Naranjo de Bulnes-Gwlad Basg Antur Caradoc

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-Mariona, at last we've met up,

-here in Bilbao.

-This is my first visit to Bilbao.

-Between us, we speak 5 languages.

-We can declare ourselves

-a truly international campaign.

-Your first language is Catalan,

-I'm Welsh, we both speak Spanish...

-..and English, and of course

-there's another language - Basque.

-Is it very different from Catalan?

-It's totally different

-from Spanish and Catalan.

-The Guggenheim

-is a very striking building.

-It's unique, it has become

-a symbol of the country.

-Is it a fish?

-The sea? Waves?

-It reminds me of the sea and waves.

-Caradoc has joined a prominent

-young mountaineer from Catalonia...

-..to climb Spain's most famous peak,

-situated 100 miles west of Bilbao...

-..in the limestone range

-of Picos de Europa.

-The mountain is called

-Naranjo de Bulnes - or El Picu.

-Is the Picu important to Spanish

-mountaineering history?

-Yes, ever since it was conquered

-at the beginning of the century.

-It made an immense impression

-on Spanish people.

-Every climb has been considered

-the most difficult of its era.

-Is the western wall

-the largest in Spain?

-Yes, it's the biggest,

-500 metres, and very steep.

-This is what makes it Spain's

-most famous climbing wall.

-How do you think we'll fare?

-We'll see.

-Is that the north face?

-Yes, it was first climbed

-from this side.

-Are we going to take

-the right-hand route?

-See the line between sun and shade?

-That's the highest part of

-Navaro/Rabada on the western face.

-El Picu was first climbed in 1904,

-by Pedro Pidale.

-He won a silver medal for shooting

-in the 1900 Olympic Games.

-His partner was Gregorio Perez,

-a shepherd from Cain.

-It took them 3 days to climb

-Spain's most difficult mountain.

-Pedro Pidale generously shared

-the glory with his local friends.

-It's a very difficult place I think.

-OK.

-They take the lead in turn.

-The second climber carries a sack

-for food, drink and warm clothes.

-The climb has 22 pitches.

-They have to move quickly

-to reach the peak in a day.

-Mariona is a 22-year-old student.

-She graduated in History of Art

-at Barcelona University.

-Like Caradoc, she began climbing

-when she was 13 years old.

-Unlike the Welshman,

-mountaineering is in her blood.

-Her grandfather and father

-were climbers.

-By now, her climbing experience

-is worldwide.

-After climbing

-Europe's highest mountains...

-..and a successful ascent

-on El Capitan in California...

-..next year, she's going to venture

-to the Himalayas for the first time.

-Mariona is obviously concentrating.

-She hasn't noticed that the weather

-is slowly closing in.

-Every pitch

-is approximately 50 metres.

-It means carrying a great deal of

-equipment to secure each movement.

-The climb is hard,

-and the equipment heavy.

-A breeze from the Bay of Biscay

-turns into fog and rain on Picos.

-Ahead of them, the climb crosses

-the vast empty western face.

-There's no easy way out from here

-when the rock is wet.

-The rain is coming.

-They've no choice - after climbing

-600 ft - they have to turn back.

-

-Four days later, after rain

-forced them off the wall...

-..Caradoc and Mariona are back for

-another attempt on Navaro/Rabada...

-..in the Picos mountain range.

-The weather is colder.

-Soon, it will be hard to turn back,

-because the climb crosses the face.

-They need a spot of luck,

-because the forecast is poor.

-But they're both very determined.

-This is the 7th pitch.

-There's another 15 to go.

-The sack is heavy, isn't it?

-It's like having a mule on my back.

-This cross is the key to the climb.

-After this, the problems lessen.

-The first climbers were very clever

-to discover this path.

-Yes. This is the sensible route.

-It's too steep directly above us.

-Ernesto Navaro and Alberto Rabada...

-..solved the problem of negotiating

-the weaknesses of the western face.

-They crossed a smooth surface...

-..to form a link between the lower

-cracks and the easier higher parts.

-It was extremely daring

-back in 1962.

-OK, Mariona?

-OK.

-The rope isn't of much use

-to Mariona as she climbs across.

-If anything, it's harder for her,

-because she's carrying the sack.

-Good climbing, don't you think?

-I've nearly finished the traverse...

-..once Mariona

-has come round this corner.

-That's the key to reach

-the highest part of the face.

-Next, there's a pendulum,

-in order to reach the chimney.

-Steep cracks connect

-a series of shelves.

-In turn, they lead to the summit.

-Today, despite the forecast,

-the weather is in their favour.

-Fortunately,

-the Bay of Biscay poses no threat.

-But there's one difficult pitch

-ahead, before they reach the summit.

-After climbing since daybreak,

-it's now late afternoon.

-For the first time,

-they're climbing in the sun.

-It's quite easy

-to climb alternately isn't it?

-How far is the peak -

-6 rope lengths?

-No, less. Only two or three,

-and then it's easier.

-The short-legged team has succeeded!

-Here we are on the summit.

-At last, at last,

-thanks very much.

-One of the best days ever!

-Subtitles by

-CYMEN