PR-S76 Praderas de Ruyemas crosses the Pas river headwaters, Pandillo, hillsides of Valnera, Agusal and Rucabao, passing by the centre of La Vara and Pandillo, to the cottage neighbourhood of Ruyemas.
On the right side of the river that we follow to ascend, we can see many young oaks that are slowly taking back farming grounds to retrieve their forests.
The cottages of Ruyemas are easily reached in less than an hour of walking.
Before, we leave on our left a turn signed as “Miradores de Valnera”, which would take us to the cottage neighbourhood of Colina.
The small pastures delimited by stonewalls usually have a traditional Pas cottage on them. They are simple buildings, particularly hermetic to avoid extreme snows and cold weather in winter.
Although their use is no longer the traditional one, they kept their usage until the 80s, when farming activity in these mountains started to decrease.
The return is made on the the left side of the river, going up and west. We go along an old trail that goes into a magnificent beech forest after crossing the river. This forest has a mature population of Vaccinium myrtillus.
Soon, now in the dreamy setting of the cottage neighbourhood of Candanío, we get a wide panoramic view of the mass of Valnera as an ensemble, where the limestone peak that gives it its name stands out at 1718 metres, which is also the highest altitude in Cantabria’s eastern mountains.
We are always accompanied by the forests on this second stage of the route.
With some patience, we could discover some roe deers, a very abundant species in this area. Less usual but still present are some endangered species such as the stag beetle, Quimper’s snail, green lizard, and many other forest and riverside species of amphibians and birds.