Geo route ESCUAIN PN1010 VALLEY TELLA, REVILLA & ESCUAIN c Geopark

Texts: The Geo-Routes PN are taken from the Geological Guide Ordesa and Monte Perdido National Park" from the Collection of Geological guides of the National Parks (IGME-OAPN, Roberto Rodríguez Fernández, dir and coord.) The texts of these Geo-routes have been developed by Alejandro Robador Moreno, Luis Carcavilla Urquí, Josep Maria Samsó Escolá and Ánchel Belmonte Ribas (Scientific Coordinator Sobrarbe Geopark). Figures and illustrations, by Albert Martinez Ríus, and photographs by Josep María Samsó Escolá, Luis Carcavilla Urquí, Alejandro Robador Moreno and Ángel Salazar Rincón

Translation into French and English: Trades Services, S.L.

Design and layout: Pirinei, S.C.

CBC project Pyrenees-Monte Perdido, World Heritage (PMPPM) GEO- of the 2007-2013 POCTEFA Program. ROUTE NETWORK OBRARBE GEOPARK GEO-ROUTE S NETWORK The Sobrarbe Geopark is located in the north of the province of and coincides with the district of the same name. This area is noted for its many cultural and natural values, most notably its spectacular geology. j`

Indeed, the Geo-Route network of the Sobrarbe Geopark was created to learn about and Taken together, these routes will enable visitors to enjoy the most beautiful parts of the Sobrarbe district and also obtain further information on its long geological history dating back over 500 million years. THE SOBRARBE GEOPARK In 2006 the Sobrarbe District was declared a Geopark and became part of the European Geopark Network, sponsored by UNESCO. A Geopark is a district with unique geological features for which a sustainable development strategy has been developed. Consequently, the key objective is to preserve its natural and cultural heritage and promote development through the appropriate management of the geological environment. There are currently 60 Geoparks in Europe and 100 in the word. The Sobrarbe Geopark features an exceptional geological environment, with over 100 places of geological interest that have been inventoried; many of which can be visited on the Geo-Route network. More info: www. geoparquepirineos.com

1 AP OF THE SOBRARBE GEOPARK M GEO-ROUTE NETWORK

Gèdre Aragnouet

Gavarnie

Bujaruelo Pineta Monte Viadós Perdido Río Cinca A-138 PARQUE Víu Torla P.N. DE ORDESA Y NATURAL MONTE PERDIDO DE POSETS- Escuaín MALADETA Fanlo Gistaín Ara Saravillo Nerín Plan Río Puértolas Lafortunada Fiscal Laspuña

N-260 Ascaso

Escalona

Labuerda San San Juan de Toledo Boltaña Victorián Foradada Aínsa N-260 Campo

Las Bellostas Embalse de Tierrantona Mediano PARQUE NATURAL Arcusa DE LA SIERRA Y Palo LOS CAÑONES DE Paúles Samitier GUARA de Sarsa

Río Esera

Bárcabo Lecina Embalse de

A-138

GEO 1 Geo-Route PN 1 Geo-Route in National Park of Ordesa and Monte Perdido

The various Sobrarbe geo-routes vary in length, difficulty, theme and duration. Consequently, almost everyone will be able to find a route that suites them.

2 Nº GEO-ROUTE TRAVEL DIFFICULTY DURATION THEME*

1 Geopark Interpretation Centre Geopark area - 1 hour All Aínsa: a town between two rivers. 2 Urban geology Aínsa Low Short R T F Samitier castle and 3 Low Medium TF Geology: A bird's eye view hermitages 4 Inside the canyon Congosto de Entremón Medium Short TR Vero River canyon 5 Breath-taking landscapes of water Low Medium RF and rock viewpoints 6 Sobrarbe at your feet Ascaso- Nabaín Medium Medium TF

7 Crossing the Jánovas Gully Near Jánovas Medium Short TR

8 Iron Age Elements Viu-Fragén-Broto Low Short GR Medium- 9 Long Whims of water for lonely mountaineers Ordiso Valley High GKR A lake among the oldest rocks in 10 Sobrarbe Lake Pinara and Puerto Viejo Low Medium GR

11 The hidden lake Lake Bernatuara Medium Long RGT

12 A road with tradition Bujaruelo Pass Medium Medium RGT Fiscal-Gradatiello- High 13 A privileged vantagepoint Peña Canciás Long RT

