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I've read here/somewhere a few people mentioning an alternative start to the Invierno by splitting off from the CF before Ponferrada.
I'm intrigued. I can see a possible route via Campo, San Lorenzo del Bierzo and Priaranza del Bierzo but it'll be roadwalking all the way and no obvious shopping opportunities. Estanco Bar INES in Priaranza would be a good chance for a meal and perhaps a little something para llevarDear all,
I've read here/somewhere a few people mentioning an alternative start to the Invierno by splitting off from the CF before Ponferrada. My tentative plan is to stay the night in Riego de Ambrós - connect to the Invierno - stay in Villavieja. Looking purely at Google maps this variant looks nice, certainly nicer than walking through the city.
Am I imagining it that people are doing this? I could swear that I've read about it here on the forum but I cannot find the corresponding threads anymore. Any insight would be much appreciated! Oh, we have a GPS so navigation away from the yellow arrows for a stage shouldn't be a problem. Thank you!
I think I’m looking at the same googlemaps route now. It looks like it would also go through Villalibre de la Jurisdicción. Both Villalibre and Priaranza are on the Invierno, so you would join up with the official route before Villavieja. I believe that between Villalibre and Priaranza it is on the side of the road, but from Priaranza it heads off the road and goes up to Villavieja.I can see a possible route via Campo, San Lorenzo del Bierzo and Priaranza del Bierzo but it'll be roadwalking all the way
Laurie, I remember you posting about your walk to Penalba with Rebekah and I was intrigued by the photos. I had remember seeing a village far off in the distance to my left, nestled in the mountains on my first camino as we neared El Acebo. I've nearly forgotten about it as it is rarely mentioned on the forum. There are a couple of tours going to Penalba from Ponferrada, and also can get there by taxi or bus to see it.But if I were going to walk that close to Peñalba de Santiago, I would spring for the extra day to see it.
Oh yes. I remember that hill. Climbs up into the quarry wherefrom much of the stone for the castle was presumably cut. A spectacular view of the castle looming overhead.from Priaranza it heads off the road and goes up to Villavieja.
Hi Chrissy,Not sure though if I would walk it if not well marked, but instead choose to see it as an extra tourist day as I am not a trailblazer if some sections are overgrown.
Yes definitely no drones involved!! It was one of my favourite days walking, and the views from the top above the clouds were simplyI assume you were hiking, but it looks like a drone or helicopter shot...awesome! I'm glad you shared your bird's eye view!
Did you walk the Valle de Silencio? If so, what did you think of the trail, difficulty and signage?Yes definitely no drones involved!! It was one of my favourite days walking, and the views from the top above the clouds were simply
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No I kept to the pilgrim superhighway, but would love to try that route if I pass that way again.Did you walk the Valle de Silencio? If so, what did you think of the trail, difficulty and signage?
Thank you @sun is shining - My phone, a Sony Xperia, no idea what model but it's about 18 months old. It can take some amazing photos, but it will miss a lot of things a camera would capture - but a decent camera on the Camino has it's own drawbacks.Thanks everyone for your comments - and especially the fantastic pictures! @davejsy - did you bring a camera or did you manage these fantastic shots with your phone?
That's really impressive! My partner likes photography and we'll probably bring a camera (I know but what the heart wants and the back can carry) because we are connecting from Spain straight over to Africa.Thank you @sun is shining - My phone, a Sony Xperia, no idea what model but it's about 18 months old. It can take some amazing photos, but it will miss a lot of things a camera would capture - but a decent camera on the Camino has it's own drawbacks.
For sure, I'm a very keen photographer and my camera normally goes everywhere, and I did seriously consider trying to squeeze it in - I think a large part of that was due to FOMO.That's really impressive! My partner likes photography and we'll probably bring a camera (I know but what the heart wants and the back can carry) because we are connecting from Spain straight over to Africa.
I'm thinking either you zoomed in with your camera for that closer image of the village or if I got that close on the trail at some point, I missed seeing it due to possible fog which rolled in and out. Walking that day was a glorious stand out memory for me on the Frances; a day of incredible beauty with the mountains, colorful landscape and we had the trail to ourselves.No I kept to the pilgrim superhighway, but would love to try that route if I pass that way again.
It would have been zoomed in.I'm thinking either you zoomed in with your camera for that closer image of the village or if I got that close on the trail at some point, I missed seeing it due to possible fog which rolled in and out. Walking that day was a glorious stand out memory for me on the Frances; a day of incredible beauty with the mountains, colorful landscape and we had the trail to ourselves.
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If what you are talking about is from Peñalba to Las Médulas, there is an offroad trail. This wikiloc link shows only from the Monastery to Las Médulas, but I have walked twice from Peñalba to the monastery and there is a very good trail that links the two, about 7 km.There's so far nothing obvious in Wikiloc or on my Garmin planner app.
Thanks! The photos are from May 10th.It would have been zoomed in.
The colours in your photos are beautiful! What time of year was this?
From the monastery, the staff at the monastery has told me there is a marked 25 km trail directly to Médulas. I hope to walk that this spring.
I would not walk these trails without GPS
Didn't @Rebekah Scott have a mountainous adventure up there? It sounded mildly hair-raising. Maybe an overstatement - but certainly challenging.If what you are talking about is from Peñalba to Las Médulas, there is an offroad trail. This wikiloc link shows only from the Monastery to Las Médulas, but I have walked twice from Peñalba to the monastery and there is a very good trail that links the two, about 7 km.
The trails in this area are sometimes referred to as "La Mirada Circular" so you may see that as well as Valle del Silencio.
Here’s a recent thread in which Reb describes her experience. That thread also has some useful info for those considering this option. Rebekah does say several times on the forum it was the most difficult day for her on any camino, and I don’t doubt that. But sleeping in the monastery would make it a 25 km walk to Las Médulas, not the 32 she had to do from Peñalba. And the trails I have seen may be different than the one Rebekah walked, because the elevation profile does not look extreme. The staff in the monastery has told me there is a well-used trail from their place to Las Médulas, so maybe it’s also the case that the trail has become better groomed from more traffic. I don’t know, but hopefully @Rebekah Scott will see this and chime in!Didn't @Rebekah Scott have a mountainous adventure up there? It sounded mildly hair-raising. Maybe an overstatement - but certainly challenging.
I don’t know anything about the options you have suggested, but I would not classify any of the options I suggested as very difficult. People should look at the wikiloc tracks to see the elevation gain and descent — in the mountains, that’s as important (or more so) than distance. But here are two options that I think fall within the ability range of those who have been walking ”average” Francés stages (aka, something like Brierley stages, around 25-28 kms, I think).All the possible options still look to me like a very significant and difficult detour,
Well, "difficult" is obviously a relative quality, but El Acebo to Las Medulas is up to nearly 1,500 metres again, and the descent from Alto de la Cruz looks pretty steep to me. Then back up to ~1,450 metres at Campo de las Danzas, and overall it's fundamentally a crest trail. Now, that's obviously the right cup of tea for some people, and good for them, but in relative terms it's clearly more "difficult" than the valley route, whether you avoid Ponferrada or not.I don’t know anything about the options you have suggested, but I would not classify any of the options I suggested as very difficult.
Nor would I !! And as to taking variant routes generally, here you're preaching to the converted ...I don’t think that avoiding a rocky descent and taking a beautiful wooded path over several ancient bridges would be heretical.
Sure !! But you can skip Ponferrada anyway ...I understand that this may not be for everyone, but I think it is a beautiful option for those who are on the Francés, who are going to walk on the Invierno, and who don’t want to return to Ponferrada!
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