"...ancient lodging in which rested the farm workers and travelers.".
The history of this region has traces of Celtic and Moorish settlements. Some of the signs left by them are the castles of Castro Laboreiro and Lindoso, several megalithic monuments, and testimonies of the Roman occupation to "Geira" old path that led the legionnaires from Braga to Astorga, which survives the passage. There are quaint villages with rural arquitecture, ancient lodging in which rested the farm workers and travelers. Today, the people who live in the mountains are almost exclusively living from agriculture and livestock, since most sought and seek new horizons in other countries, being this a place with the highest number of Portuguese immigrants.
http://www.geira.pt/pnpg/index.html
"...simple valleys carved by rivers, surprising us at the most unexpected places with wonderful pools of clean and cold water...".
These places are full of charm, everyone who has the fortune
to visit them and gradually get to know them, he realizes that there are some
simple valleys carved by rivers, surprising us at the most unexpected places
with
wonderful pools of clean and cold water, good for hot summer baths after a long
walk; paths through rugged hills and rocky
mountains full of native vegetation, where oak lead to amazing meadows, where
mountain
cattle, cows, horses, goats, enjoy the tranquility of fresh
pastures; and how we would forget its people, many of which have left in past
years the life in their villages and mountains; today there are many testimonies
of the hard life that led these people, one of those being the great stone walls that
guided the Wolves to meet deep ditches, where they were uprooted from their
lives by sharp spears firmly upright at the bottom of the ditch and on top, the
man's hand snapping the cruel act. This violent decision was necessary for
survival. For all this, and many other reasons, they change their day-to-day for
a life more comfortable that emigration gave them. All this and much more
difficult to describe with words, but easy to understand, that without thinking
you realize in an uncover place where dreams come true.
Today, the villages with better access are well populated, and enjoy the
benefits since 1971 when it was declared a National Park under the name Peneda-Geres,
the first in Portugal to receive this classification. Occupying an area of
72,000 hectares, extending from the municipalities of Melgaço, Arcos de Ponte da
Barca, Braga and Montalegre. Across the border in Spanish lands continues with
the National Park of Lower Limia-Xures, with an area of 20,920 hectares.
Located in the massive Hesperico, mainly granite, the highest point is in the
Serra do Geres 1500m, crossed by many rivers, among which we highlight the Cávado
River, Lima and Homem.
The oak is the dominant tree, among pines,
arbutus, and several shrubs in upland areas. There are species unique to the
park, as the lily, the Geres fetus and St.
John's Wort. Among the animal species abundant in the wild we find the boar, deer, and badgers,
to a lesser extent the eagle, wolf and hawk. And as typical animals found the
black Vivora, the water snake, lizard and salamander.
"...fought with their dreams by opening the borders of countries where the heights were desired by any of the world's mountaineer...".
The first activities registered date back to
1940 when for the first time, the Portuguese climbers began to climb the wall of Meadinha. These days, the constant evolution and over time the climb has been
transformed.
In the late fifties and early sixties, were detected activities and mountain
climbing, but lacking the necessary information to talk about this season.
We arrived at the beginning of the seventies when the climbers start at a
constant activity, crossed by several generations until the present day.
During these decades there has been periods of intense activity, the first
occurs between the years 1972 and 1974, declining by the year 1978. Then comes a
new phase from 1981 until 1988, when climbers take the time to climb up to the
age of gold, especially the mountain climbers from the south of Galicia, to
exceed boundaries and prepare to other places that the world could offer.
Young José Antonio Martínez and Miguel López Domínguez,
fought with their dreams by opening the borders of countries where the heights
were desired by any of the world's mountaineer, the positive flame of
these people could light the fire of many
other climbers loaded with dreams, seeking to themselves in the company of new
people, reach walls and heights in order to find the personal path to
follow.
This was possible thanks to the simplicity, respect and willingness to find the
safety of themselves, getting a lot of climbers to unite in
tolerance of others contributing to the
successes of the moment.
This step opens up new areas of climbing today prohibited by the park: Anamão,
Nédia and Bico do Patelo.
In the nineties, the area suffers another fallenback with some activity in alternate years 1990, 1994 and 1998.
In 2000 begins the work to re-equip old
routes and open new routes that lasts
until the year of 2004. This time period was intended to make the most of the
process, sharing the knowledge and enable it to be accessible, since the lack of
information; fame of a hard climb, exposed, and with a particularly high
psychological factor, provides the diversion of existing climbers in the area,
which shows the growth in other forms to practice verticality: bouldering and
sport climbing, various climbing wall techniques that are practiced here, where
self-protection and security are one of the most important factors every climber
should cultivate.
In subsequent years, with occasional moments of activity until mid-2006 to
2008, the same activity as previously returns, on the basis of effort and enjoying
hard work to get things done, collecting all information accumulated through the
years, and now you can see this page, a result of reliable information with
which you can reach and enjoy what belongs to everyone.
On the Acknowledgments, you may find
who contributed to make this possible.
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Some documents that accompanied the history of climbing in Peneda.