Velino - from the Southwest

RayMondo - Nov 2, 2009 12:44 pm - Hasn't voted

My usual Winter line goes straight up on the line directly beneath the Summit. You can see an S-shaped passage in shadow, the approach is very steep, long and very hard work, though if snow is loose I curve under to a wall for safety. The gully can be icy, and when misty, feels pressuring. Then up a delightful icy ramp to a fab prominence, leading to a traverse, also often icy - tricky without crampons and I sometimes retreated if I could not cut deep enough steps. At the end of the traverse, ascend a very steep corner by making a snow ladder, then out onto open ground. Along the summit line lies a rocky section which gets iced. At times the whole face is hard packed and icy. Then on to the fab summit.

Even going direct, in Winter it can take up to 6 hours to ascend. It's a long haul just to reach the S-gully.