I started thinking about Pico de Aneto shortly after my sister Martyna — my mountain companion — left for a year-long Erasmus exchange in the Catalonian city of Lleida, located practically at the foot of the Pyrenees. From the very beginning, it was clear that one day I would visit her and we’d go for a hike together. And since fate gave me the chance to see the wild, almost mythical Pyrenees, why not try to reach their highest peak? Easier said than done. For months, we read about Aneto, cautiously considering whether the summit was within our capabilities and figuring out all the logistics. In the end, everything worked out — and on June 23, 2023, exhausted but thrilled, we stood on the roof of the Pyrenees! Here’s the story of our climb to this incredible mountain!
Table of contents
- Pico de Aneto – basic information
- How will it go with Pico de Aneto?
- From La Besurta to Portillon Superior Pass
- From the Pass Straight to the Summit!
- Descent from Pico de Aneto via the Ibón de Salterillo Variant
- Route map
Pico de Aneto – basic information
- Pico de Aneto (3,404 m a.s.l.) lies in the Maladeta Massif in the Central Pyrenees. It is not only the highest peak of the Pyrenees but also the second-highest summit in continental Spain (after Mulhacén in the Betic Mountains).
- The base for climbing Pico de Aneto is the charming town of Benasque in the province of Huesca, Aragon. Buses operated by the private company Avanza Bus run to Benasque from Barcelona (with a transfer in Barbastro, about 5–6 hours) and from Zaragoza (with a transfer in Huesca, about 4–5 hours). Given the limited connections and high prices of public transport in Spain, renting a car is worth considering — especially if you’re traveling in a group. The nearest airport is Barcelona-Girona, served by Ryanair flights from several Polish cities.
- On the northern slopes of Pico de Aneto lies the largest glacier in the Pyrenees, covering around 60 hectares. Unfortunately, due to rapid climate change, it has been shrinking year after year. It is estimated that it will completely disappear within the next 30 years. For now, though, the glacier still exists, so if you plan to climb Pico de Aneto, it’s worth bringing or renting crampons and an ice axe. Equipment can be rented in Benasque for around a dozen euros.
- There are three main routes to Pico de Aneto — two from the north and one from the south (via the so-called Coronas route). This article describes the ascent from the northern side: the route from La Besurta through Refugio de la Renclusa and the descent via Ibon de Salterillo.
- The Pyrenees have their own unpredictable microclimate, known for frequent thunderstorms and intense rainfall.
How will it go with Pico de Aneto?
Whether we’d actually manage to climb Pico de Aneto was still uncertain when I boarded the plane to Barcelona-Girona. The weather forecast was terrible — almost my entire 11-day stay in Spain was expected to bring storms and rain in the higher parts of the Pyrenees. So when yr.no finally started to show a possible three-day weather window, we knew we couldn’t waste the opportunity.
The first challenge was to organize transport from our base in Lleida to Benasque. At first, we planned to get there by public transport, but despite extensive research, we couldn’t find any option that wouldn’t waste an entire day of travel (and still allow us to arrive early enough to rent crampons and an ice axe). Eventually, we decided to rent a car instead. We went with Enterprise, which allowed online booking and car pick-up at their office at Lleida’s train station. Renting the cheapest car for three days cost us €166 [around 765 PLN at the time] plus a €200 deposit [which was refunded quickly after returning the car].
So, the day before our planned ascent of Pico de Aneto, right at 8:00 a.m. when the rental office opened, we showed up to collect our car. Fun fact: after driving about 100 kilometers, I realized that we had booked a Toyota Yaris online but were given a Volkswagen Polo instead. But hey — who would bother with such details in Spain? The route from Lleida to Benasque is about 140 kilometers long, winding through charming Catalan towns and scenic mountain passes. What stands out the most? The further north you go — the closer to the high Pyrenees — the greener and fresher the landscape becomes, less dry, almost “Polish” in character.
Benasque turned out to be an absolutely beautiful town: charming houses, narrow streets, and monumental peaks surrounding it from every side. After a brief moment of admiration, we did some quick grocery shopping and headed to our accommodation — Camping de los Baños, located about 10 km from the center of Benasque, on the road leading to the La Besurta stop. We left our things at the campsite and set off for a short acclimatization hike in the high Pyrenees. It was drizzling, misty, and we decided to do a warm-up ascent to the Port de Venasque Pass (2,444 m a.s.l.), which separates France from Spain. The Pyrenees made a stunning first impression on me: even with limited visibility, they were incredibly beautiful and vividly green. On the way back, the clouds began to thin, and the afternoon sun started shining stronger — a promising sign of the coming weather window.