14 Secrets of the Guara Mountains Las Bellostas-Sta. Marina Low Long FRT Low 15 Geology for the Saint Espelunga de San Victorián Short RT

16 A passage between two worlds Collado del Santo Medium Long RFT Low 17 Water inside the Earth Badaín-Chorro de Fornos Medium KR Basa de la Mora Low 18 The Jewel of Cotiella (Ibón de Plan) Short GR

19 Treasures of the Posets-Maladeta Viadós-Ibones de Millars Medium Long GR Nature Park GEO-ROUTE IN NATIONAL PARK OF ORDESA AND Nº MONTE PERDIDO TRAVEL DIFFICULTY DURATION THEME*

Torla-Cola de Caballo- Low- RGF PN1 Ordesa Valley Góriz Shelter Medium** Medium Góriz Shelter-Mount Perdido PN2 Mount Perdido High Long TRKGF

PN3 The Roland Gap Góriz Shelter - Roland Gap High Long TRKGF

PN4 Cutas Viewpoints Torla-Viewpoints-Nerín Low** Medium KRGFT Low** PN5 La Larri Bielsa-La Larri Valley Medium RGT High PN6 Balcon de Pineta Pineta-Balcón de Pineta Long FTG Medium PN7 Añisclo Canyon (lower part) San Urbez-Fuen Blanca Long RGT

PN8 Añisclo Canyon (upper part) Fuen Blanca-Añisclo Pass High Long RGTF Escalona-Puyarruego PN9 Circuit Añisclo Canyon Low** Medium RTK Tella, Revilla-Escuaín PN10 Escuaín Valley Low** Medium TK Broto -Bujaruelo- PN11 Otal Valley Otal Valley Low** Medium GTK * Theme: T- Tectonics; F- Fossils;K- Karst; R- Rocks; E- Stratigraphy; G- Glaciarism ** Combining vehicle and hiking

3 GEOLOGICAL HISTORY OF THE SOBRARBE GEOPARK The geological history of the Sobrarbe Geopark goes back over 500 million years. Many geological events that have affected the current landscape and relief took place over that vast period of time. The geological history of Sobrarbe can be divided into 6 different episodes, each of which includes significant moments that led to today's geological landscape.

THE REMOTEST PAST 1 (between 500 and 250 million years ago) Over a long period of the Palaeozoic, the land now occupied by Sobrarbe was a seabed where silt, mud, clay and sand accumulated. Today these sediments have become the shale, sandstone, limestone and quartzite that form the northern mountains and valleys of the District. These rocks were intensely altered by the Variscan orogeny: an episode of intense tectonic activity that affected much of Europe and resulted in a huge mountain range. Numerous folds and faults attest to this past together with granite that was also formed in that era.

Folds in Palaeozoic rocks

TROPICAL MARINE SEDIMENTATION 2 (between 250 and 50 million years ago) The giant mountain range formed in the previous stage was heavily eroded and almost disappeared. Once erosion has almost swept away the mountain range, the resulting flat land was covered by a shallow tropical sea. Coral reefs appeared and the calcareous mud we see today in the shape of limestone, dolomite and marl, containing abundant marine fossils, accumulated. The sea fluctuated several times and there were many time when its depth increased and decreased; however, it practically covered the area throughout this episode. Fossils of marine organisms in the Cretaceous limestone

THE FORMATION OF THE PYRENEES 3 (between 50 and 40 million years ago) The marine sedimentation process continued during this episode, but under very different conditions to previous episodes. The sea, which separated what is today the Iberian Peninsula from the rest of Europe, gradually dried up. About 45 million years ago, as this sea became narrower and sedimentation occurred on the seabed, thousands of Typical landscape of turbidites outcrops metres below the surface, on land, the Pyrenees began to develop. I

In Sobrarbe we can find exceptional examples of turbidites, rocks formed in that sea as it accumulated huge amounts of sediments resulting from the development of the mountain range, while the mountains continued to develop.

PALAEOZOIC 542 m.a. 488 m.a. 443 m.a. 416 m.a. 359 m.a. 299 m.a. 251 m.a. 199 m.a. 145 m.a. 65 m.a. 23 m.a. 2,5 m.a.

