Spanish Highs, Sierra Nevada

29/09/2024

Today we are starting the final ever "Walking Over Lemons" hiking week with famous author Chris Stewart. Sad, as we have really enjoyed working with him for the past 10+ years. Seems like the end of an era 😢

26/09/2024

Superb day to be in the high mountains, climbing day with guest Jordan experiencing the Vuelo del Águila up onto Veleta.

26/09/2024

Image we took a couple of nights ago above Lanjarón. As the sun was setting it looked like another world with the thin clouds starting to move in front of it.

25/09/2024

A day scrambling on the wonderful peak of Peñon de la Mata north of Granada. The summit is surrounded by cliffs with only one hiking route to the top. Lots of possibilities for exploration.

We love scrambling, that grey area between hiking and rock climbing. Constant concentration and risk assessment means you aren't thinking at all about the mortgage 😂

22/09/2024

Made it! Summit of Mulhacen 3482m this afternoon

22/09/2024

A much better day today with clear skies as our group ascends the southern slopes of Mulhacen 3482m

21/09/2024

We are having a very busy autumn. This group just arrived on the summit of Mulhacen 3482 meters and highest peak in mainland Spain. What a shame that today of all days we are not blessed with the usual sunny skies and good weather. But, these are high mountains and autumn does give us very changeable conditions. Well done to all concerned!

21/09/2024

Our group doing the "Tres Picos Mountain Challenge" have just arrived on the summit of Veleta. Needless to say, it's a bit damp and windy up there at 3394 meters

21/09/2024

The first overnight rains for a few months last night. We love the freshness after autumn rains. Cloudy today but a break in the clouds allowing the sun to shine down on the town of Lanjaron in the Alpujarras.

Have a great weekend all!

20/09/2024

River walking with a lovely group of people from Norway today. Inside the dense, lush foliage the air was cool, was even colder in the waterfall! 😂

A classic hike for a hot Spanish day

River walking with a lovely group of people from Norway today. Inside the dense, lush foliage the air was cool, was even colder in the waterfall! 😂A classic...

20/09/2024

You really wouldn't think this was southern Spain in early Autumn! Our group getting off the Sierra Nevada National Park access bus at the Alto de Chorrillo (2700m) this morning. They are doing "Los Tres Picos Challenge". Aiming for their first 3000m+ peak today. Bigger ones in the next two days.

19/09/2024

Hoya del Portillo walk to the beautiful Rio Bermejo today 👌

19/09/2024

Cerro Huenes is in the Cumbres Verdes range W of the Sierra Nevada. Start is 15 mins drive from the Granada ring road. Pleasant hiking on good trails over numerous mountains, returning through forested hillsides.

Path ascends to Pico de la Carne 1809m. Hillsides are steep, path well-graded & the summit is reached via a short easy scramble right of the summit rocks. Path continues to Cerro Gordo 1809m & reigning peak Cerro Huenes 1882m.

18/09/2024

Ferreirola to Capileira walk and visiting La Cebadilla. Today's Casa Ana walking group

17/09/2024

Two lovely groups out today in the Alpujarras. One on the Pitres walk and the other route, La Taha. A beautiful part of the Alpujarras that just needs to be explored.

17/09/2024

Looking across to Veleta and Puntal de la caldera. In the shadowed valley the Laguna de la Mosca

12/09/2024

This mornings Sierra Nevada sunrise as seen from Laguna Hondera at Siete Lagunas.

11/09/2024

There's nothing like being on top of Mulhacén, the highest mountain in mainland Spain at 10am in the morning with nobody else around. Benefits of camping and an early start!

10/09/2024

We have two groups starting "Los Tres Picos", Sierra Nevada today. One group is camping and one group is doing day trips. Here are some photos from today's adventures from the top of Veleta and Puntal de Laguna Larga. It's absolutely beautiful up there although autumn is approaching and the nights are getting colder above 3000 meters.

Great to see returning clients from our friends at

09/09/2024

A beautiful Monday morning here in Lanjarón. Have a great week everybody.

09/09/2024

The Mighty Alcazaba

Alcazaba 3369m is the 3rd highest peak in the Sierra Nevada and yet, in my opinion, it is undoubtedly the finest. Mulhacen, being the highest, is very popular and has a refuge close by. Veleta is easily accessible so has many people visiting it's summit. Alcazaba though, needs a bit more thought.
It's a more remote peak so you have either a very long and ardous day or you have to wild camp. I would always choose to wild camp, usually at the upper lakes of Siete Lagunas or Laguna de las Calderetas to the north.

Alcazaba, "The Fortress", is well named. It is guarded on 3 sides by cliffs, although there are trekking ways through those defenses. A few days ago we started from Laguna de Borreguil (Siete Lagunas) and reached the Alcazaba summit plateau via a steep scree gully named "El Colaero", which brought us out at the col between Puntal de la Cornisa 3316m and Peñon del Globo 3296m. It's a short stroll from there to Alcazaba summit.

For something different we came back to Siete Lagunas via Peñon del Globo and the rough, mainly pathless ridge heading south east. We had taken our time, savouring the situations, but this meant we had missed the bus connection from Alto de Chorillo, adding another hour and a half walk in the hot sun down the dirt track.

06/09/2024

We never camp at Laguna Hondera at Siete Lagunas. It's too popular. There is noise and is frequented in the early hours by hungry foxes. Head a little uphill however and there are some delectable places to camp or bivouac (making sure you don't camp on the fragile "borreguiles", green areas adjacent to the lakes).

We found some pre prepared bivouac spots near Laguna de Borreguil where we watched the sun set, cooked evening meals and had an impromptu wine tasting session. Then laid back to watch the stars and milky way passing overhead. Life is simple, but good.

05/09/2024

The walk into Siete Lagunas a couple of days ago involved passing two small hidden lakes, rarely visited by other humans. Laguna Prado Negro and another further north which doesn't have a name. It should, it's stunning! The wonderful wild side of the Sierra Nevada that few others get to see

04/09/2024

Arrival of the sun at Laguna Borreguil, Siete Lagunas this morning

02/09/2024

Beautiful morning today. Returning client, Sheryl standing on the summit of Cerro los Machos (3329m) a few moments ago. In the background the peaks of Mulhacen and Alcazaba