DIRECTA DE LOS MARTINEZ. NARANJO DE BULNES

The Sur Directa de los Martínez in the Picu Urriellu (Naranjo de Bulnes), also known as the Directa de los Hermanos Martínez, was not the first route chosen by the climbers but is now considered the normal or least complicated one to reach the summit.

It is also the usual route to rappel down the mountain, but in order to avoid gatherings parallel abseiling lines have recently been installed, so it's better to use them instead.
All the belay stations are perfectly equipped with bolts, but there are no permanent anchors in the pitches, except for a few pitons in the second pitch. Camalots nº1, nº2 and nº3 are very good to use in the grooves.
Beware of falling rocks if a roped-team is climbing above, there are loose rocks in the upper amphitheatre. Be careful not drop to them when you get there.

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Sur Directa de los Martínez in the Naranjo de Bulnes (Picu Urriellu). Route description ::

The route starts more or less in the centre of the South Face wall. Being able to see the first belay station is the best landmark to identify the beginning of the route. It's located in a small cave about 15 m above the ground, and made of two bolts triangulated with a chain.

• The first pitch (15 m) is the most difficult of the route, and also a bit polished. It climbs up a small grooves wall that can be protected with friends, you need to pay attention because the ground is close. We reach a small and comfortable cave-ledge where we'll find the belay station. There aren't any permanent anchors in this pitch, a Camalot nº 3 is very good to protect it.
• The next pitch is about 40 m long. Above the belay station you can spot a bolt, but it belongs to another, more difficult route. The Directa de los Martínez makes a short traverse towards the right for a couple of meters and then continues more or less straight up to the second belay station located on a large ledge. There's a spit along the way.
• In the third pitch (20 m), the difficulty decreases as you climb. We start climbing from the belay station to the right on a dihedral and continue along it until reaching the belay station.
• The fourth pitch is relatively easy, but you need to know how to climb the grooves serenely. We climb next to a small dihedral and then head left along a spectacular groove wall of very good rock quality. Once we've passed these grooves, the difficulty decreases, and we find the belays station in a cave.
• Finally, the last pitch continues along easy slab and grooves (IIIº) slightly to the right until reaching the last belay station. From here we continue scrambling (IIº), taking care not to throw stones, along a kind of couloir in the centre of the amphitheatre until we reach the summit arête that takes us to the summit.

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