Geosite · Corduente
El Huso: the stone monolith of Barranco de la Hoz
El Huso is an isolated conglomerate monolith standing about 40 metres tall, detached from the canyon walls of Barranco de la Hoz beside the road from Corduente to the Virgen de la Hoz sanctuary. Named for its resemblance to a spinning spindle, it is one of the most recognizable landmarks in the canyon.
This place across time
Which eras you can read here
A single place can preserve traces from different eras. These layers connect what you see with the stories in the atlas.
- Municipality
- Corduente
- Province
- Guadalajara
- Altitude
- 1,100 m
- Monolith
- Conglomerate
- About 40 metres
- Barranco de la Hoz
A needle of stone
Entering the canyon of Barranco de la Hoz from Corduente, before reaching the parking area of the Virgen de la Hoz sanctuary, an isolated slender rock column stands beside the road, rising roughly 40 metres. It is known as El Huso (The Spindle), named for its distinctive spindle-like shape.
Geological composition
Like the towering walls of the canyon, it is composed of conglomerate rock: rounded river pebbles cemented in sandstone matrices, deposited by ancient braided rivers of the Permian and Triassic periods that gave the gorge its characteristic reddish hue. Vertical fracturing and erosion gradually separated this solitary pillar from the main cliff face.
Viewing and activities
It is clearly visible from the paved approach road and from the canyon walking trail (Barranco de la Virgen de la Hoz mountain bike / trail route). It also hosts established rock-climbing routes. The finest light strikes it in late afternoon when the red sandstone glows.
Location
● Reference point · ● Villages · ● Places
Location diagram. Detailed map with tracks and names loads on zoom.
Reference villages: Ventosa · Corduente · Torete · Valhermoso.
Open the full map and historical layers →Nearby routes
All routes →
Geotrail 5: from Barranco de la Hoz to Cuevas Labradas
15 km · 4 h · Linear
MTB route 5: Barranco de la Virgen de la Hoz (Gallo, Tagus, and Arandilla)
37 km · 8 h · Circular