Fuente Dé to Boca de Huérgano 35 km

It was time to leave luxury, and head out into the wilds again. So I was first to breakfast at 8:00. By the second day you know where everything is at the breakfast buffet, so I was able to scoot around get everything I wanted, including cooked eggs and bacon, and finish by 8:30. I was just polishing off a “Traditional Rice Pudding” (was pretty nice!) when my “Picnic” lunch appeared bang on schedule. So I paid the bill, it was big but had definitely been worth it, and headed back onto the Camino Vadiniense.

It was nice walking back up to the (closed) campsite and up the tracks, that I had been so glad were descending two days before. The seemed easy. Then I heard the tell-tale jangling of bells. I thought it must be goats as there was no cattle fields in the forest. So I ready my self for an arguement with a goat guard dog and carried on. Imagine my surprise when a herd (or is it a troop?) of horses appeared on the track ahead. I walked near the edge (there was a drop, and instantly thought it a bad idea) and they seemed quite happy coming towards me on the other edge. At that moment I saw an old lady herding them, and then the horses headed up the bank into the forest. Oh dear. The lady seemed non-plussed and we exchanged greetings. By then I’d wrapped my self around a tree to get out of the way. One, clearly obstinate horse at the back, headed down the really steep slope, that git the lady shouting. Eventually order was resumed, and the whole convoy was brought up with an even older man driving a pickup truck.

That was the most exciting thing to happen all day. The first 10km was spent climbing higher and higher up to a col, where I would drop down in the Leon side of the Picos. The views were spectacular and just kept getting better on a gradually rising track.

As this was the North side of the mountain, there was still a lot of snow about. The snow got closer and closer to the track. It really made me realise how lucky I’d been with my timing. If I’d left a few weeks(maybe days?) earlier, or it had been a harder winter I’d never have crossed on this path. This was most evident on one narrow bit, with a thin ribbon of mud showing. It wouldn’t have been many days before when it would have been snow and the downslope was all snow. It would have been a nervous crossing in hiking boots! I took the rubber feet off my poles for extra grip, and maybe a self arrest should I slip!

The rubber feet have been a godsend ever since a Peruvian lady fitted them at the foot of the Inca Trail, saying spikes were illegal (that will be $10 thanks). Walking on the road or paths is really pleasant, without all the scraping and clattering, which drives me mad.

As I was approaching the top, I thought I saw a person looking over a summit fence. I assumed some there may be sort of monument marking where the Camino crosses the Picos de Europa. Imaging my disappointment to find it was a new carpark and the person was a lady taking in the morning sun in a deck chair next to her 4×4.

We exchanged hellos and I hurried on. It was a bit of a disappointment, but did mean there was likely to be a good road all the way down. I met a couple walking up, and found their cars parked at the water point. It didn’t say don’t drink it, I think it was more of a warning so I drank my fill, and filled my bottle. I would have googled it but there was no signal, I have learnt that “Agua De Red” means Mains Water, and Agua Potable is obvious.

It was track then roads pretty much the whole way down, until the last 5km where the route went back into Meadows. It was a quiet road, with maybe more motorbikes and cyclists as it was a Sunday, but in  reality it was infrequent traffic. It was nice views, as the road twisted through narrow gorges, tiny villages and followed a river all the way down. I took it as a bit of a challenge to keep my speed up. I was aiming for 1km every 10 mins, but it was hard to keep going, as I would become distracted or trip over a pole or something.

For anyone thinking of following this route. As you get down to the first carpark, there is a lot of new (?) signs for the Ruta Vadiniense,  with a cool logo based on the Santiago shell. I started following these signs but as my route said to go by the road, I chickened out for fear of ending up the wrong side of the river or a gully. I can report it comes out onto the road a few kms down, and maybe more direct than the road as it avoids a big loop. At the end the river is no lower than 20 metres from the road, so no big climb.

It’s been really hot since I left the North Coast, but I’ve been thinking that I must have banged the top of my head (a common occurrence if you are tall). However, I’m pretty sure that somehow the sun has blasted through my dense matted hair. It is strange, as it appears they use exactly the same construction for buildings in the mountains. I need to get a hat, I spotted a lost one, but it didn’t seem appropriate. I’ve made a temporary “ecky thump” handkerchief one as an intermediate stop.

What had been driving me on was the thought of the Paradores Hotel packed lunch. I found a nice bit of grass to sit on and dry my tarp, which I’d been too scared to get out in the hotel room as it would have made a real mess. The picnic was superb, I’d never had made the day on the limited supplies I had. It really did make it possible. A cheese bagel, a ham roll, cured ham, cakes, crisps, an orange, olive oil and water – wow! All in a special bag.

I noticed some strange geological features. The road passed through cuttings where it looked like boulders (or cobbles) were held in some form of igneous rock. Its been a long time since I was at school, but I’m not sure how this could happen (unless it’s sedimentary rock surrounding, but it didn’t look like it). Any ideas? – I have better photos.

So I carried on the speed walking, passing through the really nice village where I’d originally thought I’d stay and down to the terminal bus stop on the road (where the buses turned back towards Leon). It had a nice shady bus shelter and a water fountain across the road. From this point it was a really nice walk through fields and villages on the opposite bank of the river to the road. This took me to my hotel, incredibly value at €43 (considering the dormitories in the albergue cost €19). The restaurant opens at 8:00 can I finish todays blog!

The answer is no, I didn’t. So I can report on the strangest menu (or translation?) I’ve seen. I could of had; Ox ear and snout stew, Stewed quizzards, or Young cow tail! I chose… non of those, playing safe with salad and beans!