18 hours and 4200m of unevenness, to climb Torre Cerredo's west face Nómadas en Tierra de Nadie, in-a-day.
The idea was to meet in Picos da Europa and have some fun. Not surprisingly, “Samu” Ortega, came up with the plan to get on the above-mentioned climb, which he, Eduardo de Deus and Rubén de Francisco had opened the previous summer. No one had tried it yet, so repeating sending the pitches was the prime task at hand but, a further twist needed to be added... Considering the wall’s remote location and in order to avoid a two-day outing and consequent logistics, as well as willingness to approach via the “famous” Canal de Dobresengos*, the in-a-day activity was born.
We started walking from Caín - pretty much the lowest altitude (460m) at Picos de Europa – at five in the morning, getting to the bottom of the wall (2250m) 4h40m later; climbed 400m in nine rope lengths of high quality grey limestone – rigorously opened with very technical, obligatory free climbing up to 7a+ difficulties - ; topped at the roof of the range (2648m) on a good timing, all in all this was only act 2/4; down-climbed from the summit towards the Bermeja gap and scree slopes back to Hoyo Grande (3/4); recomposed with a bocadillo and, made up our minds – personally I picked some tunes - to re-immerse our bodies and attention on the remaining steep 1500m downwards.
We arrived at eleven in the evening to Caín with weakened legs, sore feet, frantic laughs; the same quietness and faded yellow street lights that defined the small village, clustered deep there in the limestone karst: 4/4.
* “Access Caín - Dobresengos - Hoyo Grande: Avoid if you do with a heavy backpack, at midday and without water, there's 1500m of vertical gain in one of the most impressive couloirs of the massif. If you like Picos, you'll end up doing it at least one time in your life. Consider 5h”. BENGOCHEA, Angel ; RODRIGUEZ, Miguel – Sector N.5: Cerredo. In Escalada en Roca en Los Picos de Europa: 2009. p. 206