My previous forays into the Sierra Nevada had been centred on the south western ‘honey pots’; Mulhacén, Veleta, Cerro de los Machos, Cerrillo Redondo and Cerro del Caballo; all of them ‘Tres Miles’ but all of them relatively accessible and consequently, popular. What I wanted was to get off the beaten track and break new ground by visiting the more remote peaks to the north of Mulhacén. It wasn’t to be a ‘peak-bagging’ exercise but an adventure. Something to challenge me. Something to excite the senses. But most of all, something to savour and to remember. Once again, my friends at Spanish Highs Mountain Guides were most helpful when it came to route planning and advice and, after some discussion, an itinerary was agreed. It would take me from the far north-east summit of Picón de Jérez, along the main Sierra Nevada ridgeline and down to Pico del Tajo de los Machos in the south west, a distance of 41km over three days. It would involve scaling peaks of shattered rock, bivouacing by isolated mountain lakes, encountering the native wildlife and enjoying some jaw-dropping views. The weather forecast for the first week of September looked settled, with light winds, sun and no rain. And so, in the early evening of 3rd September, Spanish Highs dropped me off at the National Park barrier on the track leading to the Peña Partida refuge. A gentle two hour walk along the undulating ridge brought me to my first night’s bivouac site at the Lavaderos de la Reina. This is a natural bowl and at 2,500m it provides quick and relatively easy access to the 3,000m level. It is a beautiful spot with numerous small lagunas fed by a stream. Had I been camping, I would have slept next to one of the lakes but I had chosen to take a bivi bag, sleeping bag and mat so I opted for a sheltered spot behind a large rock. I ate my meal, set up the fox deterrent that I had borrowed from Spanish Highs and settled down for the night. There followed my usual fitful sleep: wide awake one minute and in dreamland the next. Is it just me or does everybody sleep like that outdoors?

DAY ONE Lavaderos de la Reina to Lagunas de las Calderetas (7 hours, 13.5km and 1,400m of ascent)

I woke at around 08.00 feeling refreshed and relaxed but I was in no rush to get out of my sleeping bag. The sun still hadn’t reached me and it was a little chilly so I enjoyed another half hour of slumber before I got up and breakfasted. I was packing my gear when my mobile chirped. It was a message from Spanish Highs saying that they would be taking a client up to Mulhacén to spend Thursday night on the summit to see the sunset and sunrise. An hour later and I was on the summit of Picón de Jérez (3,090m) with superb views in all directions. There is a real feeling of remoteness up there and apart from one other person who had walked up from the Postero Alto refuge, I was to see no-one else for the next two days. My route took me south along the broad ridge to Puntal de Juntillas (3,139m) and then on to the outlying peak of Cerro Pelao (3,181m) from where the whole of the main Sierra Nevada ridge is set out before you. I turned back north and then contoured west above Laguna de Juntillas to rejoin the main ridge and on to the summit of Puntal de los Cuartos (3,158m). From there, the ridge becomes a broken jumble of large boulders as it rises again to Atalaya (3,135m). Like most people, I hate surrendering hard-gained altitude but the 150m of descent to the Collado de las Buitreras is unavoidable if one is to continue on to the Pico del Cuervo (3,144m). From here, the main ridge runs due south but I took another detour, this time to the north-west to gain the peak of Cerro del Mojón Alto (3,107m). This provides a superb panorama of the central peaks. I retraced my steps to where I had left my pack and continued south on the rocky descent to Collado de Vacares. It was 14.30 and getting hot. The route ahead looked daunting: a steep climb over loose ground to the summit of Puntal de Vacares. I was tempted to drop down to the Laguna de Vacares for the night but after a short rest and a few jelly babies (Bassett’s of course) I decided I would rather stick to the itinerary rather than have to climb back up to the ridge in the morning and then tackle a further 240m of ascent while still digesting my breakfast. The summit of Puntal de Vacares (3,136m) comprises large, blocky boulders and is similar to some of the southerly peaks but offers more spectacular views. 200m below me, the Lagunas de las Calderetas looked cool and inviting but a long, tough descent through boulders and scree had to be negotiated before I reached the largest of the lakes at 16.45. I had hoped to find fresh, running water but the only source was the laguna which was teeming with numerous small beasties. Being a fifty-something, I now carry ‘Tubigrip’ in case my knees require additional support but the bandages also make excellent water filters and after straining out the visible detritus, I boiled the water and filled up my bottles. I found the perfect bivi spot for the prevailing wind direction (I later discovered that it had been made by one of Spanish Highs’ clients a few weeks earlier) and I enjoyed my evening meal before I snuggled into my sleeping bag. I laid back to watch the star-filled sky to the sounds on my MP3 player but it wasn’t long before a group of cabras monteses was grazing within a couple of metres, completely oblivious to my presence. A magical moment.

DAY TWO Lagunas de las Calderetas to Mulhacén summit (7 hours, 9km and 1,250m of ascent)

The fox deterrent worked again. Or had the foxes just had a night off? I wasn’t sure. The important thing was that my food and all of my kit was still in my pack in the morning. I had another leisurely breakfast, knowing that I had a relatively easy day ahead. Setting off just before 09.30, my route initially took me south-east to circumvent the Raspa de los Acucaderos before turning north-west towards the Laguna del Goterón. There is no path here, just a series of small cairns in a sea of broken and jumbled rock. I knew I had to keep to the west of the laguna but I went further west than I should have. I was scrambling over and between huge boulders when I spotted pieces of twisted and buckled metal. A little bit further and an engine came into view. I had stumbled across the wreckage of a DC-6B which, according to one internet source, had been flying from Palma de Majorca to Port Etienne when it crashed on 2nd October 1964. All eighty people on board died and some reports say that residents of Trevélez were later seen wearing leather coats and designer shoes, salvaged from the wreck. Another version is that it was an American military plane that had been searching for atomic bombs that had fallen on Palomares. Whichever version is correct, I felt sad to be close to where people had died in such tragic circumstances. I reached the ridgeline and the Puntal del Goterón at 11.00. From there, the path swings around onto the north face of Alcazaba and then, according to the map, it climbs steeply directly to the summit. I must have had cairn fixation because I missed the left turn and carried on along the Gran Vasar. When the north face of Mulhacén came into view, I knew I had gone too far but a steep gulley on the left looked promising and I scrambled up through the loose scree until I popped out at the top. A left turn and ten minutes later I was on the summit of Alcazaba (3,371m). I spent thirty minutes there, absorbing the views, snacking and re-hydrating. Forty minutes later I was sitting by one of the Siete Lagunas, enjoying the warm sunshine and the sound of the water in a nearby stream. This really is a place to lie back and relax. I left Laguna Hondera at 15.00 and took the well-trodden path up the south-east flank of Mulhacén to reach the summit (3,482m) at 16.20. A large group was just leaving the summit as I arrived and I had it to myself until a smaller group arrived half an hour later. Moist air rising up the north faces of the main peaks and the south-westerly breeze combined to form a spectacular wall of clouds. I looked around for a suitable bivouac spot and settled on the remains of one of the cartographers’ huts. Richard and Laura arrived at around 18.30 and we spent the evening chatting and photographic the ever-changing views around us before we witnessed a stunning sunset. As soon as the sun dropped below the horizon, the temperature fell to around five degrees and so we ate, drank and got into our sleeping bags.

DAY THREE Mulhacén to Refugio Cebollar (7 hours, 18.5km and 500m of ascent)

Just before 07.00, the eastern sky began to brighten, heralding the sunrise. We got up, packed our gear and sat and waited. And waited. And waited a bit longer as the sun pushed its way up through layers of cloud on the horizon until it finally appeared and brought us instant warmth. Richard and Laura left me to have my breakfast and they headed back down to Capileira. Richard had to get back to Lanjarón, pick up some friends and set off up to the Cebollar refuge where we would all meet up later in the day. I left the summit at 09.45 and set off down the west face, reaching the old road in less than half an hour. I stayed on the road, passed the Villavientos refuge and eventually reaching the Carihuela. I had never traversed the Tajos de la Virgen ridge and Spanish Highs had given me some pointers to help me find my way across it. I set off following the obvious cairns but I soon had to negotiate some airy situations. My large pack was becoming a hindrance, throwing me off balance in places where good balance was essential and I made the reluctant decision to abandon the ridge and spent the next hour scrambling down a rough gulley to reach the lower path and the Lagunillas de la Virgen. From there it was a steady plod up to the Elorrietta refuge for a short rest before setting off on the last leg of my trek. I have climbed Pico del Tajo de los Machos several times but never from the north and the approach provided good views to both the east and the west. I reached the summit (3,085m) at 14.45 and had a brief rest before I made the final descent to the Cebollar hut. The Spanish Highs team arrived shortly afterwards, bearing tins of cold beer, wine and an assortment of home-made goodies, all of which went down very well after a diet of pasta and snack foods. We sat and chatted, enjoyed the sunset and settled down for the night. Dawn brought low cloud and rain but a fifty minute walk out to the car saw us back in Lanjarón by mid-morning and we enjoyed a hot breakfast together before going our separate ways.

Reflections

This was a SUPERB trip. There is no doubt that it is tough and committing, especially the section to the north of Mulhacén and especially if it is done solo. I had crossed terrain that was new to me and that is always exciting. At times I had felt isolated and vulnerable but my over-riding feeling was of contentment; enjoying my surroundings and feeling part of the scenery, rather than just passing through it. And finally, no, I didn’t complete the Tajos de la Virgen ridge but it isn’t going anywhere. I’m already thinking of a winter traverse with a smaller pack. September 2013

The post Los Tres Miles – a Three Day Traverse Of Spain’s Sierra Nevada Mountain Range appeared first on Inspiring the Adventure, Sierra Nevada, Spain.

Day 1

The start is normally made from the Hoya de la Mora at 2500m on the northern slopes of Veleta. From the high car park here to the summit of Veleta is 900m of ascent. After Veleta (3394m) we drop down to the guarded Refugio Poqueira via the Col de Carihuela and Rio Seco valley.

Day 2

An ascent of Mulhacén (3482m), highest mountain in mainland Spain. Climb up via the Rio Mulhacén, Col de Ciervo and ridge to the summit. Return via south ridge and direct variant to the Refugio Poqueira (100m ascent).

