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Walking in the Picos de Europa

42 walks and treks in Spain's first National Park

By Robin Walker

ISBN

9781852845360

Availability

Published

22 May 2023

Edition

Second

Pages

256

Size

17.20 x 11.60 x 1.40cm

Weight

300g

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Guidebook describing walks and multi-day treks in the Picos de Europa, a striking limestone range that forms part of the Cantabrian Mountains in northern Spain. Routes vary in difficulty and some include an element of scrambling. Includes notes on transport, bases, accommodation and equipment, plus history, geology, plants and wildlife.

Seasons

The Picos de Europa can be visited at any time, but May–June are best for the meadows of the lower and middle mountains, and July–September for the high summits.

Centres

Cangas de Onís, Covadonga, Arenas de Cabrales, Bulnes, Sotres, Panes, Potes, Fuente Dé, Posada de Valdeón, Caín, Oseja de Sajambre, Amieva

Difficulty

The routes are graded from easy to very difficult and take anything from 3 hours to a full day. In the lower and middle mountains, walks follow tracks and paths and navigation is generally straightforward. In the high mountains, paths can be vague and exposed and require good navigation skills. Steep climbs and descents mark many middle and high mountain routes.

Must See

El Naranjo de Bulnes, Torrecerredo, Peña Vieja, Peña Santa de Castilla, Morra de Lechugales, Collado Jermoso, Vega de Liordes, Jou de los Cabrones, Jou Santu, the Cares Gorge, the Canal de Trea, the Covadonga lakes, the Mirador de Ordiales, karstification, poljes, beech woods, rebeccos, Griffon, Egyptian and Bearded vultures

ISBN

9781852845360

Availability

Published

22 May 2023

Edition

Second

Pages

256

Size

17.20 x 11.60 x 1.40cm

Weight

300g

Overview

Guidebook to 38 walks and 4 short treks of 3-4 days in the stunning Picos de Europa mountains of northern Spain. The walking routes are between 8 and 24 km in length and are graded by difficulty, ranging from easy valley walks to difficult ascents of the high peaks. The walks cover the areas of Cangas de Onís, Cabrales, Liébana, Valdeón and Sajambre.

Alongside detailed route descriptions and 1:50k mapping, there is plenty of information on potential bases, manned refuges, local transport and facilities along the routes. There are also background notes on the area's rich geology, plants and wildlife.

Spain's first national park, the Picos de Europa feature striking karst landscapes of jagged peaks and deeply incised gorges. However, there are also beech woods and picturesque alpine lakes, and the diverse landscapes support a wide variety of plants, wildlife and birdlife. The walks showcase many of the region's highlights, including its high peaks, the Covadonga lakes and the breathtaking Cares Gorge. The landscape of the Picos is widely considered the jewel in Spain’s mountainous crown.

Table of Contents

CONTENTS

Map key

Overview map

Preface

Route summary table

Introduction

Location and geography

Geology

Climate and weather

Plants and flowers

Wildlife

The National Park

Getting there

Getting around

Language and money

Where to stay

When to visit

What to take

Maps

GPS in the Picos

Roads, tracks and paths

Safety

Emergencies

Using this guide

Cangas de Onís

Walk 1 La Cruz de Priena

Walk 2 La Majada de Belbín

Walk 3 La Buferrera and Los Lagos

Walk 4 Covadonga from Los Lagos

Walk 5 Ario and El Jultayu

Walk 6 El Mirador de Ordiales

Walk 7 Tour of the Torre de Santa María

Walk 8 Torre les Travieses

Walk 9 La Jocica and La Senda del Arcediano

Cabrales

Walk 10 Pueblos de Cabrales

Walk 11 Cabeza de Juanrobre

Walk 12 El Cuetón

Walk 13 Monte Camba

Walk 14 Vao los Llobos

Walk 15 Pico de San Carlos

Walk 16 Pica el Jierru

Walk 17 Colláu Cambureru

Walk 18 Cabrones and Urriellu

Liébana

Walk 19 Pueblos de Liébana

Walk 20 Pico Jano

Walk 21 Vega de Liordes

Walk 22 Alto la Padierna

Walk 23 El Cable and La Jenduda

Walk 24 Peña Vieja

Walk 25 Los Puertos de Áliva

Walk 26 Peña Oviedo

Valdeón

Walk 27 Pico Cebolleda

Walk 28 La Torre Salinas

Walk 29 Collado Jermoso

Walk 30 El Valle del Arenal

Walk 31 Pueblos de Valdeón

Walk 32 La Travesona

Walk 33 The Cares Gorge

Sajambre

Walk 34 Pica Beza

Walk 35 Vega Huerta

Walk 36 Pico Jario

Walk 37 Pueblos de Sajambre

Walk 38 Sajambre es Bosque

Trekking

Trek 1 Tour of the Western Massif

Trek 2 Tour of the Central Massif

Trek 3 Tour of the Eastern Massif

Trek 4 Ruta de la Reconquista – GR 202

Appendix A Useful contacts and website addresses

Appendix B Glossary

Appendix C Huts of the Picos de Europa

Maps

Maps

When I wrote the 1989 Cicerone guide to Walks and Climbs in the Picos de Europa, mapping was a real problem. Thankfully this is no longer true and excellent paper and digital maps now cover the range. At the time of writing, and based on my own experience as a regular user, the best maps are:

Paper maps

Editorial Alpina, Picos de Europa Parque Nacional, 1:25,000

www.editorialalpina.com/en

An almost obligatory purchase, this excellent map is already in its second edition. The level of detail and accuracy is outstanding, and the two maps, one for the Eastern and Central massifs and a second for the Western, come in a simple wallet with data for contacting mountain refuges and selected hostels in the valleys. To a very large extent, the place names and the heights used in this guidebook coincide with those given on the Alpina maps.

Adrados Ediciones, Parque Nacional de los Picos de Europa, Mapa topográfica excursionista con la reseña de los itinerrarios de Pequeño y Gran Recorrido (PR y GR) 1:50,000

An excellent publication covering the whole of the national park and a number of areas beyond in a single map that shows all the national park waymarked footpaths, both long-distance (GR) and short distance (PR). It also shows a number of local government waymarked footpaths that fall within the scope of this guidebook. The map is the perfect complement to the Alpina 1:25,000 maps, although the 1:50,000 scale has limitations for walking in the high Picos. Purchase in shops once in the Picos or try online from specialists such as Cordee or Stanfords.

Digital maps

Bob Boulan, Picos de Europa

http://boulan.blogspot.com (and go to Adquirir el mapa)

The best digital map of the Picos and, at 6€ per download, almost a freebie. A vector topographic map that was started in 2004 for personal use and has undergone multiple improvements since then. The map can be downloaded to a desktop computer via Garmin Base Camp, or used on a handheld Garmin GPS device. In the preparation of the GPX files that accompany this guide, I regularly used the Boulan map in order to verify distances and heights in edited GPX files.

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Downloads

Walking in the Picos de Europa - GPX File

Robin Walker

Robin Walker began mountaineering in his native Northumberland at the age of 13, and went on to walk and climb throughout the British Isles, Norway, the Dolomites, the Alps and the USA. In 1981 he moved to northern Spain, his early experiences culminating in Walks and Climbs in the Picos de Europa (Cicerone, 1989).

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