Crossing of the 3 miles: Aneto, Perdiguero and Posets in one day

BySergi Vàzquez
Posets crest. Challenge to chain the 3 most emblematic peaks of the Benasque Valley: Aneto, Perdiguero and Posets. Photo courtesy of
Posets crest. Challenge to chain the 3 most emblematic peaks of the Benasque Valley: Aneto, Perdiguero and Posets. Photo courtesy of

Linking the most important peaks around the Posets-Maladeta Natural Park over several days is a great route. Doing it in less than 24 hours is already a great challenge. This is what Sergi Vázquez, Albert Gómez and Xabi Jiménez set themselves in the summer of 2021.

In the following article you can read: the itinerary / the team / the chronicle / comeeting the protagonists.

Index

Itinerary

The route links the highest peaks of the Posets-Maladeta massifs:

  • Maladeta Massif: Aneto (3404m)
  • Posets Massif: Posets (3375m)
  • Perdiguero Massif: Red-legged retriever (3222m)
  • Distance: 74,78 Km
  • Unevenness: +5.841m
  • Departure: Benasque centre (1,138 m) in the direction of Senarta and the Vallibierna Valley. We ascend the track until we reach the Coronas refuge (1,950 m), where we start the ascent through the Coronas Valley until we reach the Aneto (3,404m).
  • From Aneto we descend following the glacier, passing through Portillón Superior and the Renclusa refuge (2,140 m). From there we descend to Llanos del Hospital (1,750 m), where we have our first refreshment point.
  • In Llanos, we start the ascent towards the Perdiguero peak through the valley and the Remuñe gate. From the Perdiguero Peak (3,222 m), where we have another refreshment station, we go down the Collado Ubago and the valley to the Estós refuge (1,890 m), the point where we have the last big refreshment station.
Posets ridge. Reaching the summit and therefore, managing to chain the 3 most emblematic peaks of the Benasque Valley. "We had already covered more than 60 km and 5,700 m+, but we were getting closer and closer to the end and the goal". Courtesy photo.
Posets ridge. Reaching the summit and therefore, managing to chain the 3 most emblematic peaks of the Benasque Valley. "We had already covered more than 60 km and 5,700 m+, but we were getting closer and closer to the end and the goal". Courtesy photo.
  • From the Refugio de Estós we face the third ascent in the direction of the Paül pass (3,060 m), where we start to climb up to reach the Posets Peak (3.375m).
  • Finally, on the last descent we pass the Angel Orús refuge (2,095 m), the Espigantosa waterfall, the village of Eriste and on to Benasque.

We also leave here a similar itinerary for those who want to tackle the challenge more calmly (2 days).

Equipment used

To complete the Aneto-Perdiguero-Posets challenge on the day, the protagonists used the following equipment:

  • Frontal (that we left once we descended from the Aneto)
  • Windbreaker.
  • Lightweight crampons.
  • Shorts.
  • Technical clothing.
  • Trail running shoes.
  • Lightweight walking sticks.
  • Trail backpacks from 5 to 12 L.
  • Spare clothing for refreshment posts.

For food, they had different refreshment posts along the route, where they took the opportunity to eat and drink something more consistent than what they had in their backpacks (bars, gels, a snack...).

The chronicle of the day

By Sergi Vázquez, Albert Gómez and Xabi Jiménez (Meet the protagonists).

"We had been thinking about this challenge for a few months. We knew that very few people had achieved it and we wanted to surpass ourselves and make this dream come true.

The objective was very clear; to chain the three most emblematic peaks of the Benasque Valley (Aneto, Perdiguero and Posets) in less than 24 hours, starting and finishing in the town of Benasque. The total distance is 74 kilometres and some 5,800 metres of positive height gain.

We started running at 00:00h on Saturday 3 July in the centre of the village, in the direction of the Vallibierna Valley. The climb up to the Coronas refuge was very fast and manageable, and from this point we headed up the Coronas Valley to climb the Aneto, 3,404 metres. We reached the summit 5 hours after the start, within the timetable we had planned. The low temperatures due to the time of day and the north wind made us spend a few moments of very cold, so we crossed the Mohammed BridgeWe took a photo at the summit and quickly started our descent. We crossed the glacier and crossed the Portillón Superior, heading towards the Renclusa refuge, 2,140 metres. We then headed towards Llanos del Hospital, kilometre 31, 7h 37', where we had our first refreshment point.

Descending from the Aneto towards the Portillón Superior, at first light, "at that time we had been there for about 6 hours, 22 km and +2,300 m".
Descending from the Aneto towards the Portillón Superior, at first light, "at that time we had been there for about 6 hours, 22 km and +2,300 m".

We were still on schedule, and after a brief stop for something to eat and drink, we began the ascent towards the Remuñe Valley. The ascent to the Perdiguero was long and technical, due to the large number of blocks to overcome before the summit. During this stretch we had a few down moments, which we were able to overcome thanks to the help of all the people who had come up to encourage us and who gave us the necessary push to push forward. The arrival at the summit of the Perdiguero was one of the most emotional moments of the day. We had already covered more than half the distance and the difference in altitude, and our closest family members were waiting for us at the summit. Undoubtedly one of the moments that have marked us the most and that we will never forget.

