- Time of past OR future Camino
- Yearly and Various 2014-2019
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That was a while ago, so I am hoping the waymarking has improved quite a bit in the meantime.from Pamplona to Salvatierra there are no waymarks, although this part has most of the albergues
a quick and easy exit route, which basically involves walking down by the side of the tourist office and Ayuntemiento, following the curve of the river past the “cable” bike-lift, then crossing the Puente Cuatrovientos and straight out of town in the direction of the Berriozer suburb, and Vitoria-Gestiez. The road of town is so straight and straightforward you’d struggle to take a wrong turn.
Now this is the third time I have tried to round up the loose details of this Viejo Camino from the Pamplona start.
With some luck I will take that route some fine day.
Great to have you here, Laurie! Once I get to the Olvidado proper I'll be happy to pick your brain.
Well, on hold or not— that new Camino de las Asturias going from Pamplona to Oveido follows the same route for much of the first part of this way. So someone is obviously doing some promotion.
I could be wrong but my understanding that the Viejo is the limb that comes from Pamplona, I would guess as far as Aguilar de Campoo.
The latter is always a possibility!But Hiriberri, according to googlemaps, is east of Zubiri (and 68 km from Irurtzun), so I am totally confused. Or maybe you are lost. Or both.
I think that when you say the Camino de las Asturias "follows the same route", you mean it follows the same route as the Camino Viejo for the first part?
Obviously, YMMV. I'm calculating distance with the direction function on my OsmAnd app.Camino de las Asturias lists stage one as Pamplona to Irurtzun 22 km.
When I have a ticket to Madrid, I'll just post on the forum and ask "where should we meet?" and I'll show up, ready to walk.
And to be sure that you want to visit here is another photograph of it.Between Irurzun and Hiriberri, there is the beautiful Romanesque Ermita Santiago de Itxasperri, which looks like a place worth some time:
Caminos Del Romanico And a photo:
There definitely is, @Northern Light:If there is a valley floor option, it puts it back on the possibilities list.
...very little of yesterday’s beautiful scenery in evidence. All the walking was done on the road, beginning with quite pleasant secondary and tertiary roads, but increasingly it involved the national road (NA 2410) which weaved alongside the Autovia. I made little effort to seek alternative routes, partly because of yesterday’s fiasco, partly due to the drabness of the day and partly because I think the great wilderness awaits me after leaving the Pamplona to Vitoria-Gesteiz transport corridor.
I ended up this evening at a truck-stop at Olaza /Olazagutia, 2kms from the biggish-looking town of Altsasu-Alsasua.
pamplona - villanueva de arakil, 31km via irurtzun
a fairly long day on sometimes difficult former gr21 (waymarks removed). requires some orientation skills. casa rural irigoen with superb treatment, atmosphere, and food. HP for 27E. two houses with blasones with scallops in the village.
villanueva de arakil - monasterio zamartze, 8km
an unplanned stay, excavations in monasterio (roman waystation and medieval graves, some with scallops), and a car visit to santuario de aralar. but monasterio zamartze doesn't usually accommodate people - perhaps that might change in the future? otherwise, I would recommend going as far as alsasua (29km).
monasterio zamartze - puerto de lizarraga, 23km
a majestic day almost literally straight up from huarte arakil to beriain (1000m climb in less then 6km) with a superb view all around, fog permitting, then a solitary and somewhat longish descent to puerto lizarraga. the only water in huarte arakil! hostal in puerto lizarraga 50E per room.
puerto de lizarraga - alsasua, 20km
a walk on panoramic ridge then a descent through beautiful forest to alsasua. in albergue juvenil ring the right bell. 17E.
Just yes.And to be sure that you want to visit here is another photograph of it.
Weeeellll, sort of. Close but no cigar. Hiriberri is about 6kms after Irurtzun. But yes - both are on those caminos...which, like the Vasco and the Via de Bayona, follow the same route for a ways.So your Hiriberri is 2 km before Irurtzun, and both are located on both the Camino de las Asturias and the Camino Viejo? If the answer to that question is yes, I am no longer confused.
And finish on the Invierno. Or the Camino de las Asturias....A nice way to avoid the crowds. Come in to Pamplona off the Aragones and off on this way.
Beautiful!And to be sure that you want to visit here is another photograph of it.
