Eneko and Iker Pou have free climbed “Vicios Ocultos” (7c, 285 m) on Tiro Pedabejo in the Picos de Europa for the first time, one year after the Basque brothers had opened the six pitches themselves.
Six rope lengths, two long days
The route traverses 285 meters up the face of the 2.189-meter-high Tiro Pedabejo. The brothers from the Basque province of Álava first established it last year – ground-up and around the same time of year as the current free ascent. "Last year, we did the first ascent over two long days – the kind where you start in the dark and come back in the dark. The free ascent was the same," Eneko Pou explained in the brothers' press release.
The free ascent also took two days. On the first day, South Tyrolean climber Mathias Senfter was with them, but they didn't manage to free climb all the pitches. On the second day – without Senfter, who had to leave – the brothers finished the climb. The ascent was nevertheless calmer than the first. In 2025, a block had shifted at the top of the fourth pitch, and a fall of 30 to 40 meters was narrowly avoided. This time, there was no comparable moment.
Potential for a new classic
The crux pitch comes early: a 5+ at the start is immediately followed by a 7c. This is followed by 7a+, 7b, and 7a, finishing with a 6b. The Pou brothers explicitly state that this division is provisional; they intend to refine it only after future ascents. "It's one of the most beautiful routes we've ever climbed in these mountains. The line is fantastic, the rock quality is excellent, and the route offers six pitches of truly exceptional quality. For all these reasons—and despite a certain degree of exposure—we are convinced that it will develop into a great classic, especially since the difficulty isn't extreme," is how Iker and Eneko describe "Vicios Ocultos." For climbers seeking alpine multi-pitch routes in the seventh French grade, this could become a new dream destination in the Picos de Europa.
Second line at Tiro Pedabejo
The summit of Tiro Pedabejo lies between the Valdeón Valley in Leone and Liébana in Cantabria. Iker Pou knows it well: in 2019, he, along with Jon Gurutz Lazkoz and Kiko Cerdá, established and freed the big wall route "Dardara" (7c+/8a, 200 m) here. "A very elegant, beautiful, and vertical mountain," is how Iker Pou describes Tiro Pedabejo; after all, steep climbing is one of his favorite styles.
It's part of the Pou brothers' philosophy: they not only establish routes, but also like to return to free climb them. In the Picos de Europa, they've done this on routes including "Orbayu" (8c/8c+), "Rayu" (8c), and "Lurgorri" (8c). "It's double the work, but it feels like a perfect ten on the exam," Iker jokes.
Steep wall climbing on one of the pitches of "Vicios Ocultos" on Tiro Pedabejo. | Photo: Iker and Eneko Pou
The route name “Vicios Ocultos” – roughly translated as “hidden vices” – dates back to an evening at the “La Ardilla Real” mountain hut in Santa Marina de Valdeón that they vividly remember. “It was our way of dedicating the route to them, after some unforgettable days in their company in this beautiful corner of the mountains of León that we love so much.”
From Peru back to the Picos
The free ascent caps off a strong year for the Pou brothers. At the beginning of summer, the two established "Bonustrack" (WI7/M6/6c, 1.060 meters) in the Peruvian Andes in alpine style – by their own account, their most significant alpine achievement to date. Until Christmas, Eneko and Iker Pou will primarily be giving presentations. And at some point, according to those close to them, they will have to sit down and count their routes in the Picos de Europa.
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