Day 3

The toughest day! We traverse the eastern slopes of Mulhacén to Siete Lagunas. Here the ascent of Alcazaba (3371m) is achieved via a scree gully starting in the upper bowl of Siete lagunas. Steep but straightforward. After a 2 hour ascent we stand on our last summit. Now comes a gruelling 2000m descent to the waiting transport in Trevelez, the highest village in Spain.

Variations

Of course the weather does not always "play ball"! This summer after weeks of wall to wall sunshine and blue skies we had mist, cloud and rain for the first day on Veleta. We postponed the ascent and went direct to the refuge up the sheltered Poqueira gorge. This meant Day 2 was even harder. Over Mulhacén and hence onto Alcazaba, before a return to the refuge (1600m ascent). We completed "Los Tres Picos" on Day 3 by ascending Veleta and dropping down for a pick up at the Hoya de la Mora. A much tougher itinerary but sometimes necessary in case of bad weather.

The post Tres Picos Charity Challenges, Sierra Nevada appeared first on Inspiring the Adventure, Sierra Nevada, Spain.

Yes, the Sierra de Aracena Nature Reserve is only 30 min journey north west from Sevilla. It is an extensive forest of over an incredible 186.000 hectares, providing an outstanding walking and hiking area consisting of  leafy woods, forests and wide green pasture lands. It is an excellent example of Mediterranean vegetation. The region is a great place for hiking, there are more than 1.000 km paths linking tiny hilly white-washed villages. Undoubtedly, you will be immersed in the real typical Andalucian style of southern Spain, surrounded by the famous ibérico pigs, goats, donkeys, black vulture, black stork and griffon vulture. Discover this real Spain by walks along the Vias Verdes (green pathways on old rail and mule tracks), or on horseback riding. The spectacular waterfalls of the River Huéznar, now designated a natural monument, as the river passes through San Nicolas del Puerto  must be singled out as one of the biggest attractions in the area. The Cerro de Hierro, an impressive limestone massif of 10 square kilometres is rich in iron ore and rises to a height of 670 metres. One of the most imposing natural landmarks in the area and well worth the ascent. There are a number of routes available for day or even multi day hikes.  There typically cover villages such as Higuera de la Sierra, La Umbría, Zufre, Cañaveral de León or Arroyomolinos de León.  As well as enjoying the walking you will learn about the traditions based on the exploitation of the natural resources such as chestnut woods, the cork industry, olive oil and cured iberian hams. The area also has deep historical roots with the possible visit to the oldest rural mosque in Spain at Almonaster la Real. So take time off from the busy city of Sevilla, step back in time and enjoy! More information about the walking and hiking in the Sierra de Aracena Natural Park

The post Hiking opportunities near Sevilla appeared first on Inspiring the Adventure, Sierra Nevada, Spain.

Julia was the first female and second person ever to have climbed and snowboarded the three highest peaks in the Arctic Circle.  In May 2012 saw her team head out to Alaska to attempt the first snowboard ascent and descent of Mount Bear, one of the highest mountains in the US and deep in the Wrangell Mountains. Despite being plagued with bad weather and extremely low temperatures, they did it! In April 2013, she led an expedition attempting to become the first people to climb and snowboard down Klyutchevskoy Sopka, the largest active volcano in the Northern Hemisphere. Julia's arrival in the Sierra Nevada will stimulate much interest in this area in the sport of "split-boarding" a snowboarding derivative of ski touring. Anybody wishing to split board with Julia this winter should get their places reserved pretty quick as she is likely to be in demand! More details about split-boarding tours in the Sierra Nevada Taming The Bear trailer by 2XS Films Berghaus TV/Cinema Advert by Alastair Lee

The post Berghaus athlete Julia Pickering to join Spanish Highs guiding team appeared first on Inspiring the Adventure, Sierra Nevada, Spain.

Had a brilliant time completing Los Tres Miles. I got a little behind schedule on the first day due to a late start and the altitude making the uphill pull slow going. From Lanjaron I made it up to the Refugio Ventura before nightfall and the place was pretty wet, so I made a bivvy in a cave around the corner from the shelter. The next day was a near wash out and i was soaked through by lunchtime - Id hoped to get dry at the Refugio Caballo, but was disappointed to find that that was dripping wet inside too - I made it to Elorrieta by about 6pm, but was greeted by a dank and unwelcoming prospect. I decided to try and cover the ground over the Tajos de la Virgin before nightfall and make it to the hut below Veleta (this was marked as a bivvy hut on my map so was hopeful of a decent - and dry! - place to stay). Unfortunately the ground was too rocky, and progress painfully slow in the gathering gloom, so i made the decision to turn back rather than get stranded at night on the ridge....in hindsight a very sensible decision, albeit meaning that I had to spend the night fending off a pesky fox!!! I'd heard about their persistence and was visited 3 times in the night, each time shining my torch at him to scare him off. Fortunately he didn't get away with much; however the 4th visit was a little different. The first 3 times, he had entered the front of the mountain side of the building and came across my bag before me! but this time he came in through the tunnel structure that was at my back and I woke with a start to find foxy sniffing at my head. He immediately jumped over my sleeping position and as I sat up with a start the little bugger took a bite at my foot! I let out a rather girly yelp, and sat cursing the pesky interloper until he buggered off!!! ....thankfully he didn't return again :) The weather turned over night and the next 3 days were glorious....I had planned to exit the ski road at Veleta if the weather remained poor, but thankfully I was able to dry out my kit over the next couple of days and had a fabulous time trekking the ridge, enjoying the views and meeting a number of fellow trekkers along the route. I made up the time I had lost pretty quickly and reached Jerez Del Marquesado on schedule....having taking in the magnificent vista from the top of Mulhacen - the highlight of my trip!  

The post Wet weather and fox encounters on the ridges of the Sierra Nevada appeared first on Inspiring the Adventure, Sierra Nevada, Spain.

Back in May 2012 I walked the ridge from Cerro del Caballo to Tozal del Cartujo, crossed over to the Refugio Elorrieta for the night and then returned to the Ventura trailhead the next day via the Río Lanjarón valley. I had stood on the Tozal del Cartujo admiring its impressive ridge stretching away to the north-west. A few months later, I read an account by a group of Spanish mountaineers of their traverse of the ridge and I knew it just had to be done. Fast-forward to October this year and I saw that Spanish Highs were running their Scrambling Mega Tour in the Sierra Nevada which was to include the Cartujo ridge. It was an opportunity not to be missed and I joined up with them at the Refugio Carihuela at the end of their third day in the mountains. After an evening meal and a spectacular sunset, we settled down for the night. The next morning brought an equally spectacular sunrise, clear skies and no wind – perfect conditions for what we had in mind. We left the hut at just after 09.00 and took the steep path down to Las Lagunillas. The ground between the lakes and the base of Cartujo’s ridge is undulating and rough, being covered in part by glacial moraines which have to be crossed. I remember thinking that this would not be a good place to be in bad weather as there are no defining features and good navigational skills would be essential. We arrived at the north-west end of the ridge soon after 11.00. The first section is a straightforward uphill walk over broken ground and upon reaching the first rock step we donned our harnesses and helmets. Felipe, our guide, offered the rope but neither of us took it, preferring to pit our skills and nerve against what nature had to offer. For me it was the right decision and gave me the freedom of movement to fully enjoy the experience. Felipe led the way taking us across some superb airy sections on good rock. The various ‘technical’ sections are linked by broader, easier stages which provide brief opportunities for resting body and mind. After roughly an hour and a half, we reached the crux of the ascent – a 20m abseil onto a steep slab followed by an exposed traverse to the base of a chimney. Apparently, this section can be by-passed but we relished the prospect and Felipe assured us that a rather dodgy-looking rock was sound as he set up the belay around it. I clipped in and made the relatively easy abseil onto the slab below and then down the edge of the slab to a flatter area of rock before unclipping. To make room for the other two, I carefully traversed the slab along a large crack. There is no room for error here and it brought to mind the slabs on the A’Chir ridge or the Dubh’s slabs on the Cuillin for those that know them. With all three of us safely at the base of the chimney, Felipe tied in and led the way with me belaying him from below. The afternoon cloud had arrived, shrouding us in mist which gave an eerie dimension to the rest of the ascent. I am no rock climber but I managed to ‘muscle’ my way up the chimney by jamming my back against one side and my feet against the other. Apart from the abseil, this was the only section of the route where we roped up. We emerged from the chimney onto another bouldery scramble after which the going eases as it reaches the broadening ridge to the summit. The actual summit, the tozal, is just that, large rocks piled on top of each other and is marked by a piece of rock inscribed with its height, 3,151m. We took a short break to pack away our gear and admire the changing view down the Río Lanjarón valley with Cerro del Caballo and Tajos Altos drifting in and out of cloud. Leaving the summit, we returned to Las Lagunillas where we had stashed the gear that we didn't need for the ascent. From there it was an hour’s gentle walk across the bare ski pistes to the Hoya de la Mora where I had left the car. Another hour and we were back in Lanjarón enjoying cold beers and tapas at the end of a full and very enjoyable day. Ian Tupman October 2013

The post An ascent of Tozal del Cartujo via the north-west ridge appeared first on Inspiring the Adventure, Sierra Nevada, Spain.

In August 2011 we followed a call via Facebook  to come to the Refugio Caballo at 3000m in the Sierra Nevada. The aim was to clean the refuge and repair the door and window. There were three of us. We met the mules at the Ventura trailhead at first light. Loaded down with a few bags of cement, an old chestnut wood window and various tools we made the ascent to the refuge. The work was done and this formed the seeds for the initiative "Acción Sierra Nevada." Since then THe Acción Sierra Nevada project has grown. It still needs the support of the mountaineering community. If nothing else please spread the word and help to maintain and restore our mountain refuge heritages. Website accionsierranevada.org Also read

• An initiative to restore, clean and repair the Refugio de Caballo
• Mountain spirit alive and kicking with the Accion Sierra Nevada initiative
• Accion Sierra Nevada – your chance to give something back to the mountains!

Below is a video from that initial day taken by our friends at Lokofilms

The post The origins of the Refugio Caballo Restoration Project appeared first on Inspiring the Adventure, Sierra Nevada, Spain.

