Situation
Somontano / Sobrarbe
Station
All year round. Without snow
Duration (approx.)
4h
Difficulty rating (M.I.D.E.)
M:3. I: 2. D:2. E: 4
Type of route
Lineal
Elevation gain
+800 -620 m
BTT
Yes (85% cycleable; difficulty: very difficult; difficulty factor: very high)
Car combination
Yes
History and Culture
The area covered by this route, though largely forgotten today, was once one of the most frequently used communication routes between the Sobrarbe and Somontano regions. Colungo, our starting point, is notable for its rock art interpretation center, its excellent brandies, and the 16th-century late Gothic church dedicated to Our Lady of the Pillar.
The route begins among olive and almond groves, giving way to holm oaks, gall oaks, junipers, and the occasional strawberry tree. Towards the end, extensive reforested pine forests become the dominant feature.
The geological interest of the route is significant, as we are situated on the barrier separating limestone from conglomerate rock. Various erosive agents have sculpted unimaginable shapes into stones, creating beautiful ravines and unique landscapes.
The Portal de la Cunarda is a prime example.
Since prehistoric times, humankind has known how to make use of the resources this area has offered. The Muriecho rock shelters with their impressive Levantine art paintings, the Arruellos ravine quarry, from which large grinding stones were extracted for the olive oil mills, the slender boxwood trees from which wood was obtained to make spoons and other utensils, the honey produced from the rosemary and thyme so abundant in this land, or the pigeons that, protecting themselves in the vertical walls of narrow ravines to breed, made them into large natural dovecotes, used for years as sustenance in times of scarcity.
Mycology
Reforested in the 1950s, these pine forests soon became renowned for the abundance of mushrooms that grew there. It is important to choose the right time of year and get up very early if you want a good harvest, as many enthusiasts are well aware of their bounty. Among the most common species are the king oyster mushroom (Lactarius Deliciosus), the yellow trumpet (Cantharellus Lutescens) and the black trumpet (Tricholoma Terreum), whilst the rarest and most sought-after include the ‘boletus’, such as the porcini (Boletus Edulis and Aereus) and the Caesar’s mushroom (Amanita Caesarea).
Note: The species listed here are not classified as edible or inedible. Only the species are listed.
The Sierra de la Guara Natural Park is subject to to specific regulations regarding the picking of mushrooms.
ITINERARY
1- Colungo
2- Arruello path/crossroads/ravine
3- Portal de la Cunarda
4 – La Cunarda (pine forest)
5- Return to Colungo
6- Camporroyo
7- Muriecho rock shelters
8- Pine forest
1- At the entrance to Colungo, right next to the road, there is a car park. We’ll set off from here along a track that descends briefly, before turning into a path a little further on.
2- Following the path, we’ll reach the road. We simply cross it and continue along a wide track until we come to a path on our left that descends gently.
3- This path is impossible to miss, so we’ll follow it for a good while until we reach some information boards, where we’ll turn left towards the Portal de la Cunarda; we just need to follow the path until it ends and the portal is on our right.
4- We’ll return to the information boards and take the path that climbs up to the left to reach a forest track. Two options: 1st, turn right towards Colungo; 2nd, turn left towards La Cunarda.
5- If you choose the first option, continue along the track downhill until you reach Colungo.
6- For those choosing the second option, continue along the main track towards Bárcabo until you reach a hilltop where a firebreak branches off to the left. An information panel and a gate will mark the spot. Throughout this route, the pine forests on both sides of the track are of great mycological interest.
7- We will descend along the firebreak until it ends, ignoring a path that branches off to the right halfway down. At the end of it, we will take a path to the right and follow it uphill until we reach a sharp bend where we will find a marker. From here, the path leads to the Abrigos de Muriecho.
8- Once we have seen them, we will return to the track and continue climbing, then level out, to reach a junction where the track descends to our right. Now we simply have to follow it down until we reach the road, where the second vehicle will be waiting for us.
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