Adarra
Encyclopedia
Adarra is a mountain south of the city of San Sebastian in the Basque Country
much appreciated and popular with the donostiarras and other neighbouring inhabitants. It is flanked on the north by the minor mount Oindi or Onddi (IPA: ['onɟi], 545 m) and Onddo (781 m) on the south, all of them located at the top of a long mountain range of modest height establishing the division between the Urumea
and Leitzaran
valleys, which extends south right to the vicinity of the Navarre
se town of Leitza
.
. The present area stands on the westernmost end of the Pyrenees
, where outcrops of slate
, sandstone
, conglomerate
s, red silt
and other materials can be found, largely from the Paleozoic Era and Mesozoic Era.
The vegetation landscape is split in two distinctive sides, the first one locating on the Eastern slopes and the second on the Western part. On the former patches of autochthonous forest and vegetation abound, while on the latter (especially on the way down to Leitzaran
) pine tree
used for logging (aka Pinus radiata) prevails. There are noticeable grassland strips for grazing sheep and horses interspersed with forest.
of the Basque Country
in the Neolithic
and Bronze Age
. The megalithic sector Adarra numbers 34 stone circle
s, 4 dolmen
s, 3 cist
s and 2 menhir
s. Furthermore, remains are ubiquitous all over the ridgeline Adarra-Mandoegi that stretches out south. The conspicuous menhir of Eteneta at the centre of the meadow on the back of Adarra doesn't go unnoticed. However, while the menhir
stands currently upright, some decades ago it lay on the ground, the stone being reverted to the original position by regional authorities. This spot has long been a meeting point for shepherds.
Some monuments cluster around the Aballarri rocks. Legend as collected by anthropologist J.M. Barandiaran goes that the Basque mythological gigantic character Sanson got angry with a crowd of people dancing in Arano
, so he intended to kill them. Yet when he was about to hurl a stone at them from the mountain Buruntza
, he slipped on a cow dung and the stone fell short on this spot, resulting in the current prominence.
At this point, an older vestige should be noted, the cavern Mari
Zulo (access from Besabi), where remains of a man buried along with a dog and lamb were found, dating from the IV millennium BC. Plenty of evidence suggests that it was long used at different stages of prehistory. Unfortunately, the surroundings of the cavern are currently somewhat deteriorated due to a polluted stream nearby.
, tabor and pipe
, etc.) that enliven the atmosphere.
-Urnieta
), the minor road GI-3121 leading to Xoxoka should be followed, there switching to GI-4721 with direction to Besabi (dead end, 0h00). Car park at the end of the road. A concrete track heading south-east gains gradually height until a farmhouse with a yard is reached. There a makeshift gate should be crossed on the right (348 m, 0h10), a beaten mud trail bound south-east penetrates on the forest, increasingly sinking into a neatly delimited hollow.
At the beginning, pine
forest towers on the left hand, soon shifting to an open charming beech
forest. At this point, the stream Sorotxota is crossed (440 m, 0h30) and height is gained slowly out of the forest on to the fields. Overcoming the last south-bound stretch to the summit (open ground) does not take very long, but it is demanding. Right before the summit heaps of stone in a karst
terrain cover the trail (811 m, 1h25). Height difference from Besabi: 514 m.
For the descent, walking down the southern side of Adarra the col of Eteneta is reached, where a prehistoric standing stone (menhir
) rises proud. This spot has been for ages a landmark for shepherds. Turning direction and heading north-west, the meadows give way to bushy landscape and a patch of narrow paths, soon merging into a couple of them. The trails cut through the western side of Adarra until the beech
forest of the ascent is again attained.
Another option back consists of heading down from Adarra straight to the north, the pass of Mantale is reached south of the Aballarri rocks (small dolmen
and other vestiges around).
The trail opens its way out of the rocks, then a dramatic slope leads down to a concrete track that heads west back to Besabi.
, the GI-3091 road penetrates into the valley Leitzaran
along the river. The former rail course has been arranged as a green way for bicycles and pedestrians. After a tunnel is passed a narrow signposted trail twists up out of the main track among pine trees.
