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Thank you folks for all this very valuable information.Hopefully the alternatives are marked as I will be on that stretch mid 1st week June & I have 1 knee which I fear will bother me on a steep descent.
@peregrina2000It's been years since I walked on that rocky descent from El Acebo to Molinaseca, but a few years ago I took the Puentes de Malpaso alternative. For anyone with knee issues, I would very highly recommend that. You would leave the Camino Francés at Riego de Ambrós, and from there it is in green forests, over a couple of ancient bridges, and the out to the road to take you into Ponferrada. Or, if you wanted to visit Molinaseca, I have also posted tracks that would show you how to leave the trail and head into Molinaseca and from there continue on to Ponferrada.
Some info and pictures here. You will see the terrain bears no resemblance to that rocky horror story on the Frances:
Ruta de Las Puentes de Malpaso
El guerrillero más famoso de todas las montañas de Galicia y León fue Manuel Girón, quien mantuvo en jaque a las fuerzas de orden durante quince años.www.terranostrum.es Las Puentes de Mal Paso
Vivencias, aventuras, relatos, historias... de un dominguero berciano! :)aventurasdeundominguero.blogspot.com
a video:
Hola @EmmaGrina . A question and suggestion: where are you now? If in or near Leon / Astorga - visit one of the medical clinics and have the ankle strapped/taped. This will stablise your ankle and give you more confidence. Now for tackling the Rabanal - Molinaseca section: if its raining or wet/slippery then even with poles my recommendation - give it a miss. You should be able to handle the section from Rabanal to the Cruz de Ferro and even to Manjarin but the next section is the start of the slippery slope (you drop over 400 metres). So if there is any doubt then its the taxi ride for you. Hope this helps. CheersI’m currently hobbling my way along the Frances owing to a painful ankle. I’m planning to walk from El Rabanal and maybe stay in el acebo.
Is this wise or is the descent to El Acebo too difficult?
Can I get a taxi from El Acebo down to Molinaseca?
I’d rather keep going than risk a slip!
Thanks for any advice you can give!
I’m currently hobbling my way along the Frances owing to a painful ankle. I’m planning to walk from El Rabanal and maybe stay in el acebo.
Is this wise or is the descent to El Acebo too difficult?
Can I get a taxi from El Acebo down to Molinaseca?
I’d rather keep going than risk a slip!
Thanks for any advice you can give!
I’m currently hobbling my way along the Frances owing to a painful ankle.
@peregrina2000
As my next camino approaches, I am still interested in taking a side-route from El Acebo to Ponferrada, where I plan on beginning the Invierno. I have no particular interest in visiting Molinaseca again. I spent some time a while ago looking at all that I could find on the route through the Valley of Silence, but could not make a successful plan. My challenges were: 1. route planning. I use maps.me and not a gps, and I could not clearly distinguish where the route is after El Acebo. 2. Nor am I clear as to whether this alternate route would be longer or shorter than the usual route. I cannot afford much additional distance, as my route on the Madrid to the Frances, to Ponferrada and on the Invierno to Santiago is promising to use up all the time that I have for it in Spain. I had been looking at the route from El Acebo, but perhaps a route from Riego de Ambros would be preferable. How do I find it? I am concerned about getting lost or behind on my schedule. I have had a quick look at the route shown on the websites, which appears to be mainly a longer route from Riego de Ambros to Molinaseca but shown as starting in Molinaseca. What would be the best alternate route from El Acebo to Ponferrada which I could walk in one day and (preferably) not get lost? 3. I shall be walking in late October and do not want to try to find accommodation off the camino, as it might be closed because it is late in the season.
I love the video, but where is the access to the route? Is there an access from El Acebo as well as from Riego de Ambros? Is the route well marked? Can I continue on to Ponferrada without getting routed on to the main camino at Molinaseca? I know that you are leaving soon, but I would appreciate further information on these points if you have the time to offer it. And Buen Camino to you as you depart for your latest adventure.
Thanks, Laurie,Hi, Albertagirl, I will try to help.
I have walked the Puentes de Malpaso route from Ponferrada to El Acebo “in reverse”, that is, as day 1 of the Circle. (The Valley of Silence Circle days I walked were Ponferrada to El Acebo, El Acebo to Peñalba de Santiago, and Peñalba de Santiago back to Ponferrada).
For someone who will be on the Francés in El Acebo, and who wants to get to the Invierno, and who doesn’t care whether she gets back to Molinaseca, I see three options.
