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
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
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
Julia and Warwick Pickering will be offering Splitboarding tours in the Sierra Nevada this upcoming winter season 2012/2013. For those of you that have never heard of a splitboard before, it is essentially a snowboard that splits into skis for ascents with the use of climbing skins and is reformed back into a Snowboard for descents.It [...]
Read More splitboard, splitboarding
With the early closure of the Sierra Nevada ski lifts, we were presented with a sparkling opportunity for a grand ski tour on deserted pistes! Sometimes an opportunity presents itself. After a poor snow year with little quality ski touring the ski lifts at the Sierra Nevada decided it was time to close. Bad decision [...]
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We have just had a few days ski touring here in the Sierra Nevada with a group from Italy. We made the most of marginal conditions and skied on Veleta, Pico de Cartujo and the Picon de Jerez. On day one we set off from the Hoya de la Mora above the ski station at [...]
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For Snowboarders, now there is a great way to enjoy backcountry touring in the winter mountains! In the Sierra Nevada we have an ideal area to split-board. With no glaciers to worry about, good snowsure conditions, and great weather from December to May, the Sierra Nevada is one of Europe’s best areas to learn the [...]
Read More skins, split board, splitboard
The week before had been warm. Granada basking in 30 degree heat. The snow had retreated uphill. We aimed to start low at 1800m but would we still find good ski touring on the southern slopes of the Sierra Nevada mountains? We enjoy Cerrillo Redondo and Tajos de los Machos. They form our “back garden! [...]
Read More Alpujarras, cerrillo redondo, golden eagles