Sierra de Gredos

Sierra de Gredos
Pico Almanzor rising over river Tiétar
Highest point
Elevation	2,592 m (8,504 ft)
Coordinates	40.25°N 5.22°W/40.25; -5.22
Geography
Location	Iberian Peninsula,Spain
Parent range	Sistema Central
Geology
Type of rock	Granite

TheSierra de Gredosis amountain rangein central Spain that spans the provinces ofÁvila,Salamanca,Cáceres,Madrid,andToledo.It is part of the much largerSistema Centralof mountain ranges. Its highest point isPico Almanzorat 2,592 metersand it has been declared a natural park by theAutonomous CommunityofCastile and León.The Sierra de Gredos is one of the most extensive mountain ranges of the Central System; it comprises five river valleys: theAlto Tormes,theAlto Alberche,theTiétar Oriental,theTiétar Occidental y la Vera,and theValle del Ambroz.The first known inhabitants were theVettones,a pre-Roman Celtic people. The central part of the range encomprises theSierra de Gredos Regional Park.

Geology

The Sierra de Gredos comprises mainlygranite,which is a common type of intrusive, felsic, igneous rock which is granular and phaneritic in texture. This rock consists mainly ofquartz,mica,andfeldspar.In some Gredos rocks the feldspar crystals are especially large, attaining a size of several centimeters in some cases. There is also somegranodioriteand outcrops ofmetamorphic rocks.

During a large part of thePaleozoic Era,from 600 to 350 million years ago, the whole area was covered by theTethys Oceanwhere horizontal layers or strata of sediments accumulated due to the process of erosion in the unflooded regions. These sediments were fractured and folded due to the actions of theVariscan Orogenyand extensive areas emerged from the sea. At the end of the Paleozoic moltenmagmarose up which turned into granite as it cooled. Erosion continued for a long time until between 40 and 2 million years ago, when another convulsion, known as theAlpine Orogeny,created the mountains that today comprise the Central System. The tectonic style of the Sierra de Gredos is the so-called Germanic style, i.e. with large upraised fault blocks, known ashorst,bounded bygraben.

The Sierra de Gredos is divided into three sectors: the Eastern sector up to thePuerto del Picofault, the Central sector up to thePuerto de Tornavacasfault, and the Western sector which is theSierra de Béjar.

The range's snowline was measured at 1800-1900 meters in 1916.

Eastern section

Rises in the south near the North Tietar fault. The northern limit of thehorstis structured by a system of faults that run to the north-east, such as theBurguillofault, and also in an east–west direction, like theNavaluengafault, along which theAlbercheriver runs. The highest peaks of this sector are the following:

• Alto del Mirlo1.770 m (Casillas)
• La Escusa1.960 m
• Gamonosa1.993 m (Casavieja)
• Lanchamala1.999 m (Piedralaves)
• El Torozo2.025 m
• Risco de Miravalles2.010 m (Gavilanes)
• Risco del Artuñero2.011 m
• Cabezo de Gavilanes2.190 m (Gavilanes)

The South face of the Sierra de Gredos mountain range, seen fromOropesa(Toledo).

The North face of Circo de Gredos, seen from Morezon

Lakes

• Laguna Grande de Gredos
• Las Cinco Lagunas
• Laguna del Barco
• Laguna de los Caballeros
• Laguna de la Nava
• Lagunas del Trampal
• Laguna del Duque

Fauna

The main species to be found in the Sierra de Gredos are the following:

TheSpanish ibex(Capra pyrenaica). Sierra de Gredos

• TheIberian ibex(Capra pyrenaica)
• Theroe deer(Capreolus capreolus)
• Thered-legged partridge(Alectoris rufa)
• Thegolden eagle(Aquila chrysaetos)
• TheSpanish imperial eagle(Aquila adalberti)
• TheEuropean honey buzzard(Pernis apivorus)
• Thecinereous vulture(Aegypius monachus)
• Thegriffon vulture(Gyps fulvus)
• Theblack stork(Ciconia negra)

Endemic species

• Thecommon toadof Gredos (Bufo bufo gredosicola)
• Thefire salamanderof Almanzor (Salamandra salamandra almanzoris)
• TheEuropean snow voleof Avila (Microtus nivalis abulensis)
• Thewestern Spanish ibex(Capra pyrenaica victoriae)
• The lagartija carpetana (Iberolacerta cyreni), a species of lizard
• Themarbled teal(Marmaronetta angustirostris)
• TheIberian barbel(Luciobarbus comizo)

Flora

The variety of plant life in the Sierra de Gredos is closely related to the altitude at which it is found. In ascending order, the following species of trees can be found:holm oak(or holly oak),chestnut,alder,rowan(or mountain ash),birch,aspen,willow,Pyrenean oak,replaced in some areas bypine.At higher altitudes there are mostly bushes of the genusCytisus(brooms),juniperand several species ofcamomile.

Four different layers of vegetation have been identified:.

• the base layer, or holm oak layer, 300–550 m
• the Pyrenean oak layer, 550–1800 m
• the broom layer, 1800–2300 m
• and the open field layer at the peaks, 2300–2600 m

Tourism

Tourists visit the Sierra de Gredos to hike and stargaze.

See also

• Sistema Central
• Sierra de Gredos Regional Park