Here is a crummy map for you Laurie. Sorry it's not more than just giving the general idea.is there any way to put up a map of these two routes?
Beautiful!
Now, if you have some spare time, how about some photos of each of those Ermitas?
Pretty please??
I'm sorry. Much too difficult. I work with crippled systems (except my smartphone which isn't good for this type of a job). I really need a new desktop.Ermita Nuestra Señora de Berastegui
Ermita de Santa Barbara
Ermita de San Gregorio
Ermita de San Miguel
Ermita de San Sebastien
Ermita de San Pedro
Ermita de San Antonio
Ermita de San Juango
Not to mention the Romanesque monastery of Zamarce which was built in the 12th C.
Beautiful!
Now, if you have some spare time, how about some photos of each of those Ermitas?
Pretty please??
Here is a easy way to do it (much easier on a PC than a phone). This works with the URL of the picture, not the webpage the picture is on. To get the URL of webpage's picture on a PC right click the picture and menu should allow you to copy the URL to the clipboard. Paste the URL into the forum's text input box and surround it with a starting and ending img tag (case imsensitive) as shown in the code box below. (That box allows markup code to be seen as written instead of being interpreted).I am not able to figure out how to transfer fotos from the web to the forum
Picture of Ermita Nuestra Señora de Berastegui
[img]https://s1.kaia.es/images/2020/02/18/Z1139_106.jpg[/img]
Great. That doesn't work with my old Linux system or Android phone. It probably does work on Windows. I use that so seldom though I didn't think of it.Wow, I was just able to cut and paste the picture itself! I was going to try Rick’s instructions, but I am on an ipad and wasn’t sure how it would work.
No, it's a different one that shows up on me OsmAnd map well after that.Ermita de San Juango
I think this is San Juan de Itxasperri
Otherwise known as Ermita Santiago de Itxasperri, see post #13 above. So to clear up all the residual confusion, we'll just have to go and see for ourselves.This is San Juan de Itxasperri
Ermita Santiago de Itxasperri is right on the Camino on day 1. The small hermitages are strung out along the valley Days 2 and 3.So are these places Located in Day 2’s walk or is this a detour from Day 2? And do you have your lodging options sorted out so far?
You started talking about what Caminka calls the Camino Viejo, Pamplona to Aguilar de Campoo, where it joins the Camino Olvidado (whose route is Bilbao to Ponferrada).
But now you have seen info about the Camino de las Asturias from Pamplona to Oviedo. Based on the stages I see on the website you linked, that camino crosses the Camino Olvidado at Cervera de Pisuerga, which is one stage after Aguilar de Campoo. That leads me to think that the Camino de las Asturias goes a little north of the Camino Viejo, but I can't visualize it.
I wasn't totally sure, but I think that when you say the Camino de las Asturias "follows the same route", you mean it follows the same route as the Camino Viejo for the first part?
I’ve had my eye on the Viejo for a while but all the hills previously referenced had me second guessing this route. If there is a valley floor option, it puts it back on the possibilities list. So I thank you for doing all this homework!
Hmmmm...there is a story here. Do tell!losing my scallop, getting back my scallop, clouds lifting for amazing views, scenery.... oh my!
Wonderful to see you here, @caminka! I was hoping you'd chime in with your experiences.
I have to say that the mountain options along either side of this valley are really impressive.
It sounds like one of the main differences between when you walked in 2012 and we're recently is that now there is decent waymarking. Of course the downside of that is that people tend to slavishly follow it. But here, for those who are fit there are so many other possibilities.
Hmmmm...there is a story here. Do tell!
It obviously is! I didn't include it because although I had seen a photograph, I assumed it was further away — of course without checking.San Donato Berliain, which you didn’t include, is at one end of the valley and seems very interesting. It is the highest ermita in Navarra and looks like a beautiful walk up. A very long video here.
So, some of the websites I’ve seen do have wikiloc tracks, but I am not sure about your ideas about walking in this valley. Based on what I saw, I think San Miguel and the monastery are the two gems. San Donato would be a spectacular ascent.
absolutely. monastery of zamartze is perfectly positioned for exploring if you manage to stay there. otherwise you are mostly stuck with hostales along the main road and the albergues in the two camping sites.This means it's worth lingering for more than just a single day.
