So here we are in January 2026, looking forward to the next stages of our off grid project...
In my last post I shared the beginning stages of our project, the physical hard work, clearing decades of abandoned mountainside and preparing the long uphill access so we could finally reach the land by car and bring up our caravans.
By the time we brought up our second caravan our nerves were seriously on edge with the ammount of preparation and logistics involved.The caravan was situated over an hour away high up another mountain and the shananigans that went on the day before the tow truck arrived were not far off a scene from a Guy Ritchie movie! A car crash, a finger tip missing and a very grumpy local policeman...
Fortunately not our drama but was all unfolding around our caravan!
In the end the caravan made it to our mountain, one tow truck and one tractor later...
And with both Gabe and I pushing it all the way up as it swerved from side to side, losing a few pieces along the way...
There was one nail biting moment when it got stuck at the bottom of our access and we were afraid things were going to end badly...
Well she made it in the end much to our relief. We had spent quite a while working on the refurbishment at the last place and while it was not quite finished, it was looking pretty good compared to when it had been taken off the Benidorm campsite!
Next step was camoflaging both so they would blend in better with the surrounding habitat and not stick out like a sore thumb...
I really enjoyed the creative process with 3 spray cans of grey, green and brown and a palm leaf...
Unfortunately we were not yet able to build our outdoor area with pallets and green roofing so we had to use the caravan awning meanwhile, not quite as easy to camoflage! It's been quite a challenge with strong winds and torrential rain but its just about still standing...
The awning is not quite as awesome as our bell tent which we decided to sell to free up some extra funds, though at some point we intend investing in a slightly smaller version...
What have proven to be awesome are our two woodburner stoves in the caravans. At zero degrees these last days, the stoves with our abundance of fire wood have been game changers...
We are finally attempting to wind down a little and actually begin to enjoy what we are creating and connect with the nature that surrounds us. It's easy to get caught up in the endless tasks and only see what needs to be done next rather than enjoying the journey...
The full moon recently was spectacular.
The surrounding mountainside and views are stunning.
We have so far encountered many species of birds, a very large fox, rabbits and a beautiful family of mountain goats that seemed particularly unperturbed by our presence...
The next stages of our project are 1) To improve on our toilet situation ( sawdust toilet in a shower tent! Not fun in the wind and rain!)
2) Build a shower in a 1000 litre water cointainer or pallet shower...
3) Build our exterior area and outdoor kitchen with pallets and wood...
4) Build a water deposit and entire water system...
All the above, though not in that particular order as well as multiple work on the land and trees.
We are also working on ways to create an income using our space...
2026 will be an interesting year, no matter what challenges it may bring, personally and globally, the relief of finally owning our own space is immense especially after having gone from space to space over the last few years and not having a permanent base.
Though, I prefer to think of ourselves as the new guardians of the mountain rather than 'owning' nature :)...
Watch this space for the next chapter...
0 Comments