La Barragana

Overview

Barragana Peak it´s an interesting peak situated in Valle de Arbás (Arbás Valley), really closed to the area know as Luna on León mountains.
The name of the peak means "concubine". It comes from an old tale about a priest who had a lover, a barragana (concubine).One day the woman run away, so the priest bewitched her, turned her into a big rock... the Barragana peak.

This beautiful peak has the requirements for most of the mountainers: some reasonably easy routes to the summit and high and vertical stone walls for the technical and skilled climbers. For all of them, this peak has a lot of advantages, including the situation (not far from León or Oviedo-Gijón on Asturias), and the good road comminications to the feet of the mountain.
Appart from that, the area it´s plenty of another interesting mountains to climb, with different difficulty levels.
I´m sure noboby will be dissapoint after reaching the top. You´ll get a great view of the Arbás Valley, whit the village of Cubillas de Arbás just over your feet. If the sky hasn´t got a lot of clouds you can have a good view of Peña Ubiña on North West and Cirbanal peak on the West (the highest point in Luna area). On the South you´ll have Cerro Pedroso peak (if you have a map, this peak is close to Collado de Aralla mountain pass LE-473). Also, you´ll see the neighbor mountains of the Arbás Valley: Peña Ortegal and the Tres Marías group. Further on the East it´s not difficult to see Braña Caballo peak one of the highest in the area; Fontún peak (near Villamanín village) and opposite it Currillines. Famous Bodón and Correcillas peak are visible. Fur on the East you´ll be able to see the group of Peña Prieta peak, and the incredible Espigüete. On the righ of these mountains you´ll have Picos de Europa massif, with the unforgettable shape of Peña Santa.

Getting There

Probably the easy way it´s going on car to Cubillas de Arbás. Maybe you can find a coach from León to this village, or you can take a taxi from Villamanín if you don´t own a car (you can go to Villamanín on train (RENFE) or couch (ALSA).

From León:

* Take N-630 to Villamín and turn left in the intesection towards Puerto de Aralla. After some KMs you´ll find the village of Cubillas de Arbás.

* Also, if you like curves and mountain roads, it´s possible taking CL-623 to the North, taking LE-473 towards Puerto de Aralla. Before reaching the top of Puerto de Aralla you´ll find a road on your left that goes to Cubillas de Arbás.


From Asturias:

Take A-66 to the South. Then in Campomanes village you´ll have to decide:

* AP-66 The highway is not free, but not very expensive, maybe the best option with bad weather. Left the AP-66 to CL-623. Go to the South through this road and turn left to LE-473 towards Puerto de Aralla. Before reaching the top of Puerto de Aralla you´ll find a road on your left that goes to Cubillas de Arbás.

* Letf A-66 on Campomanes towards Puerto de Pajares N-630. Puerto de Pajares it´s an incredible mountain pass for ciclists but not easy with bad weather and snow. If the weather it´s good you´ll enjoy the views.
Just turn right towards Puerto de Aralla on Villamanín village. In some KMs you´ll reach Cubillas de Arbás.

Red Tape

No permits required in all the area. There´s no dangerous animals in the area.

Please take care of the environment and let it stay clean

When To Climb

I think this mountain can be climbed on winter, but surely snow conditions will determinate the difficulty grade. Even the snow can make the climb impossible.
Also, the weather can be really bad. Remember in Codillera Cantábrica the weather changes quickly, so be careful.

Take care of the fog! It comes quickly. Remember, these mountains of the North of Spain, called Cordillera Cantábrica, are really closed to the sea (no more than 80 - 90 Km) so wet air,clouds and stoms can reach the mountains really quickly. (Remember this thing if you visit Picos de Europa). This area arround Villamanín has frequently foggy days that can make you lost. People in these part of the mountains of León call the fog "lutano".

Camping

It´s not allowed to camp in the area. Maybe you can vivac in the mountain... probably in the col... but it´s not allowed to camp in all León territory. Only camp sites is the rule, but this is not allways true.

You have lovely traditional houses (rural tourism) to spend the weekend in the area, you´ll find some of these in Valle de Arbás

There is a youth hostel in Villamanín. Very cheap.
You also have a private camp site in Villamanin (so you need to pay for camp there, but at least you have a shower and a toilet).
More of this pivate camp site (called Camping in Spanish) in La Vecilla, La Mata de la Bérbula, La Pola de Gordón, Puebla de Lillo, Barrios de Luna, Mirantes de Luna...
I´m not sure but I think there is a private camp site in Villamanín too...

Mountain Conditions

Again: take care with the fog and the weather changes.
The mountain it´s not really tall, but you can find some metres of snow on some points.
I strongly recomend taking with you winter stuff in orde to make the climb more secure. Ice and frozen snow will be surely make very dangerous some areas.

Weather forecast:


[ Left ] Metosat satellite view provided by INM - www.inm.es -
* Note: the map shows the clouds evolution.

[ Right ] Reflectivity map provided by The Weather Channel - www.weather.com -
* Note: the map shows, from blue to red, the power of clouds.



For more info use these links: Weather forecast today (English) | Weather forecast today (Spanish)

My Suggestions

* Taste the delicious food in the area. You have to bars in Fontún to try home-made and traditional food.

