Took a punt on the €75 TTArtisans 25mm f2 APS-C lens. (37.5mm full frame equivalent). Very cheap and with some obvious weaknesses, especially corner sharpness at f2, but in general for the price paid the lens doesn't do a bad job. Best of all the weight is under 200 grams which all helps my ageing legs when walking up hills!
Three yellow cactus plants sit amid a lot of green onesTo the right is the town of Lanjaron in Andlaucia. Above is a blue sky with some whispy white clouds
Relaxing and enjoying lunch on the summit of Chullo 2612m today. We climbed this from the Puerto de la Ragua, traversing the peak from north to south. In the distance there is still snow on the summit of mainland Spain's highest peak, Mulhacén 3482m
I had to work this morning. Yes the dreaded "W" word!🤣 We did a couple of short routes ... the Ruta Pavilla at Nigüelas followed by the stunning Cascada Alcázar at Conchar (photo beow). You can easily fit both routes into a full morning's walk.
Hiking the "Sendero de Pavilla" above the Andalucian town of Nigüelas. A short, but high quality route, on aerial walkways above the valley and alongside irrigation channels
A group of hikers walk beneath a prominent rocky mountain summitA group of hikers walk along a narrow path with a fence guarding the drop. A cliff looms high aboveA narrow sliver of space between two large rock walls allows the hiker passage throughA group of hikers walk along a narrow path with a fence guarding the drop. A cliff looms high above. There is a lush green valley to the right
Rows of colourful bright yellow flower pots stand in lines next to some trickling water fountain A lady scrubs and repairs a broken wall using a brushTwo children sit on a white horse in the middle of the town of Niguelas, AndaluciaA street scene in Niguelas, Andalucia. The street is deserted, the right hand side of the street is in shadow
I owe my existence today to the Anzacs. In early October 1917 my grandfather was trapped in a shell hole at the 3rd Battle of Passchendaele, (Poekapelle) Ypres. He had been there under fire from machine guns on the Bellvue Spur for 3 days and had developed severe trench foot. He was relieved by the II Anzac Corps and was able to crawl the 4 miles back to an Aid Station where he received aid and was repatriated to the UK. Without the Anzacs, he's probably still be there 🙏
"Acequias" flowing freely this morning. Don't think it will be long before they start to dry up though. Love the way the light has created small rainbows to the left of the falls.
Water comes gushing down an irrigation channel. There is a wall to the right and bright green shrub to the left. Some small rainbows are captured by the light and the water
The drought this year in Spain will be bad, I mean very bad. Water will be like liquid gold and as scarce as rocking horse crap. So, we decided to turn our swimming pool into a greenhouse instead. We are not particularly water babies, so thankfully don't use our pool. It's a small area, easily maintained, safe from winds and easy to water. 1/2
I've never got into "Reddit". For some reason it never appealed and I left well alone. But, once I saw that there was an #ActivityPub alternative called Lemmy, I dived right in. Got to say, I'm enjoying the experience and finding it interesting.
An old trail signpost in the foreground with an old building at the back and to the rightThe outskirts of the town of Lanjaron with the deep valley of the Rio Lanjaron in shade running up to the right.
Back to Motril to pick up some new mountain sunglasses I had ordered as I sat on the last ones! Still, it's not a chore when you pass such lovely city scenes
A water fountain leaps up from a small lake in a city park. There is lots of green plants and pink blossoms with a large church at the rear. Bright blue skies
Been on a city trip today. I like Motril. Laid back, friendly, great tapas bars and some beautiful walks and sights, such as Las Palmeras, Santuario Nuestra Señora de la Cabeza and Parque de los Pueblos de América
Green park with a church/cathedral at the back and framed by two palm treesAn avenue framed by giant palm trees. A cyclist is coming down the pathA fountain is in the foreground. behind is an avenue of tall palm trees
A path leads down to the right whilst behind is a spanish town with mountains behindWater flows fast down an irrigation channel. Lots of green shrub to the rightA early morning sunlit lane in Spain. The lane is in bright sunshine whilst the surrounding trees are dark and in shadeTwo dogs stand in an irrigation channel cooling off. There is a white dog and a siberian husky
A silhouette of a tree tot he left on a hillside. To the right the spanish town of Lanjaron sits on the hillside The first rays of the sun light up some cliffs in Andalucia, Spain. Some dark shadows to the left but clear views to the right
No mountains for me this weekend, sadly. I'm putting my amateur developer head on & rebuilding my local walking club website. Originally was a Ghost site, I converted it to MD files & imported to @eleventy & used simplecss.org for easy styling. No Javascript. The usual post build production (html-min etc) gave me this result on Lighthouse. More than pleased with the day's work! Clean & functional, no frills, as you'd expect from this combination.
I have to admit that I am fascinated by snow tunnels. One glance inside opens up another world, almost other worldly. A world that has laid dormant and asleep for months. Strange colours and textures line the walls, insects stir, green shoots appear and the air is filled with the sound of running water. Life is returning. I did tell you I like them. Didn't I? 😂
Good morning Tooters! The head belongs to our cat, "Sweep". She is the most "cat-like" of our cats. Here, seen snuggled up to her sister. Difficult to tell which body belongs to which 😂
Today, with no great expectations, we went in search of a thin ribbon of snow that would lead to the summit of Caballo 3009m. Sad to say, that did not exist. After 20 years of enjoying superb winters here, this winter is definitely the worst. In earlier years I have skied this slope in mid-May, but today end of March 2023, it's like June. Anyway, any day out on the hills is good & this area of the Sierra Nevada is so wild & unspoiled.
