At 3.404 meters the Aneto stands tall over Benasque valley and is one of the premier mountaineering targets in all of the Pyrenees. Even though its glaciers have become a poor image of their former self the climb is still a proper challenge on any of the possible routes.

Most ascensionist start from La Besurta, hike via the Reclusa pass onto the long but technically easy route up the dead glacier and finally up to the summit through some scrambly bits (UIAA II but very exposed).

The more classic route diverts at the Reclusa hut, steeply goes up and over the Portillon Superior pass, traverses the rock fall prone, block filled flank of La Maladeta, crosses the rests of the glacier and rejoins the „normal route“ for the final summit push.
I combined both routes by going up on the classic route and down on the normal one.

Starting an hour before sunrise the loop took me seven and half hours (moving rather quickly) covering 17 kilometers and 1.700 meters up (and of course down again). But the plain statistics do hide the real challenges: Most of the route is above 2.500 meters, wayfinding on the classic route is challenging (especially through the huge and loose blocks of the Maladeta flank), rockfall is a objective hazard, the glacier is pure ice and cannot be crossed without crampons and the final summit push does need to be taken with a clear head due to the exposure.

Most of these challenges can however be mitigated by avoiding the classic route (and maybe starting from the Reclusa hut, cutting a few kilometers and about 300 meters of elevation).
Still the solitude and technicality of the classic route might make it worth the added difficulty (it did for me!).

Even though I do not care much for peak bagging (Aneto being the highest in the Pyrenees) the whole experience and the stunning landscape does make this climb a must do. Plus the Benasque area is a variable playground for any outdoor enthusiast.

Adventurer: Bengt