There are at least 3 spellings of this mountain! Collargayos, Cuyargayos and Peña Argayos. However you choose to spell it this route makes an excellent outing from Soto de Agues via Ladines. There is some scrambling at the top that can be avoided. The route in principle is waymarked, but at times this may not be clear.
You can drive to Ladines from Rioseco, or from Soto de Agues drive towards Rioseco but turn right at Villamorey. If you are in Soto de Agues you can walk from there along more direct roads than driving.
Distance: 14 km. If you walk from Soto to Ladines add 3.4 km.
Total ascent: 950 m. If you walk from Soto to Ladines add 177 m.
Duration: 5 hours 35 minutes (from Ladines).
If you walk from Soto to Ladines add 1 hour 15 minutes.
Maps: Parque Natural de Redes (1:40,000)
IGN 54 (14-05) Rioseco (1:50,000
Route: PR.AS-163 Ruta del Cuyargayos
1. Walking from Soto de Agues where there is a large visitor's car park, cross the arched bridge over the Alba river and walk to the church of San Andres with its prominent spire.
2. Carry on and cross another bridge to the village of Agues.
3. Walk up for about 30 metres, then bear left through the buildings.
4. The tarmac road now winds through fields and gains height.
5. Follow this for about 1 kilometre until the junction with the road from Ladines to Rioseco.
6. Turn right and follow the road into Ladines for about 2 kilometres.
1. Walking from Ladines, park in the square and walk to the church.
2. Walk uphill passing a house called "El Fonton".
3. At a three-way junction, take the middle road.
4. At the next junction, again take the middle road.
5. Immediately after there is a track forking to the right – take this.
6. From here the waymarking paint marks have been recently renewed (2009).
7. Carry on to a solitary building with bee hives.
8. Here bear left and follow waymarking across open ground to a crest overlooking the Nalón valley.
9. Follow the track south, climbing through beech woods, passing a prominent cave.
10. On reaching an open pasture, a signpost points to a good viewpoint on the right.
11. Here you can choose to scramble up the ridge from near the viewpoint, keeping beech woods on the right, taking care on the final section which is exposed but not difficult.
12. OR you can avoid scrambling by following the waymarked path ahead which tales you below the summit to a col between Collargayos and La Mezquita. Here turn right and walk up through vegetation to the summit.
13. Descend from the summit to the col described above.
14. Follow the path which goes below, on the west side, of the La Mezquita summit.
15. Follow waymarking and descend to a broad col with a signpost.
16. Descend to the right, or west, to a cattle drinking trough and some barns.
17. Follow zigzag tracks and painted waymarks, down to the Nozalín valley.
18. Follow the gorge on the left bank back to Agues.
19. Turn left back to Soto de Agues.
20. Carry on through Agues, across the arched bridge, and pack to the car park.
Below is a map of the route, based on a GPS track. Click on the Earth button to see is in 3D.
View Collargayos in a larger map
Below is a map of the route, based on a GPS track. Click on the Earth button to see is in 3D.
View Collargayos in a larger map
