Maladeta Massif
Page Type: Area/Range Location: Huesca, Spain, Europe Lat/Lon: 42.64240°N / 0.66340°E Activities: Hiking, Mountaineering, Ice Climbing, Big Wall, Mixed, Scrambling, Skiing Season: Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter Elevation: 11167 ft / 3404 m	Page By: Rafa Bartolome Created/Edited: May 16, 2004 / Sep 19, 2008 Object ID: 152626 Hits: 7226  Loading... Page Score: 89.99% - 23 Votes  Loading... Vote: Log in to vote

Table of Contents Overview History-The Conquerors Getting There The summits Peak of Maladeta (3308m) Red Tape When To Climb Camping Mountain Conditions External Links Images Overview   South face   North face Names: Macizo de La Maladeta, Montes Malditos. "Montes Malditos" is the spanish expression for "Damned Mountains". According to some books this terrible-sounding name has its origin in the primitive local name for the massif: Mala hita (meaning "bad rocks" or "bad upper regions"). The first french travelers in the area translated this local name into the french "Maladette", thinking it had something to do with the italian term "Maladetta" (feminin for "damned"). After that, Maladeta was a logical evolution and from the name of a single peak it came to be the term to know the whole massif. (info add for "eza") The Maladeta Massif constitutes the most important and emblematic set of summits of the whole Pyrenees, not only for contains the highest point (Aneto, 3404m), but for the category and quantity of tops over 3000 meters that it contains. For centuries this range has astonished the mountaineers that for many years of legend have managed to conquer the summits. Great report of the history of the French and Spanish mountaineering has been written in these mythical summits. For a long time the massif was removed from the civilization and was a hard task for the first conquerors to come up to it for what was adapted the name of Montes Malditos ("Damned Mounts") that still is correct to refer to this mountain range. The Maladeta Massif is located in valley of Benasque in north of Huesca, just in the middle of the mountainous range of the Pyrenees (Pirineos). History-The Conquerors   Pico Maladeta I write some words about the first mountaineers on the summits of Maladeta. The first climb to Pico de la Maladeta in 1817 had special importance. When Parrot and Barrau reached the summit they thinked it was the highest of massif, and as well of the full Pyrenees, but they comtemplated the highest Aneto from the summit. A lot of years were needed to climb this peak.   Aneto Peak Date Mountaineers Route Pico de la Maladeta 29-september-1817 F.Parrot & P.Barrau Col de Rimaya Pico de Aneto 20-july-1842 A. de Franqueville, P. de Tchihatcheff, B.Arrazau, O.Redonnet, P.Sarrió & J.Sors South Pico Russell 1865 H.Russell & C.Packe Sout-east Pico de Alba july-1868 H.Russell & J.Haurillon - Pico Tempestades 21-august-1877 H.Russell & C.Passet shoulder SSE Picos Cordier & Sayó 25-august-1877 H.Russell & C.Passet - Pico de Aragüels august-1880 H.Russell & F.Barreau ridge ENE Diente de Alba 31-august-1882 H.Russell & B.Courrége - Pico Maldito 1882 H.Brulle Col Maldito Punta Astorg july-1901 D'Astorg, H.Brulle, C.Passet & B.Salles Col Maldito Pico Margalida 29-july-1905 Le Bondidier & JM.Sansuc South Getting There The valley of Benasque is actually the most popular of the Pyrenees because it the signposting is good on the roads for the 3 big valleys of Pyrenees of the north of Huesca: Tena, Ordesa and Benasque. For approach to Benasque from Huesca: in the