Aratz (meaning 'pure' in

Basque Basque may refer to: * Basques, an ethnic group of Spain and France * Basque language, their language Places * Basque Country (greater region), the homeland of the Basque people with parts in both Spain and France * Basque Country (autonomous co ...

, after its stone surface devoid of vegetation) is a mountain of the Basque Country in

Spain , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg , national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond") , national_anthem = (English: "Royal March") , i ...

located at the mountain range Altzania (also called Urkilla) that provides the extension for the massif

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 ...

. It lies right on the line between provinces

Gipuzkoa Gipuzkoa (, , ; es, Guipúzcoa ; french: Guipuscoa) is a province of Spain and a historical territory of the autonomous community of the Basque Country. Its capital city is Donostia-San Sebastián. Gipuzkoa shares borders with the French depa ...

and

Álava Álava ( in Spanish) or Araba (), officially Araba/Álava, is a province of Spain and a historical territory of the Basque Country, heir of the ancient Lordship of Álava, former medieval Catholic bishopric and now Latin titular see. Its ca ...

, the summit rising at 1,443 m high, next to Elurzuloak (1,431 m). The whole Aizkorri and Aratz area was declared the

Aizkorri-Aratz Natural Park The Aizkorri-Aratz Natural Park is the second-largest natural park in the Basque Country. Straddling the Cantabrian-Mediterranean watershed, it is named Aizkorri and Aratz, the two most notable mountains in the park. Declared a natural park i ...

in 2006.76/2006 Decree of the Government of the Basque Autonomous Community, declaring Aizkorri-Aratz a Natural Park
4 April 2006.

Access points and trails

The main access points are located both in the town of Araia on the fringes of the Alava plains (840 m drop from the summit) and at the spring ''Ezkaratza'' (drinking water) by the

Way of St James The Camino de Santiago ( la, Peregrinatio Compostellana, "Pilgrimage of Compostela"; gl, O Camiño de Santiago), known in English as the Way of St James, is a network of pilgrims' ways or pilgrimages leading to the shrine of the apostle Saint ...

west of the San Adrian tunnel. * The route starting off in Araia (PR-A11) heads north past the ruins of the fortress ''Marutegi'' on a rock halfway (8th century). Soon after, the trail with yellow and white signalization must be abandoned right to get to the spring ''Iturriotz'' (1h10, drinking water), and on to the switching point with both GR-121 and PR-A12 coming from ''Ezkaratza''. The summit of Aratz lies on the south-east after surmounting steep

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 ...

karst Karst is a topography formed from the dissolution of soluble rocks such as limestone, dolomite, and gypsum. It is characterized by underground drainage systems with sinkholes and caves. It has also been documented for more weathering-resistant ro ...

slopes with no clear trail (1h45). * From ''Ezkaratza'', some minutes away from the pass of San Adrian, the PR-A12 circuit trail penetrates south-east up into the forest until it merges with GR-121 (red and white signalization) and the above route coming from Araia. * A third but less popular route sets off in ''Beunda'' on the way to San Adrian. The concrete track winds down west until the milestone ''Aldaola'' where it forks (altitude 850 m). The option is to follow the left track, which going down reaches and crosses the stream. At this point, the northern face of Aratz towers on the left covered with a vast

beech Beech (''Fagus'') is a genus of deciduous trees in the family Fagaceae, native to temperate Europe, Asia, and North America. Recent classifications recognize 10 to 13 species in two distinct subgenera, ''Engleriana'' and ''Fagus''. The ''Engle ...

forest. In no more than 150 metres, the track veers sharply to the east and on to south-east until the pass of Allarte (1,141 m high) is reached.

References

External links

Description of some accesses to Aratz
2009-10-25) Site in Spanish Basque Mountains Mountains of Álava Mountains of the Basque Country (autonomous community) {{basqueCountry-geo-stub