A multi day trek over the high Sierra Nevada from Lanjarón to Trevélez taking in the main peaks and some surprisingly interesting diversions en route. The trek started as normal from the south near the Ventura trailhead above the spa town of Lanjarón in the Alpujarras (4WD required). First night was camp was by the superbly situated Refugio de Caballo alongside the laguna of the same name. A spectacular sunrise was followed by a short ascent to the summit of the Cerro de Caballo (3009m), the Sierra Nevada's most southerly 3000m peak. Then, on the ridge and over Tajos Altos and the Tozal del Cartujo before arriving at the Refugio Elorrieta. This is a superb situation. Instead of following the normal route dropping down to Lagunillas de la Virgen and then rising up to the Refugio Carihuela why not try the high route via the Tajos de la Virgen ridge? Some simple scrambling is required (Grade 1) with the first impasse by passed on the right and the second on the left. This gives a much more pleasant route, less re-ascent and superlative views. The night was spent at the refugio at the Collado de Carihuela. A great place for seeing the sunset and sunrise. Following morning, remembering that the highest is not necessarily the best our group then ignored the peak of Veleta (3394m) and traversed NE via the spectacular "Paso de los Guias" to climb Cerro de los Machos. This is one of the best vantage points for mountain vistas in the whole of the Sierra Nevada. Then it was down to the old road on on past the Crestones and Raspones to traverse over Loma Pelada to the Refugio de la Caldera. With bad weather forecast for the afternoon the group decided to stay there. As an afternoon "excursion" they traversed onto the north face of Mulhacén via the "Gran Vasar", enjoying the dramatic situations. Next morning after traversing over the highest peak in mainland Spain,  Mulhacén (3482m) they pitched camp by Laguna Hondera at the delightfully located valley of Siete Lagunas. In the afternoon and with light packs they ascended Alcazaba (3371m) from the head of the valley via a short scree gully. Back to camp at Siete Lagunas and an early night before the following days short trek back to a pickup at the high Alpujarras village of Trevélez. We run these high level treks between April and December (inclusive) throughout the year. More details. The traverse of the Sierra Nevada is a superb trip to do. It offers great hiking, many beautiful sights and scenes, and a very special experience of the conditions and culture of the Sierra Nevada. The proposed 5 day trip can only be accomplished (by normal mortals) if previously acclimatised. Otherwise I'd plan 6 or maybe 7 days. Doing it from East to West (as per most propositions) might be more efficient as from West to East. Clearly I would recommend the traverse to anyone. I thoroughly enjoyed Javier as guide. He is knowledgeable and experienced in the Sierra Nevada, has a very pleasant and helpful disposition, and is cautious yet adventurous. He creates an atmosphere in which one wants to explore/hike. Javier knows what he knows and is confident, and he is open to new ideas and other experiences. That requires natural self-confidence, which he has. I would recommend Javier to anyone as a guide. The services and network of SpanishHighs are more than sufficient to have a great experience. I would recommend Spanish Highs without hesitation. Robert Kuhfus 5 Nov 2013 at 8:08am

The post Trek from Lanjarón to Trevélez over the roof of Spain appeared first on Inspiring the Adventure, Sierra Nevada, Spain.

It seems that the whole world is involved with Social Media Sites these days. A few of us Twitter users who regularly tweet about the Sierra Nevada mountains met for the first time yesterday in the Cumbres Verdes range just south east of the Andalucian city of Granada. The intention was to have a good walk in the mountains. What better hike could you have than to ascend the peak of Trevenque (2079m)? We met the others at Collado Sevilla. A representative from the National Park also arrived to show support for the project and also present us with some gifts. With a few cancellations and a very cold, icy day there were only 5 of us present. In good spirits we made the ascent up Trevenque using the normal route of ascent. Lots of good humoured banter, wit and repartee followed until the final steep loose slopes up to the summit shut us up! We had all been here many many times before but the isolated summit of Trevenque is truly a gem of the area. Possibly the best summit in the Sierra Nevada with stunning views in all directions. We quickly descended the steep and loose east face to join the forest road near the Collado de Chaquetas. Following the road NW we arrived at the Botanical Gardens at Cortijo Cortijuela, where the spanish contingent sat down and tucked into their " bocadillos de jamon" and full picnic lunch, whilst the lone foreigner (ie me) picked at a bit of fruit and nut mix. Sometimes we don't always do things right do we? An easy finish down the forest road, with temperatures dropping and late afternoon clouds gathering, brought us to the car park. A great day out with new friends who shared a common interest in the Sierra Nevada mountains. Can't wait for the next one! Related Links Join us on Twitter at @spanishhighs More information about the Cumbres Verdes Past Trip Reports from the Cumbres Verdes

The post Climbing Trevenque with the Sierra Nevada “Twitteros” appeared first on Inspiring the Adventure, Sierra Nevada, Spain.

In the Sierra Nevada mountains of southern Spain we can expect some bad weather in November. This is normally the month when the major snows fall. We had a three day crossing of the mountain range booked for four clients in the last week of the month. Up to then we had "endured" endless days of blue skies and sunshine. Sod's law then, that we started off, from the Hoya de la Mora on the northern slopes of Veleta above the Sierra Nevada ski area, just as the grey skies turned darker and the mists started to descend. Fortunately this area is well known to us, as we have been up here in bad weather many times since we arrived in the Sierras in 2002. The lay of the land becomes more familiar with every passing. We slowly ascended through the deserted ski pistes and onto the open slopes above. Now it became full-on white out conditions with a bitterly cold northerly wind biting and tugging at our clothing. No part of the face or hands could be exposed for long. As we neared the first goad of the high ski road near Los Posiciones on the northern shoulder of Veleta at 3100m, the altitude also begins to take a toll. And this is supposed to be "fun"! With conditions deteriorating we shuffled along the high ski road. Although being of simple gradient we had knee deep snow drifts to impede our progress. Waterproof jackets and pants began to turn white as the ice stuck to the fabrics. Rounding a corner we arrived at the Collado de Carihuela at nearly 3200m. A few metres above the col stands the Refugio de Carihuela, perched in a magnificent location astride the ridge. But of course, our views that day were just a sea of dark grey mist intermingled with the odd rock poking out from the accumulating snows. We ran into the relative peace and calm of the refuge. For the initial ten minutes we almost basked in the relative warmth and dryness of the refuge. Gradually though the all encompassing cold began to creep into our bones! We got the pans out and started to melt snow for water. Well that was the excuse. I suspect the real reason was to warm the iced up finger ends! Soon we had all cookers blasting out condensation into the air, which of course immediately froze back onto our clothing! My god it was cold! Temperatures overnight at Borreguiles (2500m) dropped to -14 degrees centigrade. Up at 3200m it may well have been -16. After a rushed evening meal at 8pm, we did the only sensible thing and got into our sleeping bags, fully clothed. Quick. Somebody pinch me. Surely this isn't southern Spain? I have to say that once in the sleeping bag my feet and hands slowly started to come back to life, but I spent a restless night listening to either the howling of the wind outside or the grunts and snores of my fellow compatriots. I woke prompt at 7am. I could still hear the wind. Were the mountains still under a blanket of grayness? I slowly opened the refuge door and was greeted by the views below. Wow! Everything suddenly became worthwhile. The world had changed from black and white to colour. I had travelled from Kansas to Oz!  

 More photos from that day

 

The post Life in the deep freeze appeared first on Inspiring the Adventure, Sierra Nevada, Spain.

Hi friends, Here is the final update of my planned solo hike in Patagonia! If you ever plan a similar adventure, then you might find valuable information and helpful suggestions in the plan below. So I recommend you to keep this information and reactivate it sometime. Also feel free to share this info with friends! You find the following: a) Interesting links with pictures and other relevant information from former expeditions (Snow blindness, Weather, Tactics…) b) Ideas for high-quality outdoor equipment (also GPS, Satellite and other technical stuff) c) Ideas for camera equipment (maybe mirror less cameras are the future…) d) Motivation for visiting Patagonia (also the half-circle around Cerro-Torre/Fitz-Roy is worth a visit!) Kind regards Frank

1. Essentials

a) Live Coverage:

There will be some live coverage on my Yellowbrick-homepage:                                                      http://my.yb.tl/FrankTschoepe There you should see my progress and also a short blog. My plan is to send at least 2-4 (irregular) position updates each day (waypoints) and one blog each evening (on Homepage and Facebook)!  Also, I may write each day to the predefined mail list, for example "Crevasse area! Please monitor!". Let me know if you want to be able to receive those mails and, in addition be able to write mails to me! I have to prearrange this before my journey in defining a Mail-List on my Yellowbrick-Account! (i) Method 1:  In case I approve your mail to my list of allowed contacts, then you will receive short mails (from a predefined list of 100 messages or even a spontaneous mail). In addition, you are enabled to contact me via the following address: FrankTschoepe@my.yb.tl   The maximum characters for each mail (sending and receiving) is 250, longer mails are truncated to 250 characters! IMPORTANT: In case you write a mail, please make sure to start with an empty mail (delete even signatures, disclaimers and also the mail you received) and then please try to keep it short! Also deactivate an auto-mail-reply, which usually has lots of characters! (ii) Method 2: I will connect my iPad to the Yellowbrick-Messenger by Bluetooth. With this I will send messages to the blog and to Facebook! Beside this, I am able to send messages to ALL mail-addresses (even those that are not on the predefined contact list above). But I will not use this feature so often and only if you are a VIP, as it is risky for the following reason: The maximum length of a mail is unlimited here, so there is the danger of receiving very long and expensive mails. In any case, please only send mails with a maximum of 250 characters (50 characters = 0,10EUR cost for me, which is a reasonable price)! IMPORTANT: In case you write a mail, please make sure to start with an empty mail (delete even signatures, disclaimers and also the mail you received) and then try to keep it short! Also deactivate an auto-mail-reply, which usually has lots of characters! Important: Distress-Alert I have a red emergency button on my satellite messenger! In case you get an alert-message from the sender alerts@my.yb.tl then only acknowledge this mail if you really organize help for me (e.g. the rescue-team, see details below). The first person acknowledging the distress alert will send a confirmation only to me, but not to any rescue service! If possible I will try to reconfirm my alert! A competent person to contact in a distress-alert is Richard Hartley  Please find out whether he already called the rescue team in El Chalten, before initiating a rescue yourself.

b) Planned Route:

