Torre De Cerredo
Steve Beresford
An excursion, part of last year’s Picos de Europa meet, involving:
Alister Renton
David Smith
Martyn Wakeman and
Stephen Beresford.
Objectives
Torres de Cerrodo, 2648m (Highest in the Picos)
Picos de Los Cabrones 2553m
Summary
Torre de Cerredo proved to be a fabulous summit and memorable, depite being little more than a scramble. It had stunning views from its summit and getting to its wild location was thirsty work indeed!
Our attempt at Picos de le Cabrones had to be abandoned after taking the wrong approach and ending up on the loose rock of ‘Agujas de los Cabrones’; a series of pinnacles to the north-west of the main summit. This was disappointing as the views of the peak from our bivi at the Lueje hut were fantastic as it changed colour with the sunset.
| Day 1 | Fuente De (leave car) El Cable 1834 (via teleferico) Hoos Rojos Col 2344 (via Hoyo Si Tierra) Ubeda Hut (below the distinctive El Naranja peak) Hda Arenera Col 2283 Lueje Hut (via Jou de los Cabrones) |
| Day 2 | Jou Negrd Glacier P. De L. Cabrones (aborted) Lueje Hut Plateau north of Joll de Cerredo (bivi) |
| Day 3 | Torre de Cerredo 2648 (sum’t) Hda de D Carlos Col 2422 Hda de Cain Col 2344 Hoyo Cimero 1844 note depth Ceda Blanca Col 2352 Cabana Veronica Hut 2325 El Cable-Fuente De |
Impressions
This three day trip left me with three lasting impressions. Firstly, the landscape of the Picos; a spectacular moutainous desert. A notable feature of this decent was the ‘Hoyo’- an enormous basin-like valley. We invariably found ourselves looking down into a Hoyo from some lofty coL often to realise, that the next col we were aiming for was far across the Hoyo and the only logical route there required a descent into the floor, sometimes 1500 feet or more, and then a slog up and out the other side. The route to Torre de Ceredo had so many col-hoyo-col sequences that we were up and down like the proverbial fiddlers elbows!
Secondly, the dryness. We covered some considerable distance and height changes, in extremely hot weather, with only three places to replenish water supplies. After the first day we started early to use the shade and the cool. I wouldn’t like to get lost in the Picos without water.
The tlurd lasting impression I have concerns the laughs we had at the expense of one member. While setting up our bivi at the Lueje hut one member happened to criticise the bivi sites of the others. Allowing his ego a voice for a moment he said he was an ‘expert brvier’ and advised them to move. Of course, after such a remark the others were determined not to move however uncomfortable the spot. In fact my spot was dreadful, but I was determined to push the point. Over the next two days we made several hundred references to ‘expert bivouacking’. In fact he may never live this down.