The mountaineers from Sangüesa were waiting for us to encourage us and give us the support and energy we needed to finish climbing the Perdiguero. We had been down for a few moments, and that moment encouraged us to keep going". Photo Courtesy of
The mountaineers from Sangüesa were waiting for us to encourage us and give us the support and energy we needed to finish climbing the Perdiguero. We had been down for a few moments, and that moment encouraged us to keep going". Photo Courtesy of

At around 13h, we left the summit of the Perdiguero in the direction of the Refugio de Estós. We could see the end getting closer and closer, although at the same time we could see the Posets, which was just in front of us, and we could see that it was not going to be easy to reach it. The descent through the Estós Valley was by far the worst stretch of the day. The complexity of the terrain and a few moments of discouragement caused us to fall behind our planned timetable. At this point we began to doubt whether we would really be able to finish this madness, all 3 of us.

We arrived at the Estós hut after 15h, where our family and friends were waiting for us to give us the last refreshments. We stopped to eat and rest for a few minutes before starting the last climb of the day to Posets. The support and encouragement of all our people gave us enough energy to continue. At this point we had already covered 50 kilometres and more than 4,000 metres of accumulated positive altitude gain.

Posets ridge. Photo loaned
Posets ridge. Photo loaned

We started the ascent to the Collado de la Paul knowing that the terrain we were going to find was much better than where we had come from. With a steady pace and without many stops we reached the Collado de la Paul, where we took the ridge that left us at the summit of Posets, 3,375 metres, after 19h 15'. At this point we really realise how spectacular what we have achieved is, as we can see the Aneto and the Perdiguero and we are amazed at how far they are from each other. We have overcome all the ups and downs and we have already achieved the first part of the objective; to chain the 3 most emblematic peaks of the Benasque Valley in one go. Now, in order to achieve it completely, we had to reach the village of Benasque before 24h, so we started the descent in the direction of the Angel Orús refuge and the village of Eriste.

The last kilometres of asphalt were accompanied by our people, and we finally reached Benasque after 22h 39', 74'87 kilometres and 5,840 metres of positive ascent.

Undoubtedly a feat that we will never forget and that without the help of all the people who came to help us with the refreshments, to encourage us to keep going and who accompanied us on some sections of the route, we would not have made it. We would also like to thank all the help of our collaborators, who made the preparation of this event much easier.

This challenge is dedicated to all the people who have trusted us, who have been by our side and who have made sure that everything went well. Thank you very much to everyone"!

Meet the protagonists

Xabi, Albert and Sergi during their challenge to link the 3 most important peaks of the Benasque Valley: Aneto, Perdiguero and Posets in less than 24 hours.
Xabi, Albert and Sergi during their challenge to link the 3 most important peaks of the Benasque Valley: Aneto, Perdiguero and Posets in less than 24 hours. Benasque: Aneto, Perdiguero and Posets in less than 24 hours.

The team is made up of Xabi, Albert and Sergi, three mountain lovers. Their greatest hobby is climbing three mountains in the Pyrenees, normally linking them together, achieving stages of great distances and gradients. Below you can meet the protagonists:

SERGI VÀZQUEZ, 20 years old. Montmeló. (@bardamina_)

  • Currently climbing all the 3000's in the Pyrenees. Since the last few years combining the trail running with mountaineering.
  • Since he was 9 years old climbing mountains over 3000 metres. First ascent of the Pica d'Estats in 2010. Until then I have been climbing peaks, gradually increasing their difficulty. At the beginning it was just a hobby, something I did with my father for fun.
  • For the last couple of years we have been climbing 3000s, but with the firm objective of crowning the 230 summits of the Pyrenees that are over 3000 metres high.
  • First mountain marathon, Trail Vielha Molières with 44km and 4200m+, at the age of 18, being the youngest runner of all the editions of the race.

ALBERT GÓMEZ, 35 years old. Sort. (@pikaelfuerte)

  • Fitness instructor since 2005, specialising in indoor cycling (spinning). Passionate about the mountains and sport. In 2011 I started the challenge of climbing all the three thousand peaks of the Pyrenees (230 summits) and, when 3 years later I saw my challenge completed, I set out to increase it by climbing them all for the second time. I finished this second round in 2019 and having spent so much time focusing on this project, I have extensive knowledge of the Pyrenees and its summits over 3,000 metres. To achieve this project, I have combined ascents by runners and ski mountaineering in winter, and climbing, cresting and trail running in summer.

XABI JIMENEZ, 25 years old. Sangüesa/Zangoza (@xabijigar)

  • Alpinist for several years, having climbed emblematic summits such as Mont Blanc (x2), Cima Grande di Lavaredo, Barre des Écrins, Gran Paradiso, Toubkal, Teide (route 040), among others.
  • I have been a lover of the Pyrenees since I was a child, having climbed the most important summits on several occasions. In the warmer months I combine Trail Running with more alpine activities such as edges and multi-pitch routes. During the winter months, I focus more on winter ascents, runners and practising (at a basic level) ski touring.
  • During the last few months I have focused on trying to link all the 3000 in the Pyrenees by sectors, climbing all the 3000 in each sector on the same day. For example, I linked all the 3000 of the Culfreda-Lustou-Bachimala sector in 13 hours, or the 3000 of the Panticosa-Gran Facha sector in 10 hours, among others. Through this project, and via social networks, I was lucky enough to contact Sergi, who proposed the Aneto-Perdiguero-Posets challenge.