Our last day up high in the mountains of the Picos de Europa today. We would be leaving he snow behind and returning to the summer meadows below. But first, one last peak to climb. Across from the hut, the peak of Diente de Urriellu and Neverón de Urriellu mark the skyline, but where the Read more

We let our dinner companions from last night set off before us this morning. I waved them off as they set off down into the clouds before getting the lads out of their bunks.  It was a classic hut breakfast of poor coffee, bread and biscuits, but there was no shortage of food at least.  Read more

Equipment sorting and rucksack packing was the first task of the day before checking out of our cabins and heading to the mountains. The hike was due to start from the village of Sotres, but a local Mountain Guide had told me that you could drive further uphill and therefore reduce the amount of height Read more

The Cares Gorge is billed as one of the most famous walks in Spain and according to our Guidebook “no trip the the Picos would be complete without a journey through the Cares Gorge”. It’s a long trip with no escape routes. The guide said 11km to the village of Cain at the far end. Read more

After a very smooth travel day, my student expedition group and I flew over the Bay of Biscay and arrived at the North Coast of Spain  by evening, en route to the mountains of the Picos de Europa. To break up the journey to the mountains, we stayed at a campsite down by the beach. Read more

Conditions, weather, people, time of day and free time all came into alignment today. After about fourteen years of waiting for the perfect combination, I finally got to climb the three star classic and longest route in Cwm Idwal – the East Wall Gridle. It was everything that I’d hoped it would be! Great rock, Read more