TR: Peak Aneto, 3404mt, SPAIN, 1-2nd June.

[powders]

What is about to follow is an account of a solo climb and ski of the highest peak in the Pyrenees, pico Aneto- 3404 mt or about 11,200 feet.

I have always come across puzzled faces abroad, when I tell people about the skiing in Spain. Normally a country associated with beaches & sun, there are some big mountains about and excellent skiing. Not just the Pyrenees, which divide Spain and France, but the rest of the country is pretty mountainous too, with some 30+ ski resorts all over the country.

Anyway, having returned from Chamonix a week ago, I was itching to go touring up in the Maladeta-Aneto region, bang in the central Pyrenees on the Spanish side and the highest 'subrange'. Normally there is good touring here till early June, and although it's been a poor season, I was still hopeful of finding the goods. The previous week had been cool, and we'd got some snow in the same storm that hit the Alps big last week.

So up friday evening, a short hike from the end of the road to the Refugio Renclusa:


The view friday evening, looking southward towards the Maladeta, the summits are in the clouds, a few flakes in the air, hoping for better weather...


Next morning, up just after 5am, skies are clear, hearty breakfast, out by 6am.
Sunrise over the 'Mall Pinrat' group of mountains


And very soon I am joined by my trusty companion for the day, he never leaves my side...


Looking towards the Perdiguero (~3200mt)


And down towards the crowds... rush hour... everyone at the Refugio left at approx the same time. Most of them climbers, on their way up to the Aneto


The Maladeta peaks and the Maladeta glacier... lots of snow at altitude.


I make my way eastward towards the 'Portillon superior', a keyhole in the ridge between the Aneto and Maladeta basins. This is the view towards the Aneto side, with Pico Aneto the snowy pyramid in the background, Pico Coronas and Pico del Medio to the right of it.


On the magic carpet, crossing the Aneto glacier.


TR to continue...

[powders]

Reaching the base of the summit pyramid, I let the crowds go left up the standard route up, I take a right to make it to the Coronas Col, to reach the southwest face of the peak.


and my objective, the Estasen Couloir, an aesthetic and steep way up to the summit.


At the base, she's blowing on the ridges.....


When I got there the couloir was untracked but these nice climbers set a nice bootpack for me


Looking south


On my way up


Stairway to heaven


At the top, looking down


westwards-ish...


eastwards... check that gorgeous line to the right... future descents...


From the top of the couloir, its 5 minutes to the summit along a rocky ridge, so I leave my pack and skis, and head up.

TR to continue...

[powdherb]

Well, I had no idea. Impressively sick. Well done.

[powders]

Looking down the ridge I've just come up from the summit. The Estasen is just partly visible on the right.


Yours truly looking appropriately jongish , France in the clouds in the background.


After a few minutes, make my way down to the top of the couloir, eat&drink, put my skis on, tighten my boots, make my way to the edge... there's a couple climbers about to reach the top, so I wait for them to come up.


and I ask them to take a shot of me. They seem quite puzzled I'm about to launch myself on skis into the couloir...


Top third was niiiice. About an inch of pow on top of a smooth, nice base. Around 40-45 degrees. Bottom section was a bit steeper, pushing 50, and harder snow, but nothing too rad. No action shots sadly, and I was lucky to get a clean line (no climbers on their way up as I skied it)

Looking back up with my signature on the mountain


I make my way back up the Col Coronas, to the north side, head back home. feeling pretty good, and maybe it's the redbull (maggot inspired), and I want more. I had seen some short but nice lines on the Pico del Medio on my way up earlier on, so I decide to skin up to the shoulder on the Pico del Medio.


At the top, looking back to Aneto, nice perspective. Some more traffic in the couloir-


The shoulder is good fun, a short steep section in between rocks, coming out onto the glacier. Really nice snow... (can you believe this is Spain in June...)




Sadly all good things come to an end... Skiing back to the Renclusa, connecting snow patches down to about 2350mt, a 20-30min walk from the hut and another half hour to the road.


All in all a beautiful day. I'd done some solo outings before, but this is probably my biggest so far. Really enjoyed the psychological side of it, and there being so many people on the mountain I knew that if anything went wrong it'd be easy to get assistance.

Hope you've enjoyed this account of Spain's lesser known side- when I have the time, I'll dig out some old pics of winter powpow hunts in the pyrenees.

[Franz Klammer]

Excellent work!

[IridePow]

Awesome!!

That looks like a great tour.
Very nice turns in that couloir.

[Marius]

the best spanish lesson i ever joined

i didn't know that the pyrenees have some glaciers. but it looks like you have better condition over there than the alps this spring
( engelberg closed because of crevasses on 3000m on the pistes )

ps: next time ask the climbers how they are going to come down

[smitchell333]

Fucking Stellar.

Put that on my want to do list.

[klar]

Hope you've enjoyed this account of Spain's lesser known side- when I have the time, I'll dig out some old pics of winter powpow hunts in the pyrenees.

yes, enjoyed it very much, thanks! and do dig out those pow pics...

[detroit]

Wow, that's pretty sweet

Thank you

[powdork]

excellent stoke any time, but especially in june.

[summit]

TGR rules... we even get stoke out of the Pyrenes here!

BRAVO!

[scarlet begonias]

Wow. Thanks a lot!

[jon turner]

Awesome. thanks for the pics and report. I enjoyed reading it very much.

[Split-It]

nice solo journey. great TR just when they are starting to slow down. i hope to fill in the void in the coming months as well.

[goldenboy]

Thanks, I love seeing new places, looks like great conditions there.

[Sutter]

Great TR, I loved seeing those shots of the Pyrenees, absolutely inspiring.

[Kroenen]

Awesome TR. Thank you.

[LBSki]

After all the talk of the Plains of Spain - whodathunk? Nice TR!

[hutash]

I knew there was some great skiing in Spain, but it is great to see the goods. Great TR, hope more are going to follow.

[Mike Pow]

Dyn-o-mite

[f2f]

excellent show-and-tell. thank you!

[davidof]

climbers and skiers, what a mix,

nice TR

[irbis]

outstanding. me like.

[Hayduke]

Yeah Powders that was pretty fucking cool. Thanks. My Bro went touring in the Piccos (sp) mountains last year, he had an excellent time.