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Tough hike in the mountains south of Montejaque (Ronda) today because of the high afternoon temps. Superb views though with plenty of Griffon Vultures passing overhead, probably eyeing us out as a likely evening meal? Some steep pathless descents added interest. Must come back. In the winter!
#Hiking #Backpacking #Walking #Mountains #Spain #Photography #Landscape #LandscapePhotography #Outdoors #Andalucia
Today a visit to the northern sector of the stunning Sierra de las Nieves. Circular hike from the village of El Burgo. Enjoyed it. Tomorrow we head into the Sierra de Grazalama mountains
#Hiking #Backpacking #Walking #Mountains #Spain #Photography #Landscape #LandscapePhotography #Outdoors #Andalucia
Quiet serene river waters reflect the surrounding vegetation and trees. Patches of sunlight filter through
The banks of the Rio Guadalfeo during our dog walk today. This river quietly makes it's way to the sea at Salobreña in the Costa Tropical.
#Spain #river #hiking #walking #nature #photography #LandscapePhotography #landscape
Love the final line of this article
"You finish reading "This Is for Everyone" wishing that somehow the Cleggs and Zuckerbergs of this world would vanish, and that Facebook and the rest of social media could be run by Berners-Lee – who would immediately give them away to the users, because he really does believe that this is for everyone."
1/ "Ruta Nocturna - Sierra Nevada"
Started with a 6pm bus uplift to los Posiciones del Veleta. Hiked to Col de Carihuela and hence to our dinner/sunset viewpoint on top of Loma Pua at just over 3200m. Amazing location with views in all directions
#Hiking #Backpacking #Walking #Mountains #Spain #Photography #Landscape #LandscapePhotography #Outdoors #Andalucia
Inside This Clay Jug
by Kabir
Inside this clay jug there are canyons and pine mountains,
and the maker of canyons and pine mountains!
All seven oceans are inside, and hundreds of millions of stars.
Last night #SierraNevada #Spain
#stars #milkyway
The Internet of Consent
Click “I agree” to continue. You didn’t click it, though. Or maybe you did? I don’t know, it doesn’t matter
The GPS on this cheap, small, lightweight Lilygo T-Deck Plus running #Meshcore is very accurate (screen shows connected to 12 satellites). Battery lasts for ages just using the map facility (not the #LoRa radio #messaging). You need to download the map tiles and map format you wish separately. Might use it up in the mountains this week during our night hike (will have backup 😀 )
Next week 6 of us are planning a "Ruta Nocturnal", a 26km night crossing of Spain's Sierra Nevada from Pradollano in the NW to Capileira in the SE. Most of the route will be above 3000m altitude with a big descent of nearly 2000m. Highlights to include dinner with wine at the Col de Carihuela 😆, whilst watching the sunset & of course the tranquillity & beauty of hiking under the stars. Should be fun. Hoping for a dry & clear night.
This pm I took a huge gamble. I installed PostmarketOS, a mobile linux distribution, on my OnePlus6. It's buggy but I wanted to have a play around. Very easy to install via their web flasher.
Unfortunately, it's very buggy. Not many usable apps yet for my purposes. After playing around though & investigating I realised that I could install Waydroid. Game changer as Waydroid installs a LineageOS container within PostmarketOS. That way I had access to all my normal apps via F-Droid. Result!
It's always a bit of a heart stopping moment for me when you use ADB tools etc to flash a new OS onto an old phone. Will it work? Will I brick it?
Anyway managed to flash LineageOS onto an old OnePlus6 this morning. It's like having a new phone and a de-Googled one at that. Satisfying!
Cool day on Veleta yesterday!
Took the classic Paco Pepe route (4+) but decided to spice things up. After 1st 4 pitches, traversed R along the narrow & exposed Paso de Lagarto to the Variante Silvia (5) for 2 spectacular & sustained finishing pitches
Needed help from the rope at top of the crux which verges on 5+ for few meters. Thankfully Felipe there to assist. Will come back & try to climb 100% next summer. Training on arm strength is required!
