The massif of the Gorbea is the one that completes the great trilogy of important Basque mountains together with Anboto (north) and Aizkorri (east). Though the top of the mount Gorbea (1481 meters) is the most visited place it is necessary to remember that indeed it forms a part of a great nature reserve of 20000 hectares between the provinces of Alava and Vizcaya. As other Basque mountains it is very humanized and the legends are frequents from times of our forbears. Though the pastoral culture and the charcoal-burners who inhabited this zone are disappearing replaced with the industrialization still we can enjoy the beauty of this important natural zone. The mountaineers who seek to enjoy the nature will find remuneration in these easy mountains, but those that look for big alpine challenges will not find them here. The normal routes of Gorbea are generally easy walk-ups and probably of the big basque mountains it's the most attainable to any type of person but not for it, it must be despised.

Nowadays the shortest and easiest itinerary to reach Gorbea's top, from the construction of the track, is Pagomakurre, but undoubtedly more interest has for mountaineers the classic route from Barazar-Saldropo and others.

Euskera name: Gorbeia

Massif of Gorbea

Aldamin & Lekanda

Some of the summits of the massif:

-Gorbea (1481m)
-Aldamin (1376m)
-Peña Lekanda (1302m)
-Gorosteta (1261m)
-Odoriaga (1245m)
-Altipitatx (1172m)
-Oketa (1031m)
-Axkorrigan (1015m)

Getting There

Gorbea is located between the basque provinces of Alava and Vizcaya, because it the normal approach is from the capital of the provinces: Bilbao (Vizcaya), Vitoria (Alava) and Donosti / San Sebastian (Guipuzcoa). For more information to approach to basque country you can consult the pages of Anboto and Aizkorri.

Barazar
Bilbao
N-634 to Galdakao. N-240 to Barazar.
Vitoria
N-240 (north) to Villarreal and Barazar.
Donosti
A-8 /E-70 to Durango, Zortnoza (Amorebieta) and Galdakao. N-240 to Areatza and Barazar.

Pagomakurre
From Barazar to Areatza take N-240 (14km). From Areatza take the forest track (9km) to Pagomakurre.

Some companys of Bus to natural park:
-Bizkaibus (Bilbao, Tel: 94-4208132)
-La Unión (Vitoria, Bilbao, Tel: 945-258400)

Red Tape

No permits required. No fees. Natural park with rules of wildlife conservation. Not camping allowed.

When To Climb

All the year. Some routes can be a little problematic in winter after a snowfall but the normal routes are generally possibles to climb.
The best season is may-october.

Camping

It's a natural park, the camping is not allowed in the area.
Free Hut on the mountain but the best option it's the lodge in some "albergues" or "casas rurales". The villages and the roads are very near of this mountain (you can sleep as well in hotels in Artea, Aretza, Murgia,...and in Vitoria, the capital city of Alava, only 20 km from there)

Campings:
-Zubi-Zabala (Barazar-Zeanuri)

Mountain Conditions

I.N.M. of Spain (consult CCAA-Pais Vasco and province of Alava)
Meteodat-Euskadi

Maps and books

-Gorbea (M.Angulo, M.Egiluz), map 1:25000.
-Montes de Araba (JA Gil), spanish book.
-Las 50 cumbres más bellas de Euskalherria (special number of magazine)
-La Montaña Vasca (M Angulo), book with 400 routes of basque mountains.

External Links

Gorbeialdea
Great page about the zone of Gorbea with routes, villages, tourism,...(english available)
Mendikat
Great page with information, pictures and tracks of GPS to Gorbea.

Images



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