The Pou brothers, together with the Argentinian Kico Cerdá open a new, extremely difficult multi-pitch route „Rayu“ (600m, 8c) on the Peña Santa de Castilla on the Picos de Europa. The team needed 5 weeks to develop and then climb the route in one piece in 12 1/2 hours. Together with „Orbayu“ (500m, 8c), where the Belgian Siebe Vanhee sents an ascent, the new tour should be the most difficult MSL route but at least one of the most difficult MSL routes in Spain and Europe.

Tecnical Data:

-Length of the route 600m/8c

-14 pitches

-Only one pitch in 8 grade. The 11 pitch is the 8c and the hardest. Most of the rest pitches are 7 grade and very nice ones.

– You need 2 sets of friends for repeat it and 1 set of nuts.

– Very few bolts in the route. The media is 1 or 2  bolts for pitch. Only the hard one has 7 bolts in 40m.

– You can climb the route with a single roupe. The longest pitch is 5o metres.

-We open with our partner Kico Cerdá and free climbing it in a one push of 12:30h.

-we arrived to the top with the last light and rappelling in the dark.

– You can bring water at 30 minutes from the base.

– Depends of the date, but in summer you have sun until 5 P.M

-The route is on South face.

-The quality of the rock is amazing.

– The mountain call „Torre Santa“ or „Peña Santa“2.596m.

– The approach to the wall about 4 h To  6 h, Depends of the town from you go up.

-We spend 5 week in total, including the rest days , for open it and free climbing in one push.

-The team was : Eneko & Iker Pou and Kico Cerdá.

-The best known neighboring wall is „Picu Urriellu“ or „Naranjo de Bulnes“.

„We are very happy: finally summit! After working hard for five hard weeks, together with our partner @aitueguias_kicocerda , we managed to open and climb free and on the day (12 1/2 hours) this is a true jewel  of the Picos de Europa, which we baptized as „Rayu „, in honor of the Valdeón valley and the characteristic white ray that crosses the upper part of the wall. Thank you very much to all the people who have supported and helped us in this new adventure and especially to the entire @refugiolaardilla team for feeding and hydrating us so well.“

Photo: Jordi_Canyi (Filmut)