Hotel Ciria
Why we like it: 38-room hotel on avenida de los Tilos in Benasque, with the El Fogaril restaurant, covered garage, ski store and family suites with whirlpool bath.
Duration2 nights
SummitAneto · 3,404 m
Summit day13 km · +1,265 m · 12 h
DifficultyHigh, glacier and scrambling
GuideRutes Pirineus · from €287
Best timeJuly – September
The plan
The plan, hour by hour
Designed for a weekend from July to September on one of Rutes Pirineus's scheduled dates, which books the refuge place with the group. The meeting with the guide is on Saturday at 13:45 in Benasque and on Sunday you finish between 17:00 and 18:00 at La Besurta: if you can, stay a third night in the valley rather than drive at night.
Friday
- 119:30Arrival in Benasque
About two and a half hours from Huesca via Barbastro and Graus, or from Lleida via the N-230. Dinner of game and mushrooms from the valley at El Fogaril, the restaurant of Hotel Ciria, where you sleep: it serves dinners from 20:30 to 22:30 and is booked by phone or WhatsApp.
Saturday
- 110:00A gentle morning in Benasque
A walk along Calle Mayor and the old town, last-minute shopping (a sleeping-bag liner, sun cream, batteries for the head torch) and an early lunch or a sandwich: do not load your legs.
- 213:45Meeting the guide
Opposite the Barrabés shop, at the entrance to the village. Equipment check and by car to the Hospital de Benasque; in summer, public bus to La Besurta, about half an hour. From there, an hour's walk to La Renclusa.
- 317:00Ibón de La Renclusa and dinner at 19:00
A short walk to the Paderna ibón, next to the refuge, if you feel like it. Dinner in the dining room and equipment ready before 22:00, when quiet hours begin.
Sunday
- 15:00Breakfast and glacier
Set out with head torches towards the Portillones, the Aneto glacier roped together and the Paso de Mahoma to the cross. Descent by the Salterillo ibón, without passing the refuge: about twelve hours of activity.
- 218:00Llanos del Hospital
Finish at La Besurta or at the Hospital de Benasque. The Llanos del Hospital café needs no booking; for a sit-down dinner, sittings at 20:30 and 21:30.
The Aneto is climbed in two days and enjoyed better in three. This weekend puts a night in Benasque to arrive rested, another at the La Renclusa refuge, at the foot of the Maladeta, and the whole of Sunday for the summit: 3,404 metres, the glacier with crampons and the Paso de Mahoma, the final ridge, roped together with a high-mountain guide from Rutes Pirineus.
What to know before signing up
It is not a long walk: it is high mountain. Rutes Pirineus rates the physical demand and technical difficulty as high and asks for the habit of days with over a thousand metres of ascent and ease on scree, blocks and snow. The group is six at most. The price, from €287 on the scheduled dates, includes the guide and half board at the refuge; the harness, helmet, ice axe and crampons are €27 extra, and Sunday's packed lunch, €16.20, is bought at La Renclusa.
| Where | What it has | |
|---|---|---|
| Friday | Hotel Ciria, Benasque | 38 rooms, garage and the El Fogaril restaurant |
| Saturday | La Renclusa refuge, 2,140 m | 92 places, dinner at 19:00, breakfast at 5:00, sleeping-bag liner compulsory |
| Third night, if you can | Hotel Hospital de Benasque, Llanos del Hospital | At the bottom of the valley, next to the Hospital de Benasque: dinner and a bed without driving |
The rucksack
Mid-to-high ankle boots, waterproof jacket, warm layers, gloves, hat, sunglasses and sun cream, head torch, thermal blanket, poles and a 30 to 35 litre rucksack with ice-axe loops. A change of clothes for the refuge, earplugs and the sleeping-bag liner, which is compulsory at La Renclusa. Since the descent does not pass the refuge, everything you carry up on Saturday comes down with you on Sunday on the other side.
