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Tesorero Summit - Stephen after skiing to within 20 metres of the summit of Pico Teserero.

Just back from a fantastic trip to northern Spain, courtesy of Inntravel and The Observer. The commission was for a piece on the Ponga Mountains. More about that in the moment, but first the Picos de Europa, where I managed to tag on four extra days. Half-made plans to meet the Basque film maker José-Carlos Tamayo didn’t work out. Never mind. After an excellent night’s sleep under the stars, I arrived for breakfast, unannounced, at the wonderful Casa Gustavo near Potes, on the sunny south side of the Picos. (www.picos-accommodation.co.uk)
 

Mike and Lisa Stuart, the hosts at Casa Gustavo.

Mike and Lisa Stuart were their usual hospitable selves, said their barn room was free and lent me a pair of size 12 ski boots and brand new pair of Rossignols.

 
View from the dining room window at Casa Gustavo.
 

Spring snow tracks on Pico Tesorero.

The weather remained perfect: hot (up to 32 degrees) but with incredibly clear light. The flowers were effulgent, the butterflies fluttered, the bees buzzed and the swifts sang. And Lisa produced some divine meals.

The magnificent rock climbs on the Agero, seen from Casa Gustavo.

Local climbing guide, Alfredo Gago, took four hours off work, to accompany me up a lovely five pitch route on the Agero – a huge tower of fine karst limestone, just down the road from the Casa Gustavo, towering above the fine pre-Romanesque chapel of Santa Maria de Lebeña.
 

Javi Raba – leading Picos pioneer from Santander.
 

Then on Day 4, Santander climber Javi Raba kindly gave up a day to take me up the original route on the Southwest Face of the Peña Olvidada, which he put up 25 years ago.

Twelve pitches, most of them over 40 metres of long. I needed a very tight rope on the crux wall of tiny brittle holds. On the rest of it I managed rather better, marvelling at Javi’s intricate route-finding and his boldness.

 
Javi Raba leading the crux pitch on SW Face of Peña Olvidada

Javi leading pitch 8.

Stephen leading pitch 10, acutely conscious of the big swing potential if he falls off.

I spoke scathingly of the ‘repeciones’ who had drilled the odd bolt to supplement his scant peg belays and threads. Even with the additional bolts, protection was still very generously spaced. Javi danced effortlessly up the 5+ pitches, but then he is currently working on a new route with pitches of 8a.

Fields of asphodels in the Ponga mountains.

Then it was time to leave Casa Gustavo for an easy day, driving the long way round the south side of the Picos, climbing up though the Cordillera Cantabrica then back north down the stupendous chasm of the Desfiladero de los Beyos. Quick swim in the Riu Sella, then on northward to Arriondas and the Posada del Valle – a hotel, organic garden and farm run by Nigel and Joann Burch (www.posadadelvalle.com).

This is the most idyllic place, with Asturian sheep grazing in the apple orchard, wildflower meadows, woods full of blue irises and a vegetable garden which provides 80% of the fruit and greenery served at dinner. Former monoculture agribusinessman, Nigel is now a born again organophile, determined to make his hotel a model of sustainability and diversity. He is also hugely enthusiastic about the Ponga mountains – the hills immediately to the west of the Picos de Europa.

El Tiatordos, the most famous peak in the Pongas, seen from Beleño.

The weather was now starting to deteriorate, but I did get one fantastic day in the Pongas – an eight hour walk through deserted woods and meadows, taking in the summits of Picu Luengu, Picu Zorru and El Recuencu.

Stephen enjoying a perfect evening on the summit of El Recuencu, with Picu Luengu (left) and Picu Zorru behind.

The first was actually a fine scramble, with bits of real climbing, up a gorgeous limestone arête brimming with gentians.

Pyrenean trumpet gentians on Picu Luengu

The remaining two days I spent at the coast – bouldering on stunning sea cliffs and swimming in bracing surf – and racing up and down the hackneyed but unquestionably spectacular Cares Gorge. Then home, reluctantly, to my desk.

The Cabrales hills rising above the coast of Asturias.

07.06.09 CHARITY FUNDRAISER IN OXFORD

 

Stephen with Frances and Tom Brown at the Oxford Brooks climbing wall  for a fundraising 'Everest Challenge' to raise funds for the Dave Thorne Bursary for sponsoring children to attend outdoor education centres.

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