Snowshoeing from Finca Montaña

Snowshoeing from Finca Montaña

February and March in our part of Spain is unpredictable and often full of surprises.  If people come wanting some winter mountaineering, then most years it is possible to fill a week in the snow.  On the other hand being southern Spain, we often get clients wanting a week of walking in the sun; this we can usually accommodate but not always, as the weather in the mountains can be fickle. 

Snowshoeing in The Sierra Nevada from Finca Montana

Last week we had such a time and although we had some nice sunny days, we also found ourselves snowed in!  Fortunately, at Mountain House Holidays we had the snowshoes ready and were able to walk out from the front door enjoying superb views of the various mountains around us (Contravesia, Sierra de Lujar, Malaga Mountains, etc.), as well as views down to the Mediterranean Sea some twenty miles away with occasional glimpses of the mountains of north Africa.

It was Thursday and we had initially wanted to go to Orgiva market. Waking to 200mm of snow convinced us that even with serious 4 wheel drive this was not going to happen, so it was a case of plan B! Living at 1300m above sea level does sometimes mean that you have to go with whatever the mountain throws at you. In our case, the hill that we live on goes on up to 3011m and is called Cerro del Caballo.  It is Europe’s most westerly 3000m peak and the last mountain at the western end of the Sierra Nevada.

The view south west from Finca Montana

Neither of our clients had used snow shoes recently but were both more than willing to give it a go! So off we headed, initially following the line of the dirt track road that leads to our house. Once we had got to the main mountain track, we took a series of lines following “fire breaks” up through the forest reaching a height of 1680m.  During the course of our 3 hour ascent we saw no one else but crossed the tracks of wild boar and mountain goats. Our descent only took an hour and exhausted we sat by the log fire enjoying a late lunch washed down with well earned cool beers.

Finca Montana in the snow

Finca Montaña is a remote mountain cortio on the southern slopes of the Sierra Nevada above the spa town of Lanjaron. Reached by a 12Km drive up a windy dirt track road, it is the perfect place for those who like to be away from the trappings of modern life.

Mike and Jane who own Mountain House Holidays are qualified International Mountain Leaders which is the requisite qualification for leading snow shoe treks and walking in Spain’s Sierra Nevada mountains. 

When based in Spain, Mike and Jane also operate as Sierra Nevada Guides and take on individual guiding commissions.  There is a host of information about the Sierra Nevada on the Sierra Nevada Guides website.

Tipsy Mice Drowned Rats, and Wonderful Flowers!

10 days at our Mountain House in Spain's Sierra Nevada, saw us clearing and planting trees around the house.  Last autumn we made 5 litres of wine from our grapes, which had been maturing in the cool of our old house.  However we discovered that a mouse had become trapped inside the house, and nibbled the plastic of the container; all the wine had seeped out - or been drunk by the mouse!

We also had a few days walking, including a lovely walk around Trevenque, however during the afternoon, the storm clouds gathered, resulting in us getting well and truly soaked during quite a violent a thunderstorm over the western peaks of the mountain range.  Not to be daunted, however we managed to walk to the Poqueira Refuge across some serious snow pathches, then climbed Caballo with Martin, by the western ridge, a first for us, and again crossing some serious snow.

The early summer flowers were at their peak this year, following all the rain of earlier months, and produced a stunning array.  Technorati Tags: Mountain Walking, Sierra Nevada, Caballo, Trevenque

Back to Spain for Peter, Roy and Andrew

Our intrepid Friday walking group joined us for their third (and Peter's fourth) trip to Spain. Based in the hotel Lanjaron they were joined by three others for an adventure activity holiday. During the week we managed to walk, climb, cross rope bridges, negotiate water slides, and explore the spectaculour caves at Nerja. Being a holiday, we also visited the beach, ate icecreams and enjoyed afternoon drinks at Mike & Jane's mountain house. A great week, lots of new experiences, confidence gained and pictures to remember it by.

Christmas in Lanjaron

Mike and Jane once again spent Christmas at their mountain finca above the town of Lanjaron.

We had a few really good walks, including snowshoeing in the Sierra Nevada national park, and exploring some of the many trails in the hills above the house, resulting in some new walks being devised for the 2009 season.