UKC

Under-rated and often overlooked, the Picos de Europa is Northern Spain's hidden secret!

A huge area of wild limestone peaks offering rock climbers and mountaineers a wealth of routes in a range of styles, sizes and difficulties.

UKC user Ian Martin gives us the full low-down on this vast climbing area...

Read more at http://www.ukclimbing.com/articles/page.php?id=1858

In reply to UKC Articles:

Good article. I've been failing to persuade people to go here for some time, perhaps this will help!

In reply to duncan:

Are there other mountains around to compare to Naranjo de Bulnes or is that pretty much it for very long, alpine style, sustained routes?

In reply to UKC Articles:
Great article.
I have wanted to go here for years. Really need to get off my fat bum and get it sorted.

In reply to Tyler:

There is a lot of rock and several other peaks have long rock routes on them, Horcados Rojos for example. These are generally much less technical.

The west face of Naranjo is the main event.

In reply to Tyler:

Naranjo is quite short compared with some. I've done 1200m rock routes over there. The thing about Naranjo is that its a very fetching peak with a lot of high quality, steeper than average climbing available.

In reply to UKC Articles: I'm off to the Picos this summer
Does anyone have any info on an English Guidebook to Valdehuesa, or any way of getting hold of a topo?

In reply to GrahamD:


That's what I was asking really, steep sustained, similar to stuff in the Dolomites, rather than long rambles. e.g. to use UK equivalents, Centurion rather than Tower Ridge.

In reply to Tyler:

There is plenty of stuff in between - We had a fortnight of ticking the starred TDs (very soft !) all over the central massif (including a couple of days on Naranjo). Plenty of mountain stuff coming in at UK S 4a to VS 4c with the odd harder move but there are also loads of shorter (2 or 3 pitch)valley crags with harder stuff on it.

At my grade, climbing was actually very reminiscent of the Dolomites at times. At your grades I would imagine its more limited. Beutiful area, mind.

In reply to Sl@te Head: They had a (handwritten) topo at the bar in the town just before getting to the crag that climbers update whenever something changes. Is a basic name/line/grade affair, but it worked a treat for us.
Disclaimer: That was in 1996, so the bar (or the town) may not be there anymore...

In reply to Mr Lopez: Is it relatively easy to work out what's what at the crag without a topo?

In reply to Sl@te Head: It's a bit obvious, yes. The overhanging sector in the photo is all 7b up to 8c. On the left of it there are a couple of 6's, and to the right there are another 2 (or was it 3?) sectors with most routes ranging from 6a to 7a.
Anyway, the crag is somewhat busy, so you can ask the locals and they'll help you out.

In reply to Sl@te Head: You've been lucky: http://www.scribd.com/doc/13322851/Croquis-Valdehuesa
Enjoy

In reply to Mr Lopez:

Thanks!!!!