Picos de Europa

The Picos de Europa are a compact range within Spain’s Cantabrian Mountains, rising to alpine heights (Torre de Cerredo tops out around 2,650 m). The range contains steep limestone walls and classic high‑altitude objectives that attract climbers who want long multi‑pitch lines and exposed terrain. One of those walls is the Naranjo de Bulnes (Picu Urriellu), a peak long associated with sustained technical climbing.

ORBAYU [full movie] a climbing Odyssey with Nina Caprez and Cédric Lachat captures an attempt on Orbayu, a 500‑metre, 13‑pitch line on the Naranjo de Bulnes. Filmed during a spring attempt in 2014, the piece documents climbing at roughly 2,000 m and foregrounds the route’s sustained difficulty — the film highlights a decisive crux pitch rated around 8c and carries the sense of exposure that comes with long, consecutive hard pitches at altitude. Nina Caprez and Cédric Lachat are shown balancing team decisions, physical effort and the psychological strain of committing to a single, sustained route.

This film functions as both a technical document and a study of partnership on big sport routes. It is particularly informative about pacing, rope management across many pitches, and the mental preparations a pair must make when a route’s difficulty is concentrated into one or two decisive cruxes. The cinematography and sound design keep the focus tight on the climbing, making the film a good resource for climbers interested in multi‑pitch sport ascent at elevation.