This post has been brought on by necessity. An ageing body means less ability to cope with the increasing rigours of the trail. Therefore reducing rucksack weight for multi day backpacking trips seems a logical step to take. It isn’t as if I have neglected weight over the past 40 years of my mountain life. I haven’t. It’s just bourne out of a need to take that extra step to save every gram and make my continued mountain existence that much more enjoyable.

An upcoming trip to the Patagonian Icecap has fuelled this need and I require every bit of help I can muster these days! Of course the following steps can be taken whether you are going summer backpacking in the Sierra Nevada, climbing alpine peaks or even an himalayan giant. Your own gear list will be adjusted for each particular and personal situation.

My standard 75 litre pack is a Deuter Air-Contact Pro. Very comfortable for big loads but empty weighs an incredible 3500gm. I also have a Berghaus 70 litre lightweight rucksack from our expedition to Kamchatka that weighs a mere 1500gm, but will only really manage a 18kg load.

Here are the steps I took to reduce my normal 23kg pack down to under 18kg. Hope it helps you in your endeavours.

1. Know What You’ve Got - list everything you currently think you will require for your trip. Take some time with this. Think it through. Put a weight against each item on your list. Total it. Now we have a target to work on! As you make savings adjust the list. Target the higher weight items first but don’t forget that you must progress through the whole list.
2. Be Utterly Ruthless –  anything not absolutely essential for the trip must be eliminated. Do you really need both cameras and their spare batteries? Movies on your tablet at night? Fresh underwear every day?  Is there really a need for your striped pyjamas?
3. Think “Outside the Box” – Is there any item that can have a duplicate use? For instance, can I substitute a lighter sleeping bag as I am already taking a down jacket? Maybe by using a Ribz front pack this can lessen the load on the back and bring items closer to hand? Can I use my ice axe as a shovel handle if I buy a Grivel Snow Blade? Working in pairs if possible means sharing weight!
4. Spend Money – Yes, I have to include this I’m afraid. Why? Because it’s true. Modern technological advancement means lighter and lighter gear is now available. But at a price. You have to go through your list and “weigh up” (joke!) the weight saving you will obtain against the price you have to pay for it. Unfortunately this is the reality and we will all make our own choices in this matter. There are many great internet websites that will give you plenty of good information and part you from your hard earned cash. For me, Ultra Light Outdoor Gear provided good information.
5. Rethinking Food – We can all go to the outdoor camping store and buy pre packaged food. Most of it these days is ok. It does a job. But, as we all have differing tastes why not prepare your own? Most dehydrated vegetable or fruit products can be bought in powdered or dehydrated form. We have a basic soya,concentrated tomato sauce recipe to which we add either bulghar wheat, noodles or potato powder. If we want a curry we add curry powder, Mexican – chili powder, Italian – oregano etc. If you know a nutritionist or chef, why not ask them to come up with the most nutritious and tasty daily mountain menu? We did. They are working within a budget of 300gm per person per day (yes, that’s a little light and for harder trips maybe this needs to be upped to 400gm+ a day). We’ve also got a highly concentrated tasty breakfast bar as a result. The point is ….. always question “Is there a better and lighter way to do this?”, “By eating less shop bought products, can I actually be better off in terms of weight and health?”. Try it. It’s fun too!

N.B “Never Compromise Safety” –  this is an overriding rule to everything we have been talking about above. If your trip demands a 4 season tent then don’t skimp by going for 3 season. If you need satellite communications then make sure your unit is with you.

10 Specific Gear Weight Saving Examples relating to our forthcoming Patagonia Expedition.

1. Replace PHD Hispar 600 bag with PHD Minin 400  (saves 570gm)
2. Replace Grivel crampons with Camp X Magic 10 (saves 200gm)
3. Replace Deuter Air Contact Pro with Berghaus 70l (saves 2000gm)
4. Replace old Trangia cooking set with mix of Edelrid stove and MSR titanium pans (saves 650gm)
5. Tech Gear – buy lightweight HMS karabiners/tiblocs (saves 230gm)
6. Kindles – yes we even changed our 5 year old devices for newer models (saves 150gm). N.B this might seem strange but we regard these as essentials in case we are tent-bound for some days
7. Buy Black Diamond Trekking Poles (saves 280gm)
8. Change water storage from Nalgene bottles to Platypus plastic bags (saves 80gm)
9. Change Black Diamond Snow Shovel for Ice axe/Snow Blade combo (saves 170gm)
10. Buy lightweight Black Diamond ice axe (saves 300gm)

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Our guides here in the Sierra Nevada are always looking to increase experience and expertise. Thanks to Spanish Highs guide Jens Foell for this report about his recent fulfilling of a dream, that of climbing the incredible “Half Dome” in Yosemite National Park

‘A dramatic setting with clean and exposed climbing qualifies Snake Dike as one of the most glorious moderate climbs on the planet.’ (Supertopo: Yosemite Valley Free climbs)

Most people who are serious about rock climbing probably share the dream of going to Yosemite Valley. For me this dream became reality this spring. It almost happened by accident. I’d decided to book my return flight at the end of a surf trip in Central America out of San Francisco, with the vague idea of at least finally seeing Yosemite. I was travelling with a surfboard, so a proper climbing mission seemed out of the question as I was not carrying any gear. Halfway through my trip my Catalan friend and fellow climber Ari asked me where I would be in April. ‘Yosemite!’ I replied, and ‘do you want to come? And bring climbing gear??’ She did!

So Ari booked her flights and the mission was on. We met up in San Francisco and hired a car to get to the valley. Not having been climbing all that much recently I went into the adventure with fairly low expectations; I basically wanted to at least climb in the shadow of the famous big walls, and to soak up the atmosphere of famous Camp Four.

As you would expect, the climbing in Yosemite is beautiful and rewarding, perfect granite in an amazing setting. But having done a lot of traditional granite climbing on Cornish sea cliffs and elsewhere in the past, I also found the style of climbing very familiar and got into it quite easily. Maybe we’d be able to do some more serious climbing after all…

We were very lucky with the weather. April can be wet or even snowy, but we had perfect sunshine pretty much every day. Yet, due to it being very early season, there were not many climbers around! So we had all the four and five star rated climbs mostly to ourselves, focusing on multi-pitch climbs in the HS-HVS range. This was great fun, perfect gear, amazing views, one setting more stunning then the next. If you want some pretend shots of climbing the Nose of El Capitan, there is some easy pitches down at the base.

The trip was already going well, but a closer study of the guide book revealed that there is an easy way up Half-Dome! Snake Dike climbs up the South Western face. It involves a long approach, 8 pitches of technical climbing, and finally an endless (and still exposed) walk up the slab to the summit. It’s a BIG day out. And even though the climbing is easy, most of the pitches have very little protection. There repeatedly are run-outs of 70ft and more!. Could that deter us from having a shot at climbing Half-Dome? Of course not, we just had to do it, and once the decision was made we focused all our energy onto this aim, planning rest days, preparatory climbs, and long walks accordingly.

