Ordesa Park actually comprises three separate valleys emanating out
of Monte Perdido, "the lost mountain." The park's namesake,
the Ordesa Valley, is renowned -- and deserves to be. Carved out by glaciers,
the valley is outlined by limestone folds brilliantly marked with bands
of gray, red and yellow ochre. Unlike most valleys in the Pyrenees, the
Ordesa runs east/west. Since it is open to the west, the valley gets lots
of cool, moist air from the Atlantic, making the plantlife lush and the
climate moderate. The valley ends in the dramatic Circa Soasa, a glacial
cirque. |