road on direction to Barbastro (N-240). After Barbastro we follow the indication to valley of Benasque to the C-1311 to Graus and the C-139 to Benasque across the beautiful gorge of Congosto de Ventanillo. The approach of the principal summits has different trailheads but the principal trailheads are: -Llanos de la Besurta (near the Hospital de Benasque) and refuge of La Renclusa in the north of Maladeta. Trailhead to Aneto, Maldito, Maladeta, Tuc de Mulleres... -Bridge of Coronas at the end of the track of Vallibierna in the south of Maladeta. Trailhead to south route to Aneto, Aragüels, Vallibierna, Tempestades, Margalida, Russell... -Puente de Cregüeña in the road between Benasque and Llanos del Hospital de Benasque. Trailhead to Pico de Alba, Diente de Alba, Mir, Sayó, Cordier... The summits It exist a lot of summits, but I show the principal summits and not the aiguilles or little summits except the peaks of 3000m of the list of UIAA. List of the Maladeta Massif from North-West to South-East with the grade of difficulty of easiest route, generally the normal but in many cases with the aiguilles is easiest the descent from the mains summit as the Espalda de Aneto, Aguja Superior de Russell... than the route normal for rock-climbers: Image Peak Meters Route(grade) Aguja de Alba 3054 P.D. (II+) Pico de Alba 3118 F Diente de Alba 3136 F. Muela de Alba 3118 F. Diente de la Maladeta 2888 F. Punta Delmás 3170 F.sup. Pico Mir 3185 F. (I) Pico Sayó 3228 F. Pico Cordier 3254 F. Pico Le Bondidier 3185 F.sup. (II-) P.Collado de la Rimaya 3265 P.D. (II+) Pico de la Maladeta 3308 PD (II+) Pico Abadías 3279 F. Aguja Schmidt-Endell 3335 P.D.sup. Pico Maldito 3350 AD inf (II, III, II+,I+,I,II+) Punta Astorg 3355 A.D.inf.(II, III, II+,I+,I,II+,I) Aguja Haurillon 3075 A.D. Aguja de Cregüeña 3043 A.D. Aguja Juncadella 3021 F. Pico de Aragüells 3037 F. Pico del Medio 3346 F. sup. Pico de Coronas 3293 F Tuca de Collado de Coronas 3286 F. Punta Oliveras-Arenas 3298 F. Pico de Aneto 3404 F sup (I+) Aguja Daviú 3350 P.D.sup. Aguja Escudier 3315 P.D.sup. Aguja Franqueville 3065 P.D.inf. Aguja Tchihatcheff 3052 P.D.sup.(III) Aguja Argarot 3035 P.D. Pitón de Llosás 2890 SD/F Espalda de Aneto 3350 F.sup. Pta.Brecha Tempestades 3274 P.D.sup. (III-, III) Pico Tempestades 3290 F. Pico Margalida 3241 F sup (I+,I) Primer Resalte de Salenques 3127 A.D.inf. (III-) Segundo Resalte de Salenques 3148 D.inf. (V-) Torre de Salenques 3111 D.inf. (V-) Forca Estasen 3028 F.sup. (I+) Pic d'Aigualluts 2708 F. Pic de Barrancs 2887 F. Pico de Salenques 2986 SD/F Punta Brecha Russell 3192 F (I) Pico Russell 3207 F (I) Russell S.E. 3205 F. Russell Oriental 3034 F. Aguja Russell Superior 3146 P.D.inf. (II) Aguja Russell S.W. 3029 P.D. (II+) Tuc de Mulleres 3010 SD/F Tuca de Culebres 3051 F. Pico Vallibierna 3056 F.

Peak of Maladeta (3308m)

Red Tape

When To Climb

Camping

Mountain Conditions

External Links

• Fed.Aragonesa de Montaña
  Info of mountain huts of the FAM, routes, climbing,...
  
• Map of Benasque
  General map of the Natural Park of Posets-Maladeta
  
• Pyreneisme
  Information about the heroes of first years: Astorg, Rusell, C.Passet, Brulle... (in french)
  
• Desnivel #131 Aug. 1997
  In this issue of Desnivel, there is a description of most of the routes of MALADETA ORIENTAL South Face. These 300 metres vertical wall offers you one of the best alpine climbs in the Pyrenees.
  
• Cerler
  info about the ski resort of Cerler and all the valley of Benasque.
  

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