The approach to Half-Dome takes you already 3000ft up, through spectacular countryside and past two huge waterfalls. We started in the dark, with the support of our friend Andreas, who helped to carry our gear. It took four hours and a bit of scrambling to get to the foot of the very impressive looking wall. Our route was easy to identify: it has a small roof in the first pitch, followed higher up by a long and obvious band of off-coloured rock. This latter feature could, with a bit of imagination, be described as dike-like, hence the name of the climb. So we got to work on a very enjoyable climb, all set against a panorama of snow covered peaks. Most of the moves are easy, yet the run-outs demand a strong head and concentration. The two cruxes of Snake Dike are found on the first and third pitch, both hold-less friction traverses with no protection nearby. A fall on either would send you tumbling down the slab for a long way. Once you completed the second traverse the route follows the ‘dike’, which is covered in rounded-off holds. Here there’s no protection whatsoever, except for some old bolts spaced 75ft apart. So once you set off from your stance, there’s nothing to avoid a potential 150ft, factor two fall. Pitch five must be everyone’s favourite as you finally encounter some cracks and other features to get gear in as well as some more varied climbing. The last two pitches are very easy, and it’s left to you to decide at which point to stop using the rope properly. We were exhausted and getting to the summit from here, ascending the endless slab where the angle is friendly enough not to use your hands, seemed to take forever.

Arriving up top was one of those experiences I will never forget. There was still snow on the summit and we had it totally to ourselves! We fell into each other’s arms, we did it, we climbed Half-Dome! All we had to do after celebrating our success was to figure out how to get down.

There is a cable ladder climbing up the back of Half-Dome during the tourist season, to enable people to get to the summit without gear or experience. This must still be a rather exciting ascent for the average person, and there has even been fatalities in the past, so now access is restricted to 300 people/day and permits have to be applied for a long time in advance. But when we were there the cables were still disabled. We had known that, but when we had asked the guys in the climbing shop down in the valley, they had told us that if we were capable of climbing Half-Dome we’d certainly be able to get down as well. So we had figured that there would be plenty of anchors to abseil from. And there would have been, if only we had brought two ropes. Abseiling on just one, I soon found myself looking for the next anchor in vain. So ten hours into our day, us knackered and most of the gear already stashed in the rucksack, we had to improvise and abseil of some gear I managed to put into a tiny crack. And there had been me thinking we’d finished with the exciting part of the day…

Anyway, we did get down safely in the end, and as the sun was setting we walked back down towards the valley through woods of huge Secoyas. What a day it had been! I can only agree with the guidebook, Snake Dike certainly is one of the most enjoyable climbs I have ever done, and what a way to finish a great stay in Yosemite.

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A two day trek for the adventurous hiker over some of the roughest and highest parts of Spain’s Sierra Nevada, including Mulhacén and Alcazaba. Spanish Highs’ self stated mission to “Inspire The Adventure” means that we are really at our happiest when we are taking clients to new areas and trekking different routes, far away from the masses on the summer trade routes. Whilst others prefer to slog away on the regular routes accompanied by fellow bus passengers we prefer the solitude of the “real” Sierra Nevada. To achieve this often means “going against the grain”.

A recent 2 day trek with 5 clients illustrates the theory. We started early and made our way to Siete Lagunas. Whilst hikers made their way up the somewhat boring south ridge of Mulhacén we traversed east towards Siete Lagunas. Some large snow patches remaining from the winter gave two of our Australian clients their first ever touch of snow. Then it was on to Siete Lagunas. We quickly skirted the rather busy Laguna Hondera area and made our way up through the valley passing other small lakes on the way. By now we were alone and were to be so for another 24 hours!

At the upper lakes we slanted right and took a steep scree slope, “El Colaero” through some easy angled crags to a col. The afternoon cloud by this time was swirling in and around us giving superb lighting effects. Alcazaba “The Fortress”, is well named. At 3371m is the third highest in the Sierra Nevada and arguably the best. It is surrounded by steep cliffs and care is required in mist. We took a break on the summit and enjoyed the far reaching views, from the start of the Sierras in the NE to the last 3000m peak, Cerro de Caballo to the SW.

Back to the col and a quick descent of “El Colaero” brought us to the upper lakes, still snow clinging to their banks. We set up camp by Laguna Altera in an atmosphere of perfect tranquillity. Lots of running streams and “borreguiles” provided clear fresh water. Overnight as the campers by Laguna Hondera received their normal visits from scavenging foxes we were enjoying peace and quiet under starlit skies. By 7am the temperatures had dropped to 5 degrees and there was a chill was in the air. We quickly scoffed some breakfast and started the day. Time to get moving!

Over to the SW upper corner of Siete Lagunas there is a rough, faint track that zig-zags steeply up to the Collado de Siete Lagunas. The rarely climbed, but magnificent, Puntal de Siete Lagunas is easily reached in a few minutes from here. It is a spectacular place and we were not surprised to be alone here!

We climbed initially in the “corredor” to the left of the main NE ridge of Mulhacén before crossing over to join the ridge above a prominent prow. Then we enjoyed the exposure as we traversed onto the upper north face of Mulhacén. We felt like the privileged few! Incredible views, 1000m drop beneath us, but nowhere difficult and rarely requiring the use of hands. Just a tough and rewarding trek ascending up to the summit of the highest mountain in Spain.

And of course then came the shock as we now met others intent on conquering Mulhacén. We enjoyed some quick summit photos before dropping down the west flank and taking the long, dusty road back to the car at the Hoya del Portillo.

This route is not for everybody, but if you love your mountains rough and tough and like to trek where others rarely go then this may just be for you!

Remote trekking tours in the Sierra Nevada

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Information about the rare and unique Sierra Nevada Poppy (Papaver Lapeyrousianum) found in the Sierra Nevada mountains and some parts of the Pyrenees.

This is quite a remarkable plant, unique but endangered. We found growing a few days ago on a windswept ridge of Mulhacén at 3300m. In almost 100 ascents of Mulhacén, mainland Spain’s highest mountain, I had never come across this pretty flower and yet there it was flourishing between the rock slabs.

For 8 or 9 months of the year the ridge line here is covered in snow and ice. High bitter winds blast the hillside and huge cornices hang out over Mulhacén’s north face. Yet come the late spring, life starts again. By July and August the plant gets ready to flower. It flowers for only a few days during these two months so you have to be in the area on those days to catch a glimpse.

The poppy is not entirely endemic to the Sierra Nevada as it is found in certain higher parts of the Pyrenees. It’s hold on life is very fragile so please treat with the utmost respect if you are lucky enough to come across it’s path!

Contact us if you want more detailed information regarding location or tips on how and when to visit.

Photo credits: Main Feature image from Ian Griffiths

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Spanish Highs have teamed up with writer Chris Stewart & delightful accommodation at Casa Ana to bring guided walking holidays in the Alpujarras

Next scheduled holiday -Saturday 6 – Saturday 13 September 2014 (€200 off the prices below for 2 people)

The holiday

The Alpujarra is one of Spain’s most spectacular and unspoilt walking areas, with hikes in the Sierra Nevada mountains, and rambles through the meadows, orchards and white villages.

The holiday is based at CASA ANA, a gem of a guest house on the edge of Ferreirola, with magnificent views of the Trevelez river gorge. The house recently featured in the Times top 50 places for a holiday in Spain.

And who better to guide you than Chris Stewart, author of “Driving over Lemons” and himself a keen walker. Chris invites you to explore the area and share his deep knowledge (and great stories) about the history, culture and nature of the Alpujarra.

Chris says

Chris and dog walking

Ferreirola is about the prettiest village in the western Alpujarra, and that’s where the enchanting Casa Ana is to be found. It’s just up the hill from our farm. In September the heat of summer is over and the beautiful low light of autumn takes over. The poplars and pomegranates ought to be changing colour and there’ll be the first hint of woodsmoke from the high villages of the Alpujarra.

