Los Gringos Esquiadores

by John Hardwick

The Sierra Nevada massif of Southern Spain has been well described in Spring 2014 and Summer 2012 Newsletters. These articles covered summer trips but the massif is also well suited to ski touring in spring. I participated in a Jagged Globe ski tour there in late March 2015.

Pico del Cartujo summit
Photo by John Hardwick

The year 2015 saw rain and icing before significant snow cover with the result that the windswept tops were a little icy. Nevertheless there was sufficient snow to make ski ascents of several of the 3000m summits. Highlight of the tour was a two day traverse of the highest part of the massif. We used the lift system of the ski resort Pradallano to get to near the summit of Valeta 3396m from where we made a traverse across the Crestones de Rio Seco with the precipitous and spectacular North faces kept well to our left, followed by a descent down the Rio Mulhacèn valley to the Poquiera refuge. The following day we retraced our path up the river bed before bearing east for an ascent of Mulhacèn, at 3479m the highest summit in the Iberian Peninsula. The latter necessitated crampons with skis on our backs up the last 400m of the icy west ridge; we took about 4½ hours from the refuge to summit. We had a fabulous descent in spring snow down the southeast face past the Laguna Hondera , though a long walk out with horse assisted ski carry was required to reach the village of Trevèlez.

Other summits reached in day tours were Pico del Cartujo 3152m and Cerro del Caballo 3011m, the most southerly 3000m summit on mainland Spain. Beer and tapas were excellent throughout. The mountains form a spectacular backdrop to the Alhambra in Granada that is well worth a visit. Thanks to guides Jim Blyth and Luis.

Heights from Editorial Alpina 1:40,000 Sierra Nevada map

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