Cotatuero

Overview

If we want to climb directly in only one day from Ordesa to the peak Casco, the most direct option is using the stakes (clavijas) of the waterfall of Cotatuero what signifies to cross a step of II- in a zone that many times is wet by the nearby waterfall and can give fear due to the great fallen that has. For this reason the people without experience in vias ferratas or degree chimneys escalation II- should resort to the route of Góriz, more long but without technical difficulties out of the winter epoch. For the mountaineers the 20 meters over the fall in horizontal with stakes and a metallic rope in the wall are easy to climb.

For the descent the best option is walk to refuge of Góriz (reservation obliged). The return across the route of ascent is long and the Clavijas de Cotatuero it's an exposed wall to descent, some people with forces make the route of Faja de las Flores (sense inverse of the route writen to Tozal de Mallo) to Clavijas de Carriata, as well it's long but it's easiest to descent.

Slope: 1680 meters.
Time: 4h

Getting There

Trailhead: Pradera de Ordesa, see the main page to approach.

Route Description

We begin in the Pradera de Ordesa in the end of the parking in left side (don’t cross the bridge to right side). Initially it’s the same itinerary of the route to Soaso-Góriz but just the cross of the track with the signal “Cotatuero, Faja de las Flores”. In this point we turn to left side following the signal and we walk in a little path in the forest in zig-zag. In the exit of the forest the slope is hard across some stones to reach following the cairns the bottom of the Clavijas de Cotatuero.

The first wall (image #1) of 15 meters had 2 chimneys with some stakes of II-in good rock not exposed, after the chimney we reach an terrace of rock and we walk to right side to the exposed second section. This second section (image #2) it’s an wall with stakes over the fall in the the rock for 8-10 meters with stakes for the feet and hands. Exist a metallic rope in the wall if you had and harness and carabineer to tie (but generally in this very long route the people prefer don’t carry weight and don’t climb with it). The exit of this section is a new terrace with metallic rope to reach the great plain over the waterfall.

The green plateau is a little confuse but we walk in north direction to walk in a zig-zag among the stones to lefts ide to reach the big plateau under the peak Descargador (in right side) called Llanos de Millaris. We walk in this little valley searching the exit in left side. After a hard ramp with terraces of rock-climb grade I we reach the Cave of Casteret. Following near of the wall under the Pico Anónimo we entry in a bifurcation of the path (many attention in this point). We don't take the path under the wall of casco with the Pasamanos (metallic rope in the wall) what bring to the Brecha de Rolando and we take the access to Col of Sarrios in right side walking in a hard ramp (difficult orientation with snow). Collado de los Sarrios (2759m), a little col with some cairns, it's the point to cross this area in direction to Casco. From this point it's the same of normal routes to Casco from Sarradets

Essential Gear

Early in the season (may-june) the use of crampons and ice-axe it's necessary to the access to Col of sarrios in cold days and the south ramp of Casco.

External Links

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Images

View Cotatuero Image Gallery - 10 Images