The cliffs above the Vero are the property of vultures. On most days you will see griffon vultures, great brown birds with a wingspan close to three metres, spiralling on warm air above the rim, and with luck an Egyptian vulture, smaller and white with a yellow face. The Sierra de Guara is also one of the places where the rare bearded vulture, the lammergeier, has been seen. The shelter called Chimiachas E lies almost four kilometres from Alquézar, in the middle of that airspace, and the painted rock shelters of this valley are all within sight of those cliffs.
Chimiachas is a small place name, and the E is a catalogue letter, so the shelter is one of a series studied and numbered by archaeologists. The paintings in this region belong to what is called Levantine art, small naturalistic figures usually in red, and the whole group has been protected by UNESCO since 1998. In truth, you will not be riding up to the paintings. They are a walk away, and some are closed off or unmarked to protect them, and you should check with the local tourist office before you set out.
What makes the area worth a long day is the rhythm of the ride. The road from Barbastro enters the foothills in a long gentle climb, then drops towards the river, then climbs again to Alquézar through a sequence of bends that start tight and open as you rise. The rock walls have an orange-grey colour, and at certain bends the whole canyon opens to the north with a view of the Sierra's high ridge. Wild boar tracks cross the road near dusk, and roe deer and foxes are common enough to make evening riding a gamble.
For fuel and a proper meal you will need Barbastro, twenty-one kilometres away. Alquézar has bars, a small shop in summer and a habit of putting bread, oil and tomato on the table without being asked. Take water if you plan to walk, and a pair of binoculars if you have one, because the vultures are most active mid-morning.