Alpujarra B&B and Guesthouse

Alpujarra B&B and Guesthouse

Finca Montaña “The Good Life” is our remote mountain farmhouse situated at 1300m on the mountain above Lanjaron. An ideal base for walkers with good walks straight from the front door. Finca Montaña is also situated close to both the GR7 and GR240.

Finca Montaña

The local goats walk past every day

Being so remote, about 12Km up dirt track roads the house does not have the “normal” mains facilities. There are two springs on the property (22 000 m²), a sola panel and wind turbine generate electricity and the shower and fridge / freezer is heated by gas. The new house where guests stay has 2 bedrooms, a double and a small double and can accommodate up to 5 people (single bunk above a double bed). There is a shared shower room / w.c.

Once returning from your days activities it is unlikely that you’ll want to be bothered with the drive down into Lanjaron so the fridge is kept well stocked with beer and wine. Evening meals and packed lunches can be provided. In Summer there is a small plunge pool where you can float, sometimes watching the Golden Eagles soaring above. The local goat farmer walks his herd past most days which is a real spectacle.

Prices for 2014:

Bed and Breakfast                                        =            20 Euro’s per night

Evening Meal (including beer or wine)           =            10 Euro’s

Full Board with packed lunch                        =            35 Euro’s per day

Mike and Jane, your hosts are mountain guides working in the Sierra Nevada and offer walking packages to guests, either in the Alpujarra or Sierra Nevada though they have compiled walk descriptions for guests to take and follow themselves.

Guided walks from 40 Euro’s per person per day.

Early morning cloud inversion looking towards the Sierra de Lujar

Being situated at 1300m above sea level you can normally expect stunning views. The Sierra de Lujar, Malaga Mountains, across the Mediterranean and even the mountains of North Africa on a clear day.

Check out Finca Montaña on the Mountain House Holidays website.

Useful area information on the Sierra Nevada Guides website

Alpujarra Guesthouse and B & B

Alpujarra Guesthouse and B & B

Finca Montaña “The Good Life” is a remote mountain small holding in the Sierra Nevada / Alpujarra. Situated at 1300m above sea level it has the most fantastic views of the Sierra de Lujar, the Mediterranean and on a clear day even the mountains of North Africa.

Finca Montaña in winter

Arriving back from a walk, well earned beer!

By remote I mean 10Km up a dirt track road either from Lanjaron or from Lecrin. Set in about 5 acres of fruit trees Finca Montaña catches water from its own springs and generates electricity by sola and wind.  The fridge freezer runs off bottled gas ensuring a good supply of cold wine, beer and ice cubes!  Cooking and hot water are by gas also.

Mike and Jane, your hosts are mountain guides working in the Sierra Nevada and offer walking packages to guests, either in the Alpujarra or Sierra Nevada though they have compiled walk descriptions for guests to take and follow themselves.

Prices for 2014:

Bed and Breakfast                                        =            20 Euro’s per night

Evening Meal (including beer or wine)          =            10 Euro’s

Full Board with packed lunch                       =            35 Euro’s per day

Guided walks from 40 Euro’s per person per day.

Cloud inversion beneath Finca Montaña at sunset

Check out Finca Montaña on the Mountain House Holidays website.

Useful area information on the Sierra Nevada Guides website

Drinks and nibbles on the patio

Walking in The Alpujarra with Mountain House Holidays

Walking in The Alpujarra with Mountain House Holidays

Mike and Jane bought their Mountain House - Finca Montaña in 2002 and started to explore the Alpujarra and mountains of The Sierra Nevada. As Mountain House Holidays, they started organising walking holidays based from the Alpujarran Spa Town of Lanjaron in 2003.

Enjoying the April Sunshine with a backdrop of snowy mountains!

In the ten years since they started, they believe that they have refined their holidays into a genuine quality product. Most holidays are now based at the stunning Hotel Alcadima which is a holiday experience in itself. “Somedays it’s hard to get our guests out walking as the restful gardens and pool are so appealing!”