This is more or less the route: http://www.altamontpatagonia.com/expe_icecap.html But before that, I will visit the viewpoints for Cerro Torre and Fitz Roy. These are two of my favorite places in the world! On my birthday (24.12.) I hope to see either Cerro Torre or Fitz Roy from one of the viewpoints! And here are some impressions from the route: http://forrestmccarthy.blogspot.ch/2013/12/cerro-fitzroy-circuit.html  (HIGHLY RECOMMENDED PAGE)

The steeper section on the Marconi glacier to the right of the icefall is the critical section for me, as I will have 45kg on my back :-)

c) Weather forecast:

(i) Cerro Gorra Blanca, VERY IMPORTANT http://www.yr.no/place/Chile/Magallanes_y_Ant%C3%A1rtica/Cerro_Gorra_Blanca/forecast.pdf http://www.yr.no/place/Chile/Magallanes_y_Ant%C3%A1rtica/Cerro_Gorra_Blanca/ http://www.meteoblue.com/en_US/weather/forecast/week/-491904-731648_cl_42301 It is summer, but conditions could be like in Antarctica! VERY ESSENTIAL: Richard will send me a weather forecast each day. It will look like this (250 characters is the maximum!): TMAX7, TMIN-4, W40, G47,S0, SAT TMAX9, TMIN-7m W65, G85, S5 SUN: TMAX7, TMIN-5, W37, G55, S8 OK tomorrow, SAT light snow pm then later high winds, SUN a MON same. clearing TUE pm Explanation of weather codes used: T Temperature in deg C W winds speed in km/hr G max gusts expected in km/hr S Precipitation as snow in mm (ii) El Calafate Please note that the weather on the Patagonian Icefield could be totally different from the weather in El Calafate! http://www.weather-forecast.com/locations/El-Calafate/forecasts/latest RECOMMENDED for a quick overview: http://www.weather-forecast.com/maps/Argentina  (nice animation for whole Argentina)

d) Emergency (e.g. distress-alert): VERY IMPORTANT

Please contact the following persons: Parque Nacional Los Glaciares Seccional Lago Viedma (9301) El Chaltén Provincia de Santa Cruz – República Argentina 54 (02962) 493-004 or Gendarmería Nacional Sección El Chaltén dependiente del Escuadrón 42 El Calafate
Teléfono: 54 (02962) 493140 If not reachable, then please ask Richard Hartley (richard@spanishhighs.co.uk), who speaks Spanish and knows other contact persons! He knows my route from his own expeditions! Just to motivate you: I don`t count on this, but I install it as another safety net, as there are many bank holidays and lots of people might be busy over Christmas/New Year:  In case you are sure that I need some help then please alert the above named persons! In case it leads to a successful rescue, then you get a prize with value of 500EUR (you can choose between Chilean red wine or other specialities from Chile/Argentina). But only one prize and only if I survive without severe injuries! And please let common sense rule and think forward-looking! For example: A suspect situation would be the following: At 10am local time I send the message "Attention! Crevasse area! Please watch closely!", the weather is fine the whole day, but there won't be any "follow-up"-message, that confirms passing the difficult area. Here the alarm bells should ring after 12-24 hours! :-)

e) Accident/Hospital insurance

Very important: In case of emergency, the following insurance company is responsible (via employer) and will pay for EVERYTHING (rescue, hospital etc.) For motivational reasons always tell the rescue team that they can charge the highest "Swiss"- rates! So time is not wasted and efforts will always be highly rewarded! The insurance company is very solvent and for them it is only a small case! AXA Winterthur Insurance Teufenerstr. 20 9001 St. Gallen Tel.: 0041-(0)71/221 2121 For the AXA it is of course a nightmare being responsible for persons like me. But they can be happy that I am rather an exceptional case! So their business will survive :-) Camera insurance: (not for every item, but overall 20.000 CHF will be refunded, if equipment for example gets lost in a crevasse, Sony camera is not insured, in case of robbery I´ll try everything to keep the Sony and of course to keep all memory cards!)

2. Interesting Links

a) Pictures from my last Patagonia trip 2005

A long time ago, I already hiked in the Patagonian mountains. I did the Torres del Paine Circuit pre-season in September, a half circle around Cerro Torre and a hike south of Ushaia. I met Antek from Poland (see below) on the Paine-Circuit! Here are some impressions: http://franktschoepe.magix.net/galery-1944743-6945928 (I only had a poor camera at that time! If you go there I also recommend Ushaia prison and Punta Arenas cemetery, and of course Chilean red wine) (If you want to see really great pictures then go for "Best 40 winter and summer pics of Iceland"...)

b) Background material from Spanish Heights 

(HIGHLY RECOMMENDED PAGE)

http://www.spanishhighs.co.uk/andes-expeditions.html

c) Beautiful pictures 

Google search: "Patagonia Pictures" and click on "Pictures" or "Bilder". Here you already get a great selection!

d) Impressive, professional mountaineering pictures (also from the Patagonian icefield)

http://www.markwestmanimages.com/Climbing-Photography-Database/Patagonia-Climbing/Patagonia-Climbing

(HIGHLY RECOMMENDED PAGE)   3. Plan

a) Route

I plan to start in El Chalten hiking ant-clockwise around Cerro Torre via Marconi Glacier and Paso del Viento (wind pass, quite clear why this is the name). I plan 10-12 days for the whole circuit. I will travel quite heavy, which makes the tour very demanding! I start with 3-4 easy days and will stay at the viewpoints for Cerro Torre and Fitz Roy. These are fantastic places in good weather and I plan to spend their my birthday on 24.12. (To decide! If weather forecast is excellent, I might start as fast as possible with the Marconi Glacier and go to the viewpoints afterwards) You will find this out by studying my progress and the daily blog on my homepage!

b) Thoughts on Tactics

OK, it is a very difficult hike, even for me! Solo, with 45kg backpack, without sledge,  several crevasse areas expected, the likelihood of having very poor weather and also minor problems with my Achilles heels. On the other hand: my equipment is one of the best ever and I am a very experienced hiker! I have the following thoughts: If I am lucky there will be footprints from other climbers or another group up to the Marconi pass! But I don't count on this! The access to the ice field will be the most difficult section for me as of hidden crevasses! In poor weather I will stay in my tent or even better in one of the shelters on the Patagonian ice field. With an advantageous weather forecast for 2-3 days I will try to go across the Patagonian ice field till Paso del Viento as fast as possible. With an even better weather forecast I will spend more time on the ice field. Once I reach the ice field it will be rather unlikely that I will return via Marconi Glacier, as this seems to be the most difficult part. So there would be no way of return, if I reached the Patagonian ice field. I will have food for about 10 days and could easily survive for 20 days, in case of emergency!

4. Equipment

If you look for really high-qualitative outdoor equipment, then you can regard the following list as high-quality, buying recommendations! Usually I go for the best equipment that is available on the market! And most of the equipment below is even tested in very extreme situations!

a) Basic, essential equipment: 

Bergans Powerframe 130l backpack 5kg (quite heavy, but very impressive size) http://www.nordiclifeuk.co.uk/products/accessories/145/554/accessories/P-bergans-powerframe-130-l-rucksack Helsport 2-person Fjellheimen Double tent (Hmm, not stormproof, but quite solid, I have to build thick snowwalls as wind protection), 2.5kg Dawn sleeping bag: Sea to Summit APIII (850g dawn) 1.7kg http://www.seatosummit.com.au/products/alpine-series/1017-2/ Mattress Exped Synmat 0.5kg

b) Technical Equipment

Yellowbrick Satellite Messenger (in combination with Ipad Mini) 0.4kg Suunto Ambit 2 Watch (with GPS, 21 waypoints of the planned route are already saved) Power Monkey Extreme Solar Gadget 0.7kg (for loading the Suunto watch and iPad Mini, important to have the extreme version) Ipad Mini 0.3kg Flashlight 0.2kg 2 paper maps Lots of adapters and batteries! Repair kits for backpack/snowshoes/tent!

c) Climbing/Hiking/Clothes

Carbon Shovel, lightest (0.25kg!) and unfortunately most expensive :-(   http://www.atkrace.it/eng/carbon-shovel.html Iceaxe Corsa Nanotech 50cm 0.25kg (very light, NEW!!!) Crampons Grivel Air Tech - New Classic + 2 long 190mm bars as reserve (NEW!!!) 1kg  http://www.transa.ch/de/produkte/hartwaren-hochalpin/air-tech---new-classic_064091-007001# Hiking poles 0.6kg Warm winter gear, Dawn vest, several gloves and winter caps Rain gear, Mammut Extreme Jacket, Rain trousers, Gaitors Lundhags High Synchro boots (my favorite brand and favorite model from Lundhags)  2kg http://www.lundhags.se/product-2/16326/syncro_high Expedition dawn gloves Rab III Size L (180EUR!) Sunglasses, Glacier googles, Winter googles (Alpine Challenge 2.0, only for mist, fog) 15m rope (3mm) (Why rope? In difficult situations I can put my backpack on the rope! Imagine I fall into a crevasse and I am not injured. How do I get rid of the backpack then? :-) ) Snowshoes MSR Denali 1.8kg (Final decision will be made right before the hike!)

d) Photography 

Frank: "in sum quite heavy :-(  But what shall I do?" All camera equipment below is highly recommended! I am a very happy owner of those bodies and lenses! Camera 1: Canon 5D MIII 1kg (excellent allround-camera) Lenses: 21mm 2.8 Zeiss 0.8kg, 24-70mm 2.8 Canon 0.8kg,  50mm Canon 1.4 0.25kg ("luxury", but it is lightweight), 70-200mm 2.8 Canon 1.5kg, 300mm 2.8 Canon (!!!) 2.8kg (most expensive item on journey: 6000EUR) 1.4 Teleconverter 0.2kg, 2.0 Teleconverter 0.3kg, 8 accus 0.65kg, 4x64GB CF-Card, GPS (also as backup to Suunto watch) (To decide: 100mm Zeiss 0.7kg Tend to say NO, as too heavy!) Camera 2: Sony A7R 0.5kg (fantastic, brand-new, lightweight full frame camera without mirror) Lens: 35mm 2.8 Zeiss 0.25kg Metabones-Adapter to use Canon lenses 0.3kg, 6 accus 0.4kg, 4x64GB SD-Card Comment: The main problem with this camera is the low accu runtime. With each accu only 300 pictures are possible. Otherwise a fantastic camera, that I can highly recommend! You only need patience to get all lenses… Gorillapod Focus with Joby Ball Head X 0.8kg (instead of tripod to save some weight)

e) Other equipment

Food for 10-12 days (1kg Müsli, 10 warm outdoor meals, Mousse au chocolat, chocolade bars!!!) "in sum very heavy :-( "   0.75kg per day --> 8-10kg?  Cooking gear, 2 bottles of gas 0.9kg First Aid Set (some painkillers, plaster, Hansaplast)

