13-07-2013
Tozal de Guara, Parque
National Sierra y Canones de Guara - Path
S8
Iberian prominence number36, 2077m P972
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| Nocito and Guara in the morning |
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| Edelweiss |
Tozal de
Guara or whatever other name it is known by is not a mountain you stumble upon,
you have to go looking for it. The pretty little pueblo of Nocito is well
hidden and has a part shaded car park N42.32243 W0.25626 (924m). However, there
is also unshaded car parking available two kilometres up the pista near where
the S8 path crosses the Rio Guatizalema N42.30674 W0.25844 (885m)
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| Rio de la Pillera |
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| Once a road? |
Then you
follow a tributary, Rio de la Pillera. The path crosses this 5/6 times. There is
evidence to suggest that this was originally a paved road.
The sides of
the valley get steeper and higher and you are heading into a barranco/canyon
without a lot of height gain yet.
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| Barranco de la Pillera |
The path leaves the rio and heads uphill at N42.30383
W0.24373 (930m) At the top there is the Collado de Chemelosas N42.29622
W0.24006 (1348m) which overlooks a deep canyon. 
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| Getting nearer |
A confusing set of traverses
that made me feel I was going around in a spiral eventually reaches the Collado de Petrenales N42.28997 W0.25095
(1536m) and then another collado at N42.28303 W0.23981 (1691m). From here there
is a choice of routes – JMH suggests using the lower route for ascent and the
higher one for descent – I suggest the opposite as the lower one involves a
scree slope which is a lot easier to run down than scrabble up.
Both routes
meet at a final collado N42.28713 W0.23292 (1942m) before heading up to Tozal
de Guara at N42.28867 W0.22938
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| View from summit |
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Scree run
|
Going back down the scree, exit at N42.28359 W0.23603 (1710m) or end up in the wrong valley.
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| Nocito and Guara in the evening |
24.64km, 2011m total ascent
Overnight by
the road on Sierra de Guara after watching the sun set over Pena de Oreol
(957m)
Then
overnight in Camping Gavin, near Biescas (896m)
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