Cambrian Ordovician Silurian Devonian Carboniferous Permian Tria Jurassic Cretaceous Palaeogene Neogene Quaternary EPISODES: 1 4 SOBRARBE GEOPARK THE SOBRARBE DELTAS (between 40 and 25 million years ago) 4 The formation of the mountain range caused the gradual disappearance of the sea, which was becoming shallower and elongated. About 40 million years ago, a system of deltas marked the transition between the area that had emerged and later stages of this marine gulf. Although this period was relatively short, huge amounts of sediment accumulated, which can be found today in the southern part of the District converted into marl, limestone and sandstone. Once the sea had retreated definitely from Sobrarbe, the relentless effects of erosion became all the more intense if possible. About 25 million years ago, active and dynamic torrents accumulated huge amounts of gravel that, over time, became conglomerates, such as those that form the bulk of Conglomerates: rocks formed from rounded Peña Canciás. fragments of other rocks

THE ICE AGES 5 (last 2,5 million years) Once the mountain range and its foothills had formed, erosion began to transform it. The river valleys widened and the present river network began to be formed. On several occasions during the Quaternary, mainly over the last two and a half million years, various cold spells occurred, covering the mountains with snow and ice. The last major ice age reached its peak about 65,000 years ago. Huge glaciers covered the valleys and mountains and shaped the landscape, effectively eroding some places and accumulating sediment in others. The landscape of the entire northern section of the District was shaped by those ancient glaciers.

Glaciers like the ones we see today in the Alps covered the Pyrenees at that time 6 TODAY Today, erosion processes are slowly and gradually wearing away the mountain range. This erosion occurs in many ways: through the action of rivers, erosion on the slopes, karst dissolution, etc. The landscape that we see today is only an instant in a long evolutionary process that is on-going, but now with the participation of man who is changing the environment like no other living being is capable.

Río Cinca, agente modelador actual

MESOZOIC CENOZOIC 199 m.a. 145 m.a. 65 m.a. 23 m.a. 2,5 m.a.

Tria Jurassic Cretaceous Palaeogene Neogene Quaternary 2 3 4 5 6 5 PISODES REPRESENTED IN THE GEO- E ROUTES

Nº GEO-ROUTE EPISODES

PN1 Ordesa Valley 2 5 6

PN2 Mount Perdido 2 3 5 6

PN3 The Roland Gap 2 3 5 6

PN4 Cutas Viewpoints 2 3 5 6

PN5 La Larri 1 3 5

PN6 Balcon de Pineta 2 3 5 6

PN7 Añisclo Canyon (lower part) 2 5 6

PN8 Añisclo Canyon (upper part) 2 3 5

PN9 Circuit Añisclo Canyon 3 6

PN10 Escuaín Valley 3 6

PN11 Otal Valley 1 3 5 6

Episode 1: Variscan orogeny - Episode 2: Tropical marine sedimentation - Episode 3: The formation of the Pyrenees - Episode 4: The Sobrarbe deltas- Episode 5: The ice age - Episode 6: Today Nº GEO-ROUTE EPISODES

1 Geopark Interpretation Centre 1 2 3 4 5 6 Aínsa: a town between two rivers. 2 Urban geology 3 6 3 Geology: A bird's eye view 2 3 6

4 Inside the canyon 2 3 6 Breath-taking landscapes of water 5 and rock 2 4 6 Sobrarbe at your feet 6 3 6

7 Crossing the Jánovas Gully 3 6

8 Iron Age Elements 5 6

9 Whims of water for lonely mountaineers 5 6

10 A lake among the oldest rocks in Sobrarbe 1 5

11 The hidden lake 1 2 5 6

12 A road with tradition 1 2 5

13 A privileged vantagepoint 4 6

14 Secrets of the Guara Mountains 2 6

15 Geology for the Saint 2 3 A passage between two worlds 16 2 3 Water inside the Earth 17 2 6 The Jewel of Cotiella 18 2 5 6 Treasures of the Posets-Maladeta 19 Nature Park 1 5 6

7 8 Geo ESCUAIN route10 PN10VALLEY TELLA, REVILLA & ESCUAIN

Car route that enables us to view the Escuaín Gorge from various vantage points.

The Escuaín Gorge is one of the outstanding features of the National Park and, in spite of this, it is the least visited valley in the Park. This visit will enable us to understand karstic phenomena, visit a cave and one of the steepest sinkholes in the world.

