The Basque natural lung: the ins and outs of Gorbeia
Before six in the morning, Maider Unda is already on foot. The first thing in the day is to check which rams have been born during the night. Identify their mothers, feed them and keep warm. It is February and the temperature at that time can range between zero and minus eight degrees Celsius. Today the wind is blowing, it has got rid of the frost. We are in the heart of Euskadi, in Otxandio, Gorbea Natural Park , in the shadow of the emblematic peaks of Mount Gorbeia and Anboto between the cities of Vitoria-Gasteiz and Bilbao with more than 20,000 hectares of nature. We want to know the full potential of this territory for those who are approaching its paths, its landscapes, its people for the first time. And we turned to former Olympic medalist, shepherdess and cheesemaker, Maider Unda for the clues: “Here you breathe nature and I have the challenge of preserving it and sharing it ”.
The Atxeta farmhouse from the 16th century is a good place to do it. Since a year ago, Unda, third generation pastors , she has decided to open it to all visitors. After three decades of high competition in the wrestling category and a bronze medal at the 2012 London Olympics, her bet is now the sheep farming , the production of denomination of origin Idiazábal cheese and life in the middle of nature. “For me it is a way of life: if no one works in the fields, our mountains will disappear.” And here, if there is something, it is mountain.
Maider Unda
THE EXPERIENCE OF BEING A PASTOR FOR A DAY
It is 11:00 in the morning and by that time, Unda has already fed the rams, mares and sheep. If she had had to make cheese, she would also have gone through the whole process to convert 200 liters of milk in 30 new cheeses . She would even have cleaned the vat where the milk is heated, as well as the rest of the instruments with which she cuts, curdles, presses and makes her star product: cheese. She today she does not play, she will tomorrow.
Despite all her tasks, Ella Unda welcomes us with a smile: "Beyond the bucolic image of the shepherd, life here is full of responsibilities." We tour the farmhouse, see the stables and enjoy the surroundings. Silence. "I love explaining our life, teaching people how to taste cheese and making known all the values that living in the countryside entails." Since a year ago, Unda also makes it possible for the visitor to be a shepherd for a day and teaches schoolchildren, retirees, families and the curious how to care for animals and the entire process of making cheese.
Every year there are nearly a thousand people who are seduced with their guided tours. The minimum group is eight people and the cost per unit is 8 euros. It also offers the possibility of taste cider, blueberry jam and even local craft beer. "No two groups are the same, how different we are," she acknowledges with amusement.
Easter is their high season and is already preparing a new space in his farmhouse to accommodate large groups. “There are those who discover that the milk does not come from the tetrabrik, those who realize that if they do not stop, the sheep will not give milk; and those who are interested in all the details about how we improve the species… ”.
Today we are more interested in her life, that of a 21st century shepherdess, who feels so fascinated by the Gorbeia environment that she has decided to live in it, with it and from it. “For this season I have prepared a screening, a new website and a strong message against excessive mobile use : turn it off, make friends and walk through the bush”.
Inspiration 'à la Gorbeia'
ZIPLINES, BIKES AND TXULETAS
At 12.00 we continue with Unda, it is her turn to take the rams and ewes out of the barn and go back over the udders of all the ones that have just given birth. By 1:00 p.m., the Olympic shepherdess will decide to rest for a while: she will have been on her feet since six in the morning and will have attended to her 70 rams with care and care. We, by that time, will be heading to the top of Gobeia . “From here it is easy to complete the excursion: I encourage families to enjoy the adventure park Hontza Extreme with its zip lines and circuits; I challenge the mountaineers to ascend Gorbea from the Saldropo wetland; and to lovers of gastronomy I speak of the Aramaiona cider house and Basaguren restaurant , my favourites". Pointed.
On the way to the wetland we put Unda's advice into practice: we turn off the mobile, put on our boots and say hello to Joseba Koldo Gartzia , willing to make new friends. Since three years ago, Gartzia has launched Hontza Extreme : seven different adventure circuits around two hectares of oak and beech forests where the little ones and their parents can “experience the landscape in a different way”. per year more than 7,000 young people enjoy nature with him and many mothers and fathers rescue his spirit of improvement . “Here we have routes for children from the age of 7 and for their parents as well. We love seeing people enjoy themselves and do it in the middle of nature”, remarks Gartzia, also delighted by his personal commitment to living in the middle of nature.
Here you do not need to be connected
It is still pending to test its zip lines, especially the one that exceeds four meters in height, and before saying goodbye we ask for more advice to enjoy the surroundings: “The ride that families like the most is the 15 minutes it takes to go through the Olazar forest from Otxandio to the end of the valley. Also the viewpoints of Urkiola and of course, the impressive Gujuli waterfall ”. And he points out that we cannot leave without trying the ** Baias beer ** made with the waters of the Gorbea massif. We write everything down. And, now yes, we set course for the top.
Made with Gorbea water
THE TOP OF GORBEA
With their 1,481 meters , Mount Gorbeia is the roof of the largest extension of forests in the Basque Country, where pollarded beech trees alternate with isolated yew trees, oak trees, karstic caves, waterfalls, rivers and a wild fauna that in 1994 well deserved the declaration of natural park.
Of the five possible routes to ascend it , we bet on the one recommended by Unda, the one that starts from the Saldropo wetland. With its 858 meter drop, it is the most demanding route and the one that requires the most precautions in case of rain. To start the route, some red and white beacons will guide us along a forest track at the top of Barazar. With small vertical shortcuts between oaks and birches we will gain height. Overcome the Atxuri pass, it will be the increasingly panoramic views that announce the top . that and his cross over 18 meters high to which hundreds of mountaineers come on December 31 to start the new year under his protection. Now we understand why Unda recommends it to us and why he won so many medals training between these slopes. We descend quickly, also willing to comply with Gartzia's advice and taste the local beer with cheese.
Hiking, here, is religion
CRAFT BEER WITH WATER FROM THE GORBEIA MASSIF
In the shadow of the summit, in the area of Alava, we now find Idoia Marañón who, together with her partner, has been producing craft beer with water from the Gorbea massif since 2007. Hence its name, Baias beer, like the river that runs through the Park. They have more than 12 types of aromas and produce 45,000 liters a year . "Our differential value is, without a doubt, the raw material, the environment and the love with which we produce it", they say from the family farmhouse of Urkabustaiz where they set up the factory.
Every Saturday a different group of friends, tourists or relatives visit the factory between Murgia and Sarria. “It is a good activity for when the weather is bad and for all craft beer lovers ”. For two hours, it shows the secrets of its production, how they select the ingredients and how they put all their care into turning everyone who tastes their beer into loyal customers. "More than 90% is water that comes from the Gorbeia massif itself, then cereal malt, hops and yeast." In the tasting, of course, another flavor of this land reappears, cheese. And especially, the Atxeta cheese, the same one that Unda would have elaborated with care.
With the aftertaste of cheese and beer, they propose us to close the day in Areso House (Murgia). “Ask for the warm salad, croquettes and grilled fish of the day”. We trust in Marañón and now we do realize the potential of the green lung of Euskadi: after turning off the mobile, walking through the woods and having made new friends. Gorbeia hooks.
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