MADRID, 1 Feb. (EUROPA PRESS) –
The Spanish climber Ángel López will receive the honorary award from the Pirineos Mountain Film Festival 2024, a recognition that highlights the figure of people and institutions with important work linked to the mountains and the natural environment.
Popularly known as 'el Cintero, this pioneer of Aragonese mountaineering and also the oldest active climber in Spain will be in the capital of Huesca on February 22.
“He is an icon, a national reference, an example of dedication, dedication and passion for the mountains throughout his life,” explains David Asensio, director of the contest, about the award that will be presented at the Teatro Olimpia.
During the event, the multi-award-winning film 'Mountains of Yesterday' will be screened, a film focused on “the prodigious decade”, an era of which López is one of its emblems. That same day, the exhibition “The prodigious decade 1953-1963 of Aragonese mountaineering” will be inaugurated, made up of unpublished and original materials from this generation that crowned the west face of Mallo Pisón in Riglos for the first time.
Ángel López was born in Zaragoza in 1936 and at only ten years old he entered the Montolar century of the Youth Front, the only means that at that time allowed mountain climbing. After learning the techniques and meeting his teammates: Alberto Rabadá, Manuel Bescós and Rafael Montaner among others; Along with the first two and at only 17 years old, López performs the first repetition of Agüero's Peña Sola.
Three months later and with the same team, he achieved the first ascent of Puro de Riglos, ahead of Catalan Jordi Panyella's team by one day; With this milestone he marked the history of the mountains in Spain, in 1953 that marked the beginning of the so-called “Prodigious Decade” of Aragonese mountaineering.
Among its achievements throughout this decade are openings in places such as the Mallos de Riglos, the Peña del Moro in Mezalocha, Ricla or the Foz de Salinas, in addition to the first repetitions of the Espolón Clos a la Brecha de Roldán, the Puro of Vadiello or the Egg of Saint Cosme. In 1957, together with Alberto Rabadá, Rafael Montaner and Juan José Díaz, he achieved the first direct route to the west face of the Pisón Mall in Riglos along the road they named Serón-Millán.
'El Cintero' has a track record that is adorned with sporting achievements and institutional recognitions such as the Gold Medal of the Mountaineers of Aragon and the Master of Sports Award for life from the Government of Aragon. In addition, he is an honorary member of the Spanish High Mountain Group and a member of the French Pyrenean High Mountain Group.
The Pirineos Mountain Film Festival is organized by the Huesca International Film Festival Foundation with the support of the Provincial Council of Huesca, Huesca City Council, Government of Aragón, Tu Huesca, Aramón, the Young Sports Foundation of the Higher Sports Council, the Aragonese Women's Institute, the Ibercaja Foundation, Aragón Tourism and Peña Guara as organizer of sports activities in Huesca.