Trail Vieiru As Ellas

The Trail Vieiru As Ellas is run in Eljas, one of the three towns of the Val de Xálima where fala is spoken, the local language of this corner of the Sierra de Gata, close to the Portuguese border. The race’s own name is in that language: vieiru is the path, and As Ellas is the local form of the place-name. The long course climbs up to the mountain ranges that enclose the valley, accumulating 1,800 metres of elevation gain over 28 kilometres, along slate tracks, terraced olive groves and old smuggling routes. It scores for the Copa de Extremadura of the Federación Extremeña de Montaña y Escalada, and is one of the toughest events in the circuit. Since its earliest editions, the organisation has maintained an explicit link with the valley’s linguistic identity, and the shorter races that accompany the main event also carry names in fala.