August 3rd to 4th, 2008 Yours Truly, Pilar Jean Pierre and Javier Elevation: 3355m. Approach: 1300m elevation gain. Climb: 800m, 55° snow and rock, AD Photos courtesy of: Jean Pierre and Javier Where: Parque Nacional de Ordesa y Monte Perdido, Pirineos, ESPAÑA Ready, set, go: Pilar, Javier, JP, YT. Looking down the Valle de Pineta where we parked the car. 1300 metres later, we reach the Balcón de Pineta (see people on the upper right). Panorama showing the final zigzags up to the Balcón.  Spectacular! Bivying comfortably for the night. Day 2: the north face of Monte Perdido, with our ascent route marked in red, and our descent marked in blue. Approaching the base of the route. First pitch of scrambling. On the first glacier, with el Cilindro (3328m) in the background. Approaching the second climbing pitch above the first glacier. Setting up a snow anchor.  Note the yellow Grivel ice tool near JP.  We found two of        them precariously hanging on the rock and snow at this belay!   Someone had       obviously dropped them from above a few days before.  We were puzzled as to how       someone could drop BOTH their tools on a seriously exposed route!  So we checked       the bergshrund to see if there wasn't a dead body in there.  No signs of anything!  Very       strange indeed.  Anyway, finders keepers, loosers weepers.  Now I have a set of sweet,       practically brand new Grivel Rambo II ice tools, leashes and all!  Sweet. Leading the rock pitch between the first and second glaciers. On the 55° second glacier, 600 m up the face.  Sweet        exposure and perfect snow!  Balcón de Pineta down below. JP trail breaking up to the final summit couloir. Snow anchor. This couloir was supposed to have snow in it!  Instead, it was        bare rock and a waterfall with 700m of exposure below!!!  Time        for some mixed madness. "Don't tell me he's going into the waterfall!" "There's nowhere to go!  He'll have to pull out!" "Dios bendito, Jesús amado!  He's going in!!!" "He's in!  Ay madre mía!" So after a soaking wet freezing cold shower at 3100m, boots full of water, we stripped       all our wet cloathing off and ran up the final chossy pitch to the summit.  Very cool! Amazing views of the Pirineos. Woohoo, the summit!  Buen trabajo, chicos!  3355m.  If you look VERY carefully,        there's a glider in the clouds in the right third of the picture.  The pilot was amazing.        He buzzed us 10m from our heads and then came by beside us, waving and grinning!        We could see the whites of his eyes. Looking south and back up the descent (snow couloir starting at the top left corner, down to the Lago Helado).  El Valle de Ordesa in the backbround.        Spectacular terrain. 2000m later we were back at the car.  Phew!  Que día mas magnífico.  Three more hours        of driving, and at 2am we were back at home in Zaragoza.  The next day (ie. in 5 hours'        time), I had promised another friend to go finish the route up the Mallos de Riglos        that we had pulled out on with Pilar and Laure a few weeks back.  Thank god we        swapped leads this time, because I wouldn't have made it by myself!!!  See the pictures        here.