The settling was scattered, as they lived in wooden and later, stone huts (called "cabañas", cabins) which they occupied during the Spring and Summer, when the pastures were richer.

For the Winter they collected enough hay to feed the cows and then moved down to the village longhouses (casas vividoras, living houses) in the valleys.

The recorded data and legal documents of those early centuries show that they moved under monastic/royal patronage over an extensive territory in the transalpine region of Cantabria - with the Royal privilege of being freed from the payment of duties for Pasturing or Passage (local or feudal levies).

A sense of aversion and hostility in the face of their privileges and free roaming style must have been held later by their more settled neighbors, who saw them as a distinctive element of different origin.

The valley occupies partially or totally the municipalities of Soba, San Roque de Riomiera, Miera, Liérganes, Riotuerto, Medio Cudeyo and Ruesga (Calseca enclave).

In its morphology are remarkable the sandstones and limestones, and the vast deposits of debris originated by ancient moraines from glaciers in its highest part.

In spite of that, caves with prehistoric settlements have been discovered in Piélagos, Rascaño and Salitre, one of the highest altitude (450 m over sea level) stations with paleolithic art.

In both limestone blocks, important karstification phenomenons take place; there have been relevant explorations in these complexes and solved labyrinths in the caves of Alto del Tejuelo.