Baciás

Overview

Baciás is quite a high mountain by Pyrenees standards, ranging just over 2700 meters, but it's not a difficult one. Its main attractive is the area surrounding it, for it's placed right between the Vignemale Massif and the three-thousanders of the Panticosa Area, such as Garmo Negro or Picos del Infierno. Therefore, it is a beautiful spot to have a look at real high mountain panoramas while showing no real difficulty during the summer season. The long distance GR-11 trail, which runs along the whole of the spanish Pyrenees, can be joined at Balneario de Panticosa and followed up to the Cuello Alto de Brazato (2578 meters above sea level), placed scarcely 35 minutes away from the summit.

Getting There

ROAD ACCESS: You have to start from Baños de Panticosa, a 19th-century spa resort placed at 1636 meters of altitude. To get there, take at Huesca road number N-330 to Sabiñánigo, across the tunnels of Monrepos. After Sabiñánigo you have to get road N260 north for 13 km to Biescas. North of Biescas, follow the road to the french border and turn right before Escarrilla (road sign "Panticosa / El Pueyo de Jaca". Then follow the signs to Balneario de Panticosa.
Another possibility is to approach from the city of Pamplona (via road N-240 towards Huesca, turning left to Jaca and Sabiñánigo at Puente la Reina de Jaca). In order to get to Panticosa from France, you will need to cross the mountain pass of Portalet from Pau and Laruns. Note that the road crossing this mountain pass is usually a troublesome one during winter, and you might find it closed. In such a case, the only road access from France would have to take place by the neighbouring valley of Aragón and the Somport Tunnel.

RAILWAY ACCESS: The closest rail station is the one at Sabiñánigo (some thirty to forty kilometers south of Balneario de Panticosa)

NEAREST MAJOR AIRPORTS: Zaragoza / Barcelona (323 km)

Red Tape

No need for permits nor special rules to be applied, apart from those that arise from common sense and respect for nature.
Please note that Baños de Panticosa is undergoing a major restoration and parking inside the resort is NOT allowed nowadays. There was a free parking lot at the entrance of the place, by the water bottling plant, but the works going on at the Balneario have turned it really tiny. In fact, in my last visit to Panticosa (September 2006) it seemed to have desappeared. Anyway, either you arrive to the Balneario really early or you might be bound to leave your car somewhere on the access road.
The only vehicles allowed inside the Resort (there is an access control) are those related to personnel working there or those who can produce proofs of a lodging reservation. If you have a reservation in the mountain hut "Casa de Piedra" ask the hut personnel for a ticket to be shown to the guards at the access barrier.

When To Climb

Any moment with a good weather forecast for the day is nice enough to climb Baciás. Even winter climbs are feasible, as far as you take full winter equipment (including ice axe and crampons) and do not underestimate the mountain: it's a fairly easy peak but nevertheless over 2700 meters above sea level.

Camping and Huts

Nearby camping site at Escarrilla (Camping Escarra). Free camping is -though officially illegal- also tolerated on the trail, you might find some good sites by the Ibones de Brazato (see Normal Route).
There is a guarded hut at Balneario de Panticosa, called "Casa de Piedra" and controlled by the Mountain Federation of Aragón.

External Links

• Balneario de Panticosa
  Web Page of the spa resort that serves as a starting point to climb Picos del Infierno and Garmo Negro. Includes resort information, how to get there and other relevant information on the place. English and French versions included
  
  

Images

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