UKC

Anyone any experience of going to the Sierra Nevada in Spain in April? Is there usually good snow conditions?
Looking an alpine intro course there through a company called spanish highs as a cheaper option to the Alps.

In reply to mc2006:

Can be very unpredictable. I've known extreme heat and bitter cold.

Not really "Alpine" - there are no glaciers.

They look a bit like the Cairngorms, but don't be deceived they are big mountains, two to three times bigger, and exposure deaths do occur.

In reply to Trangia:

Ok thanks for that, Im looking at it as a somewhere to gain some experience and is cheaper than the alps.

In reply to mc2006:

There was defiantly snow up there this time last year.

In reply to mc2006:There`ll be shedloads but these are worth keeping your eye on.
http://www.snow-forecast.com/resorts/Sierra-Nevada/webcams/latest

http://www.snow-forecast.com/resorts/Sierra-Nevada/6day/top

In reply to mc2006
Go to the Alps to learn about the Alps…the Sierra Nevada's are nice, but completely different to the Alps.

In reply to mc2006:

Interesting place to visit but if you want an introduction to alpine climbing it seems a strange choice.

surprised its cheaper than the Alps

In reply to Doug:

Its the guides that are more expensive in the Alps.
I would definitely prefer the Alps. Its just a struggle for me to afford to pay 250+ a day for a guide.

In reply to mc2006:

There is usually snow until June on the high peaks. No glaciers, but still serious and hight mountains. I would have thought it's quite a good place to hold a winter walking / mountaineering course, but obviously not the same as a course in the alps with glaciers. For april, it's probably a good choice though, as conditions are likely to be great.
Not sure about the Cairngorm comparison. They looked very different to me.

In reply to mc2006:



Why have a guide, have you no climbing partner? A book guide costs about £15 and will last many seasons.

In reply to Al Evans:

When did this idea that you need a guide or a course as an introduction to alpine climbing come about ? At the time I first went to the Alps as a teenager (mid 70s) the idea didn't even occur to us. Fairly sure that would have been true a little earlier for Al & his generation & seemed to be true in the 80s when I was involved with uni clubs.

Guess it gave some of my friends an extra career option & some became guides & instructors but why the change ?

In reply to mc2006:

I went there in 2008 trying to traverse the range. There was snow on the highest peaks, but it was so damn variable... we started off in 25C heat with no snow, then monster winds came in and it dropped well below freezing, afterwards it dumped a bit, then monster winds came with heat and blew it all away. Kind of random weather I thought!

Amazing part of the world, definitely not cairngormlike, as mountains rise up for 3000 meters from villages like Orgiva, never did any mountaineering there but visited the area a few times, the local villages are very cheap, so good value for staying and eating out etc.

But the Spanish highs website does not mention the guides qualifications etc, maybe why its cheap. I think you would be better joining a local climbing club this spring, get out trad climbing loads, and do some scrambling and multipitch, get competent in UK, then look at a glenmore lodge course next winter, spend a lot of time in Scotland doing easy routes, and next summer you might have confidence to head to the alps without a guide. That's an approach I am taking, slow, but worthwhile, my climbing club of to the alps this summer, but I am.not going as want to be competent and self reliant without wanting others to look after me.

In reply to daftdazza:

That does sound a sensible alternative. It's just we really keen on getting out there.
Maybe could do some less technical routes in the Sierra and practice winter skills ourselves.