#Spain #RockClimbing #Mountaineering
1/2
Wandering into the Sierra Nevada's Forgotten Zone - A few days ago I had a wonderful overnight trip into a quiet and remote corner of Spain's Sierra Nevada. The access areas were busy but once clear of them, despite the August bank holiday, we didn't see anybody on the trails for 16 hours
https://elperronegro.com/posts/2025-08-16-wandering-forgotten-zone-sierra-nevada/
#Hiking #Backpacking #Walking #Mountains #Spain #Photography #Landscape #LandscapePhotography #Outdoors #Andalucia
A few more night shots from our backpacking trip a few nights ago. Night photography is a bit new for me but I enjoyed the experience and will certainly try some more
#Hiking #Backpacking #Walking #Mountains #Spain #Photography #Outdoors #Andalucia #night #nightphotography #stars
Last nights view southwards past the slopes of Tozal del Cartujo.
#SierraNevada #Spain #nightphotography #night #stars #milkyway #camping #backpacking
About to head up into the mountains. Camping next to a lake in the cool air at nearly 3000 metres, under the stars, sounds attractive.
Heading against the grain as all the day trippers will be leaving the mountains as we enter them. Again, tomorrow morning we shall be leaving as they arrive. Sounds good to me.
Whilst in the UK last month my brothers & I came across an old leather case of my fathers. It contained hundreds of letters sent between him & my mother. It's a treasure trove!
Here is an extract written by him to my mother from his Royal Navy ship, HMS Glasgow on 24th February 1946. I particularly like the formality & style of writing.
Makes me wonder about the digital legacy we eventually shall leave behind. How interesting or searchable & discoverable will that be?
I enjoyed this scramble so much I decided to write a blog post
https://elperronegro.com/posts/2025-08-11-scrambling-campanitas-ridge-sierra-nevada/
#Hiking #Scrambles #Scrambling #Walking #Mountains #Spain #Outdoors #Andalucia #adventure
2/2 Then its glorious scrambling to the exit of the Canuto Norte del Veleta. From here the Fidel Fierro route to the summit is taken, care needed on the broken rock walls.
The climb finishes on the very summit of Veleta. Yesterday our group (average age 65+!) reached the summit to the bemused stares of groups of younger hikers who had walked up to the summit.
A superb day scramble for the adventurous.
#Scrambling # Mountaineering #Mountains #Spain #Landscape #LandscapePhotography #Outdoors
1/2 The "Arista de las Campanitas" from Cerro los Machos to the summit of Veleta is a superb scramble with an alpine nature. We did this in the hot sun, the ridge never falling below 3000m.
Grading wise, a grade 3S scramble but there are some very exposed sections and some short rock climbing 3 sections.
It passes over the easily scrambled, though sharp, ridge of Zacatin 3327m before arriving at the crux section, the ascent of the Campanario pinnacle 3328m. Rope could be useful here.
So, I was climbing up this steep rock slab a few days ago and out of a small cave in the rock above me appeared this Iberian Ibex (Cabra Montes). They are usually quite timid but this one stood his ground as I climbed around him. Probably protecting his "home" from alien invaders 😀
Thanks to @adele for opening the door to the Gemini Protocol again for me. I dabbled with Gemini back in 2021 but am returning to it now after a 4 year break and after seeing how our "normal" internet is rapidly disappearing into the "enshittification" mire (Mastodon excepted!).
Time again for a quiet place to connect with the interesting people of Gemini.
gemini://elperronegro.pollux.casa/
Want to create a gemini capsule, but do not want to manage a server contact @adele
Incredibly hot between 3000-3400 meters yesterday in the Sierra Nevada. No wind & a scorching sun beating down all day. No shade nor escape from the heat.
Not really the day for 6 of us (average age 65+ 😀 ) to go scrambling around on narrow ridges. Anyway we enjoyed it, especially the bit where we pulled up and over onto the very summit of Veleta to the obvious astonishment of the groups of young people who had walked up.
Don't often find videos of me playing about on the rocks but here's one.
Dropping down into the hugely impressive amphitheater of the Corral del Veleta yesterday. I never fail to be impressed by the scale of these huge rock walls.
