Although this is southern Spain the Sierra Nevada should never be underestimated. We supported Australians Ryan and Emma as they did a self guided 5 day trip in the Sierra Nevada, intending starting at Guejar Sierra, crossing Mulhacén and dropping down to the Alpujarras. They sent us in this interesting report of their experiences. As [...]
Read More guejar sierra, mojon alto, Mulhacen, pena partida, siete lagunas
During April 2013, members of the Spanish Highs team joined a Berghaus sponsored expedition led Berghaus athlete, Julia Pickering, attempting to make the first ski and snowboard climb and descent of the highest active volcano in Kamchatka, Klyutchevskoy Sopka (4750m). Richard Hartley and Kiersten Rowland of Spanish Highs, Sierra Nevada were invited to join this Berghaus [...]
Read More berghaus, kamchatka, skiTheres a first time for everything and we decided to test out our new GoPro Hero 3 helmet cam using it’s built in time lapse capture facility here at our base in the Alpujarras region of Andalucia. Our roof terrace overlooking the spa town of Lanjaron was an ideal spot to locate the camera. It [...]
Read More GoPro, time lapse, timelapse
Mulhacen is a technically straightforward peak but high altitude (3482m) and bad weather sometimes catch people out. The fact that is the highest mountain in mainland Spain provides a big attraction. There have been accidents though especially in the changeable seasons of spring and autumn. If in doubt a mountain guide should always be taken, especially when [...]
Read More Mulhacen
Join us on one of our winter skills mountaineering courses in the high, snow sure Sierra Nevada mountains of Spain. Learn ice axe, crampon, winter belaying and alpine skills in a superb mountain environment. We have been running these winter skills mountaineering courses here in Spain for over 12 years. In that time we have [...]
Read More alpine instruction, crampons, ice axe braking, mountaineering course, Mulhacen, poqueira hut, self arrest, winter skills
Pairing the Yellowbrick Tracker to it’s Smartphone App would provide additional communications resources for us when away on expeditions. But how did we go on? We have been using the Yellowbrick Tracking system in the mountains of the Sierra Nevada and Patagonia successfully for over 18 months. It provides a safe and secure alternative communication system over the variable [...]
Read More communications, Satellite, Tracker, tracking, yellowbrick
In April 2013, Richard Hartley and Kiersten Rowland of Spanish Highs Mountain Guides are to join a team led by British snowboarder/mountaineer Julia Pickering attempting to become the first people to climb and snowboard down the largest active volcano in the Northern Hemisphere, Kamchatka in far eastern Russia. The team’s main sponsor is outdoor clothing and [...]
Read More 2XS Films, berghaus, julia pickering, kamchatka, Klyutchevskoy Sopka
Nothing beats ski touring up and down a mountain (skijoring) with man’s best friend, in my case our husky, named “Khumbu”! Spain’s Sierra Nevada mountains offer many opportunities for backcountry skiing with or without our four legged friends. The mountain side above Puente Palo looked bare. The thaw had devastated the snowpack. But we know [...]
Read More backcountry, husky, siberian, skiing, skijoring
Snow affected access tracks meant we only had a thin ribbon of snow in the gully to ascend and descend the mountain but it turned out to be a superb ski tour in wild and quiet surroundings in a little known area of the Sierra Nevada. Not sure it has ever been skied before either? [...]
Read More backcountry skiing, cerro de caballo, nigüelas
It sounded good on paper. Approach using skis, climb some simple gullies and then ski out again. But a blocked road meant a longer ski in. Combined with the additional weight for mountaineering kit gave a very long hard day in the Sierra Nevada. We are always on the look out to do something different. After [...]
Read More la piuca, las alegas