5. Views/Infos from other persons

a) Pablo Cottescu, Mountain Guide, Bariloche 

(Frank: "Some information, typical "wise" view I heard several times from the very risk-averse Swiss mountain guides! But for me those are "anti-heroes", even if they could be right in one of thousand cases") http://www.altamontpatagonia.com/ Hi Frank, sorry for the delay in answering. I have been a little busy lately. According to your Name and your nationality y guess we can continue our mail exchange in German. Also zu deinen Fragen: vom Gelände her gibt es eine Steilstufe (bis zu 30 Grad unterhalb ein paar Seracs) vor dem Paso Marconi wo man auch etwas auf Felsen laufen muss. Diese ist aber meistens nicht sehr schwer zu überwinden. Natürlich ist eigentlich das Wetter und die entsprechende Taktik das haupt Thema im Inlandeis. Auf jeden Fall ist es von Vorteil so leicht wie möglich zu laufen und ich kann mir nicht vorstellen wieso es ein so schweren Rucksack sein muss (45 Kg!). Schneeschuhe garantieren auf keinen Fall ein sicheres gehen auf einem Verschneitem Gletscher und es gibt selbstverständlich verschneite Spalten. Man läuft lange über das Nährbecken vom Glaciar Viedma und da gibt es immer Spalten. Mehr oder weniger sichtbar. Es gibt zwar einen freiwiligen Retungsdienst aber meistens ist es für so einen Fall zu spät. Für ein Spalltensturz auf jeden Fall. Bis die Rettung an Ort gelangt vergeht meistens ein Tag. (comment Frank: "I will survive longer than 24h!!! So please don´t give up too early and keep on rescuing...") Es gibt kein Hubschrauber in El Chaltén und dies wäre mit dem Wetter auch keine Garantie. Ehrlich gesagt glaube ich kaum dass die Rettungswacht auf einen Rettungsruf von einem Spot Messenger losläuft weil jemand der Meinung ist er muss aleine im Inlandeis rumlaufen... In diesem Fall wäre ein Satelitentelefon besser aber auch keine Garantie. Man findet sicherlich genügend andere Intresenten in Chaltén mit denen man so eine Tour gemeinsam unternehmen kann. Natürlich gibt es auch Agenturen, wie auch unsere und andere die diese Tour als geführte Tour anbieten. Sollte dass aber nicht dein Wunsch sein dann rate ich auf jeden Fall dich mit jemandem zusammen zu tun um diese Tour zu unternehmen. Viele Grüsse aus Bariloche Pablo Cottescu

b) Bernd Looft, Abenteurer, Hamburg

 (Frank: "helpful, Bernd is a Hardcore-Trekker, hiking with 45kg in very difficult terrain. He hiked an even more difficult route on the Patagonian Icefield solo in 1996 (notably without any Satellite messenger and without GPS!!!). http://www.spectacular-treks.magix.net/alle-alben  HIGHLY RECOMMENDED PAGE Moin Frank, Meine Tour habe ich Anfang Februar 1996 gemacht. Beim Marconi Gletscher Aufstieg ging´s auf halber Höhe durch eine Spaltenzone, musste hier im Zickzack um die Spalten rumwandern. 3h30 für den Aufstieg zum Pass, hab dort oben beim Pass zwei Nächte im Sturm gecampt. Vom Marconi Pass bin ich mittig über den Gletscher und nicht am Rand entlang. Bin auf einer ziemlich direkten Route auf den Nunatak Viedma zugewandert. Den ersten halben Tag ab Marconi Pass war es flach und spaltenfrei durch Schnee. Später am Nachmittag war das Gelände mit dünnen Spalten durchzogen über die man noch leicht wandern konnte. Einige Kilometer weiter wurde das Gelände zerfurchter und schwieriger, eine gefährliche Spaltenzone mit tiefen und breiten Spalten über die man nicht mehr springen konnte. Musste große Umwege im Zickzack um die Spalten machen, kam langsam voran. Dann wurde es wieder einfacher auf zerfurchter Eisfläche über den Hauptgletscherstrom des Viedma Glaciers. Zwei bis drei Kilometer vor dem Nunatak Viedma wurde das Gelände derart zerklüftet mit spitzen steilen Eishügeln und tiefen breiten Spalten überall. Ein Weiterkommen schien hier nicht mehr möglich, hatte mich total festgelaufen, musste wieder umkehren und versuchen im großen Bogen darumlaufen. Dauerte ne ganze Weile bis ich da wieder rausgefunden habe. Es muss natürlich auch bedacht werden daß sich Gletscher ständig ändern und daß die Spaltenverhältnisse heute anders sind als 1996.
Ja ich bin sicher, nicht überall aber ich bin schon durch einige üble Spaltenzonen gekommen. Das siehst du ja auch auf meinen Fotos. http://www.spectacular-treks.magix.net/alle-alben/!/oa/3217439/ (HIGHLY RECOMMENDED PAGE) Ich war auch im Februar dort, bin übers Inlandeis. Wie nah ich am Cerro Torre war siehst du ja auf den Bildern. Aber wenn du über den Paso del Viento gehts, das ist ja eine andere Route wie meine. Da musst du aber verdammt vorsichtig sein wegen den Spalten. Ich bin da ja auch mal rumgewandert (via Rio Electrico und Paso Marconi) dann aber nicht über den Paso del Viento sondern noch weitergewandert und über den Upsala Glaciar zum Lago Argentio runtergestiegen. War ne Hammertour:-)

c) Richard Hartley, Mountain Guide, Sierra Nevada, Spain

 (Frank: "extremely helpful information", Richard supported me also with maps, GPS-coordinates and other advise, will send me the weather forecast 2 times a day!!! A million thanks for this!)                            http://www.spanishhighs.co.uk/    (HIGHLY RECOMMENDED PAGE) Hi Frank Thanks for your enquiry. Yes, of course we are willing to help and give you as much information as you wish. Some points to help you

• Entry onto lower Marconi glacier from Laguna Marconi changes year to year. We have always found the entry to be ok and easy to avoid crevasses
• Take care when going through the Serac fall when climbing up the steep section of the glacier. How dangerous this is will depend on how much old snow overlays the crevasses. If they are well open it will be ok. Keep to the track, which should be well defined by others.
• After the steep section there are some small crevasses leading up to Paso Marconi, keep to the center of the pass and don't be tempted to cut off the corner too close to the Cerro Marconi Norte.
• Not much danger on the icecap itself. Flat and even. I never felt there was much danger here (apart from normal winds, bad weather etc!)
• Heading south past Cirque de los Altares look out for a slight change of slope which signifies the start of the exit to Laguna de Esquis. Keep to the left here as there are some very big crevasses in the center of the icefield. Not an easy exit in mist!
• I would take ski glasses and also goggles for bad weather
• A shovel is essential!
• I would personally take a lightweight ice axe for use in the difficult crevassed areas in case I fell in. Otherwise how else am I going to get out?
• If you can practice putting up your tent solo in winds. Not an easy thing to do in high winds on your own. Your tent is your lifeline. You cannot lose it!
• Satellite communications - in my opinion you need this. Essential. Not only to help in case of emergency but also to receive weather updates. If you are sat in a safe position at La Playita waiting for the weather to clear you cannot go up to Paso Marconi in high winds. it is too difficult! You need to be sure that you have a at least a couple of days good weather to get established on the icecap itself. We had a text message twice a day sending us the next 5 days weather. Very useful

Links from our own tours there http://www.spanishhighs.co.uk/patagonia-icefield-expedition.php    (HIGHLY RECOMMENDED PAGES) 2011 video http://www.spanishhighs.co.uk/reports/2011/12/video-from-our-patagonian-icecap-expedition-2011/ Snow wall construction http://www.spanishhighs.co.uk/reports/2011/10/best-snow-wall-construction-eliminate-drifting-leeward-side/ Snowblindness http://www.spanishhighs.co.uk/reports/2011/11/debilitating-effects-of-snowblindness-personal-experience/ 2010 trip report http://www.spanishhighs.co.uk/reports/2010/12/surviving-patagonia-2010/ and http://www.spanishhighs.co.uk/reports/2010/12/the-climax-is-the-coming-back-from-a-dangerous-place/ 2006 trip report http://www.spanishhighs.co.uk/reports/2009/04/patagonia-icefield-expedition-diary/ If you want us to help send you updated weather reports during your trip we would be glad to assist. We have the weather for Paso Marconi and can let you know whats coming in. I hope it goes ok and you have a great experience. I'm sure you will. We have been 3 times. Once we got our asses kicked and once we had amazing views and light winds on the icecap. You never know what you will get, which is one of the reasons we love it! Regards Richard Hi Frank We had a Spot Messenger in 2010. Didn't work very well in Patagonia! It's in a grey area of the map. Most of the time we had no signal. Last time we used a Yellowbrick Tracker. This uses the Iridium worldwide GPS system. Works fantastic (also in Kamchatka where we went in April). See http://www.spanishhighs.co.uk/reports/2011/12/report-on-yellowbrick-tracking-system-testing-on-southern-patagonian-icecap/ Also you will need a system to receive weather information! Crevasses - most of the time it is obvious. There should be a trail across the ice and up the serac fall. Having said that I did fall into 2 or 3 small crevasses and got stuck in the top by my backpack. This was our own fault as we had left the standard route to make what we thought was an easier looking way. Moral of the story - stay to tracks where others have gone before. Did I feel unsafe? No because we were roped up. Solo? Not sure. You will just have to take great care. If it was me I would maybe follow behind another party up through the serac fall area. The icecap i would be ok solo. Our packs were 25kg each but we did have 2 persons sharing. Over 30kg very difficult. Especially as the route on and off of the glacier is not that easy either. Loose rocks and moraine Yes the ascent to Marconi pass is the hardest part of the route. I have some maps I produced on A4 size which I laminated and used on the icecap. Do you want copies sending to you? Via Dropbox? WE TOOK SNOWSHOES EACH TIME. ONE YEAR WE TOOK A SLEDGE BUT THIS WAS VERY AWKWARD. IT ACTED AS A WINDSAIL AND MADE GOING UPHILL DIFFICULT. WE LEFT IT ON THE ICECAP! Richard

d) Antek, Poland

Mountain and kayaking guide (very helpful advice, I met him in September 2005 on the Torres del Paine circuit, I would even partner with him on the ice field, as he is even more experienced than me in climbing and hiking) On Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QBNm62_cgsI  (RECOMMENDED VIDEO) Hi Frank! well, it is quite technical route. the glacier marconi is changing all the time. There is a rocky part you have to climb. A bit complicated. Then there are many crevases in marconi pass and ice field. I would recomend you to go there with someone tied with rope. you should leave ice field in glacier viedma. paso del viento or paso huemul. I have been there around 10 times. I know this place very well. glacier marconi shrinked and there is a rocky part you have to climb. Later I will send you more info as i have a job to do now. Find partner and you reduce risk to minimum. I am not saying it is not possible. just it is risky. There are a lot of crevasses. Every year conditions are worst... 

