Sierra de Cucalón

Sierra de Cucalón
Sierra de Cucalón
	Aspect of the Sierra de Oriche between Salcedillo and Allueva
Highest point
Peak	Pelarda
Elevation	1,517 m (4,977 ft)
Listing	List of mountains in Aragon
Coordinates	40°59′45″N 01°05′05″W / 40.99583°N 1.08472°W
Geography
	Sierra de Cucalón Location in Spain
Location	Cuencas Mineras & Jiloca Comarca; (Aragon)
Parent range	Iberian System
Geology
Orogeny	Alpine orogeny
Rock age	Mesozoic
Rock type	Cretaceous limestone
Climbing
First ascent	Unknown
Easiest route	Drive from Allueva, Fonfría or Bea

Sierra de Cucalón is a 25-kilometre (16 mi) long system of mountain ranges in Aragon, Spain, located between the comarcas of Jiloca and Cuencas Mineras.

Geography

These mountains are part of the Iberian System and are often covered with snow in the winter. Rivers Huerva and Martín have their source in these ranges.

The Ermita de la Virgen de Pelarda is located in the Pelarda range, close to Olalla.^[1]

Subranges

Two main ranges run parallel to each other, the northern one is Sierra de Oriche, also known as "Las Rochas", and the southern one, smoother and covered with forest, as Sierra de Pelarda or Sierra de la Pelarda (also known as "Sierra de Fonfría" after the town of Fonfría in its central section) extending eastwards as Sierra Pedregosa. This whole system of mountain ranges is named after the town of Cucalón, located at the western end.^[2]

The ridge's highest summits are Pelarda (1,517 m), in Sierra de Pelarda, and La Modorra (1,478 m), located at the NW end of the Sierra de Oriche. Other important summits are El Marujal (1,486 m), Cerro del Ortigal (1,429 m), Alto del Puerto de Fonfría (1,501 m), La Rocha (1,340 m) and La Retuerta (1,492 m). All main peaks are inconspicuous except for La Modorra.

Ecology

The Sierra de Pelarda mountains are covered with forest made up pine, Carrasca (Quercus ilex), cork oak, and juniper trees.^[3] There are many endangered species living in these relatively uninhabited mountains, far from human intervention.