Make a summit in the Yelmo de la Pedriza "in the most elegant way possible: climbing"

What from Madrid to boast has not walked among its rock sculptures or has it bathed (when it was allowed) in its green pond?Pedriza is one of the preferred natural scenarios of mountain sports fans, and a unique space in the Iberian Peninsula for its peculiar geological characteristics, which have earned it the denomination of a natural site of national interest of interest.And it is that erosion and time have shaped from the Paleozoic era the relief of this southern slope of the Sierra de Guadarrama, giving rise to rocks, cliffs, ridges and granite blocks of varied and curious shapes, making it a museum in the air in the air free.

In technical language this formation of magmatic origin of the Pedriza is known as Batolito, and its capricious batteryons, marmites, taffonis, alveolos, balmas, domes, domes...Popularly and by the work of the imagination in the bird, the elephant, the mace, the sphinx or the candle, to cite some of its best known rocks, although the most emblematic is the rock of the yelmo (1.717 meters).A dome similar to the helmet carried by the medieval knights that rises 150 meters in their southern face, a practically smooth wall full of climbWords of our guide, Luis Torija, "in the most elegant way possible: climbing".

Although I am not very convinced to get the elegance, with which lizard, Luis convinces me to climb to the mythical mole for his southwest spur, by the famous via Valentina (called that because there was up to his clients one of the first guides of the Pedriza, Valentín Parra).An ideal way to prove the climbing in adhesion, which is practiced in the granite: you have to "stick" to the rock using the tips of the feet and fingers of the hands looking for support and grips in fissures or bumps of theRoca (sometimes minimal) that allow us to progress.Although for this climb it is not necessaryrecommended to go with a guide that assures us, because a slip can end up in a serious fall.

Prohibited to wear shoes

To reach the feet of the impressive block we have to make a trekking about five kilometers and 600 meters of unevenness (1h30 '/2h according to the rhythm).There are several climbing paths (care that is easy to get lost), we take one of the most direct, the one that leaves from the tranco by a road stuck to the restaurant Casa Julián.In the parking lot, Luis provides us with the necessary equipment: helmet, harness and cat feet (they are not essential, you can wear trekking shoes with a good grip sole - it neverreinforced toe and adherent sole).

We began to gain height until we reach the Grand Cañada, a huge meadow with views to Manzanares El Real and its reservoir;From here the road continues to the road to the holm oak, from where we already sigh the dome belly.A few more meters and we arrive at the Pradera del Yelmo.The Valentina is left.We fuck and prepare to face the climb: the first section is the most vertical and difficult.You have to climb putting your left foot in a fissure and grabbing the edge of the rock with your hand.About 8 meters, the crack ends and we have to move to a plaque to the right to overcome a projection and reach the safe area.

This is the most complicated, then we continue to ascend through the edge even walking erect.We arrive at the top of the Yelm, we contemplate the wonderful views of the entire park of the upper Manzanares and we descend through the same place.In the backpack our first foray into the vertical world.