I saw puma once! :-) Yes i am living in patagonia since we met...I am guiding am people - kayaking, climbing and ice field travers. Thats why i know this place and conditions! Clockwise or Counterclockwise? From marconi to paso del viento. Classic route. Iceaxe and crampons? Iceaxe it is not necesery. crampons yes. If you go in december maybe you need snowshoes. get info about snow conditions on ice field in chalten in guardaparque when you arrive. Just take poles and pray... Shovel and saw better to build protection, but in Altares you will find stones to build wall and in Marconi you can stay in shelter Soto. Something with 800g of down is enough to sleep well and warm. You can use ski glasses if you fell more comfortable but it is not necessary. There where some accidents, mostly with stormy days and hypothermia. Crevases are dangerous for single person. Just you need to be very careful in paso Marconi area. There are a lot of crevasses. There is no rescue team in chalten. If something happened, usually climbers go to help. The best option if you give guardaparque address as a contact in emergency case. With weather there is lottery!! You can have fantastic 10 days or fucking scary stormy days!

e) Volker, Germany

 (he hiked the tour in Nov 2013 and gave me valuable information and also most recent pictures of the most difficult section of the Marconi glacier) Hallo Frank, die Spaltensituation war bei mir noch gut (d h. alles fest mit Schnee verschlossen). Das kann aber Ende Dec schon anders sein. Du solltest daher vor Ort aktuelle Infos einholen.
Warum 45kg? Wie erfahren bist Du mit so einem Gewicht in Klasse 3 (Scrambling) Terrain? Nur fuer die Fitz Roy Runde reichen 20-25kg locker. Den Rest evtl. im Hostel deponieren? Steigeisen wuerde ich mitnehmen, da Ende Dec der Aufstieg vielleicht hartes Eis beinhaltet. Dann vor Ort fragen und Eisen ggf im Hostel lassen. Wir waren jedenfalls alle mit Steigeisen unterwegs und froh darueber. Hindernisse: Spaltenrisiko beim Aufstieg zur Gorra Blanca Huette/Marconi Pass sowie beim Verlassen des Eises. Ende Dec vielleicht auch auf dem Eis. Scrambling Klasse 3. Beim Aufstieg zum Marconi rechts halten, da links staendig Seracs herabfallen. Route nicht ganz leicht beim Verlassen des Eises/in den Moraenen zu finden. Extrem starker Wind (120km/h) kann steile Passagen (Marconi Pass, Huemul Pass, evt Wind Pass) zu gefaehrlich machen - dann muss man abwarten.
Schwierigkeit: mehr als normales Trekking, aber weniger als eine richtig harte Expedition.

Ich wuerde das nur solo machen, wenn Du die Erfahrung eines Mountainguides bzw die von Bernd hast oder einer Spur/Gruppe folgen kannst.
VG
Volker Im Prinzip ist rechts halten richtig (wenn sich der Gletscher bzw. die Eisfallsituation nicht bis Ende Dec. ändert). Leider zeigt das Foto den Weg nicht so gut. Ja. Man steigt teilweise über den Fels und verlässt das Schnee-/Eisfeld.
Die Beschreibung von Forrest McCarthy in seinem Blog hast Du sicher gelesen. Hier siehst Du die Route etwas besser: http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-r7O9i3I4uLI/Up9AO2VD3nI/AAAAAAAAD3g/tugHEbjDhNY/s1600/DSCN3111.jpg (HIGHLY RECOMMENDED PAGE) Schnee gab es auf dem Eis mehr als genug. Einmal auch 10-15cm Neuschnee nach Verlassen des Eises. Der taute aber relativ schnell wieder. Habe meine Tour ab dem 27.11 gemacht.

6. Frank´s Travel plan 2014 (last update 1.12.2013)

1.)   21.12.2014 bis 12.1 Patagonien (already booked flight, 1 night in hotel Cumbres Nevadas) 2.)   22.2.2014-16.3.2014 Costa Rica (already booked flight) (Ideas: Hike Cerro Chirripó (3820m), Hike "Coast to Coast", National Park Rincon de La Vieja and another different area…) For this easier tour in Costa Rica I have this active partner ad: Wanted: attractive female 25-35y, sportive with some Spanish knowledge) Interested? Then contact Frank and we find out, whether we fit together! 3.)  12.4-27.4 (Kingdom Mustang/Nepal  Multi-Day-Ultra-Run) http://mustangtrailrace.com/ (relatively easy) 4.)  29.5-1.6  Stockholm-Marathon (Goal: Sub 3h, as always) http://www.marathon.se/ (easy, but difficult to finish below 3h) 5.)  12.7-27.7 Norway/Hardangervidda 155km Ultra-Run: http://www.xreid.com/  (HIGHEST Difficulty) Alternative 5b.)  11.7-20.7.2014 (Iceland, Laugavegur-Run and Hike afterwards) http://marathon.is/ultramarathon (average difficulty, in case I am not fit enough for Norway) 6.) 01.09-21.09.2014 (Bolivia/Peru: Around Alpamayo (5947m), Inka-Trail, Uyuni Salt Lake) 7.) 08.11-23.11 Nepal Manaslu-Multi-Day-Ultra-Run http://manaslutrailrace.org/ (difficult run, as of high altitude) Alternative 7b.)  18.10-31.10.2014 (La Reunion) Alternative to Nepal, if I am in great physical shape! Decision in July! http://www.grandraid-reunion.com/?lang=en (HIGHEST Difficulty)

7. Appendix: Predefined messages for Yellowbrick Satellite Messenger

$xx:xx:xx Preset message file$

<0 Dont send messages, PLEASE! Few credits left!><><> <1 Mistake! Please ignore my last message! Wrong content><><> <2 Yes><><> <3 No><><> <4 OK><><> <5 All fine!><><> <6 Please confirm><><> <7 No problem><><> <8 Reached refuge or shelter><><> <9 Reached summit/pass><><> <10 Will set up camp here! ><><> <11 Richard! Send Weather, please!><><> <12 Plan to go tomorrow. Hope the weather is O.K.?><><> <13 Please confirm, if rescue team is informed!><><> <14 I am staying and waiting here!><><> <15 Crevasse area! Please watch closely!><><> <16 Passed Crevasse area! Puuh! :-)><><> <17 Obstacle coming! Please monitor closely!><><> <18 River crossing. Please watch!><><> <19 River crossed! All fine!><><> <20 I will camp here! Building snow wall!><><> <21 I met a group of climbers/hikers! ><><> <22 Back Problems! But I will continue><><> <23 Feet Problems! But I will continue><><> <24 Very difficult, steep climbing section! Please watch!><><> <25 Made it over this difficult section! Should be easier now!><><> <26 Send stories! Entertainment! Need motivation! 250 Characters!><><> <27 Very good ice/snow conditions currently><><> <28 Difficult ice/snow condition here. Not much progress><><> <29 Back in civilization. All is fine!><><> <30 Injured Feet! SOS.Emergency Alert.><><> <31 Illness! SOS.Emergency Alert.><><> <32 SOS.Emergency Alert.><><> <33 Lost Backpack! SOS.Emergency Alert.><><> <34 Fall into Crevasse! SOS.Emergency Alert.><><> <35 SOS Helicopter needed!><><> <36 Numb feet! Frostbite? SOS Emergency Alert.><><> <37 Help needed immediately!SOS Emergency Alert!><><> <37 Broken leg! SOS Emergency Alert!><><> <39 Fall into Crevasse! Managed to get out! :-)><><> <40 Fantastic, superb scenery! I am very impressed!><><> <41 Very poor weather! Extreme Wind from the front!><><> <42 Very poor weather! Fog! Whiteout><><> <43 Very poor weather! Much Snow!><><> <44 Excellent weather! Very sunny! Aweseome! Nice pictures><><> <45 Food for 3 days left><><> <46 Food for 5 days left ><><> <47 No food left. But I am still OK><><> <48 Feeling great :-)><><> <49 Feeling still good :-)><><> <50 Feeling very miserable and exhausted :-(><><> <51 Very Hungry! Pizza Service? Beer? Red wine? I pay 100EUR! :-)><><> <52 Thanks! Rescue team is informed!><><> <53 Thanks! It has worked!><><> <54 Million Thanks!><><> <55 Greetings from the Patagonian Icefield!><><> <56 Merry Christmas from a very remote place!!! :-)><><> <57 Happy New Year! All the best to you! No fireworks here! ><><> <58 Strong wind and snow in my face! ><><> <59 I am struggling! Have some problems. ><><> <60 I need some motivation!><><> <61 I stay another night in shelter. Better weather needed.. ><><> <62 I stay another night in tent. Better weather needed ><><> <63 Fantastic day for photography! Superb views! I love this ><><> <64 Beautiful clouds! Beautiful mountains><><> <65 View to Cerro Torre and Fitz Roy! :-)><><> <66 WOW! View to Cerro Torre! I love this mountain!><><> <67 Cerro Torre erroT orreC CerroT orre Cerro Torre><><> <68 I feel quite save in this area!><><> <69 I don't feel so safe in this area!><><> <70 There could be hidden crevasses here!><><> <71 Many thanks! :-) :-) :-) :-) :-)><><> <72 WOW :-) Cerro Torre free of clouds :-) WOW ><><> <73 WOW :-) Fitz Roy free of clouds :-) WOW  ><><> <74 Only 50 characters please! ><><> <75 10cm snow here! ><><> <76 20cm snow here!><><> <77 30cm snow here!><><> <78 50cm snow here! Quite exhausting ><><> <79 I decided to return from here! ><><> <80 Very nice scenery here! Had a photo stop! ><><> <81 No people around! Very lonely here! ><><> <82 I feel tired! Not much progress!><><> <83 Heavy wind from the front! Tough day! ><><> <84 I am freezing! Wind and Snow! ><><> <85 It is very foggy. Problems to see contours ><><> <86 I feel exhausted! Heavy backpack><><> <87 Area does not look safe! Change direction! ><><> <88 Shelter! I am having a break! ><><> <89 Endless view! Icefield is impressive! Like Antarctica!><><> <90 Feeling like in Antarctica!><><> <91 Progress is extremely slow ><><> <92 Progress is quite slow! ><><> <93 Achilles heel is making problems!><><> <94 Weather is better than expected. Quite nice!><><> <95 Need protection! Very windy here!><><> <96 Greetings from superb Patagonian Icefield ><><> <97 Change plan! Will try different route from here! ><><> <98 Please watch me carefully. Difficult section><><> <99 All O.K. Passed the difficult section!><><>