* Go to Brañillín sky station if you like skying. As far as I know it´s not good and not big... but it´s maybe enough to have fun.

* Go to Puerto de Pajares top. Great views. I like cycling if you too, try to climb it with your bike, it´s really hard. Take care, a lot of traffic.

* It is said that cider from Asturias looses tastes in a different way (no so good) when it crosses the Puerto de Pajares pass. This is said because for many years this place was the main pass between Asturias and all the territories on the South.
Asturian cider, "sidra" it´s an outstanding product made with apples. It´s a low alcoholic drink, but take care my friend.
The main important thing about cider it´s how to serve it. You have to throw it taking the bottle over your head and the glass with the other hand lower than your waist. This is called "escanciar la sidra" It´s espetacular seing some people of the area doing this.
There is a great culture around sidra. Visit a tradional cider bar, a "chigre" (one of the best I know it´s "La Galana", in Plaza Mayor, Gijón). Also visit if you can a "llagar" the place where cider it´s produced.


* I strongly recomend visiting Cueva de Valporquero. I have spoken about it a lot. If you like it visit too Cueva de Llamazares (read about that in Bodón peak page).

* There is a lovely place called Bosque de Foedo, a little forest not very far from Ciñera de Gordón, some Km on the South of Villamanín. It´s a fairy tale place. Ask people from Ciñera how to get there. There´s a path. It´s not difficult and everybody in the village knows this place.

* Visit Torío and Curueño river valleys. You´ll find a detailed description in Correcillas and Bodón pages. (Sorry, I´ll send you there because I don´t want to duplicate too many information).

* If you want to get a lot of information about León province, what to do, where to go, what to visit, camp sites, hotels an accomodation you have this information free on tourist offices. I don´t know where they are in Asturias, but you´ll find a lot. In the León the biggest one it´s in front of the gothic cathedral. You´ll get free maps, hotel and camping guides, rural accomodation (tradional houses), monuments, cultaral activities... in many languages.

* By the way, visit León city. I´m not going to tell you all the things you can do there... but in my opinion you´ll like the visit. Also, Gijón and Oviedo are interesting places.

VERY IMPORTANT:

** Take a MOBILE PHONE with you. You can use it most of the mountain areas. If you can phone try going up or changing your position. I can remember my moibile ringing on the summit of Torre de Friero... I couldn´t believe it! Mobile is the best thing to make an emergency call.

Forget about radios.
Take note of this number: 987 718 004. It´s the number of G.R.E.I.M., Guardia Civil Mountain Rescue Team. They are really good proffessionals with lots of years of experience. If you have serious problems phone them: tell them who you are, how many people is in difficulties, try to tell them where you are, or at least a detailed description of the area.

Special Info

The meaning in English of some Spanish words.
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* Collado, collada: col, for instance "Collado de Gete"

* Pico: peak, for instance "Pico Fontún"

* Peña: peak (very tipical from León, Asturias, Santander), for instance "Peña Ten"

* Torre: peak (very tipical from León, Asturias, Santander), for instance "Torre del Friero"

* Cueto: peak, for instance "Cueto Millaró"

* Puerto: mountain pass, for instance "Puerto de Pajares"

* Cordillera: big group of mountains, for instance "Cordillera Cantábrica"

* Macizo: group of some mountains or peaks, for instance "Macizo Central, Urrieles of Picos de Europa"

* Cumbre: summit

* Cima: summit

* Canal: corridor, for intance "La Canal de Dobresengos", note it´s in femenine

* Canaleta: narrow corridor

* Hoces: canyon made by a river, for instance "Hoces de Vegacervera", "Hoces de Valdejeja"

* Valle: valley, for intance "Valle de Valdeón"

* Río: river, for instance "Río Torío"

* Horcado: narrow col between two peak, normally difficult to cross, for intance "Horcado de Pambuches"


Books I recomend.
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Montañas de León (in Spanish only)

Ramón Lozano, Santiago Morán
Everest Editorial
ISBN 84-241-0404-8

Description in detail of more than one hundred routes across the mountain of the León province, including the Picos de Europa Area and many others.

Book details (English) | Book details (Spanish)


50 montañas de la Cordillera Cantábrica (in Spanish only)

David Atela
Desnivel Ediciones
ISBN 84-96192-90-3

Really useful book about the most remarkable mountains in Cordillera Cantábrica massif. It doesn´t containt anything about Picos de Europa area so it lets it go along another interesnting and no so famous mountains.

Book details (Spanish)

Another remarkable peaks in the area

* Los Currillines, Currillos, Peña de los Bueyes - 1942 m
* Bodón - 1960 m
* Machamedio - 1916 m
* Tres Marías - 1971, 1930 and 1893 m
* Peña Ortegal - 1993 m
* Cirbanal - 2081 m
* Braña Caballo, Cueto Millaró -2181 m
* Cerro Pedroso - 1909 m
* Fontún - 1948 m

Cerro Pedroso view from Barragana

Cirbanal peak, in the distance Peña Ubiña from Barragana

Fontún (center left) and Correcillas peak (center right) from Barragana

Machamedio peak from Valle del Marqués

Left to right: Barragana, Peña Ortegal and the three peaks of Tres Marías

Braña Caballo view from Valle de Arbás