Frondellas

Overview

Frondiella or Frondella is one of the most important peaks of the massif of Balaitous but it's less height does not have the well-deserved reputation of its great brother that's nearby less than 1 kilometre. The peaks appear both inevitably from many parts of the Spanish Pyrenees. Only from the north face in France the Balaitous there prevents the vision of this peak. The best view of the great peak of Balaitous and many mountains that surround it it's obtained from the summit of Frondiella.
A great difference between both peaks is the aspect of the top, the colossus Balaitous is very wide but the Frondiella is indeed a set of 4 summits joined for elegant ridge. For this reason often there is used the word Frondiellas or Frondellas (plural) to refer to the mountain.
The connection between both tops is a ridge scarped with a great crack in the central part, the Brecha Latour, which supposes the most common, but not easier, route to climb the Balaitous.

The list of the summits of Frondiellas is from NE to SW:
-Aguja Cadier or Pico Anonimo (3.022m)

-Frondiella North (3.062m, very secondary summit in the ridge with the Ag.Cadier and Brecha Latour)

-Frondiella (3.071m, or Eastern Frondiella, the real summit)

-Frondiella Central (3.055m)

-Frondiella South West (or south, 3.001m or 2.998m, main summit of southwestern side, I will write a page about this peak because the route is different).

The ridges between the summits:
-Aguja Cadier: II, exposed. I+ to North summit.
-North to main: I+, narrow.
-Main to Central: I+, very wide.
-Central to SW: III, breaks, descent (even rappel advisable), narrow.
-Normal route of Frondiellas SW: This peak has a normal route across its West face of grade II.

Aguja Cadier or Pico Anónimo (3.022m)

It's the fith Frondella topographically but it's the peak that constitutes Brecha Latour with Balaitous and it has a different name remembering the climbers brothers Cadier (they were five famous climbers).

Frondellas Norte (3.062m)

Norte=North. It's a secondary summit in the ridge with the Ag.Cadier and Brecha Latour but it's probably the peak with better panorama.

Frondellas Central (3.055m)

It's a secondary summit in the ridge between the 2 main summits and it's a step forced for two of the routes of this mountain.

Routes

Two important routes to climb this mountain, both in the spanish side from the dam of La Sarra (height to gain of 1631 meters):

-Normal route (easiest): lakes of Arriel (F+, 5h30min).
-Respomuso-Spun Ledormeur (P.D.inf., some shorts steps of II or II-, 5h 30min, or 3h and 900 meters of height to gain from the refuge of Respomuso).
-Respomuso-Aguja Cadier: (P.D.inf., II to aiguille and I+ to Frondellas North and main summit.

The complete route of the ridge of Frondiellas includes the ridge to the western peak (III, AD) after the climb of the Central and the main summit. It generally needs a rope (rappel advisable). If you want climb this peak it's better a little descent to the route of Lake of Arriel and take the bottom of the ridge and it go from there to this summit.

The mountaineers generally climb this mountain across the spun Ledormeur (or even the most expert across the ridge Le Bondidier) because it's most direct and the route of Lakes of Arriel it's a little more heavy with a lot of stones (this is the route of descent for both routes). For the people without experience in chimney-climb of grade II you must follow the normal route.

Getting There

To approach to La Sarra and refuge of Respumoso you can consult the pages of Balaitous and route of Respumoso of Picos del Infierno

Red Tape

No permits required.

When To Climb

June to september. Early in the season (may-june) the routes had still a lot of snow.

Camping

Camping and vivac are permit in the distance of the refuges. A nice and marvel place for the tents are the Lakes of Arriel if you climb for this route. In the route of Comba Vallot the normal sleep is in the great refuge of Respumoso (Tel: 974-490203, 105 persons).

In the french side is the refuge of Larribet (Tel:05-62972539, 60 persons) but the route is long for this mountain across the Port of Lavedan (near the peak Palas) or the Col Noir of Balaitous.

Mountain Conditions

I.N.M. Spain (consult Sallent de Gallego in the "localidades" of Huesca)

External Links

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Images

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