Aitz Txiki
Encyclopedia
Biscay
Biscay is a province of Spain and a historical territory of the Basque Country, heir of the ancient Lord of Biscay. Its capital city is Bilbao...
, Basque Country
Basque Country (autonomous community)
The Basque Country is an autonomous community of northern Spain. It includes the Basque provinces of Álava, Biscay and Gipuzkoa, also called Historical Territories....
(Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
), 791 m. high. Its name means "small rock" aitz=rock txiki=small.
Description
It is the smallest peak of the UrkiolaUrkiola
Urkiola is a mountain range of the Basque mountains in Biscay near Durango, in the western Basque Country, Spain. The range's highest mountain is Anboto...
range, and forms part of the same limestone
Limestone
Limestone is a sedimentary rock composed largely of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of calcium carbonate . Many limestones are composed from skeletal fragments of marine organisms such as coral or foraminifera....
mass that forms the Anboto
Anboto
Anboto is a limestone mountain of the Western Basque Country, the highest peak of the Urkiola range and not far from the pass of Urkiolamendi between Durango and Vitoria-Gasteiz.- Description :...
and the Alluitz
Alluitz
Alluitz is a peak of Biscay, Basque Country , 1,034.3 metres high.- Description :It is the second highest peak of the Urkiola range. It is part of the same compact gray limestone mass that forms the Anboto....
.
Although it is the smallest one, it has the same rough and wild look, specially when viewed from the Atxarte pass that separatest the mountain from the neighbouring Untxillaitz
Untxillaitz
Untxillaitz, Untxillaitx, or Untzillatx, is a mountain of Biscay, Basque Country , 934 m. high. Its name may mean "Rabbit's peak" untzi=rabbit aitz=peak....
. It has a double summit, highest is Aitz Txiki and the lower one (790m) is Artxua or Sorginkobetagana. It is rough and difficult from all sides except the one faced to Atxarte,that is the main access route. There are remains of a castle
Castle
A castle is a type of fortified structure built in Europe and the Middle East during the Middle Ages by European nobility. Scholars debate the scope of the word castle, but usually consider it to be the private fortified residence of a lord or noble...
that was used to watch the Atxarte pass.
The main rock climbing
Rock climbing
Rock climbing also lightly called 'The Gravity Game', is a sport in which participants climb up, down or across natural rock formations or artificial rock walls. The goal is to reach the summit of a formation or the endpoint of a pre-defined route without falling...
ways of Biscay's climbing school are in its slopes.
Ascents
From Atxarte (1h 30m).From the Zelaieta parish of Abadiano goes the road to Mendiola until the Atxarte pass, then the river is crossed and the route reaches the col
Mountain pass
A mountain pass is a route through a mountain range or over a ridge. If following the lowest possible route, a pass is locally the highest point on that route...
of Asuntze soon left to reach the col of Artola . From there the proper ascent to Aitz Txiki begins without major difficulties through steep meadows.
From Axpe (1h 30m).
The path goes just under the Devil's Pass, from here impressive views of the Alluitz
Alluitz
Alluitz is a peak of Biscay, Basque Country , 1,034.3 metres high.- Description :It is the second highest peak of the Urkiola range. It is part of the same compact gray limestone mass that forms the Anboto....
can be enjoyed. A new parh to the right leads to the col of Artola from where the route of Atxarte continues.
External links
- (es) Astxiki at wikineos (includes maps and many photos)
- (es) Mendikat
- (es) Las montañas