Pink Vanilla Orchid above Lanjaron

Walking in the Alpujarra is some of the best hillwalking in the world. Medieval mule tracks; Roman Bridges; paths through terraces cut into the hillsides still being worked; pretty white villages built by the Berber Arabs who colonised the area 600 years ago; and if you time it right stunning spring flowers or almond blossom. It is possible to walk in the Alpujarra all year, though best to avoid the hottest weeks from mid-July and all of August. Winter can be surprisingly hot, walking in T shirts in January and February is not uncommon with 80% of winter days being “blue sky” days. Spring with its amazing flowers is our favourite, April, May and June.

Mike and Jane supported by their friend Martin lead all of the holidays themselves so there is a real connection with your holiday company and genuine local knowledge often lacking with the larger companies who bring staff into the area. Additionally, Mike, Jane and Martin are all qualified International Mountain Leaders which is the qualification required in Spain to take people into the mountains.

In addition to organising holidays for individuals or even large groups, Mike, Jane and Martin have established “Sierra Nevada Guides” who undertake a range of mountain guiding throughout the year.  Sierra Nevada Guides are the only qualified British guides (IML’s) operating in the Sierra Nevada.

Exploring the "White Villages"

The range of holidays and activities provided by Mountain House Holidays includes:  Walking in The Alpujarra;  Walking in The Sierra Nevada; Snowshoeing;  Rock Scrambling;  and Rock Climbing.

For those wanting to experience living in a remote mountain cortio, it is possible to stay with Mike and Jane at Finca Montaña who do B & B and full board packages.

Walking in The Sierra Nevada with Mountain House Holidays

Walking in The Sierra Nevada with Mountain House Holidays

Mike and Jane bought their Mountain House - Finca Montaña in 2002 and started to explore the Alpujarra and mountains of The Sierra Nevada. As Mountain House Holidays, they started organising walking holidays based from the Alpujarran Spa Town of Lanjaron in 2003.

Mulhacen 3482m from The Caldera Refuge 3060m

In the ten years since they started, they believe that they have refined their holidays into a genuine quality product. Most holidays are now based at the stunning Hotel Alcadima which is a holiday experience in itself. “Somedays it’s hard to get our guests out walking as the restful gardens and pool are so appealing!”

 

The Star of the Snows -Estrella de las Nieves and Gentians

The Sierra Nevada is Spain’s largest national park and is home to over 60 endemic species giving it perhaps the widest bio-diversity in Europe. The mountain walking here is stunning whether you want to scale mainland Spain’s highest mountain, Mulhacen 3482m or enjoy the array of alpine flowers and wildlife. There is something to suit everyone’s ability and taste. Some of the holidays organised by Mountain House Holidays spend a night or two up at the Refugio Poqueira 2500m, nestling under the south west flank of Mulhacen and with great views of both the mountains and out over the Mediterranean sometimes with glimpses of the mountains of North Africa.

Iberian Ibex

Mike and Jane supported by their friend and neighbour Martin, lead all of the holidays themselves so there is a real connection with your holiday company and genuine local knowledge often lacking with the larger companies who bring staff into the area. Additionally, Mike, Jane and Martin are all qualified International Mountain Leaders which is the qualification required in Spain to take people into the mountains.

In addition to organising holidays for individuals or even large groups, Mike, Jane and Martin have established “Sierra Nevada Guides” who undertake a range of mountain guiding throughout the year.  Sierra Nevada Guides are the only qualified British guides (IML’s) operating in the Sierra Nevada.

Starting the ascent of Trevenque

The range of holidays and activities provided by Mountain House Holidays includes:  Walking in The Alpujarra;  Walking in The Sierra Nevada; Snowshoeing;  Rock Scrambling;  and Rock Climbing.

For those wanting to experience living in a remote mountain cortio, it is possible to stay with Mike and Jane at Finca Montaña who do B & B and full board packages.

Finca Montaña "The Good Life"

Autumn’s Harvest is gathered at Finca Montaña.

