Panticosa round walk day 3, part 2
LAST week the walker was left standing on a wide verdant ridge – the Collado de Izas pass at 2,224 metres. From here there are wonderful views of the Sierra de la Partacua to the right, where a string of peaks rise above 2,700 metres. To the left is the less dramatic Sierra de Condiana, with a highpoint of 2,302 metres – but in the distance are the giants of Los Infiernos which rise over 3,000 metres and retain snow for most of the year and a glacier.
The descent from Collado de Izas is not difficult but a very close eye has to be kept on the map (Editorial Alpina - Valle de Canfranc). This is because the path is faint in many places due to grass growth, and erosion from the ubiquitous cows and severe winter weather.
Our photo shows that it’s a gentle descent from the pass. Take a line on the Ibón de la Sierra glacial lake – and the white hut – which are dead ahead. Walk down the slope to the white hut. Here have a close look at the map. Facing the lake, the path is on the far left of the valley. This means keeping to the left of the large grassy mound which flanks the left bank of the lake. The valley turns into a verdant ravine. The path runs down the far left-hand side of the ravine, marked as the Barranco de la Sierra on the map.
A stream has to be crossed on the descent. The path heads towards a flat area of rolling pastureland below called the Planás del Puente. Thousands of cows are likely to be feasting on the grass. The area is divided by the Río Escarra. The path turns into a track and continues on towards the Embalse de Escarra, a large reservoir.
Pass the shepherd’s hut and reach the bridge which crosses the Escarra river as it runs into the reservoir. Here the walker has a decision to make. I followed the right-hand bank of the reservoir along a wide track to the dam at the top, to then embark on a climb and then a descent of a ravine to the village of Escarilla. The drop down the ravine is one of most frightening descents I have ever done, with a vertical drop off the side of a path which in crumbling in places. But there is an alternative.
Both will appear in next week’s paper.