The Argantín shelter, the first in its series, lies five kilometres from Alquézar and nearly twelve from Salas Altas, in a quiet corner of the Vero valley where oak scrub mixes with fields and old stone walls. It belongs to the painted shelters of the Aragonese pre-Pyrenees, a group that UNESCO listed in 1998 as part of the Mediterranean rock art, and as with the others in the Vero it is probably small and faded. The point of coming is the valley, and in particular the way it changes at different times of year.
In January the valley is cold and clear, the oaks are bare and the snowline is low on the Pyrenean ridge. In April it is green and loud with birdsong, with cuckoos calling from the woods and the first swifts arriving over Alquézar. In July the heat drives life into the shade, and the cicadas sing all day. In October the mornings are misty and the oaks turn rust and gold, and wild mushrooms appear in the damp hollows. Each season has its character, and the valley rewards a rider who visits more than once.
Practically, the road from Barbastro is the main approach, and it is easy to enjoy at moderate speed. The A-1232 passes through a landscape of almond groves, olives and low hills, then climbs to the village and the canyon beyond. The tarmac is decent, the bends are varied, and there are plenty of places to stop for a photograph. Be careful with gravel in the corners, with cyclists, and with sudden changes of weather, as afternoon storms are common in late summer.
Barbastro, twenty-one kilometres away, has several stations and a range of shops, and Salas Altas is a small village with a bar or two. A good lunch can be had in Alquézar itself, with terraces overlooking the canyon, and in the shoulder seasons you can often get a table without booking. Take water for the walk, and keep to the paths.