From Vegacerneja

Overview

Climbing Pandián from the west is easy. The starting point is the quiet village of Vegacerneja (1.100 m.), surrounded by large forests of beechs and oaks.

Getting There

The village of Vegacerneja is 10 kilometers from Riaño, by the N-625, direction to Cangas de Onís.

Route Description

Take N-625, direction to Cangas de Onís, passing Riaño. The road cross the little village of Vegacerneja (1.100 m.), situated in a closed valley bathed by the Tuerto river, that flow into the nearby dam of Riaño.
We leave the car next to a bridge that cross the river and start the trip by a forest trail from this point (on the left after crossing the bridge) and pass to an old fountain with four spouts.
The forest trail turn inmediately on the right, going up in a pronounced curve twenty meters forward, passing a cleared zone with meadows and bushes, before to reach a beechwood. We’ll see on the top of this beechwood a prominent mass of calcareous rock (Peña Mura, 1.490 m.) that we have to reach farther.
The forest trail turn several times while ascends, and leave the beechwood before getting to the beautiful meadows of Campas de Mura, in the end of the ridge that comes from Pandián.
In those meadows we’ll see a fire watching tower. We pass next to it and leave the meadows to take another forest trail on the left of the sharp ridge covered by bushes and rocks.
The forest trail skirts the ridge by the north, crossing a young beechwood with their branches and truncks covered by lichens. We’ll continue going up slowly, until the beggining of the descent. At this point, we’ll see the northwest face of Pandián, with a rounded aspect. In winter, this face could be completely snow covered and present hard snow, that dissapear in spring or converts in soft snow.
It’s time to leave the forest trail and go out on the right to take the ridge, going up a rocky slope with some little beechs and bushes (you can find tracks of path). We’ll reach the ridge in a plain col, and we’ll continue, tilting a small elevation on the right, until the col in the base of the last slope of Pandián. It’s here where starts the last ascent, a little steep on the half (30º with snow) and that eases just before getting the top, where we’ll find a bench mark.
Spectacular views in all directions.
To the north: Picos de Europa (the three massifs) and the highest tops in Cordillera Cantábrica (Torre Cerredo, 2.648 m.), Gildar (2.073) and Cebolleda (2.050 m.), Peña Ten (2.142 m.), etc.
To the west: Mampodre massif, with its highest summit: Peña de la Cruz (2.190 m.).
To the east: the nearby Fuentes Carrionas massif, where detach two summits: Peña Prieta (2.536 m.) and Espigüete (2.450 m.).
Descent by the same way that the ascent. Be careful in foggy days. Carrying a GPS it’s very important.

Essential Gear

In winter and spring, carry a good equipment to cold days. Exceptionaly, you can need an ice-axe (and crampons) to the last slopes of Pandián in the coldest days of the winter.
All season the rain can be a problem, thus as the fog (even in summer). Be careful and carry a GPS.

Images

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