It’s a lovely season, and I can promise you that the food and wine will be of the best. The ambiente and conversation? Well that’s up to me and you… What we plan is three or four walks around the Alpujarra – nothing too tough, although it’s steep country, so you ought to be in tolerable good shape.

A day in Granada with a gourmet lunch at one of the city’s best known restaurants and some mooching round the bars and bodegas of the mountain
villages.

Highlights include

• 4 or 5 day-long walks exploring the Trevelez and Poqueira valleys
• A day of walking in the high mountains
• A walk from Casa Ana to Chris’ farm El Valero and lunch prepared by Chris and his wife Anna (featured in Rick Stein’s Spain on BBC2)
• A day in Granada exploring the Moorish city with Chris and architect Rafael Anderson. Plus a degustación lunch at Francisco Lillo’s famous bodega La Oliva
• Ham and wine tasting at Antonio’s bodega in Pampaneira
• Gourmet dinners at Casa Ana with the region’s most celebrated chef Wes Somerville
• Meet young chef Guillermo for a dinner at his modern Spanish tapas bar Botanic in Capileira
• Please note that we may have to modify the programme through changes in weather and other circumstances beyond our control.

Price

€1075 per person sharing a room. €1275 for single accommodation. Price includes: bed and breakfast, picnics and lunches, dinners, wines, excursions, local transport and guides. Price does not include: flights, airport transfers

Walking level of challenge

Expect altitude gains of about 900 feet and 6 – 7 hours of walking per day. Bring sensible clothing and good hiking boots. Hiking poles are useful. Sun hats, sun glasses, sun block and a water bottle are essential.

Further information

For further information and bookings please contact Anne at Casa Ana on info@casa-ana.com or use our Contact Form

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The west to east traverse of the Puntal de la Caldera gives fine high altitude Sierra Nevada Scrambling opportunities. Here is a route description of how to do it.

N.B This route description applies to summer only. Please wear a helmet as there is plenty of loose rock! No need for a rope unless you have beginners or want to push the grades.

We caught the first chairlift access from Pradollano, ski centre in the Sierra Nevada. Arriving at 2900m at 10:30 we made swift progress on the old road over the Col de Carihuela.

From there we took the short “via ferrata” at Paso de las Guias to save 15 minutes and regain the old road near Paso de los Machos. By the time we reached the start point of the scramble at Loma Pelada we had been walking 1.5 hours.

Now things get interesting. From the start at the summit of Loma Pelada north, the ridge heads eastwards in a convoluted and chaotic way towards the Puntal de la Caldera (3223m).

More photos at 

The whole ridge is characterized by some solid section of rock on the ridge crests, but as soon as you leave the crest you will encounter a combination of steep ground and loose rock. It is immediately apparent that a huge crag bars the route half way along the ridge. This is the crux section.

The initial going is straightforward. Try to keep to the crest for maximum scrambling. Easy enough, some nice grade 2 sections if you want. There are a couple of moments where the best route onwards is to be bold (both in ascent and descent). A raising of the standard momentarily to grade 3. This is preferable to the avoiding tactic, usually to the right, which is easy but ends up on loose rock.

At the col before the massive crag that bars the way you have two choices.

1. Follow goat tracks horizontally until the track abuts against the Espolon de Puntal de la Caldera. Follow the ridge up to the summit. This is marked blue on the photo below. This is loose (as is everything hereabouts!), but straightforward. This is the simplest way to the summit but with little scrambling.
2. From the col before the large crag the best way trends leftwards up a ramp formed by huge boulders (marked red on photo below). This leads to an initial gully which can be climbed rightwards to the ridge crest at grade 3. We kept trending left up rising ground on slabby rock. There were many routes here, all of grade 1/2 standard. The ridge crest was regained and we continued to the summit linking as many of the rock outcrops as we could. Harder options abound if you prefer!

The descent of the east ridge to the Collado de Ciervo is easy (grade 1). Keep to the ridge crest for maximum enjoyment rather than be tempted to take avoiding action. In front of you rises the impressive north wall of Mulhacén (3482m, highest mountain in western europe outside of the Alps), with Alcazaba to the left. At the col it’s a 10 minute walk to the Refugio de la Caldera and the regular walking tracks.

This is a scramble well worth doing and can be done in a day. From the start of the scrambling (Loma Pelada) to the end at Collado de Ciervo took us 1.5 hours. We took our time, savoring the incredible situations. Please try it out for yourself!

Sierra Nevada Scrambling

Spanish Highs run Scrambling tours/weeks throughout the summer months from May to November inclusive. In winter this route makes for a superb winter mountaineering climb which we include as part of our Alpine Mountaineering Courses.

Spanish Highs – “Inspiring the Adventure” in the Sierra Nevada!

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Combining the Sulayr GR240 trek with the higher regions of the Sierra Nevada can provide for a interesting walking and hiking holiday. Here is a report sent in about one such self guided trek.

The first three days of our trip we took the sulayr route (roughly stages 4 – 6). That was generally relatively easy walking, although the climb from Lanjaron to the Sulayr trail (well marked and clear trail) didn’t really allow for an easy start. Also some parts of the route included pretty challenging uphill sections and notably the stage to Trevelez is quite long (18km). We camped at Puente Palo and took hotels in Capileira and Trevelez (where we watched our national soccer team lose the semi final of the world cup).

Day 4 – Then from Trevelez we followed the stream up the valley, which turned out to correspond to a white and green marked route to ‘El Horcaje’. Lots of wet sections there, as many streams end up on the trail. Had to stay focused there. At some point the marked route ends (clearly indicated by a sign), but we had to go on until Laguna del Puente. Traversed some steep gradients on our way there, couldn’t really find a trail. We ended up camping on a beautiful spot by Laguna del Puente.

Day 5 – Then we tried to intersect the Integral de los 3000, but again we couldn’t really find a clearly marked trail, if there even was one. Navigated our way using the map and gps over the loose rocks and faced some tough winds on those first peaks. The original plan was to go as far as 7 lagunas, but because of the navigation issues and the absence of a trail we moved a lot slower than we hoped and ended up camping at Laguna de los Vacares. In hindsight this was a much better place to camp than 7 lagunas because of the crowds in the latter area.

Day 6 – Picked up the route from Laguna de los Vacares and headed towards 7 lagunas and Mulhacen. Again there was no obvious trail in all sections, but we got to 7 lagunas on our own navigation. We were surprised by the amount of people in that area. The previous 5 days we’d only seen a few local men on horses trailed by dogs and a handful of tourists on the sulayr trail. Decided to climb Mulhacen and descend on the other side to Refugio de la Caldera. Found a nice spot next to a small group of lakes nearby the refugio. That night there was a nearly full moon, so we were awoken a few times by groups of walkers that apparently did moonlight walks.

Day 7 – An easy part from La Caldera towards Veleta. No way to miss that trail… But when we got to the Refugio de carihuela, we took a path on the wrong side of the ridge. Tried to correct our error by taking the route on the ridge from pico de elorietta to the refugio the elorietta, but that turned out to be a hazardous endeavor for us. We turned back and went down to the valley and again up to the refugio de elorietta. We camped a little further down at the Laguna de Lanjaron. Definitely the most beautiful spot we camped on our entire trip. The unintended detour turned out to be a blessing. Because had we been earlier, we’d probably moved on to Caballo.

