Macizo de la Maladeta

The Macizo de la Maladeta is a high mountain massif in the Spanish Pyrenees, located in Aragon, and includes the highest peak of the range. Its best-known summit is Aneto, which reaches 3,404 metres.

The mountains have been traversed for centuries by local shepherds and later by scientific and recreational mountaineers; systematic climbing and mapping of the range expanded in the 19th and 20th centuries. Glacial retreat has altered some traditional routes in recent decades.

The Maladeta massif sits above the Benasque Valley in northeastern Aragon, near the border with France, within the central Pyrenees. The nearest substantial town is Benasque, which serves as the main access and service point for climbs into the massif.

• Highest summit in the Pyrenees: The massif contains Aneto, the highest summit in the Pyrenees at 3,404 metres, making it the principal climbing objective in the range.
• Route conditions: Classic ascent routes approach from the Benasque valley; summer glacier travel and crevasse awareness are frequently required on standard routes to Aneto.

What to See #

• Aneto (3,404 m): Aneto - rising to 3,404 metres, it is the highest peak of the Maladeta massif and the entire Pyrenees mountain range, and the usual objective for mountaineers in the area.
• Glaciers and cirques: Maladeta Glacier and cirques - a series of high cirques and remaining glacial features on the northern slopes that feed mountain streams and shape classic alpine terrain for routes up Aneto and neighboring summits.