Please. By all means do...that lagging behind is fruitful! You know how it is when you're walking with someone and they call out for you to wait because they've discovered something really cool?Sorry to be lagging behind
Now, the ascent to San Donato — @caminka’s story has grabbed hold of my imagination and I cannot imagine walking through that valley without going up there.
"The Basque Country has multitude of megaliths, described as dolmens or mounds, sometimes confusingly. They are in any case burials of collective nature, placed in spots of great visibility, often on top of mountain ridges. The materials used are always of local origin."
"Under Pompey in the 1st century BC, the Romans founded Pompaelo (modern Pamplona/Iruñea); conquest of the area further west followed a fierce Roman campaign against the Cantabri (the Cantabrian Wars). There are archaeological remains from this period of garrisons protecting commercial routes all along the Ebro river, and along a Roman road between Asturica and Burdigala. "
"Ab Asturica Burdigalam was a Roman road that linked the towns of Asturica Augusta (modern Astorga) in Gallaecia and Burdigala (modern Bordeaux) in Aquitania. The Antonine Itinerary mentions that it ran through Pallantia (Palencia), the pass of Vindeleia, Veleia, Pompaelo (Pamplona), Iturissa (Aurizberri) and the Summo Pyreneo (Roncevaux pass), among other places."
"In medieval times it would be largely replaced by the Way of St. James that, while coincident in some parts with the Roman road, it goes further south between Pamplona and Astorga."
But what is clear to me is that it would be worth an extra two or three days to link the Viejo with the Vasco!"When Guipúzcoa and Álava became part of the Crown of Castile, San Adrián was the mandatory route connecting Europe and the Cantabrian Sea. There was even a castle that guarded the border to Navarra. San Adrián was the scene of many clashes and an area frequented by bandits. The citadel was abandoned when Castilla was annexed to Navarra in 1512. The stone path is popularly known as Calzada Romana (Roman Road), but it’s actually from the Middle Ages and it was the “Royal Path of Relay”."
Were you to do that, you'd get the best of both worlds: this part of the Viejo, plus the wonderful Tunel San Adrian on the Vasco. Either way you ultimately end up in Salvatierra. Yes, you have to go over that mountain twice, but if you like mountains it's a whole lot better than following the main transport corridor from Pamplona into Alava.
Important: the normal routes are generally not complicated but in the last years the mountain had some deadly accidents. You must be careful with leave the normal paths (the falls are very impressives) specailly in winter. [June 26, 2005, Sunday: 2 new deaths in the mountain, Borja and Ruben R.I.P. ]
In winter it's a great experience for the magnificent views but it's a little dangerous, specially the summits of Iyurbain and Leziza. It's necessary the use of crampons and ice-axe and to have precaution with the avalanches if it has snowed recently since the slopes are important (2 victims in 2003 in route from Uharte-Arakil and 1 in the Morro).
Alava – Asturias to the course Nájera – Briviesca – Amaya – border of Carrión – León – Astorga
This looks South of the modern Viejo/Olvidado route in places, right?The party started in Pamplona and traversed Salvatierra, Alegría, Armentía, Trespuentes, Puentelarra, Tobalina, Frías, Oña, Sedano, Amaya, Nogales, Mave, Aguilar, Cervera, San Román de Entrepeñas, Velilla del río Carrión, Morra de Santiago (Caminayo), Morgovejo, Puente Almuhey, La Losilla, San Adrián, Boñar, La Mata (de la Riba), Valdepiélago, La Mata de Bérbula, Morquera, Valdecésar, Dotes, Correcillas, Crespas, San Feliz, Mataplana, Vegacervera, Coladilla, La Vid, Buiza, Beberino, Pola de Gordón, Santas Martas, Viñayo, río Luna, Riello, Pandorado, Urbicua, Guisatecha, Vegarienza, Fasgar, Colinas del Campo, Quintana de Fuseros(?), Losada, Virgen de la Peña, Bárcena, río Cúa, Cacabelos.
