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Espolon de la Virgen, Sierra de Guara

Publié le 31 May 2019 | Aragon Eng, Spain

Rodellar, Sierra de Guara. Where the Río Mascún rises, the Espolon de la Virgen rises vertically on a sort of spur, as its name suggests, and ends some 250m higher at the level of the house of the Hermit of the Virgen del Castillo. Although fairly short, the route is nonetheless very aerial, with 2 pitches where the feet are literally in the void above the torrent bed. Well equipped, it allows you to discover the surroundings of Rodellar, the peaceful atmosphere of the rio Mascún and some incredible sport climbing areas. If you're lucky, you may even catch a glimpse of a climber on the dolphin's back ...

Technical summary

■ S tarting point: Rodellar, Sierra de Guara, Aragon, Spain
■ Type of route: via ferrata
■ Direction: south-west
■ Fitted length: 250 m
■ Vertical rise: +150 m
■ Estimated total time: 1h30 to 2h
■ Min and max altitude: 750 m / 1050 m
■ Equipment in place: numerous rungs
■ Equipment required: standard equipment

Difficulty: K2 or PD, the aerial section can be impressive as it is above the void.

Access to the place

On the road from Leida to Huesca, fork right to go to Bierge and then to the end of the road, to the small village of Rodellar, above the Mascun. Park at the village entrance.

Map & topo

Itinerary description

Hiking to the start 30'

From the village, go down to the road behind, then take the upper path which overlooks the Mascun before reaching the torrent bed. Follow the lower path, crossing the river 2 or 3 times. You then come around a stone arch and, as you pass on the other side, the arch has been transformed into a blue dolphin. There's a resurgence of the Mascun. A little further to the right, you can see the rungs of the ferrata course on the east-facing cliff. A short, steep path leads back to the start.

Course 30' à 1h

The ferrata is fairly short and climbs a sort of pillar and then a hanging ridge above the gorge. The equipment in place is good, and belays are set up for escape and higher up on the empty side (abseiling possible). Far from being exceptional or unmissable, it's nonetheless an interesting option for discovering the heart of the Sierra from above, or for a change of pace after a climbing or canyoning session.

The 1st section is vertical and aerial, with a series of rungs. It doesn't take you long to climb out of the Mascun bed.

A short transition on foot to reach the second, even more aerial section (80m of direct gas) and the ascent of a ridge above the void: impressive.

To finish and reach the summit, follow the inclined ridge, easy to climb and equipped with chains. At the top, the hermit's house and a panoramic view of the Sierra and surrounding canyons.

Back

The best thing to do might be to de-escalate the route and abseil 30m or complete the climb via the small (but not very interesting) barranco de la Virgen. Otherwise, walk back to Rodellar in 30′ max.