9 4

LEGÉNDE N 6 250 m i i Home Geo-Route Tour Geo-Route Walking Tour 3 1 Number of stop 1 i

5b 2

5

LA GEO-ROUTE PN10 PN10 This route should be done in a private car with short walks along easy and clearly indicated mountain tracks to access some of the Stops, such as the Tella vantage point (50 minutes), Revilla (30 minutes) and the Escuaín vantage points (20 minutes).

Escuaín Valley is one of the surprising areas of the Ordesa and Mount Perdido National Park. In spite of its proximity to alpine peaks, it has all the features of a typical Mediterranean landscape in a river gorge where you can find karst springs from very extensive groundwater systems. Extending the route with a visit to Tella and to the Cave Bear cave-museum (Oso de las Cavernas) will provide an overall view of current geological processes affecting the Mount Perdido massif. Stop 3: Escuaín Gorge with one of the groundwater sources that originate in some caves and sinkholes that several kilometres long and drop 1,151 metres (the second longest in the Pyrenees). Stop 1: Stunning view of Mount Montañesa from TellaTella

Stop 2: Mayor Castle is a tectonic Stop 6: From the "klippe". One vantage point at this of the best Stoop, we can see the examples in impressive Escuaín the Pyrenees. gorges.

Fig. 1. Route Scheme 11 TELLA, BEAR MUSEUM stop 1 Stunning view of Mount Montañesa from Tella

WHAT WE CAN SEE

- Information panels and reconstructions of this impressive animal. - The fossils of Cave Bear abound in caves in the north of the Iberian Peninsula

This route starts in the town of Tella, where there is a Park information office and the Cave Bear cave-museum. The cave bear, Ursus spelaeus, is a distant cousin of the current brown bear that became extinct about 9,000 years ago. This means that it is not a direct ancestor of the latter but that both descend from a common ancestor, the Ursus etruscus, from which they separated one million years ago.

The museum organises excursions to sites with fossils of the bear in a nearby cave. From the point where the car leaves us, we shall have a ten-minute walk to the entrance of the cave along a path. The tour inside the cave takes approximately eighty minutes.

Fig. 2. In Tella you can visit the Cave Bear cave-museum; a visit we certainly recommend.

12 TELLA VANTAGE POINTS stop2 Mayor Castle is a tectonic "klippe". One of the best examples in the Pyrenees.

WHAT WE CAN SEE - The dynamic landscapes of Cotiella, Mount Montañesa and Castillo Mayor - They are the result of thrust faults that formed when the Pyrenees emerged

From Tella, we can take a Gorge and the Mount Perdido and Zucas comfortable walk to the Peña vantage massifs. If we look carefully, we shall see the point, along which we can also make some small towns of Revilla and Escuaín, on either interesting geological observations. The side of the gorge, which will be next places vantage point is equipped with information we shall visit on this route. panels about the landscape. From this After leaving Tella by car to go to the point, the views of the Cotiella massif and next Stop, it would be interesting to visit a Mount Montañesa are spectacular. It is dolmen located very near the town possible to see how the Cotiella thrust fault (indicated on the road). Apart from admiring places rocks from the Late Cretaceous this megalithic monument surrounded by (Punta Llerga) and Palaeocene (Mount pastures and farmland, we will be able to Montañesa) above marl, lutites and enjoy magnificent views of the canyons and turbidites from the Early Eocene found at ravines in Escuaín Valley, places linked to the bottom of Cinca Valley. supernatural powers in the past and, To the west, we shall have a specta- therefore, an endless source of legends and cular view of Castillo Mayor, the Escuaín traditions.

Fig. 3. View from the Tella vantage point looking east. We can see the Cotiella landscape, especially Mount Montañesa. The picture below represents a base thrust fault of the Cotiella mantle. This mantle places rocks from the Late Cretaceous and Palaeocene (older material) above marl, lutites and turbidites from the Early Eocene (younger materials). stop 3 BETWEEN TELLA AND REVILLA VIA LAMIANA Escuaín Gorge with one of the groundwater sources that originate in some caves and sinkholes that several kilometres long and drop 1,151 metres (the second

WHAT WE CAN SEE - New perspectives of Castillo Mayor and Peñas de Tella - They correspond to thrust faults.

