The Barranco de Mascún is one of the great canyons of the Sierra de Guara, a limestone range in the pre-Pyrenees of Huesca, where rivers have carved deep, narrow gorges, caves and towers into the rock. The canyon, near the village of Rodellar, is famous among climbers for its overhanging walls and among canyoners for its pools and waterfalls, and it also holds traces of prehistoric painting in its shelters. Mascún V is one of these sites, part of the group of Mediterranean rock art sites listed by UNESCO, and the setting, with sheer orange and grey walls rising above the river, is extraordinary.
The Sierra de Guara is a wild, sparsely populated area, with abandoned villages, ancient bridges and a remarkable population of vultures, including the bearded vulture, which feeds on bones, dropping them from a height to break them. Rodellar, at the end of a long, winding road, is a small village that has become a base for climbers from all over Europe, with a campsite, a refuge and a couple of bars. The views from the village over the canyon and the surrounding peaks are superb.
The road to Rodellar is narrow and twisty, with tight bends, steep drops and rough sections, and it is a ride that demands concentration. The roads around the Sierra de Guara, linking Alquézar, Bierge, Adahuesca and other villages, are quiet and scenic, with views over the mountains and the plain. Alquézar, a stunning village of stone houses perched on a ridge above the gorge of the river Vero, with a collegiate church and castle at its top, is a highlight. To the north, the roads lead towards the high Pyrenees, with Boltaña, Aínsa and the Ordesa valley, offering some of the most spectacular riding in Spain.
Services in the Sierra de Guara are limited, so plan carefully. Alquézar and Boltaña have restaurants and accommodation, but fuel is scarce, and the nearest larger town is Huesca, about thirty two kilometres away, or Barbastro, to the south. The local wines of the Somontano region, around Barbastro, are excellent. The weather is hot in summer, especially in the canyons, and cold in winter, with snow on the higher ground. Spring and autumn are the best times to visit, when the rivers are full and the weather is mild.