Basque Country (historical territory)
The Basque Country is the name given to the home of the Basque people in the western Pyrenees that spans the border between France and Spain on the Atlantic coast....
much appreciated and popular with the donostiarras and other neighbouring inhabitants. It is flanked on the north by the minor mount Oindi or Onddi (IPA: ['onɟi], 545 m) and Onddo (781 m) on the south, all of them located at the top of a long mountain range of modest height establishing the division between the Urumea
Urumea
The Urumea a" 'thin') is a river in the Basque Country at the north of the Iberian Peninsula. It's one of a series of Basque rivers flowing into the Bay of Biscay and best known for being the river flowing to the sea on the city of San Sebastian...
and Leitzaran
Leitzaran
The Leitzaran is a river and a valley in the Navarre and the Basque Country . It flows into the river Oria from its right.Its source is in the Leitza municipality in Navarre, and it is 42 km long. It enters into Gipuzkoa in a place called Urto...
valleys, which extends south right to the vicinity of the Navarre
Navarre
Navarre , officially the Chartered Community of Navarre is an autonomous community in northern Spain, bordering the Basque Country, La Rioja, and Aragon in Spain and Aquitaine in France...
se town of Leitza
Leitza
Leitza is a town and municipality located in the province and autonomous community of Navarre, northern Spain.-External links:*...
.
Geology and vegetation
That disposition of the big geological formations sticks to a distinctive north-south pattern of the short Gipuzkoan valleys ending up in the Bay of BiscayBay of Biscay
The Bay of Biscay is a gulf of the northeast Atlantic Ocean located south of the Celtic Sea. It lies along the western coast of France from Brest south to the Spanish border, and the northern coast of Spain west to Cape Ortegal, and is named in English after the province of Biscay, in the Spanish...
. The present area stands on the westernmost end of the Pyrenees
Pyrenees
The Pyrenees is a range of mountains in southwest Europe that forms a natural border between France and Spain...
, where outcrops of slate
Slate
Slate is a fine-grained, foliated, homogeneous metamorphic rock derived from an original shale-type sedimentary rock composed of clay or volcanic ash through low-grade regional metamorphism. The result is a foliated rock in which the foliation may not correspond to the original sedimentary layering...
, sandstone
Sandstone
Sandstone is a sedimentary rock composed mainly of sand-sized minerals or rock grains.Most sandstone is composed of quartz and/or feldspar because these are the most common minerals in the Earth's crust. Like sand, sandstone may be any colour, but the most common colours are tan, brown, yellow,...
, conglomerate
Conglomerate (geology)
A conglomerate is a rock consisting of individual clasts within a finer-grained matrix that have become cemented together. Conglomerates are sedimentary rocks consisting of rounded fragments and are thus differentiated from breccias, which consist of angular clasts...
s, red silt
Silt
Silt is granular material of a size somewhere between sand and clay whose mineral origin is quartz and feldspar. Silt may occur as a soil or as suspended sediment in a surface water body...
and other materials can be found, largely from the Paleozoic Era and Mesozoic Era.
The vegetation landscape is split in two distinctive sides, the first one locating on the Eastern slopes and the second on the Western part. On the former patches of autochthonous forest and vegetation abound, while on the latter (especially on the way down to Leitzaran
Leitzaran
The Leitzaran is a river and a valley in the Navarre and the Basque Country . It flows into the river Oria from its right.Its source is in the Leitza municipality in Navarre, and it is 42 km long. It enters into Gipuzkoa in a place called Urto...
) pine tree
Monterey Pine
The Monterey Pine, Pinus radiata, family Pinaceae, also known as the Insignis Pine or Radiata Pine is a species of pine native to the Central Coast of California....
used for logging (aka Pinus radiata) prevails. There are noticeable grassland strips for grazing sheep and horses interspersed with forest.
