Collado de la Rimaya

Overview

We begin the route in the same of the most popular Aneto, from Hospital de Benasque in winter of early in the spring with a walk of 5 km, or in la Besurta (1950m) with the road opened.

Getting There

See the main page to approach to La Besurta.

Route Description

The exit from La Besurta is signaled as “Refugio La Renclusa” initially (don’t take the route to left side to “Forau d’Aigualluts). It’s an easy walk, signaled with paint in a good path of 40 minutes to the refuge of Renclusa (2140m). The route go following the path of Portillones (same of Aneto), see the normal route of this peak, to the terrain near of Portillon Sup before the turn of direction to entry in Portillon. In this point (2810m) we leave the route of Aneto and we walk to the south across a shoulder (little white hill) over the glacier of Maladeta.

We see the line of ridges in the horizon over the glacier. The glacier of Maladeta is crossed for the right side (some crevasses in summer in left side, generally not in winter and spring).
Generally the best option is evitate the center of glacier and after the first meters in righ side we turn to left in direction to the ridge north of Maladeta to make a zig-zag in the glacier to reach the end in the bottom of the wall-ridge under the Col of Rimaya.

This is the key of the route. The rimaya is opened in summer (end of july, august and september) and the access is almost impossible in this season. In spring the white coulouir is evident and we can walk directly to the bottom. With the great crevasse opened you must to search the pass bordering the break in left side walking over it in the rocky ridge (exposed) to reach the coulouir.

The coulouir had 40-50 meters and 40º but according wth the conditions of the snow it’s possible the turning to areas with 50º. With good snow it’s secure but with recent snowfall is very soft and very difficult to climb (risk of fall, the crampons don’t make a good sujection).
After the coulouir we reach the Col of La Rimaya (3232m) and the climb is easy across a walk to the summit of Maladeta (3308m) with mailbox.

Essential Gear

Crampons and ice-axe. Rope of 60m is usefull if the coulouir is in bad conditions.

External Links

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Images

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