Peña Forca

Page Type Page Type: Mountain/Rock
Location Lat/Lon: 42.82450°N / 0.7557°W
Additional Information Elevation: 7844 ft / 2391 m
Sign the Climber's Log

Overview

Sierra de Alanos

The summit of Peña Forca is the highest point of the Sierra de Alanos, a limestone massif placed in the northwest corner of the spanish province of Huesca. It's placed between the upper valleys of Ansó and Hecho and has got a maximum length of about 8 km. Peña Forca is placed on its southeast corner. Not a hard climb, but calls for some general mountain experience. As rbartolome has kindly reported after his recent climb to Peña Forca, the summit is in fact a long rocky ridge with three high points:
-Western summit: 2389m.
-Main summit with geodesic vertex: 2391m.
-Eastern summit: 2387m.
Rafa Bartolomé also reports it to be an easy ridge, with a little bit of grade I scrambling in good rock but with an impressive view over the north face (a long fall, not the place where you would like to fall down!...) (be careful!)

Getting There

The climb begins at the camping area of Selva de Oza, on the upper valley of the Aragón Subordán. To get there, start from Huesca or Pamplona, in northern Spain. From any one of both towns, follow road N-240 towards the other one. At Puente la Reina (88 km away from Pamplona, or 72 km away from Huesca) you will have to turn north by road A176. This is the road running alongside the river Aragón Subordán, entering the Valley of Hecho. Follow the A176 up to the village of Hecho. After crossing Hecho the road becomes sensibly worst, but goes on to the Boca del Infierno (that's a narrow pass) and Selva de Oza (see approach for Castillo de Acher). Leave your car at the camping area of Selva de Oza.
For the approach to Zuriza and the Tacheras valley, you will have to get there from Pamplona or Huesca, the biggest closer cities. Follow the road linking both of them (N-240) until the crossing of Venta Carrica. This is a crossing about (will check) sixty kilometers from Pamplona, where you can find a petrol station and the beginning of the road to Sigüés / Salvatierra de Esca / Roncal. Follow this road (NA-137) for thirty kilometers, until you get to Isaba. After Isaba keep going north (NA-1370) for three more kilometers and turn right on the crossing marked as (Zuriza /Ansó). This small road (NA-2000) will take you across the valley of Belabarce and to the camping area at Zuriza, under the Sierra de los Alanos. When you finish coming down from Belabarce (that will be some thirteen kilometers after Isaba), turn left for the camping area and (just before driving around it) follow the dirt road leading eastwards and signposted "Barranco de Tacheras". Leave the car at the point where this dirt road crosses the river.

Red Tape

No need for permits. Take appropriate equipment with you: the main routes (Achar de Alano and Collado de Lenito) are either quite steep, placed in the north face or both things. That means quite a lot of snow in winter season, and maybe even ice. In summer season there is no real difficulty apart from steepness of the trail.

When To Climb

Summer and autumn should be preferable. As said before, winter time might mean avalanches danger or steep slopes with snow and ice.

Camping

Three official camping sites are quite close to the trailheads. One of them placed in Zuriza, scarcely five kilometers away of the Tacheras trailhead, another one in the neighbouring (to the west) valley of Belagua (Camping Asolaze - see links section) and the camping area of Selva de Oza.

Mountain Conditions

Spanish info on the weather forecast

External Links

  • Zuriza camping site
    Spanish language info on the Zuriza camping site, close to the Tacheras trailhead.


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Pirineos: Belagua-HechoMountains & Rocks