Along the GR 15

After we explored some villages of the pre-Pyrenees by car, I decided to spend the following couple days exploring some more on foot. There are a number of trails surrounding the town of Biescas. When we are there, we usually go further into the mountains, so I haven’t had much time to explore beyond the few places I run just beyond the town.

I had been especially eager to go into the hills on the opposite side of the main road since it is an area that would be completely new to me, and I noticed on our maps that the GR 15 runs through Biescas and up into the villages on that side. My partner had mentioned that the trail was constantly being re-routed and may be difficult to follow, but as we drove by on our way into town, I noticed the trail signs next to the road and set my sights on scoping it out.

The GR, or Grand Recorrido, 15 is also called the Sendero Prepirenaico, or Pre-Pyrenean Trail. Unlike specific trail names like we have in the US, most trails here are numbered and either designated a GR, which are the longer distance trails, or a PR, which are the local trails. GRs are blazed red and white, and PRs are usually blazed yellow and white.

Day 1: Yosa de Sobremonte and Aso de Sobremonte

The first day of exploration, I left Biescas and followed the GR 15 across the main road. At first, the trail follows some fields next to the road, but it quickly turns away and starts gently going up the narrow spaces between fenced-in pastureland. I passed a goatherder sitting with legs crossed and a long wooden staff in hand by the gate to the pasture where his goats were nibbling their breakfast. Then, I passed some sheep, their freshly shorn pink, baby-rat-like bodies looking distinctly alien.

Once I passed through most of the fields and a short section of forest, I emerged onto a broad fire road next to a river coming out of the hills that has a series of half-dams to, I imagine, control the flow of water and prevent flooding with the spring snow melt. Further up the road, there was an option to continue on the fire road, which weaves and curves its way gradually up, or take a trail that cuts more or less straight through the road’s switchbacks. Of course, I opted for the trail, at least for the way up. I crossed the road a couple times but then missed one of the cut-throughs and ended walking along the road until I came to the next deviation.

Eventually, the trail ended, and I was forced to continue on the road, passing a little shelter and an overlook for las Señoritas de Arás, a large toadstool formation across the valley. My partner later told me there used to be two, but one fell sometime in the past. After the lonely Señorita, the fire road ends at what looks like the top of the dam system. Here, the official trail crosses the river and heads steeply up to the town of Yosa de Sobremonte, which was my goal. On my way back, I chose to come down this trail instead, which I found much steeper and rockier than the trail I actually took. I also had to cross the river, as I say, trail-runner style, which means I had to walk right through, getting my feet wet.

However, on the way up, I missed those blazes on the opposite side and instead followed a trail going up the same side of the river, which also got quite steep in a couple places but was very nice and easy to follow. I didn’t see any blazes and I figured I had gone wrong. Plus, there had been some people down on the opposite side of the river where the trail actually goes, who were waving at me, also knowing I had gone wrong. I waved back to let them know I was okay.

The trail I was on was so easy to follow and provided great views of the town on the other side of the valley, so I continued, wondering where I would end up. I had a feeling it was just going to circle around this side of the valley. Sure enough, it came out on the paved road to Yosa, just on the other side of town and even came with a handwritten sign pointing down to Biescas.

I followed the road into town, crossing the river and passing the continuation of the GR. In town, I searched for the exit of the actual trail, which was easy to find. I also found the group that had been at the bottom and talked to them a bit about how I had arrived at the town.

My original goal had been to turn around at Yosa, but I felt so good and decided to continue on to the next village—Aso de Sobremonte, which was just a little way beyond. The trail to Aso was quite nice; it had obviously recently been cleared. I continued past more pastureland, through a nice little wooded valley, and crossed a stream trail-runner style. After some more fields, I turned onto the paved road to Aso and walked into town, then through town to find the continuation of the GR. But, this time, instead of heading to the next town, I turned back for home.

Shortly after starting back, however, the route back to town was blocked by a herd of cattle turning from their barn onto the street and heading to their pasture beyond the village. I watched as they all made their way through the street, their herd dog zooming past me and around their flanks. I strolled along behind at a safe distance, soaking in my quintessential European pastoral day.

Day 2: Finding Yésero

On my second day of exploration, I planned to go for my long run of the week, so planned to tackle the other side of the GR 15 to the town of Yésero. I’m quite familiar with the first third or so of this trail, as it is one of my frequent running routes.

From the town of Biescas, I followed the trail along the flat valley away from the high mountains until I reached the short steep climb to the town of Gavin. This is normally where I turn around on my runs. I generally head to the church on the edge of town and return. As such, I literally had no idea where the continuation of the trail was. On the map, it exits just on the opposite end of the town, so I ran up to the church, which is on the main road heading out of the town, but I saw no signs of the trail. I ran down a bit more, found an unmarked trail that just led to a pasture, and returned, going a little lower in the town. There, I finally found the continuation—just a few meters from where I had taken the unmarked trail! The key was to cross the lower part of the town in a more residential area instead of continuing up to the main road. Luckily, from this point, the rest of the trail was well-marked.

Just like the steep climb up to Gavin, the trail leading away from the town goes steeply down to another, narrower valley and crosses a river. Before heading down, I unfolded my poles, excited to be exploring another new section of trail. After crossing the river, on a bridge, this time, the trail goes straight up into the hills. Well, not exactly, but it is very steep. I hiked pretty much all of this part. Eventually, I left the beautiful, shady, cool forest and turned onto a dirt road for the much sunnier and hotter final leg to Yésero.

The road continued all the way to the town, transitioning from dirt to asphalt. On one side, I could see the valley below and the snowy high peaks beyond and on the other, alternating forest and pasture. Just outside Yésero, a faded, green, four-wheel drive passed me, two dogs hanging out its windows—a large Mastín or Pyrenean Mastiff, basically the pasture’s bouncer as it has been historically used to protect livestock from wolves and bears, and a smaller herding dog. I’m sure they were just on their morning commute.

Once in town, I filled up my bottles for the return trip before going back the way I came. Just after the road changed from asphalt to dirt, I passed a pasture with that old, green jeep parked in the grass next to a stone hut but saw no sign of the dogs. I continued along the road and turned back down into the forest. That trail was just as steep as I remembered from the trip up, but I hesitantly ran down it with quick, short steps, thankful for my poles helping me keep my balance. Although it didn’t take me long, it felt much longer before I finally crossed the river and climbed back up to Gavin, only to head back down on the other side before enjoying the smooth trail of the river valley.

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