A Second Taste of Mello

So Im writing this long overdue post whilst back in Scotland, but Im pretty sure nobody was on tenterhooks for the next installment, so my challenge is just to remember what went on!

So a long time ago, in a european country far, far away….I had made an arrangement to meet up with the very psyched Greg, formerly of Edinburgh, now a resident and climber of New Zealand rock and ice. He hitched his way down from Strasbourg and I picked him up in a town just down the valley from Mello.

Not all Limestone is Limestone, thankfully (Dolomites PtII)

So finally I made it down to Casa Davide, where I enjoyed the hospitality of pretty much his entire extended family over the course of a few days. Pleasure to meet you all, and thanks for putting up with me! And donkeys, Davide loves donkeys. He got his reports finished and the overseas trip was put back while paperwork was organised, so he had time to play!

Micro-gardening

Back at the van I discovered that my first (successful) batch of lentil sprouts were ready for eating, a perfect accompaniment to avocado and hot-sauce.

Dolomite Wanderings (pt I)

So just before departing for the Dolomites, I got the news that Davide, my old friend from Scotland and local of the Dolomites, had been landed with some short-notice work overseas. He would have to leave soon, and be very busy finishing up reports-due before departure (he’s a geologist). Maybe he would have time for a day’s climb, but perhaps not. So again I was adrift awhile in a huge expanse of unknown rock. Time to solo some classics, I guess!

A Mellow Introduction to Mello

So by a fortunate coincedence, I happened to be crossing paths with Ed, climbing partner of old from Scotland. He on his route home from Croatia/Dolomites in his very shiny new VW conversion, and me still working my way eastwards. So I drove over the pass from Briancon to Valle Susa and across the hot piedmont, and to the granite paradise of Val di Mello.

A Rendezsvous with Limestone

So whilst all the rock around Ailefroide is granite, and Im on the road next to Val di Mello, also granite, I cant forget that Im going to be trying some pretty hard routes in the Dolomites, and so I cant ignore limestone forever. I have a very love-hate relationship with this rock. When its good, its very very good, but when its bad its plain awful.

The Loneliness (or not) of the Long-Distance Soloist

So by some hefty slab of irony, I found myself in the most densely climber-populated area of my trip so far, and yet without a partner. Ailefroide is a busy, commericalised climbing area in the Ecrins, with most of the visible valley floor taken by a huge campsite. It has the scale of a festival, but without any music.

My, What a Big Tooth you have!

Im down in the flatlands, having bade farewell to the Pyrenees. The long hot drive over to the Ecrins, and again avoiding the peage tolls wherever possible.

I had met up with Emily in Seu d’Urgell and driven through Andora, which is a weird place. More petrol stations than I had seen in such a small place anywhere in the world. Cheap fuel though! We passed over the Pas de la Casa and dropped down into the french Ariege, Ax-les-Thermes and Orlu, home of the iconic Dent D’Orlu – the Tooth of the Wolf

A break from the large – Cavallers

So, my original intention after the Picos was to go to Ordessa / Monte Perdido and keep on with the big limestone. And indeed Seb and I met possibly the most enthusiastic spanish climber ever, Viti, who was headed in that direction. But by that time I had a very friendly invite from Lee to visit Cavallers, an area I had not previously heard of, but seemed to have a reputation for very high quality granite. So I bade Seb farewell in Santander, and off I went to hone my rusty granite skills.

Rabado-Navarro: Pitch-by-pitch

So as promised here is a full description of the Rabada-Navarro on Naranjo de Bulnes. We had a hard time finding good information in English, so I hope this may be useful. This is how we did it, but pitches may be split or joined as you see fit, depending on your rope length.

Nabada-Navarro
TD 6a+  A2 / 6c free
E2 5c ****
700m
Naranjo de Bulnes (Picu Uriellu) west Face
Picos de Europa
Allow 10-12hrs, plus 2 for descent
Sun from ~1400 in summer

Beautiful Suffering : Rabada-Navarro

Well, the weather crapped out for a few days, cloud base down to the level of the cable base-station, mountains invisible. Seb and I retreated to to the now familiar Cueto Agero and found it cloud free, a good length of warm-up route at last! Seb got to teach me some about brakes, too as my newly replaced rear pads started to smoke alarmingly on the long downhills. Calipers and piston stripped, pads sanded and re-assembled by the road. Touch wood they’re doing fine since!

Then with days dwindling we headed around to the more recommended (Sotres) approach to Picu Uriellu (Naranjo de Bulnes) – the real thing.

The Mystery Col and Elusive South Ridge

After a comfortable night on Aliva Meadows, we decided to do ‘the best route in the eastern massif’ – the south ridge of Picu Jisu. Only first we had to decipher the location from Seb’s old Cicerone guide, which kept referring to named cols not marked on its maps, or indeed even within the area covered by said maps!