Beware Almorox to San Martin de Valdeiglesias March 2017

[sulu]

My guide book and map show that after crossing the N403, about 6k after Almorox, the path goes into woods and turns north and continues straight to M507, about 1-2k later. What they don't mention is that there is a cross-roads (or cross-paths) where I could find absolutely no signs so I continued straight, with hindsight I should have turned left at the crossing. Like an idiot I kept going and in the end I finished back on the N403 2 hours later, I admit to being an idiot I'm sure that at some point I should have turned back but there was a housing development and I assumed that it post dated the map.
Later, when I managed to get back on the camino after the M507 the path came out onto a very minor road here there was an official sign pointing right so I went that way but I came upon loads of arrows pointing left, I was confused but eventually I opted to turn back and follow the arrows. At this point it was pouring with rain so I didn't get my book out. The result was that I ended up on the N403 yet again and walked the last 6k up the side of a busy road. The official sign is obviously right, I'm not sure at what point I would have found the next sign.
Good luck. Buen camino
Sue

 

[peregrina2000]

For others coming after sulu, take a look at the tracks posted on wikiloc. https://www.wikiloc.com/wikiloc/view.do?id=12023534

This shows that in fact you can avoid the busy road and stay in the forest the whole time. The right hand turn is very obvious on the tracks. You do cross the N403 and then the camino essentially parallels the highway, looping where it loops, till you get to San Martin de Valdeiglesias. I'm assuming the albergue is still closed and you are in the hostal?

Sulu, tomorrow you will see the toros de Guisando! For me it was a great experience. We got there very early in the morning and there was no one there, no traffic, just a little sunlight coming up. It was a highlight. We had to leave early because we decided to do the 2000' feet elevation gain in one day and make it all the way to San Bartalomé de los Pinares. BUT.... if I had been walking alone, I would have stopped in Cebreros. That spreads that beautiful day over two days, and there is a museum dedicated to the Transition to Democracy in the old church in town. Cebreros is the hometown of Adolfo Suarez, so it was a good place for a transition museum.

I had read there are some very nice places to stay in Cebreros and that you might get a nice pilgrim discount. So good to hear from you, hope the weather is better for your mountain stages. If you stay in Cebreros, I'd love to hear about it!

Buen camino, Laurie

 

[JLWV]

I agree with you, there is a problem 2 km after M507, just at the limit of provincies of Toledo and Madrid.
The way, according to the track turn right, but there are several arrows to the left. I follow map and track and get in San Martin by the Woods. I notify it to the association in 2015 but it looks like if nothing was done.

In Cebreros there was a problem with the showers of the albergue, so I stayed at the hotel Rondon, very near. It is a good alternative.

Buen camino - Jean-Luc

 

[peregrina2000]

Hi, sulu,
Just woke up and checked to see if the weather gods were going to shine on you for your glorious mountain walk today. And it looks like you had some sun and good temperatures. This stretch is one of the best! Let us know if you stay in Cebreros or forge on to San Bartalomé.

I have alerted the other two forum members who are just starting the Levante that you are ahead and sending back warnings! Buen camino to you, Laurie

 

[sulu]

Hi, sulu,
Just woke up and checked to see if the weather gods were going to shine on you for your glorious mountain walk today. And it looks like you had some sun and good temperatures. This stretch is one of the best! Let us know if you stay in Cebreros or forge on to San Bartalomé.

I have alerted the other two forum members who are just starting the Levante that you are ahead and sending back warnings! Buen camino to you, Laurie

I'm back home Laurie! I almost gave up completely in San Martin but in fact I paddled to Cebreros, the path was soaked, and got a bus/train to Avila. This time I have seriously promised myself no more caminos. I must return to Avila sometime, I saw the cathedral but I was too tired to do anything else.
I didn't post anything whilst I was on the camino, I was almost too tired to eat let alone do anything else. I gave up on Saturday.
Sue

 

[Brandy]

 

[peregrina2000]

Hi, sulu,
Don't be too rash in those promises. I know you've had rough times before, but just know that there are plenty of caminos where you don't have to subject yourself to all those challenges. Alone and in bad weather are likely to be too much for many of us. Welcome home!

 

[peregrina2000]

View attachment 32360

Thanks, Brandy, is that from the Valencia Amigos' guide?

I take it that the camino is the one with the little black > marks. But what do the different colors mean?

 

[Brandy]

Hola
I think this is the first point of confusion. On this map the Camino is designed with color track. (different colors indicate different steepness).
Sue crossed N403 where the Camino is red and if you see it does a little s turn at a point. Then I think Sue continued on the black solid and then on the black dashed line. (crossing the Camino track). Sue continued South walking near the new housing area, and then West back to N403.

My personal view is that guidebook and arrow are not sufficient to navigate particularly if you are alone.
A graphical GPS is necessary.

Cheers

Brandy

 

[Brandy]

Hola Laurie
the map is a screenshot from my Smartphone.
Cheers
Brandy

 

[sulu]

I am sure that I started by following signs. I crossed the N403 and followed the red path but then turned left on the first path, which I am sure was the signed path though I may have misread the signs, I then came to the orange path and went straight across, it was at this point that the signs disappeared. I carried on straight to the houses. I could have rectified it at that point by turning left, actually I did but then changed my mind. Most of the signs are on trees, and most are GR red and white signs so they are not always really well visible.

 

[sulu]

Hi, sulu,
Don't be too rash in those promises. I know you've had rough times before, but just know that there are plenty of caminos where you don't have to subject yourself to all those challenges. Alone and in bad weather are likely to be too much for many of us. Welcome home!