If the weather does not cooperate
The guide decides in the small hours of Sunday. With a storm forecast, strong wind or the glacier in poor condition, the Aneto is not attempted. Before leaving home, check the route conditions on the Aragonese federation's refuge listing and AEMET's mountain forecast for the Aragonese Pyrenees. If on Saturday afternoon the weather closes in, the night at the refuge is still worth it: the Palacio de los Condes de Ribagorza, in Benasque, opens at weekends in the afternoon for the drive back.
Map
The stops, in order
What to do
Eat
88 €Stay
Services
Plan the trip
Benasque Valley, step by step
Each choice narrows the next: the season shapes how best to travel, and how you travel decides where you stay and where you eat.
When to go
When to go to Benasque Valley
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Best timeGood timeLow season
How you travel
The same break, your way
The plan stays the same. What changes is where you sleep, how you get there and how much you spend.
The Benasque Valley by Car
The car takes you from Benasque to Cerler in the morning and, if you fancy it, to the head of the valley, to Llanos del Hospital, for Nordic skiing or snowshoeing. The budget includes lift pass or pass, food and shared accommodation.
100–180 €per person per day, approximate
- Where to sleepHotel Ciria, in the centre…
- Getting aroundFrom Huesca, via Barbastro and…
- Where to eatEl Fogaril, game and chargrill…
- ServicesTourist office on calle Horno…
Where to sleep
- Hotel Ciria, in the centre of Benasque, with garage and ski store
- Hotel Hospital de Benasque, at the head of the valley, next to the Nordic area
Getting around
- From Huesca, via Barbastro and Graus; from Lleida, along the N-230 and Graus
- Free car parks at Cerler, with transport to the pistes
- To Llanos del Hospital, 13 km and 600 m of climb: chains, and arrive in daylight
Where to eat
- El Fogaril, game and chargrill in Benasque
- Llanos del Hospital restaurant, two sittings at weekends
Services
- Tourist office on calle Horno, open every day
- Aramón hire at Cerler and Ampriu
How much does it cost?
People2
Nights2
Where to stay
Where to stay if you're driving
We show you what suits the way you travel.Change how you travel
Hotel Hospital de Benasque
Why we like it: Three-star hotel at Llanos del Hospital, at the head of the valley beneath the Aneto, with a restaurant, Nordic area and snowshoe hire on the doorstep.
La Renclusa Refuge
Why we like it: Staffed refuge open all year at 2,140 m, at the foot of the Maladeta and an hour from La Besurta: 92 places, dinner at 19:00 and breakfast at 5:00 for Aneto.
From €28
View details
Services for this trip
Areas, for any way of travelling
| Area | Who it's for | Average night |
|---|---|---|
| Benasque | The village, hotels and restaurants | Valley base |
| Cerler | Village and resort, at 1,500 m | A few minutes away |
| Llanos del Hospital | Hotel and Nordic area beneath the Aneto | 13 km up the valley |
Where to eat
Where to eat in Benasque Valley
El Fogaril
What to order: the roe deer loin in truffle sauce or the mountain partridge with onions; for dessert, the Radiquero goat's cheese flan
Llanos del Hospital Restaurant and Café
What to order: the day's home cooking after a morning of snowshoeing or Nordic skiing
Tips
Worth knowing first
Local tip
Taking out a mountaineering federation licence before summer lowers the price of the bed and dinner at La Renclusa and at the other refuges with reciprocity. Bring the card: without it they do not apply the rate.
We'd skip it
May and October if you have no experience with snow: the company includes them in its window, but they are the months of new snow and ice on the glacier.
Questions
Frequently asked questions
How much does the weekend cost?
The guide with half board at La Renclusa, from €287; equipment, €27; packed lunch, €16.20. Add the night in Benasque and Friday and Saturday meals.
Can I climb the Aneto without a guide?
Yes, if you have glacier experience and your own equipment. If you do not, go with a guide: the glacier and the Paso de Mahoma are done roped together.
Do I need to book La Renclusa?
Yes, online through the Aragonese federation's central booking. With Rutes Pirineus, the place comes with the group.
What is the best time?
July, August and September. In May, June and October there can be new snow and ice.