Montcabrer

Ascent of the Montcabrer peak on January 19th in the year of Our Lord 2025, a thousand years before the birth of King Alfonso VI of León and Castile, known as “the Brave” for his bravery in battles, also in that same year of 1025 was born Sancho Ramírez, king of Aragon who, during his reign, carried out the Reconquest of Zaragoza, establishing the foundations of the Kingdom of Aragon. The waning gibbous Moon will accompany us from the start of the march from the ancient Diocesan Sanctuary of the Mare de Déu d’Agrés.

It is still nighttime when, having passed the Sanctuary at 785 m, we enter a forest of leafy Aleppo pine trees accompanied by Mediterranean scrub, where a path runs uphill in a zigzag pattern. After a good while of walking, where we hear the persistent lament of the witches’ bird, and after overcoming a tough final slope, we reach the crest of the mountain range, where the Montcabrer refuge is located at 1230 m. In this section, as we gain altitude, if we look to the east, that is, to our left, we can see the majestic Benicadell mountain range.

After leaving the shelter behind and after several crossings, we begin the ascent to Montcabrer along its eastern slope, along a narrow path, which at one point will force us to make a 180 degree turn to position ourselves on the southern face of the summit, which will take us to the summit at 1,390 m, after a constant climb that is not very demanding, and always accompanied by the waning moon and the vultures that fly over this place.

In this elevated section of the mountain range, we find the priority habitat of many birds such as the raven, the black-eared wheatear, the alpine accentor, the rare meadow pipit, as well as birds of prey such as the small kestrel or the golden eagle… Along the path we will find numerous typical species of the Mediterranean scrub with a shrub stratum composed of juniper, kermes oak, gorse, rosemary, heather, spurge, rock rose and other smaller plants such as wild chamomile, thyme, and cat’s claw, colonizing cracks and holes at the side of the path.

The view from here is exceptional, enjoying an exceptional panoramic view: looking north we can see El Teix and the first foothills of the Sierra Mariola; to the S-SE, the Sierra de Aitana; to the W, the Alt de Mariola; and to the E-NE, the mass of Benicadell, the Beniarrés reservoir and beyond the horizon, the Mediterranean.

Reaching the summit of this emblematic peak is not only a physical exercise, but also a mental one, an invitation to contemplation and meditation while enjoying the views, which will not leave us indifferent.

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