Day 8 – On our map there is a warning for a dangerous passage on Paso de Cadenas. Because we were already quite surprised by some of the sections earlier on the route, we really hoped it wouldn’t be that bad. Turned out that it indicated a passage that was fitted with chains bolted to the rocks. Didn’t really seem all that dangerous to us. The rest of this stage was a big surprise, as there is almost an entirely paved trail most of the way. We were early at the Refugio de Caballo and decided to push on and already get some downhill meters in. From the Pico the Caballo it is only downhill from there. We didn’t want to do descend from 3000 to 800 in one day. We descended until we intersected the Sulayr route again (stage 3) and picked up that trail. It turned out to be tough to find a good camping spot. We ended up camping only about 500m from the mirador de Rincon de las Niguelas (if I remember that name correctly). It appeared to be a formerly used piece of land as rocks were stacked in low walls and some areas were more or less leveled in ‘terraces’.

Day 9 – Followed stage 3 of the sulayr until we got back to the route to Lanjaron, a little further down from the ‘Casa de Tello’. We were both done, so that final descend was almost the toughest bit of the entire route. Walked through Lanjaron and got the same room of 9 days earlier in the Hotel Espana.

All in all a challenging but wonderful journey. Mixing the sulayr route with the high mountains was a good choice for us. Varied scenery and different ways of hiking and navigating. And it was really satisfying to make a loop. We found ourselves not including all the 3000 peaks that were ‘available’ along the way. The main route is already challenging enough. It would have taken extra days to do those, or a few of those, too.

We took crampons with us, but we didn’t use them. We did cross some snow patches, but those could easily be done with regular boots. It was a reassuring thought to have them on board though.

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If you only have a couple of days to spend in the Sierra Nevada and you enjoy wild camping, then this may be the trip for you. A good walk in wild and dramatic scenery where few others will be seen! Also includes the park rules and regulations regarding a wild camp.

Many thanks to Ian Tupman for this guest post

Our starting point is the Central Eléctrica (power station) at La Cebadilla which is at 1,600m and is reached by a driveable track from above the village of Capileira. The well-trodden path up the Poquiera valley crosses the river several times and passes through mixed woodland which provides welcome shade in hot weather. It eventually emerges onto the open mountainside below cortijo Las Tomas with its rather bizarre scarecrow.

From here, the route up to the Refugio Poquiera at 2,500m is marked by orange poles. In the summer months the refuge provides an all-day menu of cooked dishes but telephone them first to confirm (958 343349).

Most people at the refuge will either be on their way up, or coming down from Mulhacén. At 3,482m it is the highest peak in mainland Spain and as such, it draws walkers and climbers from all over Europe and beyond. We, however are seeking the quieter route and after a well-earned rest at the refuge, we take the marked path heading west and then north into the Río Mulhacén valley.

We cross the river and take the cairned path, briefly heading south-west and then west up and across the southern end of Loma Pelada. On reaching the west flank, the path swings north and the magnificent Raspones ridge comes into view on the west side of the Río Seco valley.

In the summer and early autumn, the river may well live up to its name and be completely dry so it’s probably best to carry water from the Río Mulhacén. The path descends into the valley and continues up the east side as far as the lagunas de Río Seco before it joins the old road to the east of Veleta. Walk up the valley as far as you wish and look for a suitable place to pitch your tent, bearing in mind the National Park rules (see below).

I camped in the centre of the valley before it rises up to its second tier. After pitching my tent I walked up onto the Terreras Azules which runs from the southern end of the Raspones ridge. This provides superb views north and south and is an ideal spot from which to enjoy the sunset. You will almost certainly have the valley to yourself but look out for cabras monteses (mountain goats or ibex) and aguilas (eagles) which can often be seen here.

After a good night’s sleep and depending on how much time you have, you could return the same way or do as I did and, after returning to cortijo Las Tomas, traverse across to the west side of the valley and follow the higher acequia (water channel) which contours around the mountainside and feeds the hydro-electric pipeline above La Cebadilla. The path zig-zags steeply down the east side of the pipe and feeds back onto the main valley path where we turn right for the short descent back the car.

The route as described is 20kms with a total ascent of 1,600m and it reaches an altitude of 2,700m. From La Cebadilla to the Refugio Poquiera allow 2½ – 3½ hours and from the refuge to your camp, allow a further 1½ – 2 hours, depending on how far up the Río Seco valley you go. The return along the acequia to La Cebadilla will take around 3 – 4 hours.

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 should apply to the 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 a tent one hour before sunset and it must be taken down within one hour of sunrise
• You can only stay one night in the same place
• You can only camp above 1600m. In the summer this rises to above the tree line (about 2,200m) due to fire risk
• Not within 500m of a guarded refuge or public vehicle track
• Not within 1km of a tarmac road
• Not within 50m of a mountain lake or river
• Not on private property without written permission from the owner
• Leave no trace and take all rubbish out with you

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

Ian Tupman
September 2014

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New itineraries for our 2015 Sierra Nevada Winter Mountaineering Courses. Also Alpine Introduction. Snow, sun, fun and adventure guaranteed!

All our Winter Mountaineering Courses, Ski Tours and Snowshoe activities are available on demand throughout the winter in the Sierra Nevada. This ranges from mid-December until the end of May 2015. Contact Spanish Highs direct to reserve a place or check availability on these popular activities

Sierra Nevada Winter Mountaineering Courses

For those who enjoy 3 season hill waking, maybe even a bit of scrambling and wish to progress to travelling safely in the winter mountains. The rewards are massive and the objective is to give you the confidence in your own ability to enjoy the winter mountain experience!

2 DAY COURSE Topics covered:

• Kitting out for winter.
• Use of Ice Axe.
• Use of Crampons.
• Avalanche awareness.
• Roping up.
• Snow belays – use and suitability.
• Ice Axe braking (self arrest).
• Snowshoeing.

4/6 DAY COURSE Additional to the 2 day course

• Ascent of Mulhacen (3479 metres).
• Traverse of Puntal de la Caldera (3215 metres).
• Ascent of Tajos de los Machos (3085 metres).
• Ascent of Cerro de Caballo (3215 metres).
• 2/3 day crossing of the Sierra Nevada (staying in ruined refuges or bivouacs).

Read more about our Winter Mountaineering Courses

Alpine Introduction Courses in the Sierra Nevada

If you aspire to travel safely on glaciers, scale alpine peaks, climb snow gullies, or set out on mega expeditions then this course will give you a basic knowledge. Designed to pass on the essential skills needed to enable the independent-minded to attempt the simpler alpine summits and be ready for the greater ranges.

Be aware though that winter mountaineering is tough and a certain amount of hardship will be endured. We are unique, as we don’t use guarded refuges, we camp, bivouac or sleep in ruined mountain refuges as, in our opinion, real life experience is by far the best way to learn.

4 DAY COURSE Topics covered:

• Kitting out for winter.
• Use of Ice Axe.
• Use of Crampons.
• Avalanche awareness.
• Roping up.
• Snow belays – use and suitability.
• Self Arrest Ice Axe braking.
• Abseiling.
• Glacier Travel.
• Crevasse Rescue.
• Snow Climbing.
• Moving together on mixed ground.
• Bivouacing.
• Winter survival and camping techniques.
• Snow Holing.
• Climbing gullies and couloirs.
• Snowshoeing.

