Zaldiaran

Zaldiaran is a 978 metres high mountain part of the Montes de Vitoria mountainous range, located on Alava, Basque Country (greater region). Even if part of the south face of the mountain is on the Treviño exclave, (Burgos), the summit is itself on Alava.

Zaldiaran
Summit of Zaldiaran
Highest point
Elevation978 m (3,209 ft)
Prominence152 m (499 ft)
Coordinates42°47′45″N 2°44′07″W 
Geography
Parent rangeMontes de Vitoria
Climbing
Easiest routeGasteiz ( 2h 15 m); Eskibel ( 1h ); Berrosteguieta ( 1h 15 m); Zumeltzu ( 1h 15m); Lapiedra (20 m)

Next to the summit, some metres below, there is the Zaldiarango gaina, with a height of 780 metres (2559 ft); a mountain pass that communicates Alava with the Treviño exclave at its highest point, where the frontier is located. The roads that communicate these two provinces are the A-3102 that comes from Alava and the BU-742, which heads for Treviño exclave.

At the top of the mountain, apart from a tall metallic cross that was placed in 1950 by the hiker club Manuel Iradier, there are a few big aerials that transmit television and radio signal to Vitoria-Gasteiz.

Cross at the summit

Geography

Bordering municipalities with Zaldiaran:

Northwest: Nanclares de la Oca North: Berrosteguieta and Eskibel Northeast: Vitoria-Gasteiz
West: La Puebla de Arganzón East: Monasterioguren
Southwest: Pangua South: Treviño exclave Southeast: San Vicentejo

Panoramic view from the top of Zaldiaran:

Northwest: Gorbea North: Anboto Northeast: Aizkorri mountain range
West: Busto East: Montes de Vitoria
Southwest: Sierra de Toloño South: Moraza Southeast: Sierra de Cantabria

Access points and trails

Main route

The main and most popular access point is from Berrosteguieta. The route begins in this village, at the foot of Zaldiaran on the highway that goes to the Zaldiaran mountain pass. After following this road 200 metres the trail arrives to an esplanade (left), next to a large aerial. Opposite there is a water tank.

At the right of the tank starts a narrow path, which runs through a pine forest upwards. At the exit of the pinewood the trail is abandoned and a narrow path at the left is followed. The route follows the ridge and pursues another way (left). Then, the right way has to be taken on a bifurcation that divides the road. The forest is left behind and a firewall heads to the top of Errogana.

Following an almost flat terrain the route breaks through a beech. As soon as having entered the beech the trail deviates to the left. The wood is crossed by a diagonal footway that ends on the road which ascends to the relay tower located on the summit.

Flora

Northern slopes of Zaldiaran are full of beeches (Fagus sylvatica) that give way to Portuguese Oaks (Quercus faginea) woods on lower parts of the mountain.

Curiosities
  • Every 1 January, all the hiking clubs of Vitoria-Gasteiz come together at this mountain to inaugurate the mountaineering year.
  • It is said that at the Middle Age a castle was built in the summit of Zaldiaran, which was finally abandoned and then used as a fort by the French Army on the Battle of Vitoria on 1813.

References
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