Although things started to clear slightly on our descent from Toubkal, it was merely a short break in the blizzard. Overnight, it intensified as forecasted, so we chose to descend.
We climbed the Ras the day before because the weather was forecasted to be the best that day. Sure enough, as we were coming down, a light snow started to fall—a blizzard was coming. Perfect for climbing Toubkal, no?
The Ras, in the High Atlas Mountains, has a regular route and the route we took up the north couloir, a striking approach that takes you up a narrow corridor to a saddle just below the summit.
After three days of skiing in Andorra, I turned my attention to exploring some of the mountains surrounding Pas de la Casa: Pico dels Padrons, Pic d’Envalira, and Pic Negre d’Envalira.
Whenever I ask my partner when we will hike the Moncayo Massif, he usually replies that it is only worth doing in the winter. Well, finally, it was winter, there was snow on the mountain, and we had a free day in Zaragoza. So, we set out early driving to the mountain.
For New Year’s Day 2022, my partner selected a route to Pico Musales in the Pyrenees. I think primarily because it was new to him and also because it’s popular ski mountaineering route flagged for beginners. However, since I am so very new to ski mountaineering, it made sense to check it out before tackling it on skis.
Peñalara is the highest peak in the Guadarrama mountain range (Sierra de Guadarrama) within the Madrid region at about 7,965 feet (2,428 meters) high. It can be a quick climb depending on one’s fitness, as the most commonly used trails begin at Puerto de Cotos, which is already at about 6,000 feet (1,830 meters). It’s …