For snowboarders who like mountains...

This blog has been created with the purpose of compiling almost all my backcountry days from my first steps in the Cantabrican mountains to mountain ranges such as the Alps and the Pyrenees, and hopefully filled in the future with many travels in the pursuit of great rides and remote areas. Enjoy the reading!

Tuc d´Aubas, 2072m December/15/2012

The snow-covered has changed in the last days due to some rain and warmer temperatures up to 2500m. So I decided to leave my first plan to other day with the desiderable conditions for it. I went to a less high mountain which still has lots of snow but I knew temperatures would be warm enough to soften the snow. Much better a 2000m with soft snow than a 2700m with icy snow.

I started at 1200, in the border between Spain-France. The first part until 1600m was on a dirty road in the summer, now covered with snow and pines on the sides.  



                 Once the piste finishs,  there is still some slopes to reach the coll.


Although its not well-known the view from the coll is described as one of the best of Pyrinees in my book. We can see all the north faces of Aneto, Pico Salvaguardia....





From the summit, with "cantabrican" height, the view is even more  impressive. The snow was soft by the time I went down like I expected. Quite long slope with good views until the coll.





Then from the coll until I took the piste again close to that cabin.


The other 300m wasnt good. The piste was still quite icy, and as usual with a snowboard always uncomfortable to slow down and turn. Anaways, its had been good until now. After 30min trying to make it the most enjoyable possible I got the road again.



We will see what New Year vacation brings!

Pic de Vacivèr Ovest, 2604m 12/09/12

Off to val d´Aran again this weekend. It had been snowing in the north side of the Pyrinees during the week....I went there on Saturday morning  hoping that weather cleared up sooner than forecasts...it didnt though! At least the hotel was cool.

Sunday was nice as it was expected to be. The risk of avalanche was quite high so I decided to go a free danger zone where I knew before hand I wasnt going to be alone.

Simply, it was a magical ascent through a pine forest full of snow. Exactly the same as Alps....






Aneto peak and others of the highest peaks of the Pyrinees were easy to see from the track all the way up till the summit.

I got the west peak since its slope was just for me. i didnt want to share the east one qith other 10 skiers before me....


Good choice....

Then I joined some of them. They drove me to a tube which ended right at the parking. it was good to meet them considering that it could have been a little tricky to find the best way to go down through the woods...



Another classical peak of Val de Aran done with perfecto conditions! Il keep my fingers crossed for the next weekend! I already have another good one chosen!

Tuc de Costarjàs, 2333m y Tuc deth Miei, 2250m ... Opening day in Vall d´Aran! 11/30/2012


There we gooo!! The wish I had about living some time close to the Pyrinees and Barcelona has come true since I ve been transfered to Reus! So, as I did in Torino it´s time to make the most of all the new possibilities this time of my life has to offer!

November was dry and warm and we all started to get nervous. Our fortune changed and in just 5 days the Pyrinees set its winter mode on!

Friday posed as the perfect day for my purpose: first sunny day after the snowfalls, local festivity in Reus....just one downside...I couldnt stay longer because I had to take inventory on Saturday.But it didnt matter, job entails responsabilities and I still had Friday to enjoy!

3h of driving after work on Thursday and i got Vielha with -12ºC at 23h. The last snowflakes wellcome me in Vielha for my delight!

Morning friday heading up the easy peak of Tuc deth Miei close to Beret.


It reminded me of Alps....what ´s always a pleasure..


Actually there wasnt any difference in terms of view, amount of snow, quality...


And after a pretty enjoyable ascent through a pine forest I got the summit in a cold Friday. The new jacket I bought its awesome...I wasnt cold in any moment in such a cold day...I kept the other one always in the backpack.


Deep snow in the whole descent...Beatiful one too...




Once I was back in the parking again I decided to climb another one. I tracked up through that small valley. It wasnt that beatiful as the other one but it looked quite good to go downhill....



This peak was a bit higher letting me to see the Maladeta massif at the background.


Now time to go down.....


Good snow but I missed it to be a little steeper in some parts....but in other ones was fairly good.


After such a wonderful opening day, I still had the road to enjoy ....


Cornon peak, 2125m May, 1st 2012

Quite dificult to believe, but weather had prevented us from skiing for somewhat longer than a month.Yes, after a no-winter with just a few -good though- snowfalls in mid Febrary, it seems as April was meant to recieve all the snow the winter owed us since its poor begginings.


