What an absolutely cracking day. Couldn't ask for better mountain conditions. Testing our lightweight Petzl Leopard crampons ready for a late spring visit to the Pyrenees. How did they do? Well, they didn't fall off 🤣. They were fine and confidence was built.
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Borge Ousland's Polar Equipment List, Part II: Key Gear - it's interesting to see what he took
https://explorersweb.com/borge-ouslands-polar-equipment-list-part-ii-key-gear/
Always nice to discover a new hiking area, especially after 24 years. Yesterday we did a circular walk around the hills surrounding the village of Lagos near Motril, on the southern slopes of the Sierra de Lujar range. Sunny with no wind so felt like spring had arrived with temps up to 23C.
#Hiking #Walking #Mountains #Spain #Landscape #LandscapePhotography #Outdoors
At stake is the question of when personal judgement and risk-taking become a matter of criminal liability. If the climber is found guilty it could mean "a paradigm shift for mountain sports", says Austria's Der Standard newspaper.
And a guilty verdict could also have implications for other mountain climbers, and how much they could be liable for their companions in the future.
T-shirt and shorts day today for me in the hills overlooking the Med. Nice to feel that warm sun on your back.
The Cerro de Caballo (3009m) in Spain's Sierra Nevada doesn't look like it's summit is 2400m vertical above the town of Lanjarón in the Alpujarra. Its deceptive, but nevertheless a lovely mountain that's relatively unfrequented due to its difficult and remote access. I believe it's also Europe most southerly and westerly 3000m peak.
#Hiking #Walking #Mountains #Spain #mountainmonday #Photography #Landscape #LandscapePhotography #Outdoors #Andalucia
Winter is back. Snow on the hills above our house this morning. Snow level about 1600m
April showers and its only February! Another threatening wet weather spell inbound to the Alpujarra
In 24 years I have never seen the river like this. Destruction all over
"I’m the Prime Minister of Spain. This Is Why the West Needs Migrants." by Pedro Sánchez
Andy Kirkpatrick - Pacing Beads - A 3,000 word study
"In this short article, I thought I’d run with a small detail of navigation, something most people don’t use, but they should, and see where we get."
https://www.andy-kirkpatrick.com/blog/view/pacing-beads-a-3000-word-study
Sunrise this morning has a bit of everything. Sun, clouds, showers and even half a rainbow
Hair stylist @khusky 🤣
Not surprisingly the Rio Lanjarón is in full flow at the moment.
I used to be a big #F1 fan. Not now. 5 years ago I became sick of the corruption and dual standards. Never watched another race. But, an annual highlight for me in the mid 2010s was a visit to nearby Jerez to see the pre season testing.
A chance to get up close and personal to these machines hurtling past. Used to make the hairs on the back of my neck stand up. Ground entry for the day only €10 too and, a chance to drink lots of fine sherry in the evenings 😂 Good times.
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".
#ski touring #spain #snow #mountains
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.
#Kamchatka #ski #mountains #mountaineering #skitouring #expeditions
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 #silentsunday
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.
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
https://elperronegro.com/posts/2026-01-14-chris-wright-friend/
Annual service today of my Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillator (ICD). Still amazes me how a consultant can bluetooth into this, tweak settings, give me info about it's performance. Only 4 small interventions in the past year (down from 10). Still 12 years battery left too before they need to recharge me! 🤣
Down in the dumps. Life is so fickle at times. Last weekend I lost a friend, hiking pal and all round nice guy. Can't comprehend him producing his weekly YouTube video one minute and succumbing in just two days to a sudden and severe infection, pericarditis, possibly leading to sepsis/septic shock. Mid 60s. You just never know quite what's round the corner. So sad for him and his family
Practice, practice, practice
Came across this photo memory today. November 2014 - for 9 days/14 hours a day, my life was the inside of a tent. Spent most of that watching the whole 5 seasons of Breaking Bad on a 1.8" display. Expedition life eh?
Ran a short rope protection and security course for some hill walking and scrambling friends of mine today. Included improvised harnesses, Italian hitch, clove hitch, assisted hoist, anchors, rappelling, classic belay, belays, prusicks, basic rescue and more. Hopefully everyone came away more confident about having to deal with an emergency situation. Anyway, it was a lot of fun and laughs in the strong winds.
#climbing #scrambling #hiking #rockclimbers #mountaincourses
Our two aren't looking too bad for 10 & 12 years of age.
Daily dog walk through the olive groves. The slopes of the Cerro de Caballo 3009m in the Sierra Nevada rising ahead.
Really looking forward to this. On Friday I am running a short course for hiking buddies recapping how to use a rope for basic protection & security in emergency situations. Came about as a friend always carries a short rope in his pack but admitted he has absolutely no real idea how to use it. Includes:
No harness? - Swiss Seat Harness
Anchors
Lowering on a rope
Ascending using assisted hoist
Ascending using prusiks
Rapelling - Dulfersitz - basic - Prusik backup
Protecting scrambles
Our first frosts of the winter last night but sunshine and clear skies meant an early morning hike up the Rio Lanjarón. Lots of water coming down from the Sierra Nevada. Beautiful colours
#Hiking #Spain #Photography #Landscape #LandscapePhotography #walking
Looking at this photo, now I realise that it's about time I got off my rear end and headed up into those lovely white snows. It's the best early season snowfall for quite some time, maybe 5+ years?
Got to take advantage whilst I can. Better get my head together and sharpen my mountaineering gear.
#Hiking #Mountaineering #Walking #Mountains #Spain #Outdoors #Andalucia
Sat on the summit of Morrón de Enmedio 1080 metres eating our sandwiches and looking at the stunning Sierra Nevada rising above Granada. Stunning views, no wind, warm air (even the volcanic vent variety!) meant lightweight gear. A celebratory drop of anise at the top (traditional evidently) topped off a super day. Hard to believe that we are in the depths of winter.
#Hiking #Backpacking #Walking #Mountains #Spain #Outdoors #Andalucia
Here's a strange image from today's hike in the Sierra Elvira. No filters, no manipulation, nada! Shows a temperature inversion with the city of Granada appearing out of the gloom in the lower half of the image.
Above the inversion layer the Sierra Nevada mountains rise 3000 metres above the city and are in clear haze free air.
The 3 main summits of (L to R) Alcazaba, Mulhacén & Veleta are prominent.
#Hiking #Walking #Mountains #Spain #Photography #Landscape #LandscapePhotography
Just love those mountain days when the early morning cloud starts to dissipate and the light constantly changes thereafter. These are the Cumbres Verdes mountains just outside Granada
#Hiking #Backpacking #Walking #Mountains #Spain #Photography #Landscape #LandscapePhotography #Outdoors #Andalucia