Amaya was one of the main villages of the Cantabri Celtic tribes, and played a key role in the Cantabrian wars during the Roman conquest of Hispania, and later, during the Visigothic Kingdom, as the capital of the Duchy of Cantabria. Amaya is mentioned in the Chronicle of John of Biclaro, as a town captured by the Visigothic king Liuvigild in 574.[5]
In the first stages of the Reconquista, the city was part of the repopulating efforts of the Kingdom of Asturias in the border region of Bardulia, the primitive territories of Castile. After the campaigns of Alfonso I of Asturias (739-757) against the Moors, the city lay an abandoned in the largely empty buffer zone between Moors and Christians known at the time as "The Desert of the Duero" and was part of the repopulation campaign carried out a century later, during the reign of Ordoño I of Asturias (850-866).
At that time it was an important and significant place, as a very old saying states: "Harto era Castilla pequeño rincón, cuando Amaya era la cabeza y Fitero el mojón" (A very small corner was Castile, when Amaya was the head and Fitero the boundary stone).
Amaya seems to have been a short-lived bishopric,[which, no longer being a residential diocese, is today listed by the Catholic Church as a titular see.
Yes, indeed.Does that appeal?
Well, it was only really nice after Segura - before that it was very tamed. But we did not go to Idiazabal, with it's cheese...so I can't say what you'd miss there.I wouldn’t get a glimpse of what you and @sabine enjoyed so much.
Looking at my OsmAnd map, there are plenty of off-road options at least on the way up. It may just be that people have not posted a track. Or maybe there's no-one crazy enough to walk that.Since all of the routes I have found for this cut-over to the Vasco from Extarri are for cycling
Yeah, that looks about right.If I’m keeping count correctly, that would make a six day trek from Pamplona to Salvatierra (cutting out your Extarri dolmen circle).
Day 1 Pamplona to Hiriberri
Day 2 Hiriberri to Arruazu or thereabouts (ascent to San Miguel)
Day 3 Arruazu to Extarri (ascent to Beriain and San Donato)
Day 4 Extarri to Beasín
Day 5 Beasín to Zegama
Day 6 Zegama to Salvatierra
What? Hey, Laurie, it only took them a little over 11 hours! Just imagine, if you didn't have to carry a pack you could be flying.As far as that Tres Ermitas hike goes, I think it’s above my pay grade.
Ah, but you can!. I would like to be able to scroll up and down through the blog
Unfortunately, no I couldn't find any. But my OsmAnd map shows many foot paths. Haha - best go with somebody who has a good sense of direction. I would do it I would do it in a heartbeat!do you have tracks that show an off-road trail direct from Extarri to Zegama (which is probably going to be my preferred option, in that lovely event that I actually have to make a choice).
I have been hunting to find the location of those primitive drawings in your post (from rocjumper) but cannot. Based on where he placed them in his blog, I had assumed they were in the Ermita de Nuestra Señora de Ayala, but the several websites I have looked at do not include them, so they must not be there. The exterior does seem well-preserved and interesting, though. Any ideas about where they are? And yes, I know this means I am jumping ahead, but I didn’t want to lose the thought since you posted the picture.Hmmm. We seem to be living in different universes. Here's what I see on my phone:
View attachment 74681
And..
You found it! The wikiloc track, I mean.
I think so. Have a look at this site. It should keep you busy for a while. (I sure wish I had seen this before I waltzed past all this last year!)I have been hunting to find the location of those primitive drawings in your post (from rocjumper) but cannot.
Day 5. Salvatierra to Vitoria-Gasteiz (26.8km)
Or...
Day 5A Salvatierra to either Alegria (or off piste to Parador de Argomaniz)(10.9km and 17.6km)
Day 5B Alegria or Agromaniz to Vitoria via Estibaliz (14.8 km or 13.4 km, respectively)
After looking at that delicious website that you just cited, Laurie (thank you!!!), it seems a pity to march straight to Vitoria. There are multiple wonders here, especially if you like Romanesque and Medieval. And some are right on the Camino San Martin de Tours is utterly astonishing, and we walked right past it, not knowing the wonders that are inside...
Check out the little videos that they have as well. The narration is way too fast for me to understand much, but just the visuals are gorgeous, very well done! https://alavamedieval.com/iglesia-de-san-martin-de-tours-de-gazeo/
It turns out that the Alava was a place of refuge for Christians from further south when the Moors invaded, and in 1072, The Bishop of Alava went to Rome to advocate in defense of the Mozarabic Rite, fruitlessly as it turned out.
