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Winter hazards

Approaching the south summit of Mulhacén (Photo: Jens Foell) (Route 6)

Avalanches

Most winters and after fresh snowfall there are avalanches all over the Sierra Nevada, but they are normally small and localised. An exception was in February 2011 when a massive slide nearly 1km wide killed one person and injured two others in Barranco de San Juan.

There are four major black spots that regularly avalanche and have become scenes of accidents because they cross normal walking or hiking trails:

 north west of the Tajos de la Virgen ridgeline on the track between Lagunillas de la Virgin and Refugio de Elorrieta (Routes 21, 24). This path crosses steep and dangerous avalanche terrain, and its proximity to the ski centre means increased human traffic. For experienced mountaineers the ridge of the Tajos de la Virgen is safer; or the whole can be avoided by an easy, safe but longer snow ascent up the Tozal de Cartujo via the bowl west of the north west ridge of Cartujo.

 Paso de los Franceses on the south west slopes of Mulhacén above the normal walking track up the Río Mulhacén (Route 5). In particular the old road above this area can be very dangerous. Give this a wide berth westwards on the approach to the west flank route of Mulhacén or the Col de Ciervo. In 1989 an accident here cost the lives of six French mountaineers.