Anboto () is a

limestone Limestone ( calcium carbonate ) is a type of carbonate sedimentary rock which is the main source of the material lime. It is composed mostly of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of . Limestone forms whe ...

mountain of the Western Basque Country, the highest peak of the

Urkiola Urkiola is a mountain range of the Basque mountains in Biscay near Durango, Spain, Durango, in the western Basque Country (autonomous community), Basque Country, Spain. The highest mountain in the range is Anboto (1331 m). The range runs from we ...

range and not far from the Urkiola mountain pass between

Durango Durango (), officially named Estado Libre y Soberano de Durango ( en, Free and Sovereign State of Durango; Tepehuán: ''Korian''; Nahuatl: ''Tepēhuahcān''), is one of the 31 states which make up the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico, situated in ...

and

Vitoria-Gasteiz es, vitoriano, vitoriana, , population_density_km2 = auto , blank_name_sec1 = Official language(s) , blank_info_sec1 = Spanish, Basque , timezone = CET , utc_offset = +1 , timezone_DST ...

Description

An immense mass of

, very compact and of gray color, the mountain contains

fossil A fossil (from Classical Latin , ) is any preserved remains, impression, or trace of any once-living thing from a past geological age. Examples include bones, shells, exoskeletons, stone imprints of animals or microbes, objects preserved ...

remnants of massive prehistoric

coral Corals are marine invertebrates within the class Anthozoa of the phylum Cnidaria. They typically form compact colonies of many identical individual polyps. Coral species include the important reef builders that inhabit tropical oceans and sec ...

s and large

seashell A seashell or sea shell, also known simply as a shell, is a hard, protective outer layer usually created by an animal or organism that lives in the sea. The shell is part of the body of the animal. Empty seashells are often found washe ...

s. The north face has impressive high cliffs, towering over the valley of

Atxondo Atxondo ( es, Achondo) is a municipality located in the province of Biscay, in the Basque Country, Spain. Atxondo is part of the ''comarca'' of Durangaldea and has a population of 1,447 inhabitants as of 2007 according to the Spanish National Sta ...

. The south face descends more smoothly toward the pass of Urkiolamendi; more even, it is used for the more popular routes of ascent. The ascent, which can be carried out on any of its faces, requires in all cases certain care when passing next to the cliffs. The Anboto is one of the most known and most characteristic summits of

Biscay Biscay (; eu, Bizkaia ; es, Vizcaya ) is a province of Spain and a historical territory of the Basque Country, heir of the ancient Lordship of Biscay, lying on the south shore of the eponymous bay. The capital and largest city is Bilbao. B ...

and of the Basque Country. On its summit there is a geodesic vertex of second order.

Mythology

Anboto has always been related to

magic Magic or Magick most commonly refers to: * Magic (supernatural), beliefs and actions employed to influence supernatural beings and forces * Ceremonial magic, encompasses a wide variety of rituals of magic * Magical thinking, the belief that unrela ...

and

mythology Myth is a folklore genre consisting of narratives that play a fundamental role in a society, such as foundational tales or origin myths. Since "myth" is widely used to imply that a story is not objectively true, the identification of a narrat ...

. In a cave close to its summit, the legend tells us that Mari, the "Lady of Anboto", has her main dwelling. Legend says that it is usual to see her in the mouth of the cave, on days with good weather, combing her pretty blond hair with a comb of gold in the sunshine. It is not rare either to see her spend nights as a great ball of fire in the sky above Anboto or other places of the Basque Country where she possesses dwellings like the nearby

Oiz Mount Oiz (1026.40 m.), is one of the most popular summits of Biscay in the Basque Country (Spain). Its summits form part of a long range that feeds several rivers: Ibaizabal, Artibai, Lea, Oka and Deba in Gipuzkoa all of them running to th ...

Aizkorri Aizkorri or Aitzgorri (, meaning in Basque 'bare stone', literally 'red stone') is a massif, the highest one of the Basque Autonomous Community (Spain) with 1,551 m AMSL at its highest point (peak Aitxuri, meaning 'white stone'). The massif ...

. Depending on where she is found there will be good or bad weather.

Ascents

Anboto can be reached from a great number of places. From the north it is a ascent from the

valley. From Urkiolamendi the road begins at the famous sanctuary of San Antonio (). From the valley of Atxarte begins the complete ascent of the crests, long but simple along

Alluitz Alluitz (also Asluze ) is a peak of Biscay, Basque Country (Spain), 1,034.3 metres high. Description It is the second highest peak of the Urkiola range. It is part of the same compact gray limestone mass that forms the Anboto. The main feat ...

() and Anboto (). From

Otxandio Otxandio (in Basque and officially, in Spanish ''Ochandiano'') is a town and municipality located in the province of Biscay, in the Basque autonomous community, Spain. Otxandio is part of the ''comarca'' of Durangaldea and has a population of 1,26 ...

() or

Aramaio Aramaio ( es, Aramayona) is a town and municipality located in the province of Álava, in the Basque Country, northern Spain. Elizate * Arexola, elizate * Azkoaga, elizate * Barajuen, elizate * Etxaguen, elizate * Gantzaga, elizate * Ib ...

(), stopping at the extensive grassy hillock of Zabalaundi (), being able to climb from here directly to the top passing near the caves of the Lady of Amboto and the "Eye of Eskilar". The most popular way consists of leaving from Urkiolamendi pass, to flank Mount Urkiolamendi () arriving at Asuntze (), then climbing right under the summit, to the hillock Pagozelai () ascending its stony slopes (Arrueta) to the hillock of Agindi () just west of the summit. The North face is a rocky climb that requires some

rock climbing Rock climbing is a sport in which participants climb up, across, or down natural rock formations. The goal is to reach the summit of a formation or the endpoint of a usually pre-defined route without falling. Rock climbing is a physically and ...

and can be very dangerous in bad weather conditions or ice. Climbing times: *Urkiolamendi (2h) *Atxarte (4h, up to the crest) *Atxarte (2h 30 m, by Asuntze) *Aramaio (3h) *Arrazola (2h 15 m, north face) *Arrazola (3h, by Zabalaundi)

References

{{Reflist

Sources

MendikatWeb sobre AmbotoLas montañas
Geography of Biscay Basque Mountains Mountains of the Basque Country (autonomous community)