After descending from the pass, we drove back to Benasque to rent crampons and an ice axe. Why only now? Because this way we would pay for just one rental day — if we had rented in the morning, the second day would have already started by the time we returned the gear. Benasque also proves that “siesta” in Spain is more a matter of culture than climate (especially in the age of air conditioning). At 1,100 m a.s.l., the weather isn’t nearly as hot as in Lleida, yet most shops and restaurants still take a break between 1:00 and 4:00 p.m.
After sorting out the equipment, we returned to Camping de los Baños, which includes a small guesthouse with a shop and a spacious tent area. The place has extra charm thanks to the fact that it’s completely out of network range (there’s even a sign at reception that reads “No Wi-Fi — enjoy the mountains”). And indeed, there was plenty to enjoy. I must admit that the evening spent completely disconnected from social media, surrounded by soaring peaks and endless greenery, was an incredibly liberating experience.
From La Besurta to Portillon Superior Pass
Although the evening at the campsite was beautiful, the night turned out to be one of the worst experiences of my traveling career. The temperature dropped so drastically that I was cold even in three thick layers of clothing. To make matters worse, some drunk guy was wandering near our tent, waking us up from time to time with his shouting. We got up before 5 a.m. with, let’s be honest, very low morale. Summoning all our willpower, we packed up the tent, put in our contact lenses, changed clothes, and got into the car. We had to drive to the last point reachable by car — the Llanos de Hospital (1,730 m a.s.l.) stop, located about 4 km from the campsite, next to a large free parking lot.
The next stretch, from Llanos de Hospital to La Besurta (approx. 1,910 m a.s.l.), can only be covered by shuttle buses running to and from Benasque. We had checked the schedule the day before, so we knew the first bus should arrive a few minutes after 5 a.m. We caught it at the very last moment — it pulled up just as I turned off the car engine. As we drove along the bumpy road, it was still completely dark outside. In Poland, dawn would have already broken, but in Spain the sun rises much later (for example, on June 23, sunrise in Kraków is around 4:30, while in Benasque it’s around 6:20).
We started the trail around 5:20 a.m., gradually gaining altitude along a well-marked and comfortable path. I won’t lie — it was tough; the sleepless night really took its toll. After about 40 minutes of climbing, the famous Refugio de la Renclusa (2,138 m a.s.l.) appeared ahead — the most common base for ascents to Pico de Aneto. We took our first break there. In my case, that meant grabbing a large can of Monster in the hope that it would give me some energy.
Beyond Refugio de la Renclusa, the route became much less obvious. For a while, we followed a clear trail, but it soon disappeared, turning into a jumble of large boulders. At some point, while following another hiker, we unknowingly left the official trail for quite a while. The variant we took appears on Strava and mapy.cz, but honestly, I couldn’t see any actual path there. Instead, we climbed over massive rocks, having to stay focused with every step. Around 2,700 m a.s.l., we started encountering wide patches of snow — no surprise, since it was only late June. The mix of unstable rocky ground and slippery snow made this section particularly exhausting. The steep gradient didn’t help either — we gained 500 meters of elevation over just 2 kilometers. At some point, we realized that if we didn’t change direction, we’d end up on Pico de la Maladeta instead of Aneto. So we carefully traversed a rocky slope that eventually brought us to the next key point of the route — the Portillon Superior Pass (2,899 m a.s.l.). After crossing it, the main attraction of the day finally appeared in full view: the mighty Pico de Aneto and the vast glacier lying beneath it.
From the Pass Straight to the Summit!
Carefully stepping down from the rocky pass, we can’t take our eyes off the main goal of our trip. The majestic Pico de Aneto, the vast white expanse of eternal ice, and the stunning panorama of Pyrenean peaks poking through the clouds leave us speechless. By late June, the glacier covers a larger area than what’s marked on most maps. This means that in addition to the permanent ice, there’s still a good amount of seasonal snow that hasn’t yet melted. We quickly strap on our crampons almost at the very start of the second part of our glacier crossing. Finding the correct route isn’t difficult at this stage – we simply follow a clearly trodden track.
