Gora gu ta gutarrak (210 m, 6b)

"Gora gu ta gutarrak" means something like "long life to us and ours", and it´s the name of the newest route that crosses the East face of the biggest summit of Bi Ahizpak (It means Two Daughters in Basque, and in Spanish its name is Dos Hermanas).

This is a sport climbing multi-pitch route which crosses the East face of Bi Ahizpak, near Irurtzun. Click on the route line for more exhaustive description:


Topo (Taken from http://www.puiseux.name/loisirs/topos)

There is no need for carrying additional material but sport climbing equipment. There are bolts all the way up the route, very close one from another. Thus, it´s a safe and amusing climbing.
It´s advisable to unify the first two pitches, as well as the last two.

From the second belay station (climbing the first pitch, V+)

By the second pitch, getting out of a long movement of 6a+.

View of the third pitch (6a+) from the second belay

Reaching the third belay

Teorically the fourth pitch is the hardest one (6b), it has a few tricky movements to kick the belly that is visible in the photo.

Photo taken from the fifth pitch, which crosses the wall to the left (6a+). The difficulties are located in a short sheet, I think this section is 6b at least, but it´s difficult to stablish the grade of the complete pitch when the hard section is so compressed. The sensation of verticality is more noticeable in this place.

Sixth pitch, most likely the best one of them all (6a+). It starts with a traverse going left and then a diedre-crack until the belay.

From this point, there are two other pitches until reaching the top (6a+,IV). It´s better to climb them together, not to lose time.

Photo from the sixth belay

The best way to descend the wall is to abseil the way from the rapel system which is prepared at the top, especially if you´ve used two ropes. There is other option, witch is to go to the other side of the second summit crest (which is the one the route has led you), make a rappel, and climb the V- grade route (20 meters) that is on the other side of the crest, and that allows you to access to the main summit. Then, descend it (be careful if the grass is wet) until you reach a rapel station. From that point abseil to the left (to the left when you are looking down a mean). You´ll have to make two rapels if using one rope, or one if you´ve used two twin ropes.
After that, go down by the dusty slope that leads you to the river.

ESMINU (170m+ridge, V+ approx)

This is a route situated on the southeast face of Ezkarre mountain. It´s a good plan to go to Zuriza´s camping and spend some days climbing around.



Photo of the topo which is in Zuriza´s camping

You´ll find sport climbing protection almost in all sections of the route. Perhaps it´d be good to bring with you two or three friends for the final ridge, but they are not extrictly necessary. The approximation is detailed on the map, just by clicking on the lines.

First pitch (III+)

On the second pitch (V+). It´s a beatiful wide crack. The aid grades of the route are easy to resolve in free climbing style.

View of the third pitch from the third belay (V+). It´s the continuation of the previous crack.

On the third belay. At that point you have to make a traverse to the right and climb the next crack, it can be seen in this photo.

Climbing the mentioned crack (V)

The fifth and sixth pitches can be unified. This is the start of the sixth pitch (V).

Same section from the leaders view

Looking down the way when reaching the ridge

On the ridge. After that there are some pitches left that can be easily climbed using assemble technic.

Descending from the ridge

El Puro´s normal route (180 m,6b)

El Puro peak is located in Riglos, one of the most important climbing areas of Spain. As notable walls in this spot, there can be mentioned El Pison, El Fire and La Visera, with a approximately height of 300 meters. All these faces are comprised of conglomerate rock.
From the first third of El Pison erects El puro, considered as the last summit to be reached in the Iberian Peninsula, till Alberto Rabadá, Ernesto Navarro and M.Bescos achieved the climbing in July of 1953. Rabadá and Navarro would ascend the West face of Urriellu nine years later, opening which is probably the most famous climbing route of Spain, the "Rabadá-Navarro" route across the west face of Naranjo de Bulnes.
The first four attempts to climb El Puro were carried out between 1947 and 1953,until it was finally attained. Two of these climbings finished tragicaly, with a dead climber in each one (Mariano Cored and Victor Carilla).

View of the outstanding surroundings of Mallos de Riglos. Riglos village at the bottom of the photo.

Nowadays the normal route to the summit is safely protected by expansive anchors and some pitons. There are two entrances to the route, the classic one and the direct one. All belay stations are rapelable, with two bolts, and a ring hunged to each one.

Topo of the route 1 ..... Topo of the route 2

Horizontal passage by the second pitch (classic route)

Third pitch (5b), the most vertical one until you reach el puro´s hill.

Climbing the long chimney roughly at half of the route, just before reaching El Puro´s base.

At the tiny hill. There is a big rock trapped between El Puro and El Pison walls, just over the belay station.

Starting El Puro´s wall (5b)

Classic climbing anchors are still used in many sections.

Finishing the first pitch after the hill

Reaching the penultimate belay station (5c)

The final pitch is marked as 6b, it´s the hardest of all but it´s well anchored, so you can try to make it in free climbing style.

Astonishing views from the top.

Rapels start from a belay station that you have to reach going down a banister which is in the top. It´s possible to descend rapeling by the route, but it´s more advisable to go down using the rapels I´ve explain. With two ropes of sixty meters you can reach the hill. The rapels are well reviewed in the first topo.

Reaching the hill rapeling.

Aguja de las Gaviotas

La Aguja de las gaviotas es un afilado risco de 40 metros que se alza en la costa cantabra, con una sola linea de ascenso.

Croquis de cuando se abrio la via:
El paraje en el que se encuentra es excepcional y hace que la escalada sea unica. La via tiene dos variantes en su parte inferior. Nosotros elegimos la directa. Vista de la aguja en la aproximacion:

A pie de via. Se aprecian facilmente las fisuras por las que discurre la via. Los largos estan limpios. La primera reunion tiene dos quimicos y la segunda esta montada en un bloque. Es una via de autoproteccion, en la que las dificultades se concentran en el segundo largo. Conviene llevar un juego de friends hasta el Nº2. Los fisureros tambien entran bien en algunas secciones.

En la primera reunion

Desde la reunion

Acabando el segundo largo

Llegando a la punta

Las vistas arriba

Preparando el rapel

En memoria de IÑAKI RETOLAZA

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