4 Peaks in 4 Weeks

Four summits. Four countries. One month. In March 2022, I am setting out to reach the high points of four corners of Europe, from a volcano in the middle of the Atlantic to a snowbound ridge on the Polish border, and to do the whole thing in four weeks.

The line runs west to east: the Azores, then northern Spain, then Greece, then Poland. Two of the climbs I will make on my own. I’ll do the other two, where March turns the mountains properly serious, with a team and local support. Here is the route.

Azores: Mount Pico (2,351 m)

The starting point sits furthest from everything else, a near perfect volcanic cone rising straight out of the Atlantic. Mount Pico is the highest mountain in Portugal, and the climb is a continuous haul from the Casa da Montanha at 1,200 metres up to the crater rim, finishing with a short scramble onto Piquinho, the small cone inside the summit crater. On paper it is a demanding hike. In practice the Azores make their own weather, and in March they rarely make it kind. Solo.

Spain: Naranjo de Bulnes (2,519 m)

Also known as Picu Urriellu, this is the one that does not pretend to be a walk. A sheer limestone tower in the heart of the Picos de Europa, it has been the emblem of Spanish mountaineering for over a century, famous for a west face that drops 550 metres with barely a ledge. There is no path to the top. The summit is reached by climbing, and even the easiest line is a genuine technical ascent. Solo, and the one I have the most respect for.

Greece: Mount Olympus (2,918 m)

The home of the gods, and the highest mountain in Greece. Its summit, Mytikas, is normally a strenuous walk with an exposed scramble to finish. In March it is something else entirely: snow, ice, and a good deal less margin for error. This is a serious winter ascent, and one I will make with a group rather than alone.

Poland: Rysy (2,499 m)

The final peak, and the highest point in Poland, on the crest of the High Tatras where the border runs straight through the summit. In summer Rysy is a long but walkable day from the shore of Morskie Oko. In March it is deep winter, a proper mountaineering objective on snow. A group again, and a fitting place to finish.

Why four peaks in four weeks

Partly it is the obvious thing. After two years in which the horizon shrank to the nearest supermarket, I wanted to go a long way and stand somewhere high. But the shape of the trip matters more than the challenge. Four mountains, four countries, four different languages and four different ideas of what a mountain even is, all inside one continent and one month. It is a small argument, made with boots and a rucksack, for a Europe that is wonderfully varied and remarkably close at the same time. The summits are the excuse. The people I meet between them are the point.

If you would like to follow along, or you are planning something similar and want to compare notes:

For information and travel planning: mp@mauriziopittau.it
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