From Tella to Revilla, we shall be on more modern turbidites from the Hecho travelling on the paved Lamiana road, with group on which the mountain rests. several points where we can stop the vehicle and contemplate the various views of Castillo This anomalous superimposition was Mayor and Peñas de Tella. caused by a thrust fault; probably similar to the Mount Montañesa overthrust. The relief of Castillo Mayor is the last vestige we shall find of the Cotiella tectonic Erosion has worn away the rest of the unit as we head west. overlap sheet completely in the sector, leaving an isolated "castle" which, in Mount Castillo Mayor consists of geological terms, is known as a “klippe”. "Gallinera Limestone" which is superimposed

Fig. 5.Diagram displaying how the Cotiella mantle reached its position.

In the first stage, we can see that there were Mesozoic and Palaeocene rocks above the Palaeozoic layer.

In stages 2 and 3, we can see how the tectonic forces began to place the Cotiella mantle above the Palaeocene and Eocene materials.

Finally (4), erosion has left a type of Fig. 4.View of the rocky mass of Castillo Mayor. morphological islands belonging to The figure below provides a simplified geological interpretation of its the Cotiella mantle, structure. The calcareous rocks correspond to Palaeocene materials (T1) known as "klippes", from about 60 million years ago, which appear above younger rocks from above the lower the Eocene (T3 and T7) dated to between 40 and 50 million years ago. layer One of them is The oldest rocks correspond to the Cotiella mantle, which rests above the Castillo Mayor. younger materials from the Eocene.

15 ROUTE OF THE REVILLA VANTAGE POINTS stop 4

WHAT WE CAN SEE - The River Yaga flowing through a deep canyon - A karst landscape shaped by the dissolution of limestone rocks

Fig. 6. View of the Escuaín Gorge from the Revilla vantage points. A waterfall to the right of the river (see detail) where the Escuaín Spring emerges. This is the point where a groundwater system mea-suring several kilometres long and 1.151 high emerges.

The track to the vantage points starts at a In spite of seeing it from such a close tight bend in the track before reaching the town of distance, access to Escuaín by road requires a great Revilla. It is clearly indicated and will take us to the detour. We would have to return to the River Cinca remains of the San Lorien chapel, first. From the by car, then return to Escalona and, from there, take vantage point, we shall be able to see the Escuaín the road to Puértolas and the River Bellos to spring, which is the point where the underground eventually turn-off towards Puértolas and Escuaín. cavities known as the "Badalona System" drains. It The view of the Cinca river terraces will soon be left receives this name from the town of origin of the behind as we make our way to Puértolas and it will speleologists who explored the cavities in this area be replaced by magnificent views of the Cotiella in the 1970s, The connection between the so-called massif and Mount Montañesa. B-15 sinkhole and the Escuaín Spring was disco- vered in 1980. In that year, this cave system with a 1,150 metre difference in altitude from the entrance to the exit point became the third deepest system in the world (it would subsequently lose that position in the ranking because of other cavities discovered in other places). At a later date, the connection between this system and the Gurrundué sinkhole, which is a natural collection point for groundwater, was discovered. The entrance to this system is located at the Gurrundué cirque.

Fig. 7. Diagram of the Escuaín area with a section cut to display the Escuaín Spring system, consisting of caves, sinkholes and potholes, which is several kilometres long and 1,151 metres from entry point to exit point. It is the second deepest in the Pyrenees (after Arañonera, which is 1,349 m deep). 15 stop 5 COL DE LA CRUZ

WHAT WE CAN SEE - Limestone landscape - A "klippe" in the Cotiella unit

Fig. 8. Panoramic view of the southern slopes of Castillo Mayor. Let us recall what we saw at Stop 2: the upper rocks correspond to the Cotiella mantle and are older (Palaeocene T1) than the lower rocks (Eocene T7-T3).

In order to continue with the excursion overthrust, almost completely covered in slope and access Escuaín by road, we must return by screes and landslides, with the detachment of car to the River Cinca, then to Escalona and, huge limestone blocks that form the Castillo. from there, take the road to Puértolas and the Along the route to Escuaín, we shall see several River Bellos, eventually taking a turn-off to outcrops of rocks that are overlapped by this Puértolas. The view of the Cinca river terraces "klippe". In addition, the road offers splendid will soon be left behind as we make our way views of the Mount Montañesa massif. along the road and it will be replaced by magnificent views of the Cotiella massif and Mount Montañesa.

Once we have passed the town of Puértolas, we shall arrive at a hilltop at the crossroads of the track that leads to the town of Bestué. From this point we shall have an excellent view of the southern face of Castillo Mayor.

