Path just before Maneru

[MARSKA]

Hi All - I am curious about something I found today in Brierley's maps - the little light green "dots" off-camino just before Maneru (see the black arrow in the lower part of the pic). Does anyone here know what it it is and where it begins and ends? Does it go past the monastary?
Please ignore the arrow in the upper half of the pic. Thanks!

 

[OTH86]

In my 2012 and 2022 editions of Brierley's, on pg 76, see at the bottom of the 0.0km Puenta la Reina section (bottom quarter of the page) it mentions the 13th (XIII) C site of the Monasterio de Bogota... Also in the map there is the small "pyramid" of purple dots and mentions ruinas. I don't know what it is - guess I'll try to find more info -- Thanks for bringing it up - I'd missed it!

 

[OTH86]

In fact, it's Monasterio de Bargota - found in Village to Village Guide 2023. Also, try this link - https://www.wikiloc.com/hiking-trai...erio-de-bargota-maneru-santa-barbara-88450000 and possibly this https://www.juventudnavarra.es/es/monasterio-de-bargota-i Interesting photos of the ruins!!
And YES it DOES go past the Monasterio!

 

[Judith from NorCal]

The green dot/lines indicate a “natural path” or senda, as indicated in the map legend section in Brierley’s introduction. Thanks for pointing it out, as I’ll be walking there next month. I missed it last time!

 

[Peregrinopaul]

Hi All - I am curious about something I found today in Brierley's maps - the little light green "dots" off-camino just before Maneru (see the black arrow in the lower part of the pic). Does anyone here know what it it is and where it begins and ends? Does it go past the monastary?
Please ignore the arrow in the upper half of the pic. Thanks!
View attachment 166778

The path shows up clearly on Google maps.

 

[davejsy]

Yes I took this path I've just realised, and actually turned off earlier (there must have been a yellow arrow). Beautiful walk up through some woods (with frogs) off the main trail and totally ignored by most others.

 

[Shells]

I took this path through serendipity. Other peregrinos were sitting on the way marker, so I missed the upper part, which must have indicated the main route, and saw only the bottom part, with the arrow pointing to the detour. That day was very hot, +95F, with high humidity and the senda leads through tight, dense forest and was muddy underfoot, and very lonely. It does go by the ruins. It felt like a true adventure.

 

[MARSKA]

How cool! I'll be looking for the turn-off. Any idea how much distance this path adds to the stage? It doesnt look like much, but looks can be deceiving.

 

[Shells]

I don't think it adds much real distance, but it is much more rustic and difficult underfoot--it was a true trail; at times, it was a real scramble and I sank deep into the mud in a couple of places. The ruins of the Monasterio Bogota looked pretty much like a pile of rubble to me, but I didn't go closer to really check it out. Honestly, in retrospect, with the heat, humidity, the closeness of the forest along that detour, and the climbs still ahead to Ciraqui and Lorca, I now regard this as the most difficult day of my entire Camino. For what it's worth, my Fitbit registered more than 40,000 steps, which would be about 17 miles for me, and the regular route is supposed to be only about 14 m. However, I suspect that the extra steps were due more to me taking smaller steps (or slipping/sliding backwards in the mud on that detour!), than a significant increase in actual distance.

 

[davejsy]

I had no such problems with mud, the path was perfectly fine. For me it was a very easy and welcome detour off the beaten trail, a single file track for the first part (if taking first exit on to it as in my photo) and then it joins the much wider vehicle track after probably 10 - 15 mins. If anything it is shorter than the main route, and if your weather is fine then I would recommend it and you shouldn't have a problem.

If the weather has been, or is very wet as it was for @Shells then maybe avoid.