There is an albergue in Alegria, and in Argomaniz (a bit off the Camino to the North) a Renaissance Palace has been turned into a Parador; it's only 4 km from Estibaliz, and the prices are astonishingly reasonable: https://www.paradores-spain.com/spain/pargomaniz.html
Not so fast there, pardner.I was hoping to walk through Pancorbo, but see that we will have to leave the Vasco at Miranda de Ebro to continue on the Olvidado to Aguilar! And that will be where it gets complicated, and very interesting! Collapsed bridges and all that, if I am remembering correctly.
Once again, Pancorbo is left for another time.
@VNwalking, what app did you use to generate the graphics above?Not so fast there, pardner.
It's a screenshot of the OsmAnd app on my android phone.@VNwalking, what app did you use to generate the graphics above?
Thank you. I'll have to explore the app some more. I haven't seen the profile feature.It's a screenshot of the OsmAnd app on my android phone.
I like it a lot. People have said it's hard to get used to but I haven't found that to be the case.I'll have to explore the app some more.
Not so fast there, pardner.
This is really jumping ahead, but I can't resist throwing another rock into your pond. It's only 34 km from Pancorbo to Oña. That's a day's walk for the likes of you, Laurie. From there you could rejoin @caminka's track either the way James did to Quintana de Valdevielso, or walk his route backwards to Trespanderne.View attachment 74921
that straight road was not not that drastically long. I went this way because before that I wanted to see one of the best dolmens in the region - Dolmen de Aizkomendi. I think it was totally worth it. you can check its (unfavorable) location on my wikiloc track.@caminka
And your photo shows that ship's prow even from very far away. That long straight road...it wouldn't be much fun on a hot summer afternoon.
the regime for visiting in 2012 was like this: you hired a guide and had to have your own transport. you met the guide at the church in gozeo at 10h to see the beautiful frescoes inside (camino passes by but it's locked), then you met the guide at alaiza at 14h to see those primitive frescoes inside the church. there are pilgrims on these fresceos, too. that was the reason I didn't went to see the frescoes (and I still regret it). hopefully this has changed since then.So that church is in Alaiza, which is a few km outside of Salvatierra.
Oh! Definitely....I wanted to see one of the best dolmens in the region - Dolmen de Aizkomendi. I think it was totally worth it.
I so appreciate your input, caminka - there aren't so many people who have gone this way!(but I am reading all posts!)
Oh! Definitely....
Day 8. Miranda de Ebro - Banos de Sobron. 18.76
Assuming the footbridge is still out at Banos, it's necessary to go across the Ebro at Puentelarra. The puente is a disappointing affair, as not all of the original arches are still intact. From the GoogleMap image it looks like the end is blocked off, so it may not even be possible for foot traffic.
This stage is short and mostly flat - and on the map it looks relatively uninspiring. I would love for this to be wrong! Unfortunately, unless you're willing to walk quite a long long way further, there do not look to be any other options for stopping nearby.
if you mean the bridge at puentellara, I think there are one or two arches still standing above the water. it's all fenced off.Day 8. Miranda de Ebro - Banos de Sobron. 18.76
Assuming the footbridge is still out at Banos, it's necessary to go across the Ebro at Puentelarra. The puente is a disappointing affair, as not all of the original arches are still intact. From the GoogleMap image it looks like the end is blocked off, so it may not even be possible for foot traffic.
if you opt for following the GR 1 part-way (as I did) you will pass close by dolmen de la lastra and walk on a part of an old road with cart tracks, see my wikiloc track. a bit north of dolmen de la lastra there are remains of another dolmen, dolmen de la mina.Day 8. Miranda de Ebro - Banos de Sobron. 18.76
Assuming the footbridge is still out at Banos, it's necessary to go across the Ebro at Puentelarra. The puente is a disappointing affair, as not all of the original arches are still intact. From the GoogleMap image it looks like the end is blocked off, so it may not even be possible for foot traffic.
This stage is short and mostly flat - and on the map it looks relatively uninspiring. I would love for this to be wrong! Unfortunately, unless you're willing to walk quite a long long way further, there do not look to be any other options for stopping nearby.
it's not a dolmen, it's an early christian (9-10C?) sanctuary cut out of the rock at the necropolis de santa maría de tejuela. it's also on my wikiloc track.What caught my eye in that wikiloc page is the very nice photo of what looks like a dolmen. Maybe it is not such a bland stage after all.
oh! that is very good news. the path along the south of the ebro beneath the cliffs to the bridge into banos de sobron was very lovely.This 2019 track shows a crossing over the river right before Sobrón. So that might suggest the bridge is not out, or else the hiker was a good swimmer.
