Walking in the Picos
I was just looking through some of my favourite photos the other day and this one leapt out at me. It was taken at about this time of year by one of our guides, Jaime Lahoz. He happens to be a particularly good photographer, as you can probably tell.
The location is high in the Picos de Europa mountains, on the central north coast of Spain. The very distinctive peak in the background is the Naranjo de Bulnes, one of the most emblematic of Spanish mountains. In fact, this is the mountain which appears on the logo of the Spanish mountaineering association.
Being basically a large, sheer slab of rock, climbers love it. Whilst I have never really understood the art of the climber, I can appreciate the beauty of these surroundings. Perhaps never more beautiful than in autumn.
Curling up in front of an open fire at the end of a days’ walking in the Picos mountains is a treat which is very hard to beat.
Find out more about our walking holidays or more particularly our holidays in the Picos de Europa and our active holidays to Spain in general.
The smoking rim of Masaya Volcano
Bit of a dramatic one this, taken at the summit of Masaya volcano in Nicaragua. That cloud isn’t a handy prop to set the mood, it’s actually smoke rising from the crater itself – the sky was a clear blue behind me.
Even without the spectral presence of the cross looming over the crater, the knowledge that you are standing right next to the gaping mouth of an active volcano does add a certain frisson to proceedings.
Despite being one of the country’s shortest volcanoes at a little over 630 metres, Masaya is also one of the most active. Back in 1993, a lava lake filled the base of the central caldera and it is still possible to glimpse the orange glow between the billowing clouds of smoke.
Occasional eruptions aside, Masaya’s history is also steeped in drama of a different kind. The Spanish, never shy of an evocative turn-of-phrase, believed it to be a place of evil and dubbed it “La Boca del Infierno”, or “The Mouth of Hell”.
They were responsible for erecting the first cross on the lip of the crater where the current one stands, to exorcise the Devil from the fiery depths below.
Indigenous people before them were a little more creative, dropping unfortunate virgin girls into the volcano to appease the evil spirits within.
Years later, this method also proved popular with President Somoza, who – according to my guide – used it less as a form of religious mollification and more as a convenient way of disposing of political nuisances.
With all this mythology it is easy to forget what Masaya actually is: an awesome natural phenomenon. Peering into the smoky depths is undeniably eerie, but also incredibly thrilling.
Some of the locals at least have made peace with the demonic volcano: arrive in the late afternoon and you can see pairs of small green parrots returning to their nests inside the caldera. Thousands of these tiny creatures, known as chocoyos, have made their home here, impervious to the noxious fumes and inhospitable terrain. And, it seems, the evil spirits.
Find out more about Pura Aventura’s holidays to Nicaragua
Deep powder at Portillo
I love this photo. It reminds me of my days skiing at Portillo.
Portillo is a small ski resort a few hours north of Santiago de Chile. I went there in 2004 to accompany a private ski group, just to make sure that everything ran smoothly for them.
They were excellent skiers, I was a rank amateur. In fact, at that point, the last timeI have been on skis was circa 1981 on the artificial ski slope of Hillend outside Edinburgh.
As you can probably imagine, Portillo was quite a revelation to me. Partly the beauty of the setting. Partly the wonderful atmosphere of this, the oldest ski resort in South America. Partly my total lack of skill on skis.
The thing is, it didn’t really matter. Portillo’s snow is big, soft and fluffy and remarkably forgiving for those of us who like an occasional face-first lie down.
The experts skiers I was with had a lovely time skiing alongside the Austrian Olympic team. I communed with the snow. We were all happy.
Ever since visiting Portillo, I’ve been addicted to small ski resorts where I feel free to ski, no matter how unskilled and gangly I am.
See our full range of ski holidays to Chile