With the Youth Mountain School

This year the Mountain Youth School has decided to carry out two independent activities this summer, and of course, Environmental Ideas wanted to collaborate by participating in the acquisition of sports equipment.

The first of the activities was held between July 10 and 15, 2016 and took place in Benasque (Aragonese Pyrenees) where it was intended to establish the technical knowledge and awaken the skills of the new generations of mountaineers in Castilla la Mancha.

The activities have been the construction of two via ferrata routes, one of them that of Castellasso located near the town of Sesué and the via ferrata of the Foradada del Toscar near the town that gives it its name. The latter is essential for lovers of this type of activity due to its length, its aerial passages and its varied route with chimneys, destreps and walkways that give you the opportunity to enjoy magnificent views of the existing spires in the area.

To establish the knowledge acquired in recent years in the Youth School camps, a day was dedicated to the facilities of the Benasque High Mountain School, to carry out rescue maneuvers and rappels. Of course, some time was also spent climbing the impressive climbing wall.

Another of the activities carried out during the stay at the Benasque Valley It was a bivouac in the vicinity of Los Ibones de Alba for children to put into practice how to organize a backpack for this type of activity, and the materials they have to use to spend the night in the high mountains.

The next morning, the activity culminated with an ascent to Pico Alba (3118 meters) the westernmost three thousand meters of the Maladetas Massif.

The climb to this peak consists of climbing steep slopes of loose stones passing through some snow that still remains at this time and being able to put into practice the techniques learned and the use of crampons and ice axes. The last part of the climb is a very interesting climb to finally reach the summit of Pico Alba.