Maladeta
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Maladeta (3,312 m) is a mountain in the
Pyrenees The Pyrenees are a mountain range straddling the border of France and Spain. They extend nearly from their union with the Cantabrian Mountains to Cap de Creus on the Mediterranean coast, reaching a maximum elevation of at the peak of Aneto. ...
, close to the highest peak in the range, Aneto. It is located in the Natural Park of Posets-Maladeta in the town of Benasque in
Province of Huesca Huesca (; ), officially Huesca/Uesca, is a province of northeastern Spain, in northern Aragon. The capital is Huesca. Positioned just south of the central Pyrenees, Huesca borders France and the French departments of Haute-Garonne, Pyrénées- ...
,
Aragon Aragon ( , ; Spanish and ; ) is an autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community in Spain, coextensive with the medieval Kingdom of Aragon. In northeastern Spain, the Aragonese autonomous community comprises three provinces of Spain, ...
,
Spain Spain, or the Kingdom of Spain, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe with territories in North Africa. Featuring the Punta de Tarifa, southernmost point of continental Europe, it is the largest country in Southern Eur ...
. Its northern slope contains the Maladeta Glacier, which is divided into the Western Maladeta and the Eastern Maladeta. Maladeta was previously considered to be highest peak in the area, and attempts to reach its summit took priority over the other peaks in the range. The first successful ascent of the peak was made by Johann Jacob Friedrich Wilhelm Parrot with guide Pierre Barrau in 1817.


Etymology

The name "Maladeta" comes from the Spanish ''montes malditos'', which means "Damned Mountains". According to some authorities the local name for the massif was ''Mala hita'' ("bad rocks" or "bad upper regions"). When French travellers came to the region they translated the name into the French as "Maladette", on the basis that it was cognate with the Italian term ''Maladetta'' (feminine form of "damned"). Subsequently, the mountain became known as Maladeta, a term that encompasses the entire massif.


History

While not the highest peak in the local group of mountains, Maladeta was named for the entire group, which is also called Montes Malditos. It attracted the most interest from climbers, especially in the early nineteenth century, as its summit appears in the foreground from the natural entrance to the valley via the port of Benasque or when arriving from
France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...
. From this vantage point, the Cresta Portillones hides the true height of its eastern neighbour Aneto, which is taller and has more extensive glaciers. The first attempts to reach the peak were by Ramond in 1787, Ferrieres in 1801, and
Louis Cordier Pierre Louis Antoine Cordier (31 March 1777 – 30 March 1861)
Annales.org, accessed 20 September 2009
was a French
in 1802. It wasn't until German naturalist Johann Jacob Friedrich Wilhelm Parrot, with guide Pierre Barrau, climbed to the summit of the mountain on 28 September 1817 that Aneto was discovered to be higher. Pierre Barrau, considered to be the leading expert in the area, was killed in a crevice of the Maladeta glacier in 1824. As a result, locals became fearful of venturing out on the ice, considering it cursed. The movement of the glacier in 1931 exposed the body. In the early twentieth century, the Refugio de la Renclusa
mountain hut A mountain hut is a building located at high elevation, in mountainous terrain, generally accessible only by foot, intended to provide food and shelter to mountaineering, mountaineers, climbing, climbers and Hiking, hikers. Mountain huts are us ...
was opened. It has a capacity of 93 and is the most common starting point for climbing the Aneto. It is located above sea level and is accessed via a path that leaves from the La Besurta recreational area. Due to the variety of wildlife in the valleys and the sensitivity of its glaciers (the most southerly in Europe), Maladeta was declared a natural park in 1994, together with the entire range, and part of the Pyrenean Glaciers Natural Monument.


Geography

Maladeta rises to above sea level in the heart of the Pyrenees along the border between France and Spain. The summit is located northeast of the Province of Huesca and occupies the centre of the Montes Malditos. It is connected to Aneto to the east by a row of peaks called the Cresta del Medio (Pico Maldito, Pico del Medio, Pico de Coronas), which, along with the crest of the Portillones, give the appearance of being solid. The snow from its slopes feeds the headwaters of the Ésera and Ballibierna rivers, both on the south side. The Maladeta range is surrounded by valleys. A hill of over , crowned by the Perdiguero, separates the valley of Arán from France. The wider and more compact Spanish side, which is less accessible, is separated from the foothills by the gorges and ravines of the Posets and Maladeta mountain ranges. The Cerler alpine
ski resort A ski resort is a resort developed for skiing, snowboarding, and other winter sports. In Europe, most ski resorts are towns or villages in or adjacent to a ski area–a mountainous area with pistes (ski trails) and a ski lift system. In North Am ...
lies two valleys further south.


Climbing routes

The normal route of ascent is common to both Maladeta and Aneta up to the height of the upper Portillón. There one continues in a straight line to the bottom of the crest of the Maladeta, which is accessible via a steep passage to a very distinctive and visible rock. The route into the corridor can be very hazardous because a deep
bergschrund A bergschrund (from the German for ''mountain cleft''; sometimes abbreviated in English to "schrund") is a crevasse that forms where moving glacier ice separates from the stagnant ice or firn above. It is often a serious obstacle for mountaineer ...
that usually opens in the glacier following the winter. Ascents of the mountain are only recommended for experienced climbers. The
mountain hut A mountain hut is a building located at high elevation, in mountainous terrain, generally accessible only by foot, intended to provide food and shelter to mountaineering, mountaineers, climbing, climbers and Hiking, hikers. Mountain huts are us ...
La Renclusa, located in the foothills at , is the usual starting point for ascents of Maladeta and Aneto.


See also

*
List of Pyrenean three-thousanders This list contains all of the Pyrenean three-thousanders, namely the 129 mountain summits of or more above sea level in the Pyrenees, a range of mountains in southwest Europe that forms a natural border between France and Spain. The Pyrenees ex ...


References

{{Authority control Mountains of Aragon Mountains of the Pyrenees Pyrenean three-thousanders