For years, I have been struggling with this mountain! It is not very high, but as soon as you are in Ainsa and you do enduro in the Zona Zero, you only see it: the Peña Montañesa. It brings to mind a fortress, a medieval castle, protected by several rows of menacing walls. Obviously, this immediately makes me want to go and take my bike there! In 2017, I told local enduro riders about it. They told me that they had tried this mountain but had to give up: apparently, it is not "rideable". So I forgot about it for a while. Then in 2019, I managed to convince one of these enduro riders, Fred Masaroti, to try it with me. We thus made the ascent and ride by the normal route. But very laboriously. The trail is extremely technical over the 1250 m of elevation gain. Without one meter of rest! The riding is all about constant precise positioning, rough riding… And constant exposure on abrasive and dissuasive rock. Multiple cliffs to cross, go around… I can say that “I did it”, but objectively, I had to go down 35% on foot… In 2022, due to my technical level in mountain biking which has clearly improved, I decide to try the Peña again to ride it “properly”. I go there with Pierre Colpin this time. And to avoid repeating the line, we decide to take a (harder) variation on the summit line by riding the east ridge (knowing that the normal route goes in the opposite direction). And after we get back on the normal route. Technically, it’s still a good notch above, but we manage to ride almost everything. At the bottom, we are totally exhausted, but so happy: we managed 95% on the bike! At that moment, I swore to myself that I would never go back. It was so exhausting, so close to the limit... I edited one of the most famous films on my channel: ANX. Then came this spring of 2024... I had left for 5 quiet days of enduro in the Zona Zero. I even left with a pair of cycling shorts! But the Peña Montañesa was catching my eye. After the 3rd day, everyone was a bit knackered from the enduro circuits. Someone suggested doing a day of riding in high mountain… as a rest. And I don't know why, I'm talking about the Peña again... But doing the south face a 3rd time, no thanks!... I know that there is a way on the north face, even steeper. On the maps, I can't find anything, not a single path indicated. But on the Strava heat maps, we can see the route taken by the trailers. But a path little taken... So, I suggest we go there. Only Thomas Claire would agree...
My bike: Zerode Taniwha : zerode.eu/collections/enduro-...