The last time I was in Mondoñedo, I was unable to find the newer route which goes over a monte, not a mountain.
Here are the GPS tracks for the route “over the monte.”
Norte E30 Mondoñedo-Abadín Hiking trail in Mondoñedo, Galicia (España). Download its GPS track and follow the itinerary on a map. Etapa 30 del Camino del Norte a Santiago de Compostela desde Irún NO-E30 Mondoñedo - Abadín. Variante por Cabana Vella Con localización de albergues. 12,9 km...
Here are the GPS tracks for the “on the untraveled asphalt road” route.
Mondoñedo-Abadín (Lugo).
Camino de Santiago del Norte Hiking trail in Mondoñedo, Galicia (España). Download its GPS track and follow the itinerary on a map. Cómoda etapa del
Camino de Santiago del Norte. Transcurre por pistas, veredas y tramos de asfalto. Etapa para relajarse y disfrutar de los...
Even if you don’t use GPS, you can compare the two routes by pulling up the maps side by side in your browser.
Basic difference I see is that the “monte” route goes to a higher elevation level, but in terms of the total elevation gain, they are pretty similar. That’s because the road route goes up and down a lot, whereas the “monte” route probably just goes up and then down. The road route takes you through villages, but aside from the albergue that is there a few km after Mondoñedo, there are no services on either route (at least there weren’t when I walked).
I am not sure what your typical daily distances are, but the 4.5 km difference might make a difference to you, because it makes it easier to go on to one of my favorite Norte albergues, the
O Xistral. It’s 6 kkm beyond Abadín and