The post Spanish Highs supporting solo Patagonia Icefield trek appeared first on Inspiring the Adventure, Sierra Nevada, Spain.

After fresh snows the Snowshoeing in the Alpujarras region of Andalucia is a superb experience. With the first major snows of the year falling over Christmas it gave Ian Tupman chance to get his snowshoes out of the cupboard and enjoy the delights of a section of the GR240 Sulayr long distance path above Capileira. Easy access in four wheel drive vehicle to the Hoya del Portillo, above the Alpujarras village of Capileira. The car can be parked here at the ample car park. The main forest track can then be followed eastwards until a sign points rightwards to the Loma de Jabali. This is all wonderful easy strolling in snowshoes, suitable for beginners and experts alike. A return can be made the same way or diversions into the forest offer more difficult and interesting terrain. One alternative we use is to follow the forest track up to the Puerto de Molino which gives a superb view to the main Sierra Nevada mountain peaks. To return to the Hoya del Portillo the following options are suggested

• In deep snow and for more advanced snowshoers a direct return dropping steeply down through the tangled maze of trees of the forest. Prior knowledge of the terrain and location is preferable but the road will have to be met at some point and a return made from there.
• Come down the firebreak alongside the western side of the forest edge. Just before the final steepening, marked by some large rocks to the west of the firebreak trend westwards and down to pass through the forest and arrive back at the Hoya del Portillo.

Enjoy! Thanks to Ian Tupman for the following short video Related links Snowshoeing in the Alpujarras The Sulayr GR240 long distance path Snowshoe hire in the Alpujarras

The post Snowshoeing along the Sulayr GR240 Long Distance Path appeared first on Inspiring the Adventure, Sierra Nevada, Spain.

Report and video of climbing the Canuto Norte de Veleta, one of the classic mountaineering routes (AD) in the Sierra Nevada. Grade - Winter – AD (50º) (AD- in good conditions with footsteps to follow!)

Approach

Access for the next few routes all leave the Hoya de la Mora and ascend the broad NNW slopes of Veleta. Pass either side of the statue, "Virgen de las Nieves" and L of the chairlift station "Telesilla de la Virgin". There are always plenty of trails and even the edges of the "Aguila" ski piste can be used to easily ascend to the 3100m northern shoulder of Veleta named "Posiciones del Veleta" (1.5-2hrs). It is frequently very windy and icy hereabouts with huge cornices eastwards into the Corral del Veleta. Descent from here back to the Hoya de la Mora in bad weather is easy. Just follow the outer edge of the ski pistes and reverse the route of ascent.

Access to Corral del Veleta

Many routes start from the deep valley of the Corral which lies beneath the impressive N face of Veleta. In early or late season you can crampon down the slanting rake known as the Veredon Superior del Veleta. Care is required as the walls are almost vertical beneath. If there are large cornices then access to the Veredon will have to be made via abseil. There is an abseil point installed further up the ridge crest and some 30m height above the ski road. An orange sign on a rock marks the place. 2 - 50m ropes will be sufficient. Keep crampons on for when you join the Veredon.

The Climb

Climb leftwards missing the initial rocks in the bottom half of the couloir. Attain the couloir and climb straight up. Steep but it has been frequently skied (by experts only!). This can be a very popular route so an early start is recommended.

Finish

Best finish is to traverse south from the col, then climb directly up to the summit of Veleta (3394m). The route is called "Fidel Fierro" and is again at AD (rock VD) standard. The way is well way-marked by crampon scratches. Enjoy! Thanks to Ian Tupman for the video

The post Climbing the Canuto Norte del Veleta, Sierra Nevada appeared first on Inspiring the Adventure, Sierra Nevada, Spain.

Camping out in the mountains does not have to always be reserved for those long summer days. With careful planning and foresight great experiences are to be had during the winter months. We recently had a client who wanted to try out camping in the snow clad mountains of the Sierra Nevada. N.B Remember that certain rules apply to camping in the Sierra Nevada National Park (see foot of article) Setting off from the spa town of Lanjarón in the Alpujarras we headed in 4wd vehicles for the forests around Puente Palo. Fresh snow lined the upper roads and soon after starting our walk in we had to put on snowshoes to aid progress. As we steadily gained height through the forest the tree branches became heavy with fresh powder snow. An amazing sight.  Signs of wild boar and fox but ours were the only human tracks. A glace around could convince anybody this was Alaska and not southern Spain! The weather was steadily worsening. We had known this was going to be the case and had been part of our initial risk assessment for the trip. In fact we were relying on bad weather coming in. Our client was looking for tips about winter camping. To gain knowledge about the difficulties involved. Why do it then in fine, dry and stable conditions? For those of you who are no doubt thinking that taking people into a winter blizzard is irresponsible let me ask you a question? Where does experience come from? From books? From a cosseted training course? As planned, we set up camp at the very upper limit of the pine forests. The last row of trees provided a barrier to the ever increasing gusts and we dug into the banks of snow in the lee of these trees. By flattening out a platform in the snow bank we had automatically created a snow wall augmenting the natural wind barrier above us. It was late afternoon and snowing heavily so we retired to the tents to prepare hot drinks and evening meals. We talked about the design and effectiveness of various types of snow wall design, drawing from our own experiences in Patagonia and Kamchatka. The snow and wind kept up it's intensity throughout the night, the tents rattling like machine guns. To be fair, two of us hardly slept. Maybe because we had brought along our husky and border collie dogs for company (and warmth)? The client slept like a baby! At 3 in the morning the snow turned to rain . Then temperatures dropped and all was quiet. We woke to a cold still morning. From the door of my tent I watched the sun slowly arrive over the eastern Sierra Nevada. Rays of light bathed the tents. Africa lay on the southern horizon. What a beautiful morning to be in the high mountains. Crampons were required due to the overnight freeze. The winds picked up and we knew bad weather was again coming in by lunchtime. We hastily packed our gear and headed down through the snowy forests with the strong gusts at our backs. An adventure in itself. By lunchtime we were back in Lanjarón sat outside a bar in the sun having a well earned late breakfast. The temperature was 22C. And that I guess is the magic of the place. The contrast with the icy wastes above. Some tips for winter camping in the Sierra Nevada

• Plan, plan and plan. Do your homework beforehand. Check routes, camp locations & escape possibilities. Full risk assessment
• Weather - essential to have a good all round idea from numerous trusted sources
• Snow conditions - make sure you have good awareness of avalanche risk assessment
• Don't over extend the group. Keep well within both physical and mental capabilities
• Make sure all gear is checked before departure
• Read and apply the "National Park Rules for Camping in the Sierra Nevada" - summarised below
• Choose your pitch carefully. Think about wind direction: not only when you arrive, but is it going to change overnight?
• A cheap and lightweight method of guying-out is to fill carrier bags with snow. Securely tie the guy lines to the handles and then bury the bags in the snow. Your trekking poles will not be needed while you are camping so they can be used for guying-out. Slip the guy line over the pole to its middle, cut an angled, deep slot in the snow at 90 degrees to the guy line, bury the pole in the snow and stamp snow down on it.
• Be methodical. Keep your kit dry and packed away if not needed. This will save time if it becomes necessary to bail out during the night and seek a more sheltered location.
• If, like mine, your tent doesn’t shed snow, make sure you regularly push it off from the inside to prevent a build-up of weight
• Take a bivi bag. Your tent may well be waterproof but in full winter conditions it’s likely that some moisture will get in. Whether it be condensation or penetrating snow/rain, a bivi bag will protect your down sleeping bag and keep you nice and toastie!
• Take a pee-bottle. There’s nothing worse than having to put all your gear back on and go out into a blizzard for a pee.

National Park Rules for Camping in the Sierra Nevada Camping is allowed in the National Park but there are rules and restrictions. The following apply to small groups of 3 or less tents (max 15 persons). Larger groups apply to National Park (see below)

• You must notify the National Park office of your intention to camp by post, fax or e-mail (see below)
• You can only set up tent 1hr before sunset and taken down 1hr after sunrise
• You can only stay 1 night in the same place
• You can only camp above 1600m (in summer, above treeline due to fire risk - about 2200m)
• Not within 500m of guarded refugio or public vehicle track
• Not within 1km of tarmac road
• Not within 50m mountain lake or river
• Not on private property without written permission from owner

Sierra Nevada National Park Address: Ctra. Antigua de Sierra Nevada, Km 7, 18191 Pinos Genil Phone: +34 958 026300 Fax: +34 958 026310 Email: pn.snevada.cma@juntadeanda​lucia.es

The post A cold and blustery winter night out in the Sierra Nevada appeared first on Inspiring the Adventure, Sierra Nevada, Spain.

Not great news I’m afraid. We have some very dangerous mountain conditions above 2700m where there are extensive areas of hard ice on all slopes. Strangely, below 2700m, under thaw conditions then there are also some avalanche dangers.

