Travel with Manfred

Travelogues from around the world

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Copyright © 2002 by Manfred P.. All rights reserved.

Sep 28 - 29, 2002

75 People Going To Hell

Arnales and Los Infiernos

by

Manfred P.

Keywords: Spain, Pyrenees, Arnales, Los Infiernos, Panticosa, Bachimaña Lake, tourist, travel trip report, travel log, travelogue.

It was this time of the year again. Every year after the summer vacation in August come to an end a friend of ours is organizing a mountain excursion to a peak higher than 3000m (9,840ft). This year some 75 people signed up. The largest crowd ever. Our destinations were the neighboring peaks of Arnales and Los Infiernos. While Arnales has no translation, Los Infiernos means "Hell". So, we had 75 people heading for "Hell".

The weather gods or devils also seemed to know about our hell-bound plans because the mercury scale was rising. It was hot and despite the date in late September it is was a warm and pleasant summer weekend. The sun was shining and while the night in the camping bus was actually freezing cold, now out in the open under the sun it was everything but cold. It was just perfect.

The starting point was the Balneario de Panticosa. Panticosa is a spa at a lake side. Better said, it was a spa at a lake side that fell into disrepair and is now slowly being revived. At the moment it sports one fancy restaurant in a marvelous new building with a very high ceiling and surrounded by walls of glass. Besides the restaurant is a hotel; and during daytime a tiny souvenir store and a café opens.

From Panticosa it is a 5-hour hike to summit of Arnales. First you cross a small forest. Thereafter follows a meadow where we were greeted by a group of roaming horses. The meadow turns into rocks and from then on it is rock, rocks and rocks again. The moon was disappearing between two mountain peaks as we climbed to higher altitude. The whole area seemed dead, just rocks. No grass, no vegetation, nothing but dry dusty rocks. The going didn't get tough, but it got inconvenient. The rocks were small in certain areas and as you tried to make one step forward you would slip two steps back in the loose rocks. As we reached a pass, the same pass behind which an hour ago the moon disappear, we saw a lake for the first time as well as the peak of Los Infiernos. From near the pass is where I took the photo with our route.

We struggled with assistance of our hands up the steep slope of scree to the peak of Arnales (3,006m or 9,860ft). From here we could see the rest of our large group on the neighboring peak of Los Infiernos. Splitting the people over two peaks was a good idea, because it is impossible to fit 75 people on Arnales. Lack of space. From Arnales we made our way following the mountain ridge towards Los Infiernos. Midway, however, we ran into a difficult spot. A crack in the mountain put us at two vertical walls. First down, then up again. It is possible to overcome this obstacle. Colleagues of ours had just passed it half an hour ago. There was a way. But I was not sure if I had found it. I had advanced to a spot where only 3 more meters (9ft) remained to reach the lowest point of the gap. Still I felt nervous. It was not possible to jump these last 3 meters because the landing ground was very inclined with a high probability of slipping. I felt uncomfortable and we decided not to risk it even though others had crossed this crevice without problems.

We receded the same way we came and then crossed over a slope of scree to reach the foot of Los Infiernos. Here we used a small canyon to tackle the mountain. This chute was the easiest path from the several available options. In the chute I caught up with another hiker and his German Shepard dog. I was impressed by the dog. The dog was sweating, panting and exhausted. The dog had to climb steep boulders to follow his master. It would jump to get his two front paws on top of the boulder. It tried to pull itself up now, but it was too exhausted to succeed. Reaching the limits of its strength its front paws would start to tremble and as its energy faded it would slide down the boulder again. The dog tried again, but each time it had less energy and each time it slipped back. The dog tried so hard to stay with his master. It started to whimper and cry. I felt sorry for the dog which gave its very best, to no avail. Eventually the owner had to turn back because the trail was not getting any easier and the dog just couldn't advance anymore despite its best intentions.

Arms and legs are a better design and in little time we were on the top. Los Infiernos. 3,082m (10,109ft). The downhill was awkward. Slipping and sliding we worked hard to get lower in elevation. At the foot of Los Infiernos I had enough of all the rocks and the slippery scree. But we were far from done. At the lake we took a bath. A very short bath. Some 30 seconds maybe. It was impossible to stay any longer in the water. It was freezing cold. As you enter you think your heart is going to stop pumping any moment now and as I stepped out of the water I had this burning sensation in the skin as it experienced the temperature difference to the warm air.

On Sunday we had less challenging objectives: just a relaxing stroll along a stream. From the Panticosa spa we walked to the Bachimaña Lake, a 3h 30min round-trip hike constantly along a creek dotted with waterfalls and pools. The scenery is nice. Plants everywhere, green vegetation with red fruits sprinkled with blue and green ponds and white waterfalls. This way you get to see all the colors of the rainbow. This trail is a tiny part of the well known GR11 trail that runs for 100s of miles crossing the entire Pyrenees chain from east to west.

In the afternoon we started the long journey back by car. Yesa is a large artificial water reservoir. The dam was built under great protest as the newly created lake was to cover a large area including some houses and farm land. At the end of summer when the water levels are very low, certain elements re-surface, and emerge from the receding water. One of them are the hot thermal springs. They are well known. You can find them along the N-240 freeway at Kilometer 336. Park alongside the freeway or -- like other people -- drive your car down into the dry lake bed on a short dirt road. Many people come to relax and picnic at these thermal springs. The water seeps out of the ground and fills a few natural pools. It is hot and pleasing. People use the soil for mud packages. They make themselves facials and full-body wraps. Sitting in the hot water and applying this green-blue-gray mud to your face is a relaxing way to spend a Sunday afternoon, including for us. (See photo)

Next year another 3000m peak is waiting for us and the whole gang!