ADDITIONAL DAYS Additional to the 4 day course

• Mixed climbing on Puntal de la Caldera (3,215 metres).
• Traverse of Tajos de la Virgen ridge.
• Gully climbing near Cerro de Caballo.
• Raspones de Rio Seco ridge.
• Alpine ridges of the Sierra de Huetor.
• NW ridge of the Pico del Cartujo.

Read more about our Alpine Introduction Courses

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Just amazing that after 13 years of living here we are still discovering new locations to run our Snowshoeing Tours in the Sierra Nevada. Sun and fun guaranteed!

About our 2015 Sierra Nevada Snowshoeing Tours

For 2015 we have some new locations, far away from anybody else including some new forests accessible only by 4WD vehicles. These should give superb snowshoeing from mid-December until end of May. We tried them out last year and it’s now time to launch!

For those new to snowshoeing, we shall take you to some suitable forested slopes for your first steps. After a brief learning curve we can progress to longer and harder tours. We provide the snowshoes if you don’t have your own.

Read our Guide to Snowshoeing

And snowshoeing is for everybody. Last year we introduced many newcomers to the sport including families from Northern Australia who had never seen snow before. Every year we see returning customers, including a lady (now good friend) of over 75 years of age!

You also have an option to be accompanied by some of our four legged friends should you wish. We have 3 dogs who love the deep snows of the Sierras and provide much entertainment for guests (siberian husky, leonberger, podenco – see photos below)

Some great day tours!

• Puente Palo – easy access from Lanjaron. Forests and some open hillsides. Some peaks can be ascended on snowshoes from here.
• Hoya del Portillo – above the high white village of Capileira. Various excursions possible here.
• Hoya de la Mora and Barranco de San Juan – high snow bowls in a quiet valley.
• Sierra de Huetor – we have worked out some marvellous round trip tours through the pine forests of this magnificent Natural Park.
• Puerta de la Ragua – A 2000m high road pass through the eastern Sierra Nevada. Forests, open hillsides and simple peaks available.
• Casa Forestal La Piuca and Las Alegas – a high dirt track allows access to forests and hillsides up to 2700m, with superb views to Mulhacen, Veleta and the other main Sierra Nevada peaks.
• Valley of the Rio Lanjaron – not many venture here to snowshoe in winter but we have obtained quick access from the SE. The valley is normally snowsure until end May giving late season snowshoeing.

We have snowshoes available from well know makes such as Tubbs, Salomen and Camp. Hire costs are included in the tour guided prices.

More information about our 2015 Sierra Nevada Snowshoeing Tours

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John Yeldham takes his first steps in the scrambling experience at the Peñon de la Mata in the Sierra de Huetor north of Granada. This is a superb location. Big views of the Sierra Nevada range and good solid limestone rock in most places. A scramblers heaven!

Info on Scrambling

The post Scrambling in the Sierra de Huetor, Granada Oct 2014 appeared first on Inspiring the Adventure, Sierra Nevada.

Part 6 and final report from Kiersten Rowland’s on our April 2013 expedition to Kamchatka with Berghaus to ski volcanoes

Autumn is arriving here in Spain and another expedition is fast approaching so I thought it’s about time I finished this Kamchatka blog before the Patagonia expedition arrives.

24th April :- Richard’s birthday today and we have to go back to Petropavlovsk to the Centre of Migration for him to get his finger prints taken which they forgot to do last time. Elena arrives and we all head off for a tourist day in Petropavlovsk. It’s a grey drizzly day. We get the local bus into Yelizovo, then swap buses to get to Petropavlovsk. First stop is the Centre of Migration where Richard not only gets his finger prints taken but also his palm print!!! Next we head to an Orthodox Church to have a look at. We take some fun photos outside. Then on to the tourist shops. Boys want Russian hats, me and Jules want Kamchatka t’shirts. I was shocked on entering one shop as it was full of stuffed wolves, bears, wolverines, moose, and fox, the furs of the wolves, bear, wolverine and fox also. Made me feel ill. I never understand hunting, especially in place like Kamchatka that has such wonderful wildlife and untouched land, surly you can make more money bringing tourists to see these animals alive rather than shoot them and get them grotesquely stuffed? If hunting is allowed to continue the way it does in Kamchatka then they can kiss their wildlife and the tourists goodbye. I believe due to hunting that Kamchatka has no big old (30/40 years old) brown bears left because they have all been killed!!

We go for lunch in a cafe and meet up with Igor to discuss the plans for the rest of our stay. Once again the weather is not good but there maybe a small window at the weekend for a 2 day ascent of another volcano. We head home having brought nothing from the tourist shops. Warwick and Elena are cooking dinner, a roast, we are having a small party for Richard’s birthday. Igor came over and gave us a slide show, he had the chance to fly in a helicopter over Tolblachik during it’s eruption. Richard didn’t want a birthday card, so he got an Easter card instead that everyone signed, he also had a cake! So it was the usual drink lots, eat lots and have vodka shots. Andre played his bayan with incredible passion (it’s a type of chromatic button accordion developed in Russia). This was our last night as guests at Andre’s house, tomorrow we move to Marthas.

25th April :- Some sluggish heads this morning, but not mine. I listened to the locals who say never mix beer and vodka, so I didn’t! Everyone going to the ski centre, I’m staying home, going to help Martha move our stuff to her place. Went with Martha and took her two beautiful dogs for a walk, feels good to be out with dogs again. The others come back from skiing, Richard not well. Tonight we go out to eat at a restaurant, a treat from Martin. Restaurant does not take credit card, none of us have any cash, lots of nervous giggling and wondering how long we have before we get arrested and if we could do the washing up in return for payment. Emergency phone call eventually made to Martha to bring some cash and bail us out. Early to bed as it looks like a weather window for the 2 day trip will arrive. 5am breakfast!!

26th April :- Richard still not well so we are not going on the trip. I got up and had breakfast with everyone. After they had left I went for a drive with Martha somewhere to take the dogs for a wonderful walk. Would so love to see this area when it is not in the grips of winter. Very cloudy today. Richard has slept for 12 hours. I didn’t do a great deal other than read, sleep and use the internet. Richard felt better around 5pm. Martha was heading out so asked her to pick us up a bottle of Chilean wine. Wow that wine was good. Early night again.

27th April :- Had breakfast around 9am, another day of hanging around. Weather looks to be picking up. Jet washed the ski bags off. Took the dogs for a walk again with Martha and saw what I believe to be a Rough-legged Buzzard, the only bird of prey I’ve seen. Prepared dinner for when the others get back. Julia, Warwick and Martin arrive back, no summit, Julia unwell. On the first day they got to the shoulder around 2000m but turned back due to the late hour. The next day they didn’t get far due to Julia being unwell. Those guys were very tired so an early night again.

28th April :- Well here it get’s interesting because for some reason I stopped writing my diary, so I’m having to rely on my memory and Julia’s memory, which between us is not great ha ha. So I’m sorry this will be a quick ending. Today we are going to have a bbq so Martha took us shopping to buy food and drink. It was great getting to see the different shops and markets. After shopping we packed up ready for our departure from Kamchatka to Moscow the following day and then we just messed around until time for bbq. We had a great evening eating and drinking lots.