From this point, we can trace the Fig. 9. The road from Puértolas to Escuaín offers splendid views of Mount approximate line of the base surface of the Montañesa to the east.

16 !! THE ESCUAÍN UNDERGROUND CAVE SYSTEM The Escuaín springs are the clearest indicator that the interior of these mountains consists of numerous caves and sinkholes through which underground rivers flow, emerging in the shape of springs. In the early twentieth century, the French explorer and expert on the Pyrenees, Lucien Briet, visited this are in 1903. He immediately realised that there was a great network of caves feeding the Escuaín springs, as he published in "La crevasse d'Escoain". Indeed, after 40 years of speleological explorations, mainly by GEB and with the cooperation of other groups, such as: SIE, GES, CEA, GER and experts in Diagram of the galleries (topography: GEB, SIE, GER, GES, CEA & Proteus). sinkholes, Proteus, these assumptions were proven and detailed topographical maps were drawn of a great underground system covering almost 30 km and 1,151 metres deep; the fourth deepest in the Pyrenees.

The first explorers were speleo- logists from GEB (Grup d'Espeleo-logia de Badalona) in 1968. They immediately realised the great potential of the site. Diagram of the elevation of the cavities (topography: GEB, SIE, GER, GES, They divided it into 3 areas: A was the CEA & Proteus). easternmost and C the westernmost near the head, while B was the middle. The separation between A and B is the Sarra torrent and between B and C, the Gurrundué torrent. Zone A is the easiest to access but there are no large cavities at the moment; the largest is Trucho cave, which was visited by Briet. Most of the sinkholes in this zone drain their groundwater into the Cinca basin, as experiments using dye have proven. The most important zones are B and C. The former is where the main spring emerges: the Escuaín springs (B1), which, at times of floods can substantially increase the flow of the River Yaga. There are many potholes in the high areas of the massif; such as the B-15 (the highest point of the system), and drainage systems for which the Escuaín springs are are the natural outlet, as proven by experiments using dye.

More modern exploring techniques were used after 1973, leading to a qualitative and quantitative improvement in results: a descent was made into the Badalona sinkhole (C9) to a depth of -650 metres, where a siphon blocked the passage (this was a record in at the time); and the Bufona (C-20), where a siphon was encountered at a depth of -520 metres. The most sought-after result was achieved in 1980: the connection between B-15 and the springs (B-1), resulting in a difference in altitude of -1,150 metres, the greatest in the world at the time. In subsequent years, the main objectives were the siphons that separated the various cavities, with a view to linking them. These links were achieved; the first one in 1990 between B-7 and B-1; the second in 2010 between C-20 (La Bufona) and C-9; the third in 2011 between C-9 and B-7 and, finally, the link between the westernmost cavities, C-13 and C-20, in 2012. Therefore, the various cavities in the B and C sectors have been linked, resulting in an impressive underground cave system measuring almost 30 km, with various entry points and outlets, large wells and spectacular siphons. ESCUAIN AND ITS VANTAGE POINTS stop 6 From the vantage point at this Stoop, we can see the impressive Escuaín Gorges.

WHAT WE CAN SEE

- The River Yaga flowing through a deep canyon - A karst landscape shaped by the dissolution of limestone rocks

Escuaín will take us into the past, to also found here. those remote Pyrenean villages, almost isolated that survive from stockbreeding. The track starts The straight lines of this canyon indicates that its at the National Park information office. It is a origins are due to the existence of a normal fault circular route that ends at the same point where . Faults constitute weak surfaces where water it starts and includes information panels on the circulates more easily and favour erosion and flora and fauna. It also provides another view of karstification. A narrow corridor gradually the Escuaín Gorge. formed, becoming deeper and deeper, resulting in the current gorge. An image taken from the summit of Castillo Mayor displays the route of the vantage points, On the other hand, Escuaín Valley has suffered the position of the Gurrundué and Angones the greatest human impact than any other in cirques and the approximate underground line the National Park. It has led to the transformation of the Badalona system, with its entrance of the landscape in which the bench terraces cavities. In this part of the National Park, and farmlands created over generations coexist glaciation was limited to cirques at altitudes of in harmony with the escarpments, ravines and around 2,000 metres. Therefore, below this other geographical features of the area, altitude, the landscape has been shaped by providing added value. It is also necessary to rivers and karstic processes, which have assume these changes in order to understand produced deep gorges and deep underground the landscape we are seeing. cave systems. Consequently, other typical features of karstic processes, such as sinkholes, springs, limestone pavements and ravines, are