First would be to walk El Acebo to Ponferrada on the Puentes de Malpaso. That will be 19 km. The track I made when I walked is here on wikiloc. I believe that about the last 5 km into Ponferrada will be road-walking, but mainly on very low traffic country roads. https://www.wikiloc.com/wikiloc/spatialArtifacts.do?event=setCurrentSpatialArtifact&id=7544208
Second would be a two-day version. Day one, walk El Acebo to Peñalba de Santiago on the Valley of Silence trail. That is about 22 km. https://www.wikiloc.com/hiking-trails/el-acebo-to-penalba-de-santiago-7544511 Day two, from Peñalba you would walk to Ponferrada. That’s 24 km. https://www.wikiloc.com/wikiloc/spatialArtifacts.do?event=setCurrentSpatialArtifact&id=7544531
Third would be to walk the same day one as above, but from Peñalba de Santiago to walk directly to As Médulas, which puts you at the end of the first day of the Invierno. I have not yet walked that segment, but hope to this summer and can report back. Rebekah has said it is really hard. And remote.
These are all ways to incorporate the Valley of Silence into a linear camino walk, without doing the three day “circle” that Rebekah and I did. The circle was wonderful, as I detailed in my post years ago, but I know that there aren’t many people who want to take a three day detour off route as they are walking on a camino.
The El Acebo to Ponferrada route on the Puentes de Malpaso goes through Riego de Ambrós (you can see it on my wikiloc tracks). The route from El Acebo to Peñalba de Santiago goes straight down into the valley from in front of the Casa Rural La Trucha and does not go back to Riego.
I cannot help with maps.me, but even if you don’t use gps, looking at the wikilocs tracks I have posted will give you an idea of the route. I definitely would have some kind of electronic guide because these routes are remote. Company would be ideal, of course.
Let me know if I didn’t clear things up, buen camino, Laurie
This is the Camino between Acebo and Molineseca. I found it tough going on my knees. Road or taxi would be the easier options. I would have walked on the road if I had known what it was like beforehand
Thanks, Laurie,
I should like to walk Riego de Ambros to Ponferrada on the Puentes de Malpaso route, if I can find it. It would be helpful to know where it starts in Riego de Ambros. At the moment, I cannot find any useful information as to this route, and I don't really feel currently that I have enough information available to walk it. But I shall continue to research it and perhaps will be confident enough when I leave to try it out. Thanks again for your help.
Hello again, Laurie,Hi, Albertagirl,
The easiest way would be with a GPS, which is what Rebekah and I used. I recorded my tracks, and you can see where it comes into Riego just by zooming in. (You can also see that we made a little loop there in town, to go up to the bar on the road for something to drink). For someone who is good with maps, you could probably get enough info by just studying the tracks to locate the turn-off in Riego, because it shows exactly where in town it is. But having the GPS would be very handy.
https://www.wikiloc.com/wikiloc/spatialArtifacts.do?event=setCurrentSpatialArtifact&id=7544208
I know lots of people object to the use of GPS devices on the camino, but on these off-camino routes, I personally wouldn’t go without one.
Buen camino, Laurie
This building looks completely out of place in this cute tiny ancient town and it has no charm or history to it. While approaching town on the trail there are several "modern" signs and advertisement for this place that were a bit loud and unappealing...it felt like highway billboards along the highway back home. But if you need an escape for a night or two (they allow pilgrims 2 consecutive nights), you won't find better for the price on the Camino. You can also stay there as a non pilgrim and pay higher rates and get private rooms. The dorms have 8 beds per room.
I am always in awe reading of Laurie's off route detours involving gps to map and cross "new back country".
However an easier way to walk off the camino path from
El Acebo or Riego de Ambros to Ponferrada is to simply follow the LE 142 road downhill walking on the left side verges facing traffic.
Happy choice/ planning and Buen camino!
I’m currently hobbling my way along the Frances owing to a painful ankle. I’m planning to walk from El Rabanal and maybe stay in el acebo.
Is this wise or is the descent to El Acebo too difficult?
Can I get a taxi from El Acebo down to Molinaseca?
I’d rather keep going than risk a slip!
Thanks for any advice you can give!
The Bridges of Malpaso is a beautiful set of trails, but they are quite hilly, and parts are pretty isolated. If your ankle is hurting, you'll do better sticking to a better-traveled route.
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