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, ski
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
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
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
An unexpected overnight dump of snow meant we had to change plans for our two day mountaineering skills trip into Spain’s Sierra Nevada. All our snowshoes were out with another group having, as it turned out, a fantastic snowshoeing day. We didn’t think we needed them. The overnight snow changed all that. For our 2 [...]
Read More alpine courses, bivvy, hoya de la mora, mountaineering courses, tajos del campanario
Twice I have been privileged to stand in awe, beneath one of the most natural cathedrals our mountain environments can provide. This is the Cirque de las Altares in southern Patagonia. The Cirque is to be found on the western side of the Cerro Torre massif, at the eastern edge of the great southern icecap [...]
Read More cirque de los altares, patagonian icecap
A report from Jens Foell of a 3 day combined ski tour and mountaineering route in the Sierra Nevada combating very cold and icy conditions, knife edge ridges and finishing in the dark. Jens continues…………….. “This year we had a big drop in temperature here in the Sierra Nevada at the end of November. This [...]
Read More poqueira hut, raspones
A report of a superb winter mountaineering route in Spain’s Sierra Nevada along the long alpine ridge of Los Raspones, graded AD, accessible from Capileira. The route is not done often, even by the spanish (we know of only 1 other british party that have done the full ridge traverse in winter), so decided it [...]
Read More alpine, climb, Poquiera, raspones
Clive Fenn recently gave his son an incredible 18th birthday present by taking him along the Raspones ridge in Spain’s Sierra Nevada mountains. We described the Raspones as “the best ridge scramble in Spain“. We have much fun here in the past, including some incredible winter mountaineering adventures. It is alpine in nature at or [...]
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Caught by a blizzard our group took shelter in the Refugio de Caballo for 2 extra nights. The lack of mobile phone signal showing the importance of satellite communication alternatives to keep contact. The Plan On Friday the Sierra Nevada looked stunning. Javier and Jim set out from the Ventura trailhead above Lanjarón to ascend [...]
Read More cerro de caballo, refugio de caballo, spot messenger, ventura, yellowbrick