Weekends werent the exception either so we had to wait. The "D" day was today, a supposed work-day which played a strategic role (in the random of a regular schedule) to take some rides. Otherwise, I wouldnt have been able to do anything. I was keen to visit Alto Campoo since I havent ever come here and I wanted to go there now I am living in Cantabria.

They day was promising towards one side and hopeless towards the other. Althoug I prefered to climb two peaks from the same side, we didnt. We climbed the Tres Mares peak with heavy windy and fog. It was totally unworthy, so I skip uploading any pics from there. Once in Brañavieja, we went all the way up to Cornon peak which looked much more attractive.






The winter kept blowing. I was a little bit scared right in the summit actually.




Nothing happened. We just enjoyed what a good winter day can offer. The snow condition was perfect to go down (algo to go up). It reminded me of alpine conditions. With soft and ankle-deep snow.

I swear, the descent was priceless for both quality and latest season.



We were about to climb la Tabla but we didnt want to get in troubles by the strong wind. Let´s see how much quality ang how many activities the rest of the season gives.

Rañaoriu peak, 2031m March, 24th 2012 (C.Cantabrica)

Last weekend I went back real home to see family and friends.

Among other things to do I wanted some "little" adventure with my snowboard. Unfortunatly snow covered is melting one thousand times as fast as it would with average temperatures for the season. Stopping it is out of my control, what I can only do is to make the most of it while there is still something left.

Pablo and Alberto were planning which actually was a pretty good one. We headed up Black River valley (jajaja) with Alberto´s rig. We left the car at around 1100 and walked untill 1400m where we started tracking up with the skins tracks. We had to cross some stone bridge.


Just after some meadows the path turned out to be a bit rocky and some other small water streams coming all the way down from the melting snow must be crossed.
It was a beatiful place. The sprint on the snow reminded me of the countless days in Alps with deep snow.
The landscape changed as we went higher. The end of the valley, with is the natural boundier between Asturias and Leon was full of snow. The diference between the green grass from the bottom part and the snowy upper part was notorious and pretty characteristic of the last days of the season, this year earlier than others.
Since the last part of the Estorbin de Valverde was very icy, I was straight to do some peak so I went to a closer peak which showed a better looking. They went to the Estorbin and took me some pics while I was doing the last meter through the wide ridge till the white and rounded summit.
Finally I got there and could enjoy those lonely moments with privileged views.

The descent was relative steep in some parts as it is not usually be in these mountains if you dont look for it. It was good definetely a good one, not as short as I though.
I didnt take any pic during it untill I stopped to re meet them and do the rest together.
Untill white inevitably turned into green.
So we said goodbye to winter...
...and welcome the bright and colourful spring coming.
Twenty min more to the car through some beatiful trees, cabins and rivers.
Eventually, we took some beers in such a hot day.

La Padiorna, 2319m March, 17th 2012

After a sunny week, weather was going to be bad in the weekend. My plans were doomed to failure. Personally, I though weather was going to give us a chance untill midday on Saturday. Now, with just 2 off- days I cannot wait for the perfect weather conditions otherwise I wouldnt do anything most of the times.

We took the risk and went to Fuente De. It´s really close from Torrelavega. It was strange as I am used to spend a lot of gas when I went there. I did not only spend less time going there than Aviles-San Isidro but I also spent less gas.

There we went onto Canal de San Luis. It was cloudy, but not foggy at our height.

Some skiers going up towards La Colladina de las Nieves.
As we went higher the base part of the clouds reached some summits as the one we were going. It was pretty windy, so clouds moved fast.
There were also around 5cm of recent snow from 2100m fallen that night.
Contrary to what did other skiers we went on. There were just 100m left to the summit from the coll.
When we got the summit on foot, because the snow ended 10-15m below the summit, the weather gave us the best moment of the day and the sky cleared up (although there were clouds around)....

Sun even shone, lucky us! The beatiful first slope towards the coll with firm snow and 5cm of new snow where the wind hadnt blown them away...jaja

The second part was the best one in terms of recent snow. Wind had acumulated it in that face.


Getting closer to the end.
We had to put the track skins again to go back to El Cable. Blue sky in Liebana valley thank to the mountains which work as barriers against clouds.
By the time we took the cableway, it started snowing a bit. Then, we left Fuente De raining.
Basically, we couldnt have made the most of the day. We standed a slim possibility of skiing on Saturday with good weather conditions, and we finally had it.