Jotown leads the Way !!

Thursday 13th May 2010

Up bright and early, to a not very inviting sky...grey, overcast, and rain in the air - but I was determined to show those mountains who was boss !!

Wally was packed for the road, breakfast eaten -- 2 Weetabix ! that'll show 'em....and beef paste butties (with black pepper on ) for lunch..with cereal bars/dried apricots for Emergency Rations.

Got to Fuente De just before 10 a.m., where as I had climbed higher the sky had cleared, so there was some prospect of clear'ish weather.

I decided to go for it, got the walking poles,crampons,ice axe, and full'ish winter clothing, ready for whatever the Mountain wanted to throw at me.

I got the cable car from Fuente De, at 1078 mts, to the top at 1834 mts..this is the easy way to climb mountains... http://english.turismodecantabria.com/cantabria/rutas_ficha.asp?id_ruta=40

As I climbed out at the top from the cable car,and left the station, I realised I was in for some fun, there was quite a lot of snow all around the cable car station...what would it be like higher up I thought ?

I decided that I would try to do the Los Hdos Rojos ridge,around 2500mts, which was a few miles away, up the valley, but seemed well within my days range... http://www.ii.uib.no/~petter/mountains/2000mtn/cerredo.html

I walked from the cable car station, and realised that I was the only person on this trail, and the snow was lying quite deep on the path/track, still it seemed relatively easy to follow the route direction, and off I went..

As i climbed higher, and higher, the snow became deeper and deeper..

several times I ended up in snow to my waist, breaking trail, and pushing along, I was still able to follow old marks in the trail, so was able to keep on roughly the right direction, but several times I had to dig myself out, having gone deep into the snow, and not been able to move my foot..but it was still fun !

After a couple of hours, I saw below me, another party of climbers, taking advantage of my tracks in the snow..and catching me. I pushed on and carried on up the trail with the bulk of Mountains, Pena Olvidada, Pena Vieja, and Picos de santa Ana, all on my right flank, with towering and imposing cliffs overlooking me. Several times there aws rockfall from the cliffs, and I had to climb over several chutes of avalanche debris..

Eventually about one o'clock, I sat on a rock, had a sandwich and waited for the party below me to catch up ( and break trail for me ! ) It was a group of 5 Swedish people,who were most grateful for all my hard work ! They carried on ahead of me, and after a short time I started to follow them...easier and ever upwards...although after a short time I had caught up with them, and we all reached the top of a ridge, overlooking a valley below, and further cliffs which we would have to scale.

The snow was becoming ever more hazardous,even though we were around 2200 mts, it had still not frozen,and remained powdery and very deep in places..

We all chatted for a while, and decided to call it a day, as there was no way we could climb up to the Ridge, and back in time to get back to the Cable car for 6 p.m.They started down, and I sat for a while taking in the scene...

I then ambled back down the trail, tried a few little climbs either side of me, without much success, the powdery snow was everwhere, and not helpful... it then started snowing gently...at first, and then became heavier, and the cloud base dropped, so once again I seemed alone on the Mountain.

As I dropped lower, I looked at another trail I could have gone, down to Espinama, but again I ended up digging myself out of the snow on the trail, and turning back and heading back to the Cable car station, which i arrived at shortly after 4 p.m.

I'd not been cold all day....until I had to wait about 15minutes for the cable car, one leaving just as i arrived, nd by the time the next one was reday to depart I was shivering...still a Hot coffee at Fuente De started to thaw me out...along with a hot shower back at the camp site, and 'blogging ' in front of the heater inside Wally , ready for some beer, wine and pasta ( again!)

An enjoyable day...the hardest bit...is writing(typing) about it !!