After 3 or 4 days of fresh snow the avalanche dangers are high in the Sierra Nevada. Yesterday an accident in the eastern area showed how fragile the snows are at present. Advice is to keep to easy angled slopes and away from steep ground until consolidation occurs. Yesterday, 29th January 2011, between 13:00 and [...]
Read More accidents, almeria, avalanche, avalanche danger, Pico Buitre, Sierra Nevada
The Christmas holiday period unsettled spell is set to continue bringing more snow above 2000m. In the past week we have seen average snowfalls of 1m, more in drifting NE and E facing slopes, less on SW windblown slopes. A harder crust has begun to form windslab. This new layer overlays a very hard icy, [...]
Read More avalanche dangers, christmas holiday period, Lanjaron, mountain weather, Mulhacen, Sierra Nevada, Veleta
The cold, clear conditions of the past few days are to be replaced this coming weekend by poor conditions over the Sierra Nevada mountains. Next week will bring changeable weather to the mountains, up to the Christmas period. Current mountain conditions Report from Cerrillo Redondo, just south of Tajos de los Machos, yesterday. East and [...]
Read More changeable weather, neve, precipitation, transparent ice, windchill
The very high temperatures (20 deg in Lanjaron at 10am this morning) have wiped out much of the snow below 2500m. Above this there has been some rapid consolidation and further falls above 3000m. 1.5m snow depths in general above 2800m with drifting on NE slopes. Freezing levels will remain above the peaks until Monday when [...]
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An experienced 50 year old mountaineer lost his life on Sunday after slipping and falling in the Corral del Veleta area in the Sierra Nevada. The man who was a resident of Granada, was rescued early morning yesterday by the Mountain Rescue and Intervention (Sereim) of the Guardia Civil. The alert came when a fellow [...]
Read More accident, granada, mountain rescue, mountaineer, Sierra Nevada, snow conditions
The mountain rescue team from the Sierra Nevada have been called to two seperate incidents today in the Sierra Nevada. The first rescue was reported in the Monachil area when a woman who was climbing fell into a ravine of 50 foot in depth in the San Juan River valley. She was part of a party [...]
Read More accidents, corral de veleta, monachil, mountain rescue, Sierra NevadaRescue services from SEREIM (local mountain rescue service) were called to four separate accidents in the Sierra Nevada this last weekend, some have been reported to be serious. With the first snow fall from last weeks weather and the sudden fall in temperature has left the high mountains icy. Warnings have been given to ensure the use [...]
Read More mountain, rescue, services, Sierra Nevada, snow, Weather
With the onset of winter in the Sierra Nevada mountains, our winter mountaineering and climbing season will start shortly. Although we had an exceptional snow year last year, the mountains were all but inaccessible until February due to incredible amounts of precipitation and wind, leading to accumulated snow depths of 15m+! But, what will this year bring? [...]
Read More backcountry skiing, course availability, mountaineering courses, Mulhacen, poqueira, rio mulhacen, sierra nevada mountains, snow level, Winter Mountaineering, winter skills
Recent rain and refreeze has brought very icy conditions to the Sierra Nevada above 2500m. At the Hoya de la Mora car park is a layer of transparent ice, not thick but mixed with stones. A fall down some of the steeper slopes into the barranco de San Juan could be disastrous. In some areas the wind [...]
Read More barranco de san juan, crampons, hoya de la mora, Sierra Nevada, transparent ice
How do you judge mountain conditions in the Sierra Nevada from the wealth of information currently present on the internet? These are some pointers after having lived in these mountains for the last 8 years. Many misjudgements of the weather come from the changing of the seasons and the related mountain risks that brings. Traditionally, [...]
Read More costa tropical, Lanjaron, severe weather, Sierra Nevada, sierra nevada mountain, summit weather