We were recently taking a ferry from Spain to the UK (Bilbao → Portsmouth) and decided to use this opportunity to explore the north of the Iberian Peninsula. The obvious destinations in that part of the country are cities such as San Sebastian, Bilbao or Santander and popular regions such as Asturias (with its Picos de Europa mountain range) or the Basque Country (known for their independence inclinations and a unique language).

A short ridge with technical, enjoyable and, at times, very exposed scrambling. It features a few bolted abseils (up to 30m) and several tricky down-climbs and traverses. The difficult sections are bolted, but it’s recommended to supplement this with own protection - 120cm slings are the most useful, a few cams and/or hexes would come handy too. A 60m rope is sufficient, but two 30m half ropes would be ideal. Overall, a great one day adventure conquering the three peaks of El Realet.

A pleasant, hilly, 30km ride that avoids busy roads. Tyres wider than 28mm with a bit of thread recommended since route features sections of gravel. Decent views throughout.

Easy ride in a beautiful setting, featuring vineyards, olive & almond trees, orange groves, charming pueblos and (most likely) great weather. Big chunk of the route follows quiet service roads and there are two short sections of gravel. Benigembla works great as a lunch break.*

A long, sustained scramble, with beautiful views throughout. A rope is needed (ideally, a skinny 50m) for abseils, there’s one pitch of rock climbing (4+), bolted (~10 quickdraws needed). Nuts/cams not necessary. A few short, exposed sections, but mostly safe.

The spring of 2020 will go down in history as time of lockdowns, disease and social distance. However, in the UK, it’s not only number of deaths that has been unusually high for this time of the year. The amount of sunshine has already surpassed any other recorded since 1929; and that’s the state at the end of May, with good part of June (spring ends on the 20th) still left to make that number even bigger.

A moderately difficult scramble in Lake District. Suitable for scrambling beginners/novices (ideally with some rock climbing experience) who are looking to verify and improve their protection techniques. No real exposure, many escape routes and easier alternatives. Good views at the top are a reward.

Coronavirus. Much has been written on this subject in the past few months. However, many important questions still remain unanswered. How exactly does the SARS-CoV2 virus spread? Will a vaccine be invented? And if so, when? Can we avoid second waves once restrictions are lifted? How bad will the economic crisis be? Finally, could COVID-19 be a wake up call for humanity to start caring about the planet? Is it a warning that the earth is giving us?

DO NOT APPLY FOR THE BRITISH AIRWAYS VOUCHER, IT’S A TRAP Before you apply for a Future Travel Voucher from British Airways, you should know the following things that the official website hides from you: It’s a voucher not a eVoucher, so you need to call the contact center to redeem it (expect long waiting hours) They charge extra on top of the flight price for the services of booking with the voucher.

If you’ve been following our macandwentravelling blog, you would’ve noticed it’s been a little quiet in there since the end of 2018. With the onset of winter, weekend trips gave way to movie nights and museum visits, and there wasn’t much to write about. Summer was short but intense, including a visit to Brazil and a road trip in Scotland (posts to come!). Then life got very busy, new job, new house, new routine - blogging took a backseat.