Spanish Highs, Sierra Nevada

15/03/2025

Mulhacén 3482m this morning from the western side of the Barranco del Poqueira. Looking up the valley towards the Refugio Poqueira, the town on the right is Capileira.

Thanks to our friend Laura for these lovely images

14/03/2025

The stormy weather here in Andalucia continues. And isn't it just magnificent!

12/03/2025

It's stunning up in the Sierra Nevada mountains right now. Windchill is severe but it didn't stop these guys enjoying their third day of an Alpine Introduction Course.

https://spanishhighs.com/alpine-introduction-courses.html

12/03/2025

The clearest day for some time allowed for a glimpse of the Cerro de Caballo 3009m today. Lots of fresh snow, high avalanche risk and gale force winds mean the mountains remain out of bounds. More bad weather incoming too. Will be superb when it settles down and we can go up there!

12/03/2025

If you're heading into the Sierra Nevada this week, with current conditions from the recent heavy snows, avalanches are very real in these parts

https://www.nieveaventura.com/2025/03/11/enorme-avalancha-de-nieve-en-sierra-nevada-tras-las-fuertes-nevadas/?fbclid=IwY2xjawI-H-xleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHU3xWF38RlcGL73EfIKex6VAFD1L06EDidNOzCJkvdPoaflQfeRL4KNGxA_aem_mx6S-Iif1x5OmdlnNbZgFQ

Enorme avalancha de nieve en Sierra Nevada tras las fuertes nevadas. Con más de un metro de nieve, el alud de estación no atrapó a ningún aficionado

05/03/2025

We do use online/offline mapping systems all the time on our GPS, phone and other tech related gadgets. But, we have to say, there is nothing quite like getting a paper map arriving in the post.

We are like kids with new toys and excited to see what lies within. We can dream of adventures to come better with a paper map than with online mapping systems.

Now to seriously plan for a 7-10 day backpacking trip in the Pyrenees

04/03/2025

Another poor, cloudy day in the high mountains so we headed south to the sunny slopes of Cerro Toro and Cerro Gordo, just north of Motril. Here we found solitude (yes!) and some good hiking through forest tracks with some nice peaks to provide interest. Warm sunshine, t-shirts and shorts. Spring is in the air!

Granada Province constantly provides new hiking opportunities once again!.

By the way the crag south of Cerro Toro (photo1) provides a classic 5 pitch ridge climb "Espolon de Cerro Toro", a grade 4+ traditional rock climb. Harder stuff on the Tajo del Espejo just round to the west.

26/02/2025

Photos from yesterdays linear hike along the GR7 between Juviles and Trevélez. A cold beer in Trevélez before catching the local bus back to the start.

26/02/2025

The trail to the mountain!

Walking yesterday along the GR7 long distance path from Juviles to the town of Trevélez in the Sierra Nevada. Although the summits are out of view the mountain ahead is that of Mulhacén, highest mountain in mainland Spain 3482m

24/02/2025

The latest Alpine introduction course so far...

We've still some time to fit in another course or two before the end of the winter
https://spanishhighs.com/alpine-introduction-courses.html

23/02/2025

The mountains are just superb after fresh snowfall. Today we took father and son team at the top of Europe's most southerly and westerly 3000m peak, the Cerro de Caballo 3009m in Spain's Sierra Nevada. Part of their alpine introduction training course.

22/02/2025

Image from the Tajos del Campanario ridge last week during our latest alpine introduction course. In the background you can just make out the northern face of Mulhacen.

19/02/2025

There are many ways the pilgrims made the journey to Santiago de Compostela. The most well known one is through northern Spain. However there are more. The Camino Mozarabe at 1450km is the longest. This runs from Almeria in the SE to Santiago in the NW of Spain.

Yesterday we did a short 15km section between the village of Dudar to Granada, ending up at the Alhambra Palace.

Expansive views to the Sierra de Huetor, Granada & of course the Sierra Nevada.

15/02/2025

Start of a 4 day alpine course today so we headed up to the quiet and beautiful Cerro de Caballo (3011m)

15/02/2025

Although Amanda and Alan did spend much of the summer on their challenging building site, knocking down ceilings and walls, they managed to escape to take in many of the most beautiful corners of Southern Spain…

11/02/2025

This post describes our experiences working with Alan Carr and the BBC during the filming of "Amanda and Alan's Spanish job" (Episode 3)

We all need a bit of luck don't we? Ours came when our friends Ian and Andrew from the town of Moclin suggested to the BBC that in order to film a high level traverse along a local via ferrata they should contact us.

N.B Ian and Andrew run https://granadaculturalholidays.com/ from their base in Moclin. If you ever want to follow in Amanda and Alan's footsteps please contact them as they have some amazing accommodation available.

So, the BBC contacted us and asked us if we would be interested in leading Alan Carr and the mayor of Moclin on a Via Ferrata route outside of the town. Of course, we said yes, although to be honest after 23 years outside the UK, I wasn't quite sure who indeed, Alan Carr was!

One day in May, Spanish Highs guide Felipe Nieto and myself took the hour long journey past Granada and up to the beautiful hill town of Moclin. Just outside the town is a short Via Ferrata route consisting of ladders, rungs, steps and a high himalayan wire bridge. It was here that we met production staff from the BBC together with some of their film crew. We spent a couple of hours rehearsing the exact route we would take Alan Carr on and locating the best (and safest!) sites for the camera crew positions.

The day of filming arrived and we stood at the base of the crag waiting for the BBC/Alan Carr arrival. When Alan arrived I was somewhat taken aback as he was dressed more for the beach than for dangling on high wires. Meeting a "celebrity" turned out a big non event. Alan was a very friendly and, obviously a funny person, so I felt immediately relaxed in his company.

Felipe was to accompany the mayor and I was to climb with Alan. And of course, as soon as I started to ascend, explaining the very necessary safety aspects to him, I totally forgot about all the cameras. It was just another job after all. I don't remember too much about the route as I was concentrating on making sure Alan kept attached to something!

All too soon, that was that. It was over. I think Alan enjoyed it although he had obviously been a little worried shuffling over the wire bridge. The production staff intimated that they thought it had been a successful shoot with some funny moments. I failed to remember much.

At the end of the summer we again reunited with Alan and Amanda. They had an end of series party at their restored town house in Moclin. What a superb job they had done in giving this a massive makeover. The bar alongside the house was packed with people who had assisted in the shooting.

Thanks to the BBC for having the confidence to work with us. Also, thanks again to Ian and Andrew for getting us the gig in the first place.

READ Full Blog Post at https://spanishhighs.com/articles/alan-carr-via-ferrata-spanish-job/