Fig. 10. Panoramic view of Castillo Mayor where we can clearly see Escuaín Gorge. Stop 2, which is accessed from Revilla. The most significant cavities of the Escuaín underground cave system have also been indicated. The groundwater has excavated sinkholes B7 and B15 and, through a number of galleries, it emerges at the Escuaín Springs, 1,151 metres further down. Fig. 11. View from the Escuaín gorges vantage point in the River Yaga valley. There is a spring belonging to the Escuaín karst system in the bottom of the valley, as described at Stop 4. 19 PYRENEES-MONTE PERDIDO, !!A TERRITORY BORDER WORLD HERITAGE In 1997, UNESCO added the Pyrenees-Monte Perdido site to its World Heritage List in recognition of its natural and cultural importance. The site covers a cross-border area and includes the Gèdre, Gavarnie and Aragnouet valleys in France and the district of Sobrarbe in Spain.

This remarkable mountainous landscape straddles the border between France and Spain. At its centre lies the limestone Monte Perdido from Mountain Sesa Photo Archive Sobrarbe County. Nacho Pardinilla massif of Monte Perdido. The Pyrenees- Monte Perdido World Heritage Site extends across 31,189 hectares and includes the municipalities of Torla, Fanlo, Tella-Sin, Puértolas, Bielsa and Broto in Sobrarbe on the Spanish side and the Gèdre, Gavarnie and Aragnouet valleys in the Hautes-Pyrénées Department on the French side. The entire Ordesa and Monte Perdido National Park in Spain lies within the listed site, while in France the area is also protected by the Pyrenees National Park. Gavarnie Cirque. Photo Archive Sobrarbe County. Nacho Pardinilla Cultural and natural heritage

The Pyrenees-Monte Perdido is home to deep canyons and cirques with spectacular walls: three canyons and a gorge on the southern side in Spain (Ordesa, Añisclo, Pineta and Escuaín) and four large glacial cirques on the northern side in France, which is steeper (Gavarnie, Estaubé, Troumouse and Baroude). The karstic, glacial and valley landscapes contrast with the almost flat-topped peaks and the underground waters that have formed extensive galleries, chasms and grottoes.

This single site thus harbours outstanding cultural and natural aspects: The geological and biological characteristics of the site make it an extremely interesting place for science and conservation, as it includes numerous endemic species of flora and fauna.

It is an outstanding cultural landscape that combines the beauty of a matchless natural setting with a socio-economic structure that dates far back into the past and illustrates ways of life typical of mountainous areas that are disappearing in Europe.

People have developed their way of life, their relationship with the environment and their bonds with others in this area since prehistoric times. In the Middle Ages, an unusual form of economic and social organisation came into being. In both Spain and France, the families, towns, villages, valleys and regions on each side of the Pyrenean chain managed to conquer the 'impassable wall' of the mountains and so were able to engage in trade, make business agreements and forge alliances and cultural ties based on peace and a sense of fellow-feeling. The landscapes we see today are the result of the legacy left to us by our forebears, who worked hard to keep alive a basic system of farming and animal husbandry that would ensure the survival of generations to come and their traditions, rituals, festivals, music and legends. www.pirineosmonteperdido.es Brèche de Roland Photo Archive Sobrarbe County. Pierre Meyer ESCUAIN VALLEY

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> PRACTICAL INFORMATION ROUTE: Tella-Revilla-Escuaín

TYPE OF ROUTE: By car

DIFFICULTY LEVEL: Low DURATION: 8 hours. Tella vantage point (50 minutes), Revilla (30 minutes) and the Escuaín vantage points (20 minutes).

DISTANCE: 60 km. Revilla - Vantage points: 3 km. Escuaín - Vantage points: 860 m.

GRADIENT: Revilla - Vantage points: 50 m.

i STARTING POINT:Tella.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> COMMENTS This Geo-Route runs through the Ordesa y Monte Perdido National Park, part of the transboundary site Pyrenees-Monte Perdido, declared World Heritage by UNESCO.

Information Point of the National Park in Torla. Tel: + 34974486472

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> PROFILE GEO-ROUTE 1 1500 2 b 1250 3 4 5 5 6 1000 750 10PN GEO-ROUTE ofof SobrarbeSobrarbe www.geoparquepirineos.com