The route from Portillon Superior to Pico de Aneto is about 4 kilometers long. Initially, the terrain rises only gently (about 50 meters over the first kilometer, and around 100 meters over the next two). Throughout the entire ascent, we have the summit of Aneto in view, getting closer with every step. The time passes quickly, as walking across a glacier has a truly magical feeling to it. The real challenge begins only during the final kilometer, where we have to gain 220 meters of elevation. We climb slowly and steadily over the eternal ice, occasionally leaning on the ice axe for support. At some point, I realize I’m running on fumes — completely exhausted — but the summit is so close…
Upon reaching the final height, one last challenge awaits us — the famous Bridge of Mohammed. I had read plenty about this spot before the trip. It’s a short, exposed ridge section that, in reality, isn’t as terrifying as it looks in photos. Well, maybe except for a short bit that we decided to cross straddling the rock. Once across the Bridge of Mohammed, just a few more steps separate us from the summit of Pico de Aneto (3,404 m a.s.l.). We reached the highest peak of the Pyrenees just a few minutes before 11 a.m., roughly five and a half hours after setting off from La Besurta. Whether it’s the sleepless night or the altitude, I feel more exhausted on Aneto than I ever have during any mountain trip. That’s precisely why the sense of accomplishment feels so immense — and the views stretching in every direction take my breath away. Moments like these are what make life worth living.
Descent from Pico de Aneto via the Ibón de Salterillo Variant
After several minutes of taking in the views, a strong wind drives us off the summit. The first section of the descent follows the same route we took up. Then, at around 3,270 meters above sea level, we turn right, setting our course toward Ibón de Salterillo. Here too, we follow a clearly visible, well-trodden glacier path. Throughout, we’re accompanied by a magnificent panorama of the French–Spanish border ridge, beautifully rising above a sea of clouds. Every so often, I stop and turn around to take one more look at the gradually shrinking Pico de Aneto. As we lose altitude, the smooth glacier surface gives way to large rocks. This route feels steeper than the one we ascended — and the stats confirm it: according to Strava, we lost 750 meters of elevation over just three kilometers.
The lower we go, the harder it becomes to locate the correct line of our chosen variant. We mostly move “by feel,” checking on mapy.cz now and then to make sure we’re heading in the right direction. Honestly, descending here isn’t the most comfortable experience. The slope is steep and made up almost entirely of small, loose rocks that make it easy to slip. To make matters worse, the melting snow from the long winter has left everything wet and slick. In short — caution is a must.
After about an hour, we reach a small grassy-rocky plateau where Ibón de Salterillo lies (elevation: approx. 2,470 m). The word “ibón” is used in this part of the Pyrenees to describe a small glacial or moraine lake — it comes from the local Aragonese language. Aragonese is still spoken by around 10,000 inhabitants of Aragon, including some in the Benasque Valley. The lake itself may not be striking, but it has its charm. It’s surrounded by small wetlands, and the Barranco de Salterillo stream flows directly out of it — one of the tributaries of the valley’s main river, the Ésera. We need to cross this stream, which takes a bit of time, as it’s quite wide and swift (probably due to the heavy snowmelt mentioned earlier).
On we go! After passing Ibón de Salterillo, the trail turns into a well-marked, comfortable path. As we lose more altitude, the scenery changes — we return to the land of lush, vivid greenery. The local mountain pine (Pinus uncinata) and alpine rhododendrons are particularly eye-catching. We descend to 2,180 meters, only to… climb again. It turns out our chosen route leads over the Collado de la Renclusa (2,281 m). From there, we quickly make our way back to the Renclusa Hut. At this point, we skip any unnecessary breaks, so about an hour later we find ourselves back at La Besurta, where we started. The place is now much busier. The small bar is open too — and with great satisfaction, I grab a can of sugary, unhealthy cola. Doesn’t matter — I’ve earned it today.
At the La Besurta stop, we check the bus schedule — the next one won’t come for an hour. We decide to extend our trek with a four-kilometer walk along the asphalt road to the parking lot at Llanos del Hospital. Spirits are high — how could they not be? Another beautiful and lofty mountain is now part of our hiking résumé. The Benasque Valley looks stunning — in the afternoon sunlight, the omnipresent greenery appears even more vibrant. We reach the car around 4:30 p.m.; the entire trip took just over 11 hours. We quickly return to the campsite, pack our gear, return the crampons in Benasque, and set off toward Lleida.
Without exaggeration, I can say that despite our short stay, the Benasque Valley has earned a special place in my heart. It’s undoubtedly one of the most beautiful places I’ve ever visited. It’s a bit sad to leave, but we know this isn’t the end of our Pyrenean adventures — tomorrow, we plan to stand atop the highest peak of Andorra, Pico de Coma Pedrosa.
Date of the hike: June 23, 2023
Hike stats: 22 km, 1,800 meters of elevation gain
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