Climber September/October 2017

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El Desfiladero
de la Hermida
Roca Verde £20
It’s out. The guidebook to Spain’s best-kept
secret and one of the best summer climbing
venues in Europe. Had enough of going to
the usual places and you fancy a change? Fed
up of the crowds, the heat and the polished
routes? Look no further, the crags in this book
have got everything you’re looking for. El
Desfiladero de la Hermida covers the climbing
centred around the village of La Hermida,
located in the gorge called El Desfiladero de
la Hermida that runs north/south through
the eastern end of the picturesque Picos de
Europa, from Panes to Potes, on the border
between Cantabria and Asturias.
This is a really beautiful part of Spain,
known as ‘Green Spain’ due to the abundance of
vegetation as a result of the maritime climate and
the scenery is simply stunning. The topography is
classic karst limestone. The gorge has very steep
sides, riddled with rocky gullies that lead up to
high craggy peaks with breathtaking views. There
are crags everywhere and the potential for more
development is obvious. It gets even better as the
summer temperatures are typically in the mid-20s,
which make such a pleasant change compared to
many parts in Europe. In fact, a normal season
there extends from late spring (as the tufas dry
out) until early winter, when the first of the rain
which keeps the valleys so green arrives. Though
the addition of many quick-drying, walls and
slabs outside the main valley means that there
should be something to get on year round.
There is plenty to do on rest days as a 30-minute
drive away is the coast with the possibility of
surfing the Atlantic swell. Alternatively, there are
numerous paths that can take you up into the
heart of the Picos de Europa or you can take the
cable car up to the most famous mountain in the
area, the Naranjo de Bulnes. If all of the above
activities sound too strenuous, you may just
prefer to go and relax at the climbers’ bar in La
Hermida (La Cuadrono) and sample Chucho and
Angela’s wonderful hospitality. However, if you’re
staying in Potes, try the climbers’ bar (La Reunion)
and sample some of their home-made beers or
enjoy a nice cheap coffee (don’t forget this is
Spain, so prices are always very reasonable).
For years there have been rumours of great
climbing in this part of northern Spain but
information was always scarce. Then three years
ago Richie Patterson published the excellent Roca
Verde, a selective topo covering some of the crags
in Cantabria, Asturias and Leon. As a result the
area started to receive more attention, justifiably
so. Due to this new found popularity Richie,
in collaboration with the local Cantabrian
climbers, has put this definitive guidebook
together, specifically covering all of the new
(or previously hidden) crags in the La Hermida
valley, and what a guidebook it is.
62 Sep–Oct 2017 www.climber.co.uk