29th April :- We leave Kamchatka. We said sad farewells to our wonderful hosts. Outside the airport a stray dog decided that the pulk was nice and comfy and that he would like to come home with us, unfortunately we had to get him to move and leave him behind. There was the usual chaos at the airport with trying to get a better deal on our excess luggage and I tried to book a vegetarian meal for all of my onward journeys. The long flight back to Moscow was pretty uneventful, watched movies and got a veggie meal! We were picked up at Moscow airport by the hotel we were staying in, although they seemed to have forgotten how much luggage they had so had to send for another vehicle. Again we ate and drank and said our farewells to each other because our flights are at different times of the day.

30th April :- Richard and I are transported to Moscow airport at some unearthly hour and soon run into trouble at checkin with excess luggage. The visa card would not work, even though the bank had been notified to expect action in Russia, we are told there is a bank downstairs, so we head to the bank but it is shut because it is very early in the morning. We wander around the airport thinking how the hell are we going to get out of Russia when we stumble upon a money exchange place that had just opened up. We changed some euros, ran back to the excess luggage place, while there I noticed a man with 2 guards being checked in to our flight! Anyway we then back to checkin with our receipt of excess luggage paid, checkin, go through security (full body scanner) and just about manage to catch our flight. Once on board we are told our plane is going to be taking a detour to Prague!!! What did our plane get hijacked?? or was this the work of the guy with the two guards. Anyway more time is added on to our 5 hour flight so we just settle down as there is nothing we can do about it.

What can I say about this trip? It has been very very tough at times, the weather was particularly unstable that year, Spring was late in arriving, the scenery is stunning, it is worth every hardship we have endured to be able to see and experience what we have. I absolutely love Kamchatka and it’s people, it is somewhere I have to go back and visit again. Thank you Julia for the invite on your expedition.

If you are wanting to visit Kamchatka then use the services of Martha at Explore Kamchatka.
If you want an excellent expedition photographer then give Martin a call.
If you want an experienced adventure split boarder on your team then contact Julia.
If you want a trip filmed, then contact Warwick.
And finally if you want any extras on your team then contact us at Spanish Highs Mountain Guides.

The post The Kamchatka Expedition Part 6 – Last few days in Russia appeared first on Inspiring the Adventure, Sierra Nevada.

For 2015 we have a whole new set of Sierra Nevada Ski Tours, Courses and itineraries for you to enjoy. The ultimate way to travel in the mountains!

Sierra Nevada Ski Tours

With good snow sure conditions from January to May, the Sierra Nevada is one of the best areas to learn the basics of travelling through the high mountains on skis. Hard to believe it is only 2 hours from Marbella! It is backcountry skiing at its finest. We run both beginners courses and also trips for the more experienced tourer.

We run holidays aimed at the complete beginner to the sport and spend the initial day near the piste at the Sierra Nevada ski area becoming acquainted with the skis, skins and boots. A simple day tour up and down Veleta (3,394m) will be made. From then on we head to new, remote and quiet areas where few others will be seen.

From then on we either do day or multi-day trips from access points to the north and south of the range. We will either stay in the high Poqueira Hut or unguarded refuges, which will allow us many great days skiing, including an ascent of Mulhacen (3,482m), the highest point in mainland Spain. The intention will be to progressively increase the standard of each day’s tour.

The tours are suitable for those with some previous on piste experience who are also strong mountain walkers. We can provide skies, skins and poles as part of the holiday cost. We also run trips for those who have tried ski touring before but who wish to expand their skills and experience.

N.B We shall also take people wishing to use a split-board

Examples of tours available

• Cerro de Caballo (3009m) from Fuente Fria above Niguelas.
• Las Alegas and Tajos de los Machos (3085m) from La Piuca.
• Veleta (3398m) from Pradollano.
• The Cartujo (3152m) from Pradollano.
• Cerrillo Redondo (3055m) from Puente Palo.
• Mulhacen (3481m) via the Refugio Poqueira.
• Loma Pelada via the Refugio Poqueira.
• Chullo (2608m) from Puerto de la Ragua.
• Morron Sanjuanero (2610m) from Puerto de la Ragua.

Contact Spanish Highs direct to reserve a place or check availability on these popular activities.

Read more about our Sierra Nevada Ski Tours (includes photos and videos) 

Los Tres Miles Ski Tour

A magnificent 5 day ski tour for expert skiers and mountaineers wishing for something a little different! If you are into high mountains, long tough ascents, incredible swooping descents down deserted slopes and virgin snows, then this may just be for you. Covers the major peaks of the Sierra Nevada range staying in guarded and unguarded refuges. Find out more!

The post Sierra Nevada Ski Tours, Courses & holidays for 2015 appeared first on Inspiring the Adventure, Sierra Nevada.

Thursday we leave for Argentina and one of the last true wilderness areas on earth, the Patagonian Icecap. Who knows what adventures it will bring? What surprises it has in store for us?

It’s been a long time coming, our last trip was in 2011 (and what a glorious expedition that was!). This year we attempt the “Ruta de las Nunataks”, a rarely done route. We could only find one reference to it on the internet. This route visits Nunatak Witte and Nunatak Viedma traversing down the western side of the great “Campo de Hielo Continental Sur” Icefield. From that icefield (the largest outside of the polar regions) hundreds of glaciers feed the pampas of Argentina and westwards to the fiords of Chile, including the famous Perito Moreno, Viedma and Upsala glaciers. It is quite simply, unique!

The Southern Patagonian Icecap is some 300 km long and 50 km wide stretching between Argentina and Chile. If we are in luck with the weather we shall attempt “Cerro Moreno” a remote, shy and retiring peak in the center of the ice. The ascent via it’s east ridge will require good calm weather (rare in Patagonia), lots of stamina and steady heads. There are 8 of us going, including expedition leader. Richard Hartley and Kiersten Rowland from Spanish Highs.

Patagonia needs patience and you can be tent bound for days. For sure, there will be uncomfortable and difficult moments to come. But therein lies the attraction. The rewards are massive! Views of the western faces of some of the most dramatic peaks in the world, Cerro Torre, Torre Egger and Mt Fitz Roy to name but a few. An incredible sense of isolation will be felt and help is a long, long way away. The team will have to be fully self supportive.

Yes, it’s a big challenge. Will we succeed? Who knows? We are in the lap of the weather gods. But that is what makes it so worthwhile and such a life changing experience!

Spanish Highs, “Inspiring the Adventure” in you!

Each day the team will be reporting and tweeting from the Icecap. Follow the Expedition Progress via map and reports.

Follow Expedition Progress

We would like to acknowledge the support of the following for this expedition

Steph Ball – Weather information

Clive Fenn – Construction of sledges/pulks

Ian Tupman – General support and printing of maps

Yellowbrick Trackers – Sat Comms

Alison Edwards – Expedition Gilets and T-shirts

Supply of munchies and unbelievably tasty expedition food from

• Sharon and Richard Iocono
• Pam of Fluoroheaven 

Anne and Doug Rowland – Constant supply of expedition materials from the UK

Sue Halfyard and Andrew Phillips – Dog sitting!

The Spanish Highs team remaining in the Sierra Nevada and ensuring “Business as Normal” …..

• Felipe Nieto
• Jens Foell
• Emma Hartley
• Pepe Badaje
• Jesus Contreras
• Javier Aguirrebengoa

If we have left anybody out, oops sorry. Unintentional due to lack of sleep!

The post On Thursday we begin our 2014 Patagonian Icecap Adventure appeared first on Inspiring the Adventure, Sierra Nevada.

