20 years in Spain my car cleaning was both seasonal and eco friendly ie when it rained.

Cerro Huenes group, an unknown gem in the Cumbres Verdes

Published on 20-03-2022 by El Perro Negro
The Cumbres Verdes range south of Granada is very accessible. Most people head for the deserved reigning peak of the range, the spectacular, Trevenque. However there is a really nice hike just as accessible. This is round the Cerro Huenes group.

First tracks in the Barranco de San Juan

Published on 20-03-2022 by El Perro Negro
First time at mid altitude for a while and my first venture this winter into the winter snows. We've had a poor winter so far so the recent heavy snowfalls have been most welcomed. Poor visibility meant we opted for the Barranco de San Juan valley as our snowshoeing route for the day.