Etapa 11: Baños de Sobrón- Miranda de Ebro
Etapa 11: Baños de Sobrón- Miranda de Ebro Hiking trail in Sobrón, País Vasco (España). Download its GPS track and follow the itinerary on a map. El desfiladero de Sobrón se abre a la campiña mirandesa El sendero recorre el angosto tramo final del desfiladero de Sobrón por la orilla derecha del...www.wikiloc.com
oh! that is very good news. the path along the south of the ebro beneath the cliffs to the bridge into banos de sobron was very lovely.
It's wild. The Wikiloc track satellite photo shows a ruined bridge...with the track walking on water over the river in a dead-straight line. A peregrino with spiritual powers, I guess. Which is why I measured and 'walked' across the bridge at Puentelarra and followed the northern bank of the river. I don't (yet) have said powers.Sorry, @caminka, but I added a blog link from 2019 that shows a picture of the bridge with a huge section missing, so I am not sure what is goign on.
I believe but am not absolutely certain that the GR99 is the route that goes through QMG. Does it go through Frias? I don't know, but it'd be really dumb if it didn't.Is this still on the GR99 or are you striking out into uncharted territory?
the route on the map that you posted is actually the camino that I walked and the footbridge is the one that is supposed to be torn down. there is a dam close by upstream where it may be possible to cross with a prior arrangement? the side towards the road had a gate (probably locked) in 2012 when I went by.Sorry, @caminka, but I added a blog link from 2019 that shows a picture of the bridge with a huge section missing, so I am not sure what is goign on.
GR99 Camino Natural del Ebro, día 4: de Baños de Sobrón a Elciego (17/04/2018)
Nada mas arrancar por la mañana, la primera anécdota del día: el GR abandona Baños de Sobrón, donde he dormido, cruzando al otro lado del río para seguir por allí el camino. Empiezo a cruzar y̷…milpedales.com
Looking at Googlemaps, though, it looks like we can continue on the “other” side of the Ebro until a few km past Sobrón and cross in the town of Durtzi and just double back. Since it‘s a short day, those extra kms wouldn’t matter, and I would hate to miss the walk by the cliffs that you describe. What do you think?
Did you sleep in Baños de Sobrón? Looks like there are also places to sleep in Durtzi.
I walked on the road through the gorge of sobrón because I wanted to see it up close and the mountains where the waymarked GR-99 is, were in the clouds.It's wild. The Wikiloc track satellite photo shows a ruined bridge...with the track walking on water over the river in a dead-straight line. A peregrino with spiritual powers, I guess. Which is why I measured and 'walked' across the bridge at Puentelarra and followed the northern bank of the river. I don't (yet) have said powers.
So from Banos onward it gets complicated with a bunch of different options, so I have had to make an Excel spreadsheet for myself to keep it all straight - here is an excerpt, with distances measured by the OsmAnd app, using tracks where they are available (please disregard errors, I have corrected mistaken totals after Banos since I posted this!)
: View attachment 75229
Leaving Baños, the way switches gears - once again we are in forest, and in the river gorge.
A bit over 6kms past La Presa, there is a bridge over the river, offering a choice, North or South bank. As I am more interested to stay in Frias than Quintana Martin Galindez, I opted to 'walk' the southern route, taking me direct (past the - gaak - nuclear power plant!) to Montejo and from there to Frias, missing QMG altogether.
I have not gone back to read your guide, @caminka, and will, nor @Sheffield James's account. So I'm jut looking at the map, thinking it looks quieter and a bit more direct. Any feedback and opinions happily accepted.
On the map, Frias looks stunning! A quick Google search for images confirms the impression.
View attachment 75230
View attachment 75232
View attachment 75231
it looks like a lot of road walking on the southern route, though? that must have been one of the reasons I chose the northern route (and the menhirs(?) and probably cheaper accommodatoin in quintana).Day 9. Banos de Sabron - Frias (via the South bank of the Ebro after Embalse de Sabron)
Here is a screenshot of my proposed route, which diverts from the Viejo that both @caminka and @Sheffield James walked, missing Quintana Martin Galindez altogether and following either the North or South banks of the river for the last few kilometers between Montejo de Cebas and Frias. Going directly to Frias from Sobron is about 21 kms, whereas going via QMG is about 28 kms as measured by my OsmAnd app.
