Cuerda Larga in winter

Introduction

I drove with Nadie to Puerto de Navacerrada (1860 m) on March 14th, 2008. We stopped before reaching it for having dinner. Once on the pass we came into the hostal. The wind blowed hard and seemed not to be anybody, but after a few minutes a man opened the door. They said us that it was late and we had not say of coming there late. But I'd say it when calling from Madrid the day before. So they gave us a room and said that if we want to go out before 8:00 AM we should say. We were too tired from the week and said that we'd sleep a lot. We went to bed soon. At 4:00 AM I got up because of the wind noise but I followed sleeping. At 6:15 AM Nadie awakened and woke me up. We were having our little breakfast because we knew they were not going to serve us. So we were prepared before 8:00 AM and the hostal door was not open. We were waiting til and old man said us if we wanted a coffee. He was so nice and we drank those cups.

At 8:00 AM we left the hostal and ascended Bola del Mundo (2255 m), the wind blew hard but it was not cold. Neither there was not much snow. Soon we left the road that reaches the summit huge TV antennas taking some short cuts. We were on the top at 9:00 AM but didn't stop. Descended to Collado de las Guarramillas (2158 m), where we found two pitched tents, and ascended Valdemartín (2272 m). We continued to Collado de Valdemartín (2151 m) and stopped in a gully in Cabeza de Hierro Menor (2376 m) N face. We ate and drank something and continued to the summit. The fog started to cover us while crossing Collado de Entrecabezas (2321 m) but we continued to Cabeza de Hierro Mayor (2383 m), maximum height of the entire route. We stopped there 10 minutes before departing to Collado de la Peña de los Vaqueros (2219 m).

The fog was so thick that we were lost on the snow for a moment. I took my compass out and tried to get my bearings, the route was to the NE almost all the time so it was not difficult. Suddenly the clouds partly moved away and we could see the col. We reached it, traversed the huge Pandasco (2247 m), descended a little to Collado de las Zorras (2196 m) and started the beautiful ascent to Asómate de Hoyos (2242 m). We'd a guy in Cabezas de Hierro and a pair in Collado de la Peña de los Vaqueros but after Collado de las Zorras there were more, some groups too. There was no snow on Pandasco but we sank in it while descending Asómate de Hoyos.

Reached Collado de la Peña de los Lobos (2051 m) and started the ascent to Bailanderos (2133 m). Before we were on the summit we stopped for having lunch behind a rocky rib. The wind still blew strongly. Reached the top and descended to Collado de la Najarra (1972 m). While descending to it we found some birds and insects so there was life there after having crossed those big mountains before. We ascended the last slope to Najarra (2123 m) and descended to Puerto de la Morcuera (1796) in the NW face. They were 8h 25 min on a nice ridge with a strong wind blowing all the time.

There we were waiting my brother to come with his wife in the car. We descended a little more, to Refugio-Albergue de la Morcuera, where some minutes after they came and took us. They wanted to walk a little so went for a stroll in Valle de Lozoya. We drank another coffee in Rascafría and went back to my brother's car. They take us to Puerto de Navacerrada (1860 m) passing Puerto de Cotos (1830 m) and we both drove back to Madrid. The day was so long, before Madrid we were having supper in an Italian restaurant of Boadilla. Nadid and me were so tired that we asked if we could retire. It's been our first completed Cuerda Larga.

NOTE: Mountains are in bold and cols in italics, both only once marked.

External Links

Cuerda Larga (in the Spanish Wikipedia)

CUERDA LARGA.

CUERDA LARGA, CUERDA CON NOMBRE PROPIO EN LA SIERRA DE GUADARRAMA.

Cuerda Larga.

Ruta: por Cuerda Larga

Images

View Cuerda Larga in winter Image Gallery - 10 Images