Prehistoric monuments
The mountain and the whole area show several vestiges of megalithic art, for the most part small monuments much in step with the customary practice on the Atlantic basinDrainage basin
A drainage basin is an extent or an area of land where surface water from rain and melting snow or ice converges to a single point, usually the exit of the basin, where the waters join another waterbody, such as a river, lake, reservoir, estuary, wetland, sea, or ocean...
of the Basque Country
Basque Country (historical territory)
The Basque Country is the name given to the home of the Basque people in the western Pyrenees that spans the border between France and Spain on the Atlantic coast....
in the Neolithic
Neolithic
The Neolithic Age, Era, or Period, or New Stone Age, was a period in the development of human technology, beginning about 9500 BC in some parts of the Middle East, and later in other parts of the world. It is traditionally considered as the last part of the Stone Age...
and Bronze Age
Bronze Age
The Bronze Age is a period characterized by the use of copper and its alloy bronze as the chief hard materials in the manufacture of some implements and weapons. Chronologically, it stands between the Stone Age and Iron Age...
. The megalithic sector Adarra numbers 34 stone circle
Stone circle
A stone circle is a monument of standing stones arranged in a circle. Such monuments have been constructed across the world throughout history for many different reasons....
s, 4 dolmen
Dolmen
A dolmen—also known as a portal tomb, portal grave, dolmain , cromlech , anta , Hünengrab/Hünenbett , Adamra , Ispun , Hunebed , dös , goindol or quoit—is a type of single-chamber megalithic tomb, usually consisting of...
s, 3 cist
Cist
A cist from ) is a small stone-built coffin-like box or ossuary used to hold the bodies of the dead. Examples can be found across Europe and in the Middle East....
s and 2 menhir
Menhir
A menhir is a large upright standing stone. Menhirs may be found singly as monoliths, or as part of a group of similar stones. Their size can vary considerably; but their shape is generally uneven and squared, often tapering towards the top...
s. Furthermore, remains are ubiquitous all over the ridgeline Adarra-Mandoegi that stretches out south. The conspicuous menhir of Eteneta at the centre of the meadow on the back of Adarra doesn't go unnoticed. However, while the menhir
Menhir
A menhir is a large upright standing stone. Menhirs may be found singly as monoliths, or as part of a group of similar stones. Their size can vary considerably; but their shape is generally uneven and squared, often tapering towards the top...
stands currently upright, some decades ago it lay on the ground, the stone being reverted to the original position by regional authorities. This spot has long been a meeting point for shepherds.
Some monuments cluster around the Aballarri rocks. Legend as collected by anthropologist J.M. Barandiaran goes that the Basque mythological gigantic character Sanson got angry with a crowd of people dancing in Arano
Arano
Arano is a village and municipality located in the province and autonomous community of Navarre, northern Spain.-External links:*...
, so he intended to kill them. Yet when he was about to hurl a stone at them from the mountain Buruntza
Buruntza
Buruntza is a minor mount in the Basque Country 12 km south of San Sebastian. Several towns lie at its foot, namely Andoain , Lasarte-Oria and Urnieta . The mount stretches out in a north-east to south-west disposition, starting at the pass of Azkorte on to a quarry at the southern end, by...
, he slipped on a cow dung and the stone fell short on this spot, resulting in the current prominence.
At this point, an older vestige should be noted, the cavern Mari
Mari (goddess)
Mari, Mari Urraca, Anbotoko Mari and the possibly distinct Murumendiko Dama was a goddess — a lamia — of the Basques. She was married to the god Sugaar...
Zulo (access from Besabi), where remains of a man buried along with a dog and lamb were found, dating from the IV millennium BC. Plenty of evidence suggests that it was long used at different stages of prehistory. Unfortunately, the surroundings of the cavern are currently somewhat deteriorated due to a polluted stream nearby.
Events
On the New Years Day, since early in the morning people of all ages, the bravest after celebrating overnight, pour into Adarra to see the sunrise or just to have a good starting year. Some people may carry music instruments (trikitixaTrikitixa
The trikiti , trikitixa or eskusoinu txiki is a two-row Basque diatonic button accordion with right-hand rows keyed a fifth apart and twelve unisonoric bass buttons...
, tabor and pipe
Txistu
The txistu or chistu is a kind of fipple flute that became a symbol for the Basque folk revival. The name may stem from the general Basque word ziztu "to whistle" with palatalisation of the z...