View attachment 75282
There are a several Casa Rurales in Frias, and @caminka's guide mentions a campground, but I cannot confirm that it's still there looking at my maps.
The main event on this day is Frias itself - the walled city and its impressive bridge across the Ebro. So it looks worth heading there and enjoying its impressive offerings.
yes. the medieval architecture genius never ceases to amaze me.Wow. Beautiful photos of a beautiful place! They beg the question - how many people did it take to build that castle hanging in space? And how many people died in the process?
frias is on the gr-99. but I took a local pr out of it because it climbed up to a rocky ridge with a supert view of frias.Yet another amazing little town in Spain that I had never heard of. Looks just beautiful, VN.
And here is our guide to seeing the sights in Frias.
Is this still on the GR99 or are you striking out into uncharted territory?
You bad person. So much for an easy decision.and the menhirs
You bad person. So much for an easy decision.
And yes, road walking...but it's 7 km shorter and you can still cross back over so that it's possible to aporoach Frias on the gorgeous bridge.
The campground? Maybe I misread your guide?
this is a really nice idea. when I'll be there again...Oh! It's only 2.3km from Frias, and directly along the way between Frias and Oña. The map says there is a CR there as well. You know, @peregrina2000 , this makes that option of going from Miranda de Ebro-Pancorbo-Oña-Frias even more attractive.
You wouldn't have to, because the route up the Southern bank of the river comes almost to the bridge that links it to the path you took. I didn't measure it but am thinking I will cross over at that point. The added benefit is that you cross the beautiful bridge back across the river, headed into Frias.the path from montejo de san miguel to the bridge was lovely, I would be sad to miss it.
Just you wait. Surprises are in store.Hard to imagine it could get better, but your comments suggest that it does!
Oooooooooooooo.This website, with more gorgeous pictures, says it is only open in July during the romería, but the exterior looks pretty amazing.
if you are referring to various gorges and natural scenery, yes, it is totally mind-bowing. but there are also amazing corbels, old stone-built roads and dolmens (some on short-cuts I took).I am head down in looking at the way ahead.
It. Looks. Mind. Blowing.
How come no-one comes this way???
Stay tuned for further posts...
You wouldn't have to, because the route up the Southern bank of the river comes almost to the bridge that links it to the path you took. I didn't measure it but am thinking I will cross over at that point. The added benefit is that you cross the beautiful bridge back across the river, headed into Frias.
I'm not sure what you mean?btw, how do you get that nice blue square for a link?
Tedeja ocupa un saliente en el extremo oriental de la Sierra de la Tesla, en la desembocadura del río Nela en el Ebro. A sus pies está el desfiladero de la Horadada, que es uno de los pasos naturales entre Las Merindades y la llanura de La Bureba. Lugar este claramente estratégico por sus condiciones topográficas, por el dominio visual que llega hasta Medina de Pomar situada a unos 20 Km.
I was referring by way of contrast to the alternative (if you wanted to extend the day) to go that extra 14 km from Trespadrrne to Oña. The 'Viejo proper' that I is essentially the same as the GR99 here.And Vira, when you mentioned the “Viejo proper”, does that mean that there are two essentially parallel routes, one the GR99 Ruta del Ebro and the other the Viejo?
Obviously, once, this not ‘no-where.’ Sic transit Gloria mundi.“In the municipality of Tedeja there is a hermitage, called Santa María de los Godos, where an ancient burial site is shown, which it is believed that they belonged to some of the leading knights of that nation. ”
Nearby there are two graves.“In the surroundings of Tartalés de Cilla, there are the Cuevas de los Portugueses (rock hermitages that are located at the foot of the road next to the crossing to Tartalés de Cilla) and the rock hermitage of San Pedro, which we will talk about in this entry. [...] The rock hermitage is an artificial cave from the VII-VIII centuries that had the function of being a small church.”
Amen.Mind boggling. I hope beyond words that we can walk it someday!
This was an altar for pilgrims on the Camino de Santiago, as several branches of the Forgotten Camino de Santiago cross the Merindades de Burgos , taking advantage of the Roman road.
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