Situation
Station
All year round
Duration (approx.)
5h
Difficulty rating (M.I.D.E.)
Media
Type of route
Lineal
Elevation gain
+600 m
BTT
Car combination
No
History and culture
Not far from San Julián, south of the Matapaños, at the foot of some striking crags and deep within a ravine accessible only through a narrow opening too narrow for two men to pass side by side, there is a chapel dedicated to Saint Martin, Bishop of Tours. I am very sorry not to have time to go and see that chapel situated in such a mysterious spot. Moreover, we must leave the opportunity to explore and describe it to those to whom we are now showing the way.
(Text taken from “Excursions through Aragon and Navarre 1882”) SAINT-SAUD
As soon as we set off, we shall descend to enter the San Martín ravine. Amidst boxwood, moss, bear’s ears, the occasional wild strawberry and blackberries, we shall ascend the gravel bed, surrounded by limestone rocks. The riverbed is usually dry, but underground waters flow through it, appearing and disappearing mysteriously.
On a small, gentle slope, we shall find a very interesting commemorative plaque. Now the pines and holm oaks mingle with the previous vegetation. A set of steps and ropes, as if it were a via ferrata, facilitate access for walkers and pilgrims. Once at the top of the pass, the scent of savory fills the air and the limestone gives way to impressive conglomerate masses. To the left, the walls close in almost completely, as if one were about to collapse onto the other. This section is well known to canyoneers. To the right, a cirque indicates where the chapel is located. We must take particular care when inside the ravine, as its walls are home to griffon vultures, bearded vultures, Egyptian vultures, choughs and pigeons, which, when landing or taking flight, may dislodge rocks onto us. We must also take care not to step on the newts living in the stream we will have to cross, using the stones laid out so as not to get wet.
The rock-hewn church of San Martín, according to some authors, may have Visigothic origins, but the fact is that the earliest documents mentioning it date from 1075. It served as a monastery and in 1572 passed into the hands of hermits, remaining in good condition. During the Civil War it was looted, leaving it in a state of considerable disrepair due to the passage of time and the ravages of war. Following painstaking restoration work, it has regained some of its former splendour.
ITINERARY
1- Parking
2- 3- 4- Senda
5- La Viñeta
6- S. Martín de la Val d’ Onsera
7- Senda de los Burros
8- 9- senda
10- Parking
1- Once past San Julián de Banzo, a signposted turn-off to the right will take you onto the track leading to the car park. From here, take the path that descends into the ravine.
2- Once inside the ravine, follow the riverbed upwards over loose gravel. There is a small turn-off to the left, marked with a cairn, which first climbs up above the riverbed before returning to it. (optional)
3- The walls narrow and the riverbed zigzags until we reach our first turn-off. The path branches off to the right, marked by a large cairn, ascends alongside a stream and through a wood, to reach a sheer rock face (climbing area). Shortly afterwards there is a fork in the path; we will take the one heading to the left. We will use the other one on the descent.
4- Now the path winds and climbs steeply through trees and scrub until it brings us close to the cliff face. Paint markings, a signpost and a signposted turn-off will confirm that we are on the right track.
5- We will take the path on the left (La Viñeta) which will take us up to the pass. A handrail and guardrails will make the ascent easier. Afterwards, the path is poorly marked, but the obviousness of the pass leaves no room for doubt.
6- Once at the top, at the pass, we will descend into the ravine via a path that branches off to our left; upon reaching the stream bed, we will turn right and follow it upstream to the chapel.
7- Retracing our steps, we return to the pass. Just as we did on the way up, we turn left towards San Julián de Banzo-Llanos de Ciano via the Senda los Burros.
8- We follow this path down to the junction where the markings and the plaque were. A few metres after passing the markings, there is a faint path on the left that enters a wood, where red markings on the tree trunks will lead us to the bottom of the ravine.
9- From here, a well-marked path over rocky ground halfway up the slope will take us to a junction, where we will turn right (signposted) and descend rapidly to the junction where the climbing area described earlier was located.
10- Now we simply have to return along the path and the ravine bed and climb back up to the car park, retracing our first steps of the route.
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