The Coral de Veleta was the site of the last glacier in Spain's Sierra Nevada range. In fact technically it is still a glacier, a "rock glacier" meaning permafrost lies below the surface.
Worth a visit!
#Hiking #Backpacking #Walking #Mountains #Spain #Photography #Landscape #LandscapePhotography #Outdoors #Andalucia
You can't fight enshittification (Cory Doctorow)
https://pluralistic.net/2025/07/31/unsatisfying-answers/#systemic-problems
Anybody ask me for age verification and I'm outta there. Same as I delete accounts that ask me for facial ID (apart from my bank).
What a day! Trekked up the stunning Rio Durcal, navigated narrow acequias, and braved the refreshing plunge into the river to reach the breathtaking Cascadas de los Bolos—where some of us couldn’t resist a swim. This is magnificent gorge scenery!
#Hiking #Walking #Mountains #Spain #Landscape #Outdoors #WaterfallWednesday #waterfall
I didn't enjoy my time on Aconcagua way back in the late 1990s. Far too crowded and commercial. Always had an inkling to go to Ojos de Salado instead, a few metres less high but much more remote and quiet. It never happened, unfortunately. Anyway, here's a film of a recent ascent by the very talented Harmen Hoek, which confirms that my assumptions about Ojos de Salado would have been correct. Looks a marvellous peak. Well worth watching for the stunning photography.
Huby Methodist Chapel, founded 1889, is on the corner of Strait Lane in the small Yorkshire hamlet of Huby. The chapel contains a stained glass window memorial dedicated to 7 soldiers who died during the First World War (1914–18) and a brass plaque memorial is dedicated to a further 6 soldiers from the Second World War (1939–1945)
I'm in the UK for a few days. Country walk today in the Washburn valley north of Leeds/Otley. Came across an old, somewhat neglected church at Huby with ancient, leaning headstones interspersed with overgrown vegetation. Thought it looked very gothic in black and white
Some more photos from yesterdays scrambling route on Tajos de la Virgen ridge, Sierra Nevada. Not especially difficult but utterly engaging and interesting high level hike/scramble
#Hiking #Backpacking #Walking #Mountains #Spain #Photography #Landscape #LandscapePhotography #Outdoors #Andalucia
Classic Sierra Nevada adventure! 🏔️
Yesterday’s high-level romp along the Tajos de la Virgen ridge delivered everything you’d want from a mountain day - thrilling Grade 1 scrambling, breathtaking distant views, and that unbeatable alpine buzz. A true gem of a route! ⛰️✨
#Hiking #Backpacking #Walking #Mountains #Spain #Photography #Landscape #LandscapePhotography #Outdoors #Andalucia
I started reading "Privacy is Power" by Carissa Véliz last night. Although I have been onboard with the concept for quite a few years now, the scale of the deception is still incredible. Looks to be a very well written and readable book for anyone interested and concerned about surveillance capitalism.
Wasps appear to be a lot more aggressive than normal at the moment. Went 20+ years living in Spain and not getting stung and then this year I've had about 15 stings in the past few months just wandering around our "campo" as normal.
Last weekend the BBC showed an all-day replay of the Live Aid concerts from London and Philadelphia. After 40 years it certainly made me feel old. But weren't we so lucky to have been born into a generation with so much innovative musical talent?
Highlights for me Queen, The Who, U2, Bowie etc. But many others. Some of these of course are sadly no longer with us.
It's also strange that I can't remember what I did last week but knew most of the words to songs from 40+ years ago! 🤣
8 years ago this pack of ours was a bit of a handful 🤣. Where did we sit? Two are still with us fortunately. Great memories of these fluff balls
Weekend not started great. No town water in our tanks so no house water until Monday when hopefully we can restore pressure. Until then it's visits to the spring to get drinking water and buckets of "campo" water to run everything else. Such is life sometimes in rural Spain. You just have to adapt and run with whatever life throws at you.
Traversing Spain's Sierra Nevada in under 4 minutes - short video of 2 day N to S crossing of the range from Pradollano to Lanjarón in July 2025.