Just made my first major change to Open Street Map when, a few days ago, I came across a marked hiking path in the Sierra Nevada that was in fact a shallow dry watercourse with no sign of passage that led to some steep and difficult terrain to descend. Hope I've put it through OK on the edits.
The eastern Sierra Nevada west of Puerta de la Ragua provides high, rolling mountain country. Morron del Hornillo (2377m) and Morron Sanjuanero (2609m) are moderate objectives for a day hike but we made it a little more interesting by coming down SE of the summit to join the Trans Sierra Nevada cycle track.
View across a mountain range to snow clad peak of Picon de Jerez. To the right lie vast pine forestsThe Picos de Jerez in Spain's Sierra Nevada with snow on it. In the foreground a solitary hiker looks at the viewA group of hikers walk along a forest road high in the mountainsHikers traversing and descending a steep shrub covered hillside
Sometimes going off the beaten track can land you in some incredible situations. Of course, you have to be prepared for rough terrain and going pathless isn't for everybody, but do it, take it in, embrace it and enjoy it! You see the Sierra Nevada how it used to be. Wild, untamed and natural. We left no trace
Short video: Scrambling down the west ridge of the Peñon de la Mata. To the south the snow clad Sierra Nevada mountains and to the west the outskirts of the city of Granada
People hiking with a deep green valley below themPeople hiking with dogs alongside an irrigation channel in southern Spain. Lots of greenery to the right and shadows to the leftHikers taking a break with signposts to the left and a valley to the rightPeople hiking with dogs alongside an irrigation channel in southern Spain. Lots of greenery to the right and shadows to the left
A year ago today the Sahara Dust arrived (Calima). The whole of the south of Spain was affected. Our town Lanjarón, was turned dirty orange, almost like a Sci-Fi movie. After a week we were left with houses, cars and trees covered in a dirty brown dusty mud. That legacy still remains in many parts of towns and villages.
Instead of re-painting our house white we painted it "Sahara Dust" colour in case it returns. Lazy aren't we? 😂
Loved this frontage to a house in the village of Izbor, Andalucia. Despite being covered with remnants of the Autumn's Sahara Dust storm (Calima) the owner has decorated with plants in beautiful ceramic vases.
Memories from the past: 17th July 1983 and my first time on the summit of Mont Blanc 4807 metres. Couldn't see a thing! Love the cheap "scout shop" waterproofs and the lack of helmets and harnesses. Joined together by a simple bowline around the waist. Our ice axes were cheap, old and wooden with a small, straight pick. We survived though, possibly because summer alpine snow conditions were safer than these days. Good times.
A beautiful hike today, closer to home and at lower level. From the Beznar dam down the Rio Izbor to the village of Izbor and then back uphill for a couple of cold beers in Pinos de Valle. Part of this route forms the long distance path called "Ruta Boabdil", in the Lecrin Valley area, south of Granada
People entering the spanish village of Izbor in southern SpainPeople hiking along
a track to a house, SpainPeople walking along a wooded trackHikers negotiating a way alongside a river. Blue skies above
The main ridge of Spain's Sierra Nevada mountains from Alcazaba on the left, over Mulhacén to Veleta on the right. A fantastic high level ridge constantly above 3000m altitude. Mountaineering in winter and alpine trekking in summer. I guess you could call this my back garden?
3 day winter course for 6 members from Dublin-Wicklow Mountain Rescue Team. Skills that are needed out in winter mountains. Apart from the usual techniques we are adding the use of snowshoes, snow belays for lowering stretchers, avalanche awareness & probing for people stuck under the snow following an avalanche. On going training is essential for these mountain heroes, if you would like to donate, link to their website is here https://www.dwmrt.ie/
Training for Mountain Rescue Teams. People walking up and sliding down a snow slopeMountain Rescue team members training in the snow with helmets and crampons
Sad news that Tamara, a lynx released at the beginning of March in the Sierra Arana north of Granada, was found run over.
It is one of 3 lynxes that were reintroduced on March 3. This is the third lynx that has died in a little over a month, as a first was killed by a car and another by an attack by two dogs.
Plans are being made to install "virtual" fencing alongside busy roads in the area and increased driver signage. Link in Spanish.
This says it all about today. Warm sunshine and a beautiful isolated mountain summit with superb views and good friends. I could have stayed here for hours enjoying the peace and tranquility.
Late afternoon sun on the dramatic northern faces of the Sierra Nevada. Alcazaba, Mulhacen, Veleta and Puntal de la Caldera looking spectacular. This is definitely "alpine" terrain, even in this relatively poor snow year and it's sometimes hard to believe that this is southern Spain!
The peak of Puntal de la Caldera, a steep northern mountain face covered in snowThe peak of Alcazaba, a steep northern mountain face covered in snowThe peak of Veleta, a steep northern mountain face covered in snow. Late afternoon sunlight shines to the rightThe peak of Mulhacen, a steep northern mountain face covered in snow with late afternoon sunlight hitting the upper part of the mountain
Yesterday afternoon the mountains called & I just had to go up into their lofty realms to spend a couple of hours in their exalted company watching the shadows lengthen & colours deepen.
Time to escape the rat race, internet, politics & sport. Instead, time now for inward reflection & quiet contemplation, amid all this natural scenic beauty. And especially, to think of loved ones struggling through tough times.
Eventually the light faded and the sun dropped low over the Vega de Granada. The last rays of light left the summits of the Sierra Nevada. Soul refreshed, it was time to head home.
Spring has definitely arrived in southern Spain. Even where I live, at 700 metres of altitude, it's 26c+ this afternoon. Here's an image of our Siberian Husky, Arko enjoying the dog walk this morning before it got too hot for him.