Canchal de la Ceja
2,427 m
Spain
- Elevation
- 2,427 m
- Prominence
- 1,153 m
- Difficulty
- 2/10
- Hike
- Best Season
- Jun–Sep
- Routes
- 1
Routes
1The shortest ascent of Salamanca's high point: from the road-end car park at the Plataforma del Travieso (about 1,860 m) above Candelario, a cairned path climbs through broom and zigzags past the La Goterita spring to the broad Cuerda del Calvitero, then follows the stony ridge south-west to the summit. About 570 m of ascent and 2 hours up.
Elevation Profile
- Distance
- 4.8 km
- one way
- Ascent
- +631 m
- −60 m lost on the way up
- High Point
- 2,427 m
- Time Up
- 2h 49m
- DIN 33466
- Time Down
- 2h 04m
- DIN 33466 · same way back
From Candelario, the DSA-191 climbs about 7 km to the Primera Plataforma (hostel-restaurant) and continues about 3 km to its end at the Plataforma del Travieso, a large car park at about 1,860 m next to the Hotel de Montaña El Travieso. The last 3.3 km are closed every winter. The path climbs gradually through broom past the Fuente del Travieso (about 2,000 m) onto high grassland, then a couple of zigzags (the Zetas) take it up the steepest part to the Fuente de La Goterita (about 2,320 m), where snowfields last into spring. Bear right to the large cairn of El Pepeíllo and onto the Cuerda del Calvitero, a broad, stony and treeless plateau. Follow it south-west past the Calvitero (2,396 m, with a statue of the Virgen del Castañar) to the Portilla de la Ceja junction and the final short slope to the summit, which drops abruptly to the north above the Lagunas del Trampal. There is no official waymarking, but the path is clear and cairned; many side paths and cairns branch off and usually rejoin. Allow about 2 hours of walking. Return the same way (out and back about 11 km), or make a loop: west to the Torreón (Calvitero, 2,401 m, high point of Extremadura) and down via the Paso del Diablo (a chain helps on the descent) and the Hoya Moros glacial cirque. The other common start is the La Covatilla ski station (about 1,960 m), climbing beside the ski runs to the ridge and along it over Collado Bonal: about 18 km and 500–700 m of ascent return, 5–6 hours. In fog the plateau is featureless.
Start
Plataforma del Travieso1,854 m
- Buses run from Salamanca to Béjar; there is no public transport from Candelario to the Plataforma del Travieso.
- Parking at the trailhead
Stages
| Day | Stage | km | m ascent | m descent | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Plataforma del Travieso → Canchal de la Ceja | 4.8 | 631 | 60 | 2h 49m |
Waypoints
- Parking: Plataforma del Travieso1,854 m
Road-end car park of the DSA-191 above Candelario; coordinates are those of the adjacent mountain hotel
- Waypoint: Fuente del Travieso2,021 m
Spring
- Waypoint: Fuente La Goterita2,320 m
Spring above the Zetas zigzags
- Feature: El Pepeíllo2,332 m
Large cairn at the edge of the Cuerda del Calvitero
- Shoulder: Calvitero2,395 m
The Salamanca Calvitero with the Virgen del Castañar statue, not the Torreón/Calvitero (2,401 m) further south-west
- Summit: Canchal de la Ceja2,427 m
Key Passages
- The Zetas zigzags below La Goterita
- Cuerda del Calvitero, a broad stony plateau
- Summit edge above the north face and the Lagunas del Trampal
Equipment
0/5 packedDownloads
Route confidence 65%Overview
The highest point of the Sierra de Béjar and Candelario and of Salamanca province (2,427 m), a granite plateau summit on the Salamanca–Ávila border that drops sharply north to the Lagunas del Trampal. An easy 2-hour walk from the road end at the Plataforma del Travieso in summer.
Canchal de la Ceja stands at the western end of the Sistema Central, on the main ridge of the Sierra de Candelario (part of the wider Sierra de Béjar), where the provinces of Salamanca and Ávila meet. It rises only slightly above the broad, stony plateau of the Cuerda del Calvitero, but its north side breaks off in a 150 m escarpment above the Garganta del Trampal and its chain of small glacial lakes. The name comes from the eyebrow-shaped snowfield that forms below the summit on that face. During the Pleistocene a small ice cap covered the summit, and the cirques of Hoya Moros and El Trampal are its legacy.
In summer and autumn the mountain is an easy, popular walk: a road climbs from the stone village of Candelario to about 1,860 m, and a cairned path reaches the ridge in about an hour. The views take in the Sierra de Gredos to the east, the Torreón (the high point of Extremadura) 1.5 km to the south-west, and the Dos Hermanitos needles above Hoya Moros.
In winter the character changes completely. The upper road is closed, the plateau is often wind-scoured and icy, and fog makes navigation difficult. The north face then offers short snow and mixed climbs.
Climbing Notes
In summer the normal route needs only moderate fitness: about 570 m of ascent and 3½–4 hours return from the Plataforma del Travieso. There is no official waymarking; the path is clear and well cairned, but many side paths branch off and the plateau is featureless in fog, so carry a GPS track.
From November to spring, expect snow and ice: crampons and an ice axe are needed, and walkers have been caught out by sudden fog on the ridge. The last 3.3 km of the road to El Travieso are closed every winter, adding about 3 km each way on foot from the Primera Plataforma, or start from the La Covatilla ski station instead. Combining the summit with the Torreón via the Paso del Diablo or Hoya Moros makes a good full day for experienced walkers.
Season
Best Jun–Sep- January: Possible
- February: Possible
- March: Possible
- April: Possible
- May: Good
- June: Best (best window)
- July: Best (best window)
- August: Best (best window)
- September: Best (best window)
- October: Good
- November: Possible
- December: Possible
- Jan
- Winter mountaineering only; upper road closed; crampons and ice axe
- Feb
- Winter mountaineering only; upper road closed; crampons and ice axe
- Mar
- Snow; upper road usually still closed
- Apr
- Spring snow on the upper slopes
- May
- Snowfields linger around La Goterita
- Jul
- Busy at weekends; start early on hot days
- Aug
- Busy at weekends; start early on hot days
- Oct
- Shorter days; first snow possible
- Nov
- Upper road to El Travieso closes for winter (13 November in 2024)
- Dec
- Winter mountaineering only; upper road closed
Access & Permits
- Rules
- The last 3.3 km of the DSA-191 from the Primera Plataforma to the Plataforma del Travieso are closed every winter, often from mid-November until spring, even without snow
- The summit area lies within protected areas (the Ávila side is in the Parque Regional de la Sierra de Gredos); stay on paths
- Getting There
Candelario and Béjar (Salamanca)
Madrid-Barajas (MAD); Salamanca (SLM) has few flights
- Car: from Candelario, the DSA-191 climbs about 7 km to the Primera Plataforma and about 3 km more to the road end at the Plataforma del Travieso
- Car (winter alternative): the road from La Hoya to the La Covatilla ski station
- Buses run from Salamanca to Béjar; no public transport to the trailheads was found
Hazards
- Weather
- Avalanche