, etc.) that enliven the atmosphere.
Besabi
The main access point widely used, especially on Sundays, lies on the farm-turned-snack bar Besabi. In order to get there by car, starting from a T junction at the road GI-311 (AndoainAndoain
Andoain is a town located in the province of Gipuzkoa, in the autonomous community of Basque Country, in the north of Spain. Nowadays it has a population above 13,000 inhabitants, which has been decreasing since 1981....
-Urnieta
Urnieta
Urnieta is a town located in the province of Gipuzkoa, in the Autonomous Community of Basque Country, northern Spain.-External links:* Information available in Spanish and Basque.* Information available in Spanish...
), the minor road GI-3121 leading to Xoxoka should be followed, there switching to GI-4721 with direction to Besabi (dead end, 0h00). Car park at the end of the road. A concrete track heading south-east gains gradually height until a farmhouse with a yard is reached. There a makeshift gate should be crossed on the right (348 m, 0h10), a beaten mud trail bound south-east penetrates on the forest, increasingly sinking into a neatly delimited hollow.
Monterey Pine
The Monterey Pine, Pinus radiata, family Pinaceae, also known as the Insignis Pine or Radiata Pine is a species of pine native to the Central Coast of California....
forest towers on the left hand, soon shifting to an open charming beech
Beech
Beech is a genus of ten species of deciduous trees in the family Fagaceae, native to temperate Europe, Asia and North America.-Habit:...
forest. At this point, the stream Sorotxota is crossed (440 m, 0h30) and height is gained slowly out of the forest on to the fields. Overcoming the last south-bound stretch to the summit (open ground) does not take very long, but it is demanding. Right before the summit heaps of stone in a karst
KARST
Kilometer-square Area Radio Synthesis Telescope is a Chinese telescope project to which FAST is a forerunner. KARST is a set of large spherical reflectors on karst landforms, which are bowlshaped limestone sinkholes named after the Kras region in Slovenia and Northern Italy. It will consist of...
terrain cover the trail (811 m, 1h25). Height difference from Besabi: 514 m.
For the descent, walking down the southern side of Adarra the col of Eteneta is reached, where a prehistoric standing stone (menhir
Menhir
A menhir is a large upright standing stone. Menhirs may be found singly as monoliths, or as part of a group of similar stones. Their size can vary considerably; but their shape is generally uneven and squared, often tapering towards the top...
) rises proud. This spot has been for ages a landmark for shepherds. Turning direction and heading north-west, the meadows give way to bushy landscape and a patch of narrow paths, soon merging into a couple of them. The trails cut through the western side of Adarra until the beech
Beech
Beech is a genus of ten species of deciduous trees in the family Fagaceae, native to temperate Europe, Asia and North America.-Habit:...
forest of the ascent is again attained.
Another option back consists of heading down from Adarra straight to the north, the pass of Mantale is reached south of the Aballarri rocks (small dolmen
Dolmen
A dolmen—also known as a portal tomb, portal grave, dolmain , cromlech , anta , Hünengrab/Hünenbett , Adamra , Ispun , Hunebed , dös , goindol or quoit—is a type of single-chamber megalithic tomb, usually consisting of...
and other vestiges around).
The trail opens its way out of the rocks, then a dramatic slope leads down to a concrete track that heads west back to Besabi.
Leitzaran
From AndoainAndoain
Andoain is a town located in the province of Gipuzkoa, in the autonomous community of Basque Country, in the north of Spain. Nowadays it has a population above 13,000 inhabitants, which has been decreasing since 1981....
, the GI-3091 road penetrates into the valley Leitzaran
Leitzaran
The Leitzaran is a river and a valley in the Navarre and the Basque Country . It flows into the river Oria from its right.Its source is in the Leitza municipality in Navarre, and it is 42 km long. It enters into Gipuzkoa in a place called Urto...
along the river. The former rail course has been arranged as a green way for bicycles and pedestrians. After a tunnel is passed a narrow signposted trail twists up out of the main track among pine trees.