A trip report, photos and video links together with some personal thoughts, recommendations and musings after this years expedition to the Patagonian Icecap in November 2014 (by Richard Hartley of Spanish Highs)

Summary

The original plan to visit the “nunateks” of Witte and Viedma had to be cancelled due to warm and dangerous snow conditions. Instead we reverted to the normal traverse down the icecap from the Paso Marconi to Paso del Viento. This was completed in generally good weather and light winds (for Patagonia!) with the loss of only 2 days to the weather.

Google Earth Fly Through of the Route

Taken from our GPS track. Thanks to team member Ian Tupman for the video

• Expedition photo album on Flickr
• Expedition Webpage with tweets, photos, route maps etc
• YouTube Video (also embedded below)

Access to the Icefield

Day 1 – To Piedra del Fraile

The normal drizzle greeted us on day 1 as we had an afternoon walk to the Piedra del Fraile. With 25kg packs containing all our gear for a 10 night outing this makes a convenient 3 hour initiation to the joys of Patagonia! At the end you have the benefit of camping in the trees and a refuge selling beer, wine, pasta, pizza etc.

Day 2 – to La Playita

We headed up the Rio Electrico valley in reasonably good weather. Fitzroy was not showing its spectacular NW face but there was clearing skies and light winds. Warm temperatures meant a lot of snow melt was coming down the Rio Pollone, which we found quite difficult to cross. Quite a few of us had wet feet by the time we reached the far bank and continued our journey to La Playita, sheltered and protected from the winds behind a huge rockface.

Day 3 – Gear carry/recce. Return to La Playita

The weather report we received via our Yellowbrick Tracker (See Weather and Communications below) warned of high winds on Paso Marconi but easing the following day. We decided to make a short gear carry to the base of the Marconi Glacier. This not only made the following days start easier but also allowed us to recce the way onto the lower glacier. During the afternoon we had amazing views of Mt Fitzroy as the clouds cleared.

On the Icecap Itself

Day 4 – to Icefield Camp 1 via Paso Marconi

This was the “crunch” day. Nearly 1000m ascent up a tortuous glacier with the elements all working against you the higher you got. In addition we could hear avalanches and serac collapses occurring throughout the day. The lower Marconi went easily. We crossed the medial moraine and proceeded to to the crux section, a steep corner passing below overhanging seracs. I have never seen this so intimidating! Stepping delicately over thin snow bridges we made our way carefully round the corner section to reach the relative safety of the upper glacier.

Then it’s the same old hard plod up gradually easier gradient but interminable snow slopes to the Paso Marconi. The wind acts as a huge funnel here but gradually the peaks on the far side of the icecap reveal themselves. And then …. you’re there.  The Southern Patagonian Icecap stretches before you in all it’s glory. 300km long and 50km wide. The view takes your breath away!

We dropped onto the icecap itself moved a little to the south to move away from the “tunneling” effect of the wind, and started to build snow walls and erect tents.

It was apparent to me now, that we had to change our nunatek route and revert to the normal traverse. Large crevasses existed on the western side of the icecap and I just wasn’t prepared to play russian roulette given the state of the snow.

Day 5 – To Circo de las Altares

We had intended a rest day at Icecap Camp 1, but an improving weather forecast suggested a move to the amazing Circo de las Altares would pay dividends. This 5-6 hour walk is mainly flat, but it is not easy, especially in deep snow. Snowshoes helped but we lost the advantage of having the pulks with us. The weather was grey and overcast but immediate visibility was pretty good.

We navigated by GPS and compass to the cirque, which is situated at the entrance to a shallow valley surrounded by jagged peaks. The peaks themselves are a who’s who of some of the hardest and most spectacular peaks in the world including Cerro’s Torre, Standhardt, Egger and Mt Fitzroy.

We were lucky to find pre built snow wall recently vacated by another party so quickly moved in! The weather remained grey and dull with the peaks staying behind a wall of cloud. Our weather forecast suggest light winds for 3 days before changing to 100km+.

Day 6 – Rest day at Circo de las Altares

What better way to spend a rest day, than sat among these great peaks? At 6 am an excited shout from someone visiting the nearby toilet got us all out of our pits. Yes, we could see the sun popping through the cloud to the east. The sky showed patches of blue and the cloud was slowly clearing. This continued throughout the morning as we were treated to glimpses and then subsequently to full views of this spectacular and unique landscape. A treasured day that will live long in the memory!

Day 7 – Glacier Viedma and Laguna Ferrari

We headed due south from Circo las Altares with the amazing rime ice walls of the Cordon Adela group to our left. A white prominence on the horizon (huge crevasses) marked the slope change signifying the start of the upper Viedma glacier. After 3 hours we arrived at a complicated section of ice and moraine which took us off the glacier and onto the moraines near Laguna de los Esquis. A tiring ascent followed to our bivouac site at Laguna de Ferrari.

The Return Journey

Day 8 – to Laguna Toro

A steep but quick ascent to Paso de Viento, the key to the exit from the icecap. Behind us lay the black and white landscape of the icecap but in front of us lay the Tunel valley, an area of glaciers, streams, lakes and with tantalising glimpses of green forests in the distance.

We had greater than usual difficulties in getting across the loose moraines and onto the Tunel Glacier snout. A dangerous and unstable place! Coming off that glacier a section of track had been obliterated by an avalanche and navigation was very tricky. Eventually we arrived on the welcoming sands by Laguna Toro. It was too late to cross the rushing waters of the Rio Tunel in afternoon spate, so we camped here

Day 9 – the return to El Chaltén

Up early to catch the Rio Tunel at it’s lowest. The predicted high winds had arrived. We waded across in tightly knit groups of 4, most of us carrying our boots. After circulation returned to our feet we made a brisk 6 hour march through the woods and forests back to the welcoming comforts of El Chaltén. Along the way our senses exploded with all the colour of the Patagonian forest. Wild flowers, birds, full of life! The beer never tasted so good though!

Weather and Communications

There are two major requirements for a visit to the Patagonian Icecap

1. Getting the correct weather Information
2. The ability to judge how to act on that information

Fortunately this expedition had the assistance of professional weather forecaster Steph Ball. She would send a detailed weather report to our Yellowbrick Tracker every evening. With her we developed a short code system that allowed us to see both morning and afternoon conditions for the next few days together with a further 2 day longer term forecast. Steph knew (via our website tracker map) where we were so could send detailed analysis for a specific area. This is invaluable information.

Armed with this we could make balanced judgments about whether to move or stay put. The crunch day is always the day climbing up onto Paso Marconi. Based on the weather we waited for lesser wind speeds before doing this. The longer term forecast for high winds also influenced our decision to cross over the Paso del Viento when we did. When the high winds came we were at valley level and somewhat protected by trees and forests.

Life in a Tent

The first few days of an expedition always seem strange. You mess about erecting tents, the cooking is awkward, and the tent is usually a chaotic mess of dis organisation. But gradually this changes and things get slicker and slicker. By mid expedition everybody is comfortable and at home with the environment.

In fact, life becomes very simple. You sleep, eat, drink, move, travel, find shelter, eat, drink and sleep. In between we take photographs of our incredibly stunning situations. I slept the sleep of gods with many many hours of dream like quality sleep. Mind totally clear and focused.

And of course you do enjoy the return to “civilisation”. The “Quilmes” beer, the malbec wine, the bed, a proper toilet, the home comforts. But I find myself very quickly wishing that I was back up in that magical place of perfect peace where the only criteria was survival.

