Pico Gilbo

Peaks: Pico Gilbo (1679m)

Routes: East Ridge (PD+ III: Led p.2,4,6)

Area: Riano, Leon

With some inevitability, Pico Gilbo is known as the Matterhorn of Leon for its elegant outline and tapering spire. When seen from Riano, however, this range of peaks actually looks more like Arctic Norway. This is because a series of reservoirs (which look natural but presumably are not) lends an astonishing foreground to a series of stark white spires: it recalls Lofoten or Skye. Pico Gilbo is by far the most accessible of the mountains, which are little known to foreigners, and gives a classic scramble by its East Ridge. We parked at the far end of the long Norway-style bridge from Riano and set off round the Esla 'rio' to gain tangled woodland and an awkward, very hot route up the valley east of Pena Vallarque. This was tenuous, but eventually we emerged from the woods into a verdant hollow - comfortable meadows and, finally, a view of our objective. The East Ridge rises above the little col that is also key to the normal route and looks quite steep from this angle (although it looks even steeper from Riano). All of this is an illusion, of course, as it is little more than a scramble in reality. We headed up to the col, then started the ridge, initially up a delightful series of limestone crags until it steepened. We roped up, and Peter led up a little wall to a traverse rightward and up to a belay. I then led up the ridge to a small steepening, and we continued in this vein until my 4th, which took a horizontal semi-knife edge to a niche and an old peg. It is never remotely hard or serious, but this makes it all very enjoyable - and a nice breeze took the edge of the 35C temperature at mid-afternoon. The 5th pitch crossed a gap and then went up steeper rock to an open grassy bay. Finally, I led up a loose and quite steep chimney to the end of the difficulties. The summit is a wonderful place with truly stunning views: and we had it to ourselves. Below, the Rio Elsa provided a perfect turquoise base to the sparkling white peaks with green forests on their slopes. Yordas and Penas Pintas were particularly impressive. Further north, the pyramidal spire of Pena Prieta caught the eye. After some delightful lazing around, we descended the normal route on the western side of Gilbo to pick up some variation paths back down to the lakeside and car.