We have been waiting for the warm sun to soften things up for some time now. A few days ago we were up on Cerro de Caballo and found that nothing has really changed in the past month. The main culprit seems to be the high temperatures, overnight freezing, lack of regular fresh snowfall and the almost constant strong winds at altitude scouring the slopes.

Why is this dangerous? On the face of it this should be a good thing for mountaineering shouldn’t it? The problem lies with the fact that there is just so much hard ice on the access to climbs that it will be difficult if not impossible to arrest any slip with an ice axe. If a strong gust of wind catches you off balance and you slip, to stop will be difficult. Indeed, there have been serious accidents occurring every week throughout winter 2014.

The accidents are not only happening to the inexperienced. Even experienced alpinists are getting caught out. These references from the past couple of weeks illustrate this.

ALPINISTS ON ALCAZABA

MOUNTAINEERS ON NORTH FACE MULHACEN

MOUNTAINEER EASY ROUTE MULHACEN

The local spanish forums also show that the majority of hardened local mountaineers are not venturing out into the high mountains at all. Neither for ski touring nor for mountain routes.

What does this mean for your spring visit to the Sierra Nevada? You will have to carefully access what is and what is not possible. Do not take risks or play russian roulette! Take into account the exceptional circumstances this winter and act accordingly.

There should still be plenty of things available, but sights will necessarily have to be lowered and you should be prepared to be as flexible as possible.

Ourselves? We shall be running

• Ski touring – Caballo, Cartujo, Veleta
• Ascents of Mulhacen
• Basic Alpine courses
• Scrambling
• Lower level trekking

 

The post Spring Mountain Conditions for the Sierra Nevada 2014 appeared first on Inspiring the Adventure, Sierra Nevada, Spain.

Let’s face it, most of us are not daredevil skiers. We don’t really want to be hurtling down some ridiculously steep slope chased by an avalanche! Yes we want to be tested, be prefer the wide open, quiet and remote mountains where the only noise is the sound of skins gliding across the snows as we ascend to our peak. We access the conditions for the way down and try to judge when best to time the descent. When it comes, the descent is without drama, just the exhilarating movement of skis across snow. This is my kind of backcountry ski touring!

We had one such day here in the Sierra Nevada a few days ago. It was a beautiful and cloudless day as we drove up from Nigüelas to the Cortijos Echeverria and made the left turn towards Fuente Fria (a note about this route ….. strictly only suitable for 4WD transportation!). In fact the snow didn’t allow us to get as far as the trail head and we parked some half a kilometre before.

The snow started at Fuente Fria itself so we donned our skins and started to climb, slowly and effortlessly ascending the west flank of the Cerro de Caballo. At half height we sat in the bright sunshine amongst some protruding rocks, nibbling snacks and chatting. We were the only ones on the mountain.

The snow had a very hard and icy base, but about 5-10cm of softer surface snow made the going easier although ski crampons were necessary (harscheisen). At about the 2700m level we hit our first patch of very extensive sheet ice. The going became more difficult as the skis struggled to adhere to the hard surface.

As we were here primarily to ski and were not fixated by summit fever we decided to stop there and prepare for the descent. We suspected the snows lower down would be just about perfect for the trip back. We were right! Very soon we were turning our way down the vast snowfields below us.

All too soon we arrived back to Fuente Fria. Skis off, a short walk and drive back in time for “beer o’clock” in Lanjarón. An end to an enjoyable ski touring day. Just about perfect?

The post “No dramas nor fancy music”, just a normal day’s ski touring in the Sierra Nevada appeared first on Inspiring the Adventure, Sierra Nevada, Spain.

This has been a generally poor ski touring year in the Sierra Nevada but yesterday we did the west flank of Cerro de Caballo, above Nigüelas. A superb ski day!

Winter 2014 has been beset by a lack of snowfall and high winds. The snow level has been higher than normal and the constant scouring of the slopes by the winds has led to huge great tracts of ice, particularly on west facing slopes. Ski touring has been, in a word, tough! With the onset of spring the conditions have relaxed and the skiing is more amenable.

For day trips the most accessible area is at Pradollano where good tours can be done to the Tozal de Cartujo or Veleta. At the moment skiing from the car is possible. Outside this area be prepared for at least an hours walk to reach the snows.

Yesterday, after a late start to allow the snow to soften, we made the hour long journey by 4wd vehicle up the track to Fuente Fria above the village of Nigüelas. The track is in very poor condition and certainly 4wd territory.

At Fuente Fria a short walk leads to the stream crossing. Above here another 30 minutes should see you reach the lower snow levels.

Skis, skins and boots on. Then the slow glide uphill passing left of the prominent prow seen above you. Then a long climb left, then right to avoid the steeper and icier slopes. Up to 2700m the snow was hard snow/ice, requiring ski crampons for safe adhesion.

Above 2700m as we turned E towards the summit the cold winds hit us. The snow/ice turned to sheet ice. We put on our duvet jackets. Hard to believe that this was southern Spain at the end of April!

We reached the Collado del Caballo where a fine vista opened up over the Lanjarón valley and the distant 3000m giants of Veleta, Alcazaba and Mulhacén. Closer to hand Tajos Altos looked spectacular with large cornices overhanging its eastern face.

We avoided the actual summit which comprised of wind blown snow, anticipating the descent to come. We retraced our steps, walking the first section with crampons on ski boots. Skiing sheet ice is no real fun.

At 2700m we put on our skis and began the eagerly awaited ski descent. The snow had had time to soften by now and the conditions were superb. Big wide snow bowls and narrowing gullies. Perfect snow and nobody but us around as we made first swooping tracks and turns down the mountain.

Of course this is what the sport is all about. The hard effort to the mountain summit followed by the exhilaration of the descent.

So what of conditions for the month of May? Well, the snow levels will recede further uphill as the spring advances into summer. Expect a longer walk in to the snow anywhere outside of the Pradollano area. At Pradollano the old ski pistes should still be able to be utilised towards the end of May and the higher peaks will still have skiable snows.

I expect the Cerro de Caballo area above 2700m will have better skiing conditions than present but below this level things will be much worse. Suggest an early start and begin the descent just as the snow is beginning to soften. I have lived here 12 years and without doubt this winter has been the worst for ski touring. Lets hope that next year things return to normal.

If you want to join us for ski touring either in May this year or in winter 2014/2015 contact us. More information, photos, videos etc

 

The post Spring Ski Touring conditions on the Cerro de Caballo, Sierra Nevada, Spain appeared first on Inspiring the Adventure, Sierra Nevada, Spain.

On May 2, 2014 the opening ceremony took place of the Refugio Barranco de Sangre in the Taha del Pitres area of the Alpujarras/Sierra Nevada

The refuge has 12 bunk beds, some sofa beds and mattresses. Equipped as a farmhouse, it also has a small garden. The site boasts a spectacular panoramic view over the junction of the Rivers Trevelez, Guadalfeo and Poqueira. A unique location for access to one of the most difficult places to practice canyoning in Andalucia. Also of interest to trekkers and walkers.

Federated with the Federación of Andaluaza de Montañismo, members have the benefit of lower rates if they want to stay at the refuge.

Spanish Highs will be making use of the new refuge as part of their regular trekking and walking itineraries. Information about this will appear shortly on this site.

The post New refuge opens in the Barranco de Sangre in the Sierra Nevada appeared first on Inspiring the Adventure, Sierra Nevada, Spain.

An exhilarating 2 minute ride down Europe’s most southerly 3000m mountain, the Cerro de Caballo (3009m) in Spain’s Sierra Nevada. More info about the ski touring potential here at

Filmed by Jens Foell of Spanish Highs

Descent from Cerro de Caballo May 2014 from Spanish Highs on Vimeo.

The post Descent from Cerro de Caballo May 2014 appeared first on Inspiring the Adventure, Sierra Nevada, Spain.

Vice President of the charity Acompalia, Chris Stewart, alongside Contraviesa farmer, Nick Cranham and London based Physiotherapist, Glenn, will undertake the mammoth task of walking the Sierra Nevada “Integral de los Tres Miles” in June to raise much needed funding. Spanish Highs are supporting this project and they ask you to sponsor the charity generously.

Over four days, the walk, starting on 16th June, will include Spain’s highest peaks. Alcazaba (3371); the summit Mulhacen at 3482 metres, mainland Spain’s highest peak, and Veleta (3394). In all up to 15 peaks at over 3,000 meters and covering a distance of 100 kms. The actual distance covered is not that great, but the terrain and navigation required is for the most part classified as difficult or very difficult by the Sierra Nevada National Park. This is a mighty challenge for Chris, Nick and Glenn.

What is Acompania about?

Caring for terminally ill patients and their families by delivering hospice services in Granada province

Acompalia are working to raise funds for a vital new service. They plan to provide practical, professional and caring support, free of charge, for terminally ill patients and their families in the Granada province of southern Spain. The Acompalia Hospice will be the first service of its kind in Granada and along the Costa Tropical.

Whether expats or Spanish residents of Granada, we’re all part of an ageing population. Over the next few years, palliative or hospice care – specialised care for terminally ill patients – is going to become an increasingly important issue for our loved ones, and eventually for many of us as well. Acompalia are passionate about giving patients and families this kind of choice, the kind that isn’t available in conventional hospital settings.

Read more on the Acompalia website

How can you help?

Now you can help us to help them. Support Acompalia with a donation, or better still, get involved in fundraising with us for this great cause.

How are Spanish Highs helping?

We are proud to be supporting such a good cause. We shall:

• Provide up to date mountain conditions, if crampons are required and if so provide for use
• Provide transport to Loma de los Cuartos on the morning of 15th June
• Provide a Yellowbrick Satellite tracking system for communication and reporting
• Provide a Anti-Fox beacon with spare battery
• Provide one lottery winner with a guided 5 day Los Tres Miles trek either in 2014 or 2015, provided they join in with an existing group

Interactive Map of the walk

At the moment it is just shows a map of the world, but as soon as signals start being received from the satellite tracker on 15th June then the map will automatically zoom into the signal area of los Tres Miles.

The post Chris Stewart walking for charity along Spain’s Sierra Nevada 3000m ridges appeared first on Inspiring the Adventure, Sierra Nevada, Spain.