Puerto de Sahún-collado Ribereta

Overview

This long route is the easier to reach the summits, but it's very long if youwant to climb the three peaks. I supose that the people want to climb across the normal and easier routes, but you can climb the full ridge (A.D., very exposed with bad rock).

Getting There

Puerto de Sahún:
The approach is the same of the village of Benasque:
-From Zaragoza to Huesca (72 km), highway. From Huesca to Benasque (138 km) for the N240 to Barbastro. Take N123 and N123a to Graus. In Graus take to left for A139 to direction Benasque/Cerler.
-From Barcelona: highway A2 to Lleida (or Lérida). From Lleida take N230. Continue by N123 in direction Torres del Obispo and more to Graus

You can see the crossroad to the small village of Chía (3km) a few of Km before of Benasque. In Chía you must follow the forest track in good conditions for 10 km to Puerto de Sahún (2.014m). This track goes to the village of Plan and you can drive across the forest track from there but this side is in worse conditions.

Route Description

We descent in the Puerto de Sahún a few of meters to side of Chía to get the track of left side. The track descent to Hut of Barbarisa (1.800m) near of the beautiful waterfall of Llisat. In the hut you turn to left following the signal marked as Ibones de Barbarisa (lakes). The path is signaled always as yellow and white across the ravine reaching the great ibon de Barbarisa (2.340m). We leave the paint of the path a few of meters before the lake turning to right to cross to the other side of the tail of the lake searching some cairns to a path. The path goes in zig-zag to reach the col de Ribereta (2.538m) among the stones. In the col we turn to left following the cairns in a narrow path in the hillside under the ridge of Bagüeña. The path dissapears in some paints but the direction is always indicated with cairns among the stones… a lot of stones. We walk searching a little col in the right side of the ridge of Bagüeña (the ridge always on letf side). The col is easy to find because we see the pyramid peak of Bagüeña just in left side. In this small col we see finally the three peaks of Eriste in front of us. We descent the rock with the use of the hands (F.) to walk among the stones to two small lakes under Eriste Sur (the peak of the left). We climb to right side to going up to the rocky spun.

Eriste Sur (3.045m):
In the spun we turn to left to walk until the bottom of the great wall of Eriste Sur searching a point near of the left side about 1/3 of the wall from the left. We see near of the wall the entry signaled with cairns to climb the small chimney and repise (F.) to left side to entry to the ridge SE of our peak. We walk now easily in the wide ridge to the summit. If we want to follow to Eriste Central (1hour more) you can descent directly without path to the area between both peak a little to right.

Eriste Central (3.053m):
In the bottom of the spun we leave the route of Eriste Sur walking among the stones searching the better option to ascent to the brecha (gap) between Eriste Sur and Eriste Central. It’s not necessary to reach the wide col because the entry to the coulouir is in the second col (smaller in left side, just in the other side of a aiguille). In the second col we see the wide couluoir of stones of the normal route, an easy rock-climb (F.) but dangerous because the stones fall if some mountaineers are in the route. It’s necessary to wait to find the coulouir without people in my opinion or the use of the helmet. In 2008 a mountainerr die for a stone in the head (you can see the plaque to remember it). The last section is better with good rock (F.) to reach the nice summit of Gran Eriste with a great panorama. If you has forces you can follow to the Eriste Norte descending directly to the end of the ridge Souht of the peak. You need 1h more to climb it.

Eriste Norte (3.025m):
It’s the farther peak in the route from Puerto de Sahún, and the normal route is in the other side of the peak (NW face). The area under the three peaks of Eriste is a great “sea of stones” and you must walk in the right side without path searching the small col under the ridge SE of the peak. After the ridge SE we walk under the East face before turning to left to enter en the wide NW face. We walk the long ramp of stones in direction to the final ridge but searching a spun on right side of a channel-coulouir evident on left side of the ridge. In the spun we climb (F) to appear just under the ridge. The better option is not climb the ridge (two exposed climbs of II) walking always under the ridge (10 or 15 meters under it) searching the final section of the ridge with an easy rock-climb (F.) to the summit.

Essential Gear

Crampons and ice-axe in winter or spring. In winter the route is dangerous with risk of avalanches after a recent snowfall. On summer nothing special except water, cap, sunglasses..

External Links

Images

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