Walking the Camino

Today we reached the highest point of our Camino, altitudinally speaking. We set off just after sunrise (er, that’s almost 8.30am these days) with a clear blue sky, and spent 30 minutes or so walking higher to La Cruz de Ferro – the Iron Cross – where pilgrims leave a stone from their home or some other token on the huge pile of stones. I had brought 3 little stones and we added them to the pile, then continued walking higher for a couple of hours until we reached our highest point of just over 1570 metres.

And from then on it was all downhill, but not in a good way.

Walking downhill is always more difficult than walking uphill. Loose stones can pull your feet from under you, and no matter how you approach it, long periods of walking downhill are really hard on the knees and toes. We both use our walking poles on downhill paths, and I’m sure they have saved us from a few slips and slides.

We walked through several pretty little villages, and saw a few more on the mountains on either side of us. Mostly stone buildings with black-painted slate roofs.

We had intended stopping at Ponferrada this afternoon, but by the time we reached Molinaseca, 8kms before Ponferrada, our knees were so shaky that we decided to call it a day earlier than we intended. We have done just over 20kms, and descended 950 metres today. We have one more high climb and steepish descent to do in a couple of days, then after that the terrain doesn’t seem to vary much more than a couple of hundred metres at a time, all the way to Santiago.

Judy at La Crus de Ferro leaving stones brought from Australia

Where we are now - about 8km east of Ponferrada

Judy walking towards the summit

The view from the mountains - Ponferrada in the distance

the Camino path dropping into Acebo, a mountain village

Even though we stayed in a nice auberge with just 8 other pilgrims in our dormitory, the bunk beds squeaked every time someone moved or turned over during the night, so not a lot of sleep for either of us last night.

I’m completely recovered from whatever it was that slowed me down yesterday (thanks for your ‘get well’ messages) so we left the auberge at the pre-dawn time of 8am, knowing we would be walking higher and higher for most of the day.

We passed through a couple of small villages, El Ganso and Rabanal del Camino, which seem to owe their continued existence to the Camino – quite a few abandoned buildings with several auberges, a church or two, some houses and not much more. Pretty villages with stone buildings, and spectacular views of surrounding mountains, and down into the valleys below. Just out of Rabanal we met our friend Linda and we walked for the rest of the way with her today.

We walked 17kms today, climbing from 1100 to 1450 metres by the end of the day’s walk. There are snow markers on the road, so I guess they have white winters here. Tomorrow we’ll be at the highest point of our Camino, at around 1530 metres. We’re staying at an auberge which has pilgrim accommodation plus private rooms, so after our woeful night’s sleep last night, we’re in a private room tonight.

Advertising for the local Albergue outside Rabanal del Camino

the main street of Rabanal del Camino

Judy and Linda walking up towards the 1400 metre level at Foncebadon

A short day of only 10km. Judy was not well with a stomach bug, so we cut it short at Lunch time, at a nice albergue at Santa Catalina. We have climbed someway into the mountains, but we still have plenty to go. Its pretty rural here, with not even cultivated land, its mostly forest. Weather is cool and overcast, which is nice for walking, as long as it does not rain.

Tomorrow more climbing upwards.

Dry stone wall at Murias de Rechivaldo

a building made out of dry-stone, or at least very little mortar at Santa Catalina