Teamwork

There is no room for individuals if you plan to visit the Icecap. Every day has it’s own difficulties. The terrain is tough and the weather can be extreme. When the going gets tough then you need team players and cool heads. And everybody can have an “off day”, when the rest of the team need to assist. Fortunately we had a great team with us.

Thanks to Chiz and Reu Dakin, Clive Fenn, Mick Mcgregor, Peter Syme, Ian Tupman and of course my partner, Kiersten Rowland.

The town of El Chaltén

It was our fourth visit here. Once again we enjoyed the hospitality of our friends Jorge and Claudia at Hosteria Confin Patagonico, especially the traditional Argentine lamb barbecue!

Thanks also to Patricia and Nicolas of Hosteria Kau Si Aike for the good conversation and friendship.

We ate great meat at the Como la Vaca restaurant and after the expedition finished drank far too much beer at Patagonicus and the Cerveceria. I can recommend these places.

The people here are some of the friendliest on the planet (as are their dogs!). We shall return!

Video

The post Expedition Trip Report Patagonian Icecap November 2014 appeared first on Walking, Trekking, Ski and Mountain Reports, Sierra Nevada.

After the tragic events of the last few days though I thought it may be wise to put out some helpful safety notes for those intending to head for the higher Sierra Nevada mountains this winter. Most of this is common sense but it may act as a useful checklist before your trip.

1) Check weather forecast

In particular I recommend EiALERT group pages (Facebook), AEMET and of course the Sierra Nevada Ski pages. Look out for wind gust speeds for your intended altitude. Over 40km/hr and you might struggle to stay upright, bearing in mind you might well be on an icy slope at the time! Look out for a deteriorating situation during the day. If so, start earlier, choose simpler route or indeed another day altogether. Temperatures at your intended altitude both the night before and the day of your climb will indicate likely ground conditions you will meet (ice, soft snow etc) and also likely windchill factor. Check when sunset is due and plan to be back well before to give you some lead time. I am also sure both Jim and myself would be happy to respond to direct questions about your intended route and likely weather/snow conditions.

2) Dress accordingly

Take spare clothing, gloves & hat with you. The extra weight will be well worth it when the clouds come in and winds increase. In winter I always pack a down jacket and down gloves even on the best of days. Oh, and yes, take a torch and mobile phone (with fully charged battery + spare if possible)

3) Don’t bite off more than you can chew!

I’m all for adventure, but make sure your adventures happen in reasonably controlled situations. In winter above the snow line plan your intended route to be well within your capability and experience. Be prepared to change plan as mountain conditions change! As famous mountaineer, Ed Visteurs once said

“It’s a round trip. Getting to the summit is optional, getting down is mandatory”

4) Make sure there is a backup plan

ie ask yourself a few “What If” questions. Make sure you are always aware of the quick escape route to lower ground and safety. Know the location of refuges/shelters that could be utilised if required.

5) Map & compass?

Plan your route the night before. GPS devices are very useful, but personally I wouldn’t trust a smartphone GPS mainly due to limited battery capability in very cold temperatures

6) Take Crampons & Ice Axe

If you are heading above the snow line then you MUST take crampons and ice axe and know how to use them. There are plenty of basic Winter Skills Mountaineering Courses in the Sierra Nevada and elsewhere that will give you sufficient training and confidence to take modest steps into the winter mountains. Bear in mind that in deep snow snowshoes maybe the only way to progress

7) Take a Friend

I recommend that you don’t go alone unless you have the necessary confidence and experience of high alpine mountains in winter.

8) Inform people of your route

Make sure you tell somebody your intended route and what time you intend to be back. Then make sure you alert those same people when you do get back to your car!

9) Avalanche Risk?

On my intended route will there be an avalanche risk? This is a massive subject but check with the Sierra Nevada ski area the Refugio Poqueira or ourselves. Feel free to ask questions.

10) Rescue Services 112

Remember that you have to dial 112 to alert the Emergency Services

And finally …… a couple of extra quotes for your to mull over

“The mountains will always be there, the trick is to make sure you are too” ….. Hervey Voge

“Mountains have a way of dealing with overconfidence” ….. Herman Buhl

The post Safety Checklist for the Sierra Nevada Winter Mountains appeared first on Walking, Trekking, Ski and Mountain Reports, Sierra Nevada.

Really happy to welcome Victoria B Montañés to our Sierra Nevada Mountain Guiding team at Spanish Highs. Victoria (pictured, above left) is a qualified “Técnico Deportivo en Media Montaña” and is part of the Andalucian Womens Ski Touring Team.

Last Saturday she came 15th in the “Campeonato de España de Cronoescalada y Sprint” held at Cerler, Huesca (Pyrenees), the 2nd highest placed woman competitor from Andalucia.

Victoria speaks excellent english, lives in Granada and loves the Sierra Nevada mountains. She is a superb mountain althlete and a great addition to our already strong team!

“Local guides, local people & local knowledge. Experience you can trust”

The post New Mountain Guide joins Spanish Highs, Sierra Nevada! appeared first on Walking, Trekking, Ski and Mountain Reports, Sierra Nevada.

Report and some photos from a couple of days ago at 2500m in the Sierra Nevada. With the cold temperatures of recent weeks the “Cascadas de Los Militares” has come into condition. We just had to go and have a look!

It’s unusual as water ice climbing is rare here. It takes a substantial and prolonged freeze of slow, seeping water to come into climbing condition. This particular ice cliff results from the overflow from the military bunkhouse at the Hoya de la Mora above the ski area (yuk). Keeping to the cleaner ice is preferred!

It goes without saying that the avalanche risks are extremely high at the moment. If you are downhill skiing don’t leave the pistes and ski tourers should maybe wait around for a few days for things to begin to settle down. Patience and common sense are required and not a headlong dash down the first untracked lines. There is also widespread icing, though snowshoeing is excellent in the forests below 2500m if you can gain uphill access from the towns and villages.

More info at if you want to come and try it out. Great mountaineering conditions are building!

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The north side of the Spain’s Sierra Nevada mountain range is steep, lined with crags and couloirs, just perfect for middle grade alpine mountaineering.

The complex & dramatic northern Sierra Nevada. In this view we have Mulhacén & Puntal de la Caldera with the peak of Juego de Bolos centre.

The majority of the classic routes on these faces are of AD standard. Sure there are a few harder climbs and also some for the climber who searches for routes of PD standard. As you can see from this collection of photos there is plenty to go at! In particular the north faces of Alcazaba, Mulhacen, Puntal de la Caldera, Juego de Bolos, Cerro de los Machos and Veleta provide good sport.… Read the rest

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A superb trekking challenge! 36km high mountain terrain, 2275m ascent over 3 days, 3 highest peaks in the Sierra Nevada, wild camping overnight in incredibly wild and natural mountain lakeside locations. Ideal trek for hikers and trekkers wanting to “get away from it all”!

Our spanish 3 peak “wild camping” challenge will consist of summiting Alcazaba 3,371m, Veleta 3,394m and finally Spain’s highest – Mulhacén 3,482m. The mountain range is the second highest in Europe after the Alps and includes 15 peaks higher than 3,000m.

East ridge of Mulhacén, Alcazaba in the background

We introduced the concept of the “Los Tres Picos” trek to foreign visitors way back in 2007. The original idea was to utilise the Refugio Poqueira as a comfortable base from which to cover the 3 highest peaks in 3 days.… Read the rest

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