This peak is included in Core Europe’s 50 Most Prominent Peaks list, the World Peaks with 300 km of Isolation list, the Spain Autonomous Community High Points list (two), and the Iberian Top 100 by Prominence list. It has so many reasons to be climbed, and the most important reason is its beautiful scenery. Torrecerredo would be the final ultrapeak in our few weeks of peakbagging adventure.
- Day 1. Begin at parking at 43.23279, -4.77879 at 1097m, and climb for 2h30 to the hut at 1659m.
- Day 2. A 4h30 ascent to the 2649m summit, a 4h00 descent to the hut, and another 1h40 descent to the car park
I didn’t plan on hiring a guide because I think it is not necessary for this hike. However, John wanted to increase our chances of success, so we hired an experienced mountain guide. At the end, it was nice to chat with a local guy and learn about local events. Another personal belief I share is that this is a very nice day hike; there is little reason to spend the night in the overpriced hut. The only excuse is weather conditions, in case one wants to reach the summit in time for sunrise.
We arrived late in the afternoon, and almost all the parking spaces were occupied, but we were lucky and found one free lot. We start walking along the pasture through the valleys and slopes towards the hut. Spectacular views.
Urriellu Refuge is located at the base of the impressive Naranjo de Bulnes limestone peak, also known as Picu Urriellu in Asturian. Many people, mostly rock climbers, came to climb in Naranjo de Bulnes. Despite the little chaos, we were able to locate our guide and plan for tomorrow. After dinner, I walk a few hundred metres to the E direction, where the internet is available, near a large stone. Slow but it works.
At 5:00 am, we have a quick breakfast and move towards the peak. The fairly steep path up the slope is followed by a small descent, with a few places protected. We reach the last section; the trail is steep with lots of loose stones. But if you follow the cairned trail, it is not difficult to climb.
Such beautiful landscapes illuminated by the rising sun I didn’t notice how we got to the top. The summit is marked with a triangulation pillar. We spend fifteen minutes or more at the top, then return the same way, arriving at the refuge before noon.
An hour and a half later, we are back in the car. For me, this was the last unclimbed ultrapeak on Spain’s mainland. This is also the last planned ultrapeak on this trip. We climbed all eight planned peaks—five in Morocco and three in Spain. We’re all set to fly home, but we have an extra day… I look at the peakbagger map, and everything is clear. There is only one unvisited P600 left near Madrid. The plan is that John would like to relax after a quite intensive trip, so I drive him to the airport hotel and return a hundred kilometers, just to be closer to La Serrota tomorrow morning.