Collecting the almonds

The walnuts, chestnuts and almonds are all now gathered.  It has been a poor year for Almonds in the Alpujarra and Sierra Nevada due to a combination of frosts getting at the blossom and high winds as the nuts were setting.  The grape harvest was poor too.  Probably due a lot of mists at our height (1300m) throughout the summer.  Most peoples grapes around here seemed to suffer the same mildew fate.

We have chestnuts in abundance and have been experimenting with chestnut recipes, though so far the best use for them has either been Chestnuts roasted on the fire or various forms of chestnut stuffing. Delicious!

This year we had to leave Spain in mid-October so didn’t manage to gather all of the grapes in.  As a result we have only been able to make 25 litres of wine this year. Although with wine so cheap in Spain I sometimes wonder if it’s worth the effort of making our own wine…..  Of course it is!  It will be bottled in December and will take pride of place at the dinner table for special events.

The Grape Harvest!

We had bought a new grape press this year to replace our traditional method of treading the grapes (in the washing up bowl).  It’s such good fun harvesting your own grapes and making your own wine.  With a predicted world shortage of wine looming in the next few years I’m starting to plan creating our own vineyard and will be planting next spring.  So if you fancy a working holiday contributing to save the world from a wine shortage combined with some fine walking, book your stay at Finca Montaña.

We’re currently enjoying a few weeks back in the U.K. but come the start of December we’ll be back to start the job of pruning our fruit trees, and turning the land over with our cultivator.

So the big plan for next year is to develop the wine producing alongside taking in guests and leading guided walks.  If you fancy staying at Finca Montaña visit our website.

December, walking in a T shirt!

Finca Montaña is a great, reasonably priced, base for walkers to enjoy the spectacular hill and mountain walking that the Alpujarra and Sierra Nevada have to offer. Walking is possible throughout the year in The Alpujarra though it’s a good idea to miss the heat of August. Even in January and February it is often possible to walk wearing a T shirt. Walking in the High Sierra Nevada is cooler! The best months are June, July, September and October though if you fancy some snowshoeing (possibly combined with some warmer walking in the Alpujarra), February is a good time to visit.

Mike and Jane the owners of Finca Montaña are both qualified International Mountain Leaders with an extensive knowledge of walking in The Alpujarra and Sierra Nevada.

A Journey through the High Julian Alps

This September we were joined by 8 intrepid explorers, to once again venture into the beautiful and dramatic mountains of the Julian Alps of Slovenia.


 Our journey began in the northwest corner of the country, under the north face of Triglav, Slovenia's highest mountain. We promised the group a stunning view, however we arrived in the dark, and the next morning dawned cool, with cloud swirling around the summits, so this would have to await our return.



During the following days, we climbed to high mountain huts, teetered around some improbable paths, relaxed by mountain lakes, watched Marmots, Ibex and eagles and enjoyed the wonderful hospitality offered by hut guardians.








Walking in the Julian Alps provides some amazing contrasts; one day we would be following a path constructed as military roads during the first world war, the next climbing over a high summit protected by iron pitons, then dropping down through beech forest to a beautiful high summer pasture, to drink mountain tea and sample home made cheese.



A successful ascent of Triglav was the highlight of the first week, but sadly not to be repeated, as snow and ice meant our second weeks itinerary had to be changed. However that stunning view of Triglav's north face did not disappoint, and offered inspiration for another trip next year.

Highest Mountains; an international experience!

We have had the opportunity to climb three of Europe's highest mountains this summer; Mulhacen, highest in mainland Spain, Ben Nevis in Scotland and most recently Triglav in Slovenia. All are popular and attract visitors from all over the world - we met eg. Norwegians, Poles, Austrians and Danes on Mulhacen, Russians, Germans, and French on Ben Nevis and Israeli, Americans and Dutch on Triglav.




Climbing your countries highest mountain is always an achievement, and for some almost an obligation - in Slovenia to be a true Slovene you must climb this challenging summit at least once in your life.
It is great to have the opportunity to share these these moments with others, and with our clients.