Snow in southern Spain

Ons grote doel met GirlsLove2Travel is om jou net dat extra zetje te geven om je koffer te pakken en richting het grote onbekende te gaan. Op zoek naar avontuur. Als er dan iemand voorbij komt die precies dit doet én daarbij ook jou mee kan nemen willen we niet anders dan dit delen. Sietske doet precies dit. Met Vakanshe, haar in 2015 opgerichte bedrijf, faciliteert ze avontuurlijke reizen voor vrouwen. Ze woont in Spanje, heeft al heel wat avontuurlijke ‘women-only’ reizen achter de rug en inspireert ons in elk geval om het avontuur weer op te zoeken. En hoewel we nu vooral bezig zijn met de aanstaande zomer, wilden we je dit sneeuw avontuur niet onthouden. ♥ Fiek

When you think of Andalusia, you may think Flamenco, tapas, Seville or Granada but I doubt fun in the snow comes to mind. But did you know that the South of Spain has much more to offer than beaches, sun, sand and sea?

The Sierra Nevada mountains in Spain are in my backyard and they are not only a wonderful place for all-year walking and hiking, trekking and wild camping but in winter the mountain range provides for all sorts of activities in the snow. Skiing, snow shoeing, mountaineering and general fun in the mountains. If you stay away from the commercial ski slopes of the Granada ski resorts you are very likely to be the first one to take steps on fresh crisp snow. Off the beaten track and undiscovered means you will most probably have the place to yourself.

A day out in the snow
It was the first clear sunny day after a stormy and rainy week. The much needed rain finally came to the south of Spain and soaked the dry earth. Higher up, the mountain peaks got a pristine white snow coating. It’s February, and the snow came late this season. Snow usually melts quickly here on the southern slopes and everything that fell lower down had already disappeared in the warm rays of the sun but you could see that higher up there was still plenty for a fun day out.

On a gorgeous day with plenty of sunshine and incredibly blue skies, we set off to La Piuca, part of the Las Alegas mountain that’s easily reached by car. Less than an hour later we parked and found ourselves in different world: we had arrived in winter wonderland. At above 2000m the snow was pure white and untouched and the pine trees a beautiful deep green. It was tranquil and except for the cow bells in the distance you felt enveloped in the silence. It was meditative and humbling just standing there in the overwhelming presence of nature.

Snow shoeing through the forest
We tested the snow, and in some places we sunk in to our hips. So there wasn’t a chance of walking through here without snow shoes. Last year I had my first experience walking with these ‘clip-on shoe extensions’. They’re fun and you get used to walking with them quickly. For me the real beauty is that you can walk anywhere without having to stick to any trails or paths. So we set off in a gorgeous snow covered gully for an off-roading adventure. We were all mesmerised by the beauty of the area we were walking through. Traversing the pine forest on a carpet of white snow while being sheltered from winds, we soon had to take off our hats, jackets and jumpers. As soon as we came out of the forest into the higher mountains, the wind picked up and we quickly put our jumpers, jackets, hats and gloves on. Even though the sun was out in all its force, it is incredible what a difference the wind can make.

Het bericht Snow in southern Spain verscheen eerst op GirlsLove2Travel.