During this hike we also visited the source of the Río Lanjarón which lies about 200 meters east of the Laguna de Lanjarón. The second day's descent of 1300 meters and 13 kilometers to the finish was tough as we descended pathless terrain into the heat of the day.
This week was the first hike I've done which really proved the usefulness and worth of the Six Moon Designs Sun Umbrella.
The sun was beating down as we reached the lake and bivvy site mid-afternoon. There was very little natural shade around but the umbrella really helped. The reflective outer and dark coated inner created a welcome cool space. Will be a regular item in my summer pack from now on.
This short video shows you what its like to disconnect. There's no fancy music nor AI gimmicks. We didn't see anybody for a couple of days, just wild flowers, running waters, birds, animals, high mountains and the sounds of nature. You get the drift.
Filmed in June 2025, above Acequia los Hechos on the western flanks of the Sierra Nevada range, Andalucia, Spain. Camp at Laguna Cabrero 2710m altitude.
Its Saturday morning and the veggie curry is already slow cooking. Have a great weekend everyone
Spending a night in a bivouac close to a mountain lake certainly allows you to see it's many changing faces. Here's some images of lake reflections from last 24 hours at Laguna Cabrero, Sierra Nevada
#Mountains #Spain #Photography #Landscape #LandscapePhotography #Andalucia
Hiking at first light is such a wonderful time to be alive. Here in #Spain, waking up at 2700m is amazing. The air is cool and the light is sharp. The mountains stand out, not the normal summer heat haze blanket. From our perch we saw in great outline the mountains of the Alayos del Dilar range, the Cumbres Verdes and the Sierra de Elvira north of Granada.A pleasure to walk the hills at this time of day.
#Hiking #Backpacking #Walking #Mountains #Photography #Landscape #LandscapePhotography
Last nights sunset bivouac at Laguna Cabrero 2710m, nacimentos del Río Durcal, Sierra Nevada
#Hiking #Backpacking #Walking #Mountains #Spain #Photography #Landscape #LandscapePhotography #Outdoors #Andalucia #sunsets #lakes
As it's #WaterfallWednesday here are a few spectacular falls seen on my recent #backpacking trip to the Hautes Pyrenees on the Spanish/French border.
#Waterfalls #Photography #Landscape #LandscapePhotography #Outdoors
We have a trip planned to Marrakesh, Morocco this week. 20+ years living here within an hours flying time and I have never had the good fortune nor opportunity to visit before. But, with the world on a knife edge and escalation the likely outcome we are giving serious thought to postponing.
Field of olive trees in the morning sun. Quesada area, Sierra de Cazorla
#SilentSunday #Spain #Andalucia #LandscapePhotography #landscape
I wrote a blog post about our recent backpacking adventures in the Spanish and French Pyrenees.
Not many english speakers have heard of the 3000 Ibónes. Ibon is the Aragon word for mountain lake. It was this that first attracted me to the area which lies west of the Ordessa/Vignamale range. The idea of camping by lakes and rivers and skipping over the border passes between Spain and France held an appeal.
https://elperronegro.com/posts/2025-06-08-backpacking-pyrenees/
#Hiking #Backpacking #Walking #Mountains #Spain #photography
We had some river crossings to deal with during our recent trip to the Pyrenees mountains. This is where we found another use for our Zpacks Ultralight Camp Shoes.
Yes, apart from being a lightweight camp shoe (only 59g) they are also quite proficient crossing stony river beds with fast flowing water.
#Hiking #Backpacking #Outdoors #outdoorgear #gear #equipment #ultralightweight
Approaching the Spanish/French border at the Puerto de Marcadeau 2541m in the Pyrenees mountain range. No passports needed to be stamped here though. In fact nobody within miles!
There is something that stirs the blood when you cross a mountain range between countries. As we reached the pass, saw the mountains and green valleys of France I spontaneously burst into an extremely bad rendition of "La Marseillaise".
#pyrenees #Hiking #Backpacking #Walking #Mountains #Spain #Landscape#Outdoors
