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GUNUNG · Spanyol

Aneto

Pico de Aneto / Pic de Néthou

Source
Aneto

Photo: source

Information

Elevation
3.404 m
Country
Spanyol (ES)
Location / Range
Central Pyrenees — Maladeta Massif (Posets-Maladeta Natural Park, Aragon, Spain)
Mountain type
The highest non-volcanic granite peak of the Pyrenees, protected by the ever-shrinking Aneto glacier
Volcanic?
No (non-volcanic)
Coordinates
42.6310, 0.6566
Difficulty
Strenuous with technical sections (a simple hochtour): crossing the Aneto Glacier with crampons and ice axe, ending with the crossing of the Puente de Mahoma (a narrow rock ridge, UIAA II, highly exposed); not suitable for hikers without alpine experience
Best Season
July–September (most stable glacier, least snow on the Puente de Mahoma ridge); avoid early June (excessive snow) and October (risk of frozen ice)
Permits & Rules
No climbing permit required; reservation mandatory at Refugio de la Renclusa (2,140 m, the normal starting point) via federacionhiking.es or directly; access via La Besurta (paid parking ticket or seasonal bus from Benasque)
Hazards
The continuously shrinking Aneto glacier holds hidden crevasses; the Puente de Mahoma is highly exposed when wet or frozen; afternoon storms in the Pyrenees develop quickly; orientation on the glacier is difficult in fog

Description

Pico de Aneto (3,404 m) is the highest peak in the Pyrenees and the tallest summit on the Spanish mainland (Teide on the Canary Islands is geographically in Africa). Located in the Maladeta Massif within Aragon's Posets-Maladeta Natural Park, it faces northward toward France. The first ascent was made on 20 July 1842 by Russian geologist Platon Chikhachyov with French naturalist Albert de Franqueville and four local guides. The normal route climbs from Refugio de la Renclusa (2,140 m) across the Aneto Glacier—the largest remaining glacier in the Pyrenees at roughly 80 hectares—then up to the Col de Coronas and across the 'Puente de Mahoma' (Bridge of Muhammad): a narrow, exposed rock ridge a few metres long that forms the most dramatic and airy section of the climb, before the final push to the summit. The rapidly receding Aneto Glacier serves as a stark visual reminder of the Alpine climate crisis.

Routes

Jalur Normal via Refugio La Renclusa dan Gletser Aneto

Berat / PD (Peu Difficile alpine): penyeberangan gletser dengan crampon & kapak es wajib, seksi Puente de Mahoma sangat bereksposur (UIAA II bila batu kering)
21.00 km +1264 m 8–12 jam pulang-pergi dari La Besurta

The normal route to Pico de Aneto departs from the La Besurta car park (1,930 m) or Refugio de la Renclusa (2,140 m) in the Benasque valley, Aragon. From Renclusa, the trail climbs rocky Maladeta granite terrain for 2–3 hours to the edge of the Aneto Glacier. The glacier crossing requires crampons and ideally a rope, as crevasses can hide under fresh snow. After the glacier, the route climbs scree and snow slopes to the Col de Coronas (3,196 m), then traverses a small ridge toward the summit. The most famous section is the 'Puente de Mahoma' (Bridge of Muhammad) — an exposed rock ridge about 3 metres long that must be crossed carefully; in dry summer conditions it can be done without a rope but remains heart-pounding. From the Puente de Mahoma, a few final steps along the summit ridge reach the highest cairn in the Pyrenees. Most climbers set off between 03:00–05:00 from the hut to summit before afternoon Pyrenean storms.

Route Segments

  1. 1

    La Besurta (1930 m) → Refugio de la Renclusa (2140 m)

    ⏱ 30–45 menit 2.140 mdpl

    Jalan berbatu menanjak ringan; pondok dengan kapasitas terbatas — reservasi jauh hari sangat disarankan

  2. 2

    Refugio de la Renclusa → Tepi Gletser Aneto (~2700 m)

    ⏱ 2–3 jam 2.700 mdpl

    Jalur berbatu lewat lereng Maladeta; crampon mulai dipakai di sini; jangan melewati gletser tanpa crampon

  3. 3

    Penyeberangan Gletser Aneto → Col de Coronas (3196 m)

    ⏱ 1–2 jam 3.196 mdpl

    Gletser terbesar Pyrenees yang terus menyusut; waspadai crevasse; navigasi dengan kompas atau GPS di kondisi kabut

  4. 4

    Col de Coronas → Puente de Mahoma → Puncak (3404 m)

    ⏱ 1–1,5 jam 3.404 mdpl

    Puente de Mahoma: punggung batu sempit 3 m bereksposur — pegang dengan dua tangan bila tidak menggunakan tali; puncak Pyrenees setelah beberapa langkah terakhir

Source

Rute Boca del Infierno (via Refugio Angel Orús)

Berat-Sangat Berat (PD+): lebih panjang, melintasi Col de la Rimaya, gletser dari sisi berbeda, eksposur serupa
26.00 km +1550 m 2 hari (dengan bermalam di Refugio Angel Orús)

A quieter and more technically demanding multi-day alternative to the normal route, starting from the village of Eresué via Refugio Angel Orús (2,100 m). This route climbs from the eastern side of the Maladeta massif, passing through Boca del Infierno and the Col de la Rimaya before joining the normal route near the summit. Less frequented than the La Renclusa approach, offering greater solitude in the Pyrenean landscape — but navigation is harder and alpine experience or a guide is essential.

Route Segments

  1. 1

    Eresué → Refugio Angel Orús (2100 m)

    ⏱ 3–4 jam 2.100 mdpl

    Pendakian panjang dari lembah; bermalam di Refugio Angel Orús; pemandangan massif Maladeta dari sisi timur

  2. 2

    Refugio Angel Orús → Boca del Infierno → Col de la Rimaya (~3200 m)

    ⏱ 3–4 jam (hari 2) 3.200 mdpl

    Medan alpine berat dengan gletser dan batu; navigasi kompleks — wajib kompas/GPS; jarang ada jejak terang

  3. 3

    Col de la Rimaya → Puente de Mahoma → Puncak (3404 m)

    ⏱ 1–1,5 jam 3.404 mdpl

    Bergabung dengan jalur normal; Puente de Mahoma dan puncak Pyrenees

Source

References

The summary above is compiled from the following sources. Click to explore them yourself.

  1. 1 Wikipedia Aneto en.wikipedia.org · EN
  2. 2 Wikipedia Pico de Aneto es.wikipedia.org · ES
  3. 3 Wikidata Aneto (Q208081) wikidata.org · EN