Spain/France (3,404 m, 3,355 m) – Highest Peaks in the Pyrenees
Monte D’Aneto and Monte Perdido are two of the largest mountains that form the backbone of the Central Pyrenees on the border of France and Spain. The former is the tallest mountain of the Pyreness, and the latter is the centerpiece of Ordesa and Monte Perdido National Park. Monte D’Aneto is named for the nearby town of Aneto, while Monte Perdido means the Lost Mountain.
The Central Pyrenees have been a natural barrier between mainland Europe and the Iberian penninsula since time immemorial. Its passes have been well guarded since antiquity. One pass in the shadow of Monte Perdido was the site of the famous last stand of the knight Roland against the Moorish invasion of France. D’Aneto and Perdido were not fully explored until the 19th century, and in 1842 the first recorded ascent was made of the former.
Monte D’Aneto and Monte Perdido are only 25 miles from one another, but are not easily mutually accessible. Both can be reached from both France and Spain, though the closes major city is Andorra la Vella fifty miles to the east.
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