Cumbre nevada del Pirineo emergiendo sobre un mar de nubes — imagen ilustrativa de Pico Perdiguero
High mountainPerdiguero - Literola

Pico Perdiguero · 3222 m

A border summit between Spain and France, one of the great three-thousanders of the Ésera valley.

Maximum altitude
3222 m
Massif
Perdiguero - Literola
Elevation gain
1500 m
Total time
9 h - 11 h
Difficulty
High mountain
Best season
From July to September.
Suitable for children
No: high-mountain ascent
Suitable for dogs
Not recommended on glacial or ridge terrain

Check official sources before doing this activity.

Interactive map

Track GPX no disponible o pendiente de verificación.

Base cartography: Spanish National Geographic Institute (MTN, IGN Base and PNOA orthophoto) and OpenStreetMap. Este mapa es informativo y no sustituye cartografía oficial, señalización, experiencia de montaña ni dispositivos GPS. Comprueba meteorología, avisos y estado de la ruta antes de salir.

Summit, mountain huts, mountain lakes and catalogued places nearby with verified coordinates. We do not publish ascent tracks: use official maps and, if you lack experience, a certified guide.

Normal route

From the Remuñe valley or from Literola, via gullies and boulder ridges.

History

It was a benchmark summit for French Pyrenean mountaineers operating out of Luchon.

Geology

El valle de Benasque está excavado en el batolito granítico de la Maladeta y en materiales paleozoicos (pizarras, calizas y esquistos). El modelado actual es glaciar: circos, cubetas de sobreexcavación ocupadas por ibones, morrenas, valles en artesa y umbrales rocosos pulidos. En el macizo de la Maladeta se conservan los últimos glaciares del Pirineo, en fuerte retroceso.

Landscape

High granite mountains with glacial cirques, hanging mountain lakes, permanent snowfields and sharp ridges above the Ésera valley.

Wildlife

  • Sarrio
  • Marmota alpina
  • Quebrantahuesos
  • Buitre leonado
  • Urogallo
  • Trucha común

Flora

  • Pino negro
  • Abeto blanco
  • Rododendro ferrugíneo
  • Genciana
  • Pastos alpinos

Curiosities

  • From its summit you can see much of the central Pyrenees on both sides of the border.

Recommended gear

  • Helmet
  • Crampons and ice axe in spring
  • Navigation equipment

Trail conditions

High-mountain terrain: scree, boulders, snowfields and, in some cases, glacier and exposed ridges. Conditions change every season.

Hazards

  • Very long day out
  • Unstable scree
  • Frequent fog at the border

Support mountain huts

  • Refugio de Estós
  • Refugio del Portillón (France)

Weather

We do not publish our own forecasts. The mountain forecast for the area (Aragonese Pyrenees / Posets-Maladeta massif) is issued by AEMET, and snow conditions and avalanche risk should be checked in the official avalanche bulletin. Afternoon storms are common from June to September and conditions can change within hours.

Posets-Maladeta Natural Park rules

  • Much of the valley lies within the Posets-Maladeta Natural Park: wild camping is forbidden (only authorised bivouac above 2,000 m between dusk and dawn, under current regulations).
  • No fires, no collecting flora, fauna or minerals, and no leaving marked trails in sensitive areas.
  • Dogs must be kept on a leash. In grazing areas and areas with protected wildlife their presence may be restricted.
  • Drones require express authorisation from the Natural Park's managing body.
  • Vehicle access to the Hospital de Benasque and La Besurta is regulated in summer: check the official shuttle service.
  • Take all your rubbish with you, including organic waste and toilet paper. Mountain emergencies: 112.

Gallery

Cumbre nevada del Pirineo emergiendo sobre un mar de nubes — imagen ilustrativa de Pico Perdiguero
Refugio de montaña de piedra al pie de paredes graníticas — imagen ilustrativa de Pico Perdiguero
Pradera de alta montaña con arroyo y cumbres nevadas al fondo — imagen ilustrativa de Pico Perdiguero
Mirador sobre un valle pirenaico con crestas encadenadas al horizonte — imagen ilustrativa de Pico Perdiguero

Illustrative images of Benasque Valley landscapes created for this guide; they are not documentary photographs of Pico Perdiguero. If you have your own photographs of the place, they can replace these.

Nearby

Restaurants, hotels and services

We do not publish business names without a verifiable source. Check the valley's official directory in food, accommodation and mountain huts.

Automatic planner

Half day

Short morning or afternoon outing, with time to eat in the valley.

  1. Early breakfast in Benasque and buy water and food.
  2. Drive or shuttle to the start of the chosen route.
  3. 2 to 3 hour walk with stops for photos.
  4. Return to the valley and visit the old town of Benasque or Anciles.

Full day

Long mountain day making the most of the daylight from early on.

  1. Set off before sunrise to avoid the heat and afternoon storms.
  2. Main route with a light meal on the way.
  3. Descend early: storms often build up by mid-afternoon in summer.
  4. Dinner and rest in the valley.

Families

Short routes, with water nearby and no exposed sections.

  1. Choose a route under 3 hours with gentle elevation gain.
  2. Baby carrier instead of a pushchair: the trails are stony.
  3. Picnic stop by a river or a meadow.
  4. Rainy-day alternative: valley villages and Romanesque heritage.

Experts

High mountain terrain with significant elevation gain, technical ground and specific gear.

  1. Check AEMET's mountain forecast and the avalanche bulletin if there is snow.
  2. Overnight in a mountain hut to shorten the summit day.
  3. High mountain gear and experience on glacial terrain or ridges.
  4. Leave word of your route and expected return time.

Plans generated automatically from the distance, elevation gain and difficulty of the catalogued trails. They do not include timetables, prices or opening hours: check official sources before doing this activity.

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