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The
starting point is the car park area at kilometre 5 of the track leading
up to Belsué reservoir from the Apiés - Sabayés road. From this carpark
a path strikes out to the right, leading in a south-easterly direction
straight towards the Peña de San Miguel. This crag can be skirted
either to the left or the right or we can also climb up to the top,
scaling metal stairs that call for a certain prudence. At the top there
are the remains of diverse Roman constructions and stunning views of
this part of the Sierra de Guara, with the Peña de Amán looming large
in the foreground.
To
do the second part of the proposed route, the descent to the River
Flumen, we need first to return to the car park to take the road
leading to the northeast (to the left as you come from the Sabayés
track). The descent to the river is a little over one kilometre and
runs through Kermes Oak scrub and scree slopes. The drop down to the
river, despite the downward slope, takes about half an hour. There is
no chance of getting lost if we stick to the wide track, which first of
all passes a farrowing pen, then a hut and later through the poplar
carr of the springs of Lavallos, eventually reaching the river through
the old vegetable gardens of Santolarieta. The return to the carpark is
a stiff climb and takes about 45 minutes, double the time normally
taken on the walk down.
The
Sierra de Guara has an unquestionable ecological importance. Birdlife
is particularly rich with a high density of raptors and such valuable
species as the Lammergeier, which can often be seen soaring in the sky
or around the cliffs of this part of the Sierra. Griffon Vultures,
Egyptian Vultures and Peregrine Falcons are other birds of prey that
might be spotted here. What this Sierra is best known for, however, is
as an unrivalled open-air school for the sport of gorge descents. © Alhena Media
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