I've pretty well done the ones I wanted to so I'm happy to admit old age and take life easy

 

[sulu]

Hola
I think this is the first point of confusion. On this map the Camino is designed with color track. (different colors indicate different steepness).
Sue crossed N403 where the Camino is red and if you see it does a little s turn at a point. Then I think Sue continued on the black solid and then on the black dashed line. (crossing the Camino track). Sue continued South walking near the new housing area, and then West back to N403.

My personal view is that guidebook and arrow are not sufficient to navigate particularly if you are alone.
A graphical GPS is necessary.

Cheers

Brandy

Hi Brandy!
We must have been writing at about the same time yesterday but yes, you have it exactly right, that is what I did. My guidebook said to turn north and I had a compass in my pocket but my brain just wasn't with me this time. I was very, vry tired and I just managed to make myself more tired.

 

[Brandy]

Hi Brandy!
We must have been writing at about the same time yesterday but yes, you have it exactly right, that is what I did. My guidebook said to turn north and I had a compass in my pocket but my brain just wasn't with me this time. I was very, vry tired and I just managed to make myself more tired.

Hola Sulu
where did you start that day from?

Brandy

 

[sulu]

Hola Sulu
where did you start that day from?

Brandy

Only from Escalona, it was supposed to be a shortish day!

 

[peregrina2000]

Only from Escalona, it was supposed to be a shortish day!

Sulu, did you spend some time with the toros de Guisando? I assume you passed them, but maybe it was raining. Very historic spot -- Henry IV of Castile made a treaty there with his half sister, Isabel -- she became Princesa de Castilia, but later went against her promise not to marry without Henry's consent and married Fernando of Aragón and so became part of the dynamic duo.

And those bulls are said to be "Celtiberian" -- from a few centuries BC. I had been there before as a tourist, but walking upon them in the early morning with no one around was much nicer. Buen camino, Laurie

 

[sulu]

Sulu, did you spend some time with the toros de Guisando? I assume you passed them, but maybe it was raining. Very historic spot -- Henry IV of Castile made a treaty there with his half sister, Isabel -- she became Princesa de Castilia, but later went against her promise not to marry without Henry's consent and married Fernando of Aragón and so became part of the dynamic duo.

And those bulls are said to be "Celtiberian" -- from a few centuries BC. I had been there before as a tourist, but walking upon them in the early morning with no one around was much nicer. Buen camino, Laurie

No, it wasn't raining but I opted to give them a miss, despite the history. I just wanted a short day, my swollen, painful feet were telling me to stop. I saw very little history I was just too tired, which was totally my own fault. hindsight is a marvellous thing

 

[LTfit]

Sorry that you had such a tough time Sulu. I remember backtracking a couple of times myself and thought that I was going wrong until I finally found the turn-off to the right.

And can you imagine Laurie, I totally missed the Toros!?!

I also did San Martín to San Bartalomé de los Pinares in one go. Despite the awful weather - a wet and cold March day - it was a highlight of the Toledo-Zamora stretch. It started to pour down by the time I reached Cebreros for coffee and only stopped when I caught a glimpse of San Bartalomé from high up over the town. My fingers were so cold I could barely move them to take pictures! I remember thinking how spectacular the scenery was and that I would one day need to return to walk it in the summer.

Buen Camino to all those following in Sulu's footsteps.

 

[Julian Menendez]

Hi, sorry for my bad English, I,m from the asociation of Camino Frieds from Toledo. Yesterday we were walkingo from Almorox to San Martín de Valdeiglesias, we were putting some arrows, but theres a problem. Between Almorox to San Martin there are 21.700 kms. Some people from Almorox were walking with us, and they told us that there is another shortests way from Almorox to San Martín. We are going to tray to paint tha way that´s shortest en better for all the pligrims

 

[Julian Menendez]

 

[gracethepilgrim]

Hi Julian, That’s awesome. Thankyou very much.
I’ll be walking the Levante in May/June this year so it will be very helpful. If there would be a kmz or kml file available before that, please post here.
Of course, if your association has painted plenty of arrows, it would be sufficient. Cheers, Grace

 

[DkPond]

Julian,
Thanks for the photographs! I'm looking forward to walking that stretch.

James

 

[JLWV]

Hi, sorry for my bad English, I,m from the asociation of Camino Frieds from Toledo. Yesterday we were walkingo from Almorox to San Martín de Valdeiglesias, we were putting some arrows, but theres a problem. Between Almorox to San Martin there are 21.700 kms. Some people from Almorox were walking with us, and they told us that there is another shortests way from Almorox to San Martín. We are going to tray to paint tha way that´s shortest en better for all the pligrims

Hola Julian,
I am Jean-Luc de la AACS-CValenciana.
We are very interested by the improvment of our Camino de Levante, and shall be grateful your AACS contacts us at the association to comment it. Our mail and phone number are in our web (http://www.vieiragrino.com/)
Saludos cordiales

 

[sulu]

Hi, sulu,
Don't be too rash in those promises. I know you've had rough times before, but just know that there are plenty of caminos where you don't have to subject yourself to all those challenges. Alone and in bad weather are likely to be too much for many of us. Welcome home!

Hi Laurie! You are right, the Levante has rather been my nemesis but I have just been back and walked from Cebreros to Medina del Campo, I didn't have time for more, but it was great. I just have to accept that I'm not wonder-woman and take things gently, when possible. I loved the walk from Cebreros to San Bartolome.