Monte Perdido
3,349 m
Spain
Also known as Punta de Treserols, Mont Perdu, +3Also known as
Punta de Treserols · Mont Perdu · მონტე-პერდიდო · Punta de Treserols / Monte Perdido · Монте-Пердидо
- Elevation
- 3,349 m
- Prominence
- 973 m
- Difficulty
- 5/10
- Easy alpine
- Best Season
- Jul–Sep
- Routes
- 1
Routes
1Sources differ: F (Late summer without snow in the Escupidera (common guidebook usage))
The classic two-day ascent: up the Ordesa canyon past the Gradas de Soaso and the Cola de Caballo to Refugio de Góriz (2,200 m), then by rocky steps and scree to the Lago Helado beneath the Cilindro and up the steep, exposed La Escupidera slope to the summit ridge. About 2,050 m of ascent from the Pradera de Ordesa.
Elevation Profile
- Distance
- 15.9 km
- one way
- Ascent
- +2,093 m
- −58 m lost on the way up
- High Point
- 3,349 m
- Time Up
- 9h 05m
- DIN 33466
- Time Down
- 6h 22m
- DIN 33466 · same way back
From the Pradera de Ordesa (about 1,300 m), reached by the national park bus from Torla in summer, the GR 11 follows the floor of the Ordesa canyon through beech and pine forest past the Arripas waterfall and the stepped cascades of the Gradas de Soaso to the meadows of the Circo de Soaso and the Cola de Caballo waterfall (about 1,750 m). The path then zig-zags up the steep wall on the left to the Góriz plateau and Refugio de Góriz (2,200 m): about 11.5 km and 900 m of ascent, 3½–4¼ hours. The Clavijas de Soaso, a short pegged variant, are recommended in winter to avoid avalanche-prone ground on the zig-zags. From the hut, a well-cairned path climbs rocky steps north-east, then follows the foot of the cliffs north-west over a succession of gentle slopes and terraces up the Barranco de Góriz to the Lago Helado (about 2,990 m), beneath the Cilindro de Marboré. From the lake, the wide gully and slope known as La Escupidera ('the spittoon') climb north-east at up to 30–35° to the summit ridge, which leads easily to the top. The upper Escupidera sits above cliffs and is exposed: on hard snow a slip can be fatal, and in late summer it is loose scree. Allow 3½–4 hours from Góriz. Descend the same way. The second day, hut to summit and back to the Pradera, is long: about 1,150 m up and 2,050 m down, 9–10 hours of walking. Do not miss the last bus down from the Pradera.
Start
Pradera de Ordesa1,314 m
- Bus from Huesca/Sabiñánigo to Torla-Ordesa; national park access bus Torla – Pradera de Ordesa in summer, Easter and some autumn dates (2025: 20 June – 21 September daily, first bus 06:00; EUR 6 return; no reservations).
- Parking at the trailhead
Stages
| Day | Stage | km | m ascent | m descent | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pradera de Ordesa → Refugio de Góriz | 11.3 | 926 | 51 | 4h 36m |
| 2 | Refugio de Góriz → Monte Perdido | 4.6 | 1,165 | 7 | 4h 28m |
Waypoints
- Parking: Pradera de Ordesa1,314 m
Private cars barred in summer and other busy periods; bus from Torla
- Feature: Gradas de Soaso1,709 m
- Hut: Refugio de Góriz2,193 m
- Feature: Lago Helado2,978 m
- Crux: La Escupidera3,170 m
- Summit: Monte Perdido3,349 m
Key Passages
- Zig-zags above the Cola de Caballo (Clavijas de Soaso variant in winter)
- Rocky steps above Góriz
- La Escupidera (30–35°, exposed above cliffs)
Equipment
0/8 packedDownloads
Route confidence 80%Overview
The third-highest summit of the Pyrenees and the crown of the highest limestone massif in Europe, above the Ordesa canyon. The normal route is a two-day walk and scramble via Refugio de Góriz, finishing up the steep, exposed slope of La Escupidera.
Monte Perdido (Mont Perdu in French, Punta de Treserols in Aragonese) rises entirely within Spain, a few kilometres south of the French frontier and the Cirque de Gavarnie, which hides it from the north; hence the name, 'the lost mountain'. Together with the Cilindro de Marboré and the Soum de Ramond (Punta de las Olas) it forms the Tres Sorores, the three sisters of the massif. It is the centrepiece of the Ordesa y Monte Perdido National Park and of the cross-border UNESCO World Heritage Site Pyrénées – Mont Perdu.
The north face, above the Pineta valley and the Lac Glacé, carries one of the few surviving glaciers of the Pyrenees, in steady retreat. The south side is a staircase of limestone terraces and scree above the Ordesa and Añisclo canyons, and this is where the normal route climbs, from Refugio de Góriz to the Lago Helado and up La Escupidera.
The normal route needs no climbing, but it is long: about 2,050 m of ascent from the Pradera de Ordesa, usually split with a night at Góriz. The walk up the Ordesa canyon, past the Gradas de Soaso and the Cola de Caballo, is one of the best-known valley walks in the Pyrenees. Ordesa is very busy in summer, and access is managed by buses and booking.
Climbing Notes
You need good fitness for a long two-day trip (about 2,050 m up and down, 9–10 hours on the summit day), sure-footedness on scree and rock steps, and a head for the exposed upper Escupidera. Until about mid-July and again after the first autumn snow, the Escupidera is a snow slope of 30–35° above cliffs, where crampons, an ice axe and the ability to use them are essential; a slip there can be fatal. In late summer it is loose scree and gravel. A helmet is useful.
Typical itinerary: bus from Torla to the Pradera de Ordesa, walk up the canyon to Refugio de Góriz (about 4 hours), summit next morning (3½–4 hours) and descend to the Pradera in time for the last bus. Góriz must be booked, and fills well ahead in July and August; camping is allowed only in the area next to the hut, overnight, and must also be booked. Thunderstorms are common on summer afternoons, and fog on the terraces above Góriz makes route-finding difficult.
In winter the ascent is a serious undertaking with avalanche risk on the approach (use the Clavijas de Soaso variant) and hard snow on the Escupidera; many parties hire a guide in Torla or Biescas.
History
Ramond de Carbonnières identified the summit from the Pic du Midi de Bigorre in 1787 and failed on two attempts in 1797. The first ascent was made on 6 August 1802 by his guides Rondo and Laurens with a shepherd from Pineta; Ramond himself reached the summit four days later, on 10 August 1802. A ski raid from Gavarnie to Ordesa in February 1911 by Henri Motas d'Hestreux and François Salles probably included the first winter ascent on ski. The Ordesa National Park was created in 1918 and enlarged in 1982 to include Monte Perdido; the massif was inscribed as the World Heritage Site Pyrénées – Mont Perdu in 1997.
Season
Best Jul–Sep- January: Possible
- February: Possible
- March: Possible
- April: Possible
- May: Possible
- June: Good
- July: Best (best window)
- August: Best (best window)
- September: Best (best window)
- October: Good
- November: Possible
- December: Possible
- Jan
- Winter ascent for experienced parties; avalanche risk; hut open all year
- Feb
- Winter conditions
- Mar
- Winter/spring ski-mountaineering
- Apr
- Spring snow; park bus runs at Easter
- May
- Snow on the upper route; crampons and ice axe
- Jun
- Escupidera snow-covered; park bus from about 20 June
- Jul
- Main season; snow in the Escupidera early in the month; very busy
- Aug
- Main season; mostly snow-free; Góriz fully booked
- Sep
- Stable weather, fewer people
- Oct
- Often good; early snow possible; bus on some dates
- Nov
- Early winter conditions
- Dec
- Winter conditions
Access & Permits
- Hut Booking
- Booking is mandatory for Refugio de Góriz (Aragonese Mountaineering Federation network) via alberguesyrefugios.com/goriz; tent places are allocated at the hut and only when beds are full. ID is required at check-in.
- Fees
- National park bus Torla – Pradera de Ordesa: EUR 6 return, EUR 4 single (2025 fares); no reservations
- Refugio de Góriz 2026: lodging EUR 10.60–28.40 per night depending on age and federation membership; camping EUR 5.10–17.30; meals extra
- Rules
- Ordesa y Monte Perdido National Park: the road from Torla to the Pradera de Ordesa is closed to private cars when the park bus runs (summer, Easter, some autumn dates); the valley has a maximum capacity of 1,800 people and the bus service is suspended when it is reached
- Camping and bivouacking are prohibited in the Ordesa sector except in the designated area beside Refugio de Góriz, which must be booked and may be used only from one hour before sunset to one hour after sunrise
- Dogs must be kept on a lead throughout the national park
- Getting There
Torla-Ordesa (Sobrarbe, Huesca)
Zaragoza (ZAZ); Pau-Pyrénées (PUF) and Lourdes-Tarbes (LDE) in France
- Car: N-260 via Biescas or Aínsa to Torla-Ordesa; park at the large car park at the entrance to Torla when the park bus is running
- National park bus Torla – Pradera de Ordesa: in 2025 daily 20 June – 21 September (first bus 06:00, every 30 minutes until 08:00 then every 15–20 minutes; last bus down 21:00–22:00), plus Easter, early May and some autumn dates
- Regional bus from Huesca/Sabiñánigo to Torla
- From Nerín, a summer tourist bus runs to the Brecha de Arazas, from where Góriz is about 1½ hours
Hazards
- Exposure
- Rockfall
- Weather
- Avalanche
Huts & Shelters
1- 2,200 m
Refugio de GórizHutStaffedBooking required
80 beds · Staffed all year