We spent close to a week just in the city of Sabinanigo. We didn't do
too much in all honesty. I got my blog up to speed during our once a
day visits to the city's many bars. We relaxed in the parks for a
good portion of the day and we quickly learned what our favourite
siesta spots were. And we discovered some good camping with a soccer
oval next door. On one day I climbed one of the light posts that
would have been 30m high or so. I put my harness on and climbed the
ladder but still I'll freely admit it, it felt very airy.
Towards the end of the week we drove back to Torla where Pablo rented
a via ferrata kit from the rude guides that work in the city and had
previously taken the others for some barranquismo. I'll be blunt.
They really aren't nice people and to do business with them really
feels like a scratch on one's concious. But we did. Out of little
choice and price comparisons, nothing else.
Once Pablo had a kit we drove 5km down the valley to the picturesque
town of Broto and parked on the fringes. A steep gorge with a large
waterfall tumbling into it sits almost in the centre of town. We
walked the five minutes to the base and gazed up for a while before
clipping in.
The first sections weren't the best. Low down the climbing wasn't
technical, exposed, loose or slippery and I didn't even clip in for
the first few sections. Then it crossed sections compromised by
water; slippery, loose and simply bad climbing. It wasn't the best
section of via Ferrata I had done.
Higher up the route traversed a shower of sorts. Water drips off the
rock in plentiful enough quantities to get you soaked by the end. I
took it very fast, trying to prevent that from happening. I'll just
say I succeeded to an extent. Pablo wasn't so lucky, coming out very
wet at the other end after giving the slippery ground more care than
I did.
Following this there were several ladders on vertical rock and a
tunnel. Some serious chimney skills were needed to stop your feet
from entering the fast flowing water pounding across the “floor”.
We both came out the other end with dry feet I'm happy to say.
As we popped out some guys in neoprene suits were swimming through
the gorge, headed for the abseil point that marks the most technical
bit of the barranco that sometimes follows the same route as the via
ferrata. I watched them enviously, their presence arousing some kind
of longing in me to have that kind of independence in the mountains.
Europe would be a great place to get into it with well written up
routes and plenty of fixed abseil points.
The route crossed the gorge and followed its steep sides, revealing
several spectacular waterfalls. We went for a walk in one section
where the climbing stopped and while trying to traverse to another
gorge Pablo managed to fall in up to his hips, saturating a good
portion of his body for the remainder of the trip.
The sun was setting by the time we got back to Broto. The track pops
out in the town through an alley that unusal passes practically
through someone's house. Don't ask me.
Days later we had to return to the guides in Torla that we swore
never to visit again. We had just rented ice axes and crampons and
needed helmets as a safety precaution in the mountains, something we
could seem to obtain anywhere else. I was not happy to support their
business again.
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| This weather had to go before we entered the mountains |
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