A representative place
of peregrination and devotion
Its name means"Valley of the Bears" , because
apparently, in other times, the place was abundant in this class of
animals. It is a beautiful place of the of Guara Mountain Range
in which is found a dedicated hermitage to San Martín.
For the oscenses (people born in Huesca) it represents a place
of accused devotion, very frequented for the fans to the mountaineering
and path walking. The trip is as following:
From the city of Huesca, we will start
our space traveled for the highway that conducts to Barbastro
town. Shortly after beginning your space traveled, when it's passed
the section known as "Estrecho Quinto", we will deviate us
to the left hand in direction to Loporzano, that we will leave
to our right one. We will continue highway ahead about three kilometers,
until taking a deviation to the left (before reaching to Sasa del
Abadiado village) that takes to Barluenga village. We will
follow ahead by leaving the deviation to Chibluco village to
reach to the first district of San Julián de Banzo village.
We will cross a bridge near the source of Los Manantiales and
consecutively will see to the right hand the beginning of a track,
once passing a gorge where the highway does a marked curve to the
left and a cartel that indicates "San Martín de la Val de Onsera".
We'ill take a track to the right, and to a few meters, other cartel
indicates turn around to the right again. By following a track in
which must take care of the bottom of the car, in little minutes it's
reached a good signposted parking. Still there is other parking in
the next deviation.
We will begin to walk, by verifying as rapidly
is reached the dry river bed of the gorge (gully) or Barranco de
San Martín, by alternating both banks until the confluence of
two defiles, seeing at once appear the astonishing walls of rock,
where is frequent to see nests of vultures; we will go up for the
defile of the right between shrubs, thickets and low forest of oaks,
ascending always, between the thick vegetation until descrying to
the source of Puerta del Cierzo (the door of the cold north
wind). To the right it is Sierra de Facha (Facha Mountain
Range).
We will pass an oak grove and there will
find a commemorative plate of the decease of who was a Barluenga
resident. Near already, are the Sirgas de la Viñeta
(towropes of the vignette) that it is a passage of towropes and stairs
in the rock, that for a pendent we are carryed to Collado San Salvador,
a surprising looking balcony.
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This path of the towrope begins going up
towards the left, and after a few steps, the slope is more pronounced
towards the right, where an ancient balustrade of iron protects us
of falls. Above, a path to the right can pass us unnoticed, so we
must be attentive.
So, we will have reached to the San
Salvador small hill, where the views towards the gorge of San
Martín result impressive, with enormous large thick walls that
hide the old hermitage. An indicating small board offers us different
pathes of access: for the hillock small hill, and it points out "Campos
de Ciano", "San Julián por Senda Los Burros" and "Fuente
Cierzo". Going down for a path, going down to the right for the
track of "San Martín de la Val de Onsera", we turn to the gorge
of San Martín and shortly we will be in that beautiful corner,
in which the hermitage is found with that cascade of water falling
for the rock, inviting us to a shower. It will have inverted approximately,
about two hours.
The hermitage remained a time in states
dilapidated, but always was very interesting by being stuck to the
vertical wall that protects it. They secure that it dates from XI
century, (1075) and has a railing that impedes the step to the area,
but the guard always facilitated the key in the little town of San
Julián de Banzo.
The expert mountaineer can return for
the same path until the river bed of the gorge and descend for the
narrow canyon whose difference in height is of 250 m. in a space traveled
of 800 ms. It is neccesary a rope about 30 m. to do descent of some
handicap.
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