This time we will propose a bicycle route through one of these spectacular corners. Located in the heart of the Navarrese Pyrenees, in the Aezcoa valley, stands the harmonious combination of beech and fir trees that give rise to the Iratí Forest. Known for being the largest forest in Europe and for its almost virginal character, it houses within it mythical settings that envelop anyone in its special aura. Accessing them is easy thanks to the different trails that we find distributed throughout the forest.
Before us rose the immensity of trees that form the Iratí Forest. A multitude of trails encouraged us to enter and discover all those corners full of magic that the forest housed within. What was previously done either on horseback or on foot was now going to be explored with bicycles as mounts and with backpacks on our backs. Everything that scared our ancestors filled us with emotion and grace. There was nothing to make us stop or turn back. Neither the effort nor the time I spent could match the enthusiasm and desire we had to undertake this new adventure, which, without further ado, we will tell you about.
The starting point that we chose was Aribe, a small town where different natural paths intersect. Although there are other options, we recommend this one, since if the route is taken in the opposite direction the effort is much greater. Once the equipment is prepared, we begin the march along the road that heads towards Orbara.
As soon as we pedaled a couple of times, we realized the beauty that would accompany us on this trip. This feeling increased as we discovered the corners that appeared on our path from time to time. This is the case of the hanging bridge that we discovered 3 kilometers away, next to the Belotegui power plant. After this emblematic discovery, we continue up the Iratí River along the road we took from the beginning and along which we will pedal a couple more kilometers.
Shortly after leaving the bridge we crossed Orbara, a small town in the Aezcoa valley, and after 2 kilometers we arrived at Orbaiceta. Without abandoning this direction, we pedaled almost four more kilometers until we reached a detour where we decided to make a short stop both to rest and to make some other decision.
At this point in the route They can choose two paths: either they can continue along the asphalt road and thus visit the weapons factory; or you can take the path that goes out to the right that leads to the Iratí reservoir, without passing through the factory. We had heard very good things about this place and in the end we opted for the first option. The truth is that we had very little time and we wanted to get the most out of this trip.
We let our bikes rest for a while and began to explore every corner we could. Abandoned and in ruins, stood the few remains of the great building that remained, which were integrated in perfect harmony with a somewhat idyllic natural space, thus providing a certain intrigue in the environment. You could still see the perfect canalization and the arches made to channel the Itolaz ravine.
After enjoying this experience we returned to our adventure along the concrete track that appears right at the entrance of the first house of the factory . This track will take us to the Larraun neighborhood (one kilometer away), where we pedal between hamlets. It may happen that our path is closed by a wire stockade for cattle. But that's no problem. We will only have to open the zipper, go through and leave it closed. Once all this is done, we will enter a beautiful world populated by beech trees, which spread a carpet of leaves to welcome us. The red and white markings of the G. R.-11 will allow us to enjoy the walk through the leaves without fear of getting lost.
At the Irabia dam the path continues along the long arm that forms this civil construction. On the march we find a sign that tells us that we are 10 meters from the French border. Our route does not enter France and continues skirting the Irabia dam.
We advanced along the track without any problem until we reached the Casas de Iratí and the hermitage of the Virgen de las Nieves (7 kilometers from the end of the dam). . Here begins a tough climb towards Paso Tapia. In 9 kilometers we went from 850 meters to 1,382! Once at the top, we take the path to the right and enter a path of car ruts that climbs through the meadows of the Abodi range. We continue along the path to the left (southern slope) to avoid the summit of Bizkarrandi. And, after passing a palisade, we begin the descent. As we lose height, the track gains in quality, which is accentuated by the wonderful views from there. They are obtained from all the towns in the Aezcoa valley.
After a frenetic descent we arrive at Villanueva de Aezcoa, from where we take the road that takes us to the point from where we started. Exhausted by the effort made, we sat down quietly to have a drink and rest. I hardly speak. It's been a long time since I did something like this... although it was worth it.
