Cresta Noroeste - Northwest ridge

Cresta Noroeste - Northwest ridge

Page Type Page Type: Route
Location Lat/Lon: 42.68900°N / 0.01600°E
Additional Information Route Type: Rock climb /scramble
Additional Information Time Required: A long day
Additional Information Difficulty: grade III, exposed
Sign the Climber's Log

Approach

The ridge starts at the "Collado del Cilindro", which can be reached from Góriz or from the Balcony of Pineta (for access from Ordesa Canyon and Góriz, see "Normal Route"). We will explain here how to go up to the Col from Pineta.
Leave the car at the Parador Nacional de Pineta, in the end of the road coming from Bielsa. From this point you have to cross the river to the west and start following a wide forest trail going up and marked by signals reading "Balcón de Pineta" or "Lago de Marboré". This trail leads northwest in search of the rocky cliffs and you will have to abandon it after a bridge just after it turns to look north-east. The path is still well marked by cairns and occasional wooden posts with the previously referred legends.
At first you will climb through grassy terrain, but soon it will change into a rocky trail and finally cross a scree slope to reach the Balcón de Pineta. This is a wide plain at about 2600 meters above sea level, placed right below the North Face of Monte Perdido and scarcely ten minutes from the moment you reach it you should be seeing on your right side the waters of the Ice Lake of Marboré("Lago Helado de Marboré").

Route Description

From the Collado del Cilindro you start climbing the ridge, leaving on your right side the hollow Lago Helado and the Corridor of the Normal Route. At first it is a grade III climb leading to the big rocky "gendarme" known as "Dedo del Monte Perdido" (M.Perdido's Finger). It will have to be surrounded by its left side (north face), crossing a steep snow ramp.
After that, you have to change to the right side of the ridge and get on climbing through an grade III section, quite exposed. That will finish in the moment you reach an overhang forcing a left side traverse and the end of the real problems in this ridge. The rest of the route poses no real difficulties, reaching the summit some five or six hours after leaving the "Collado del Cilindro"

Essential Gear

Climbing equipment for safety. A harness is a must, that's for sure. I'll post any additional info as soon as I find it.

Parents 

Parents

Parents refers to a larger category under which an object falls. For example, theAconcagua mountain page has the 'Aconcagua Group' and the 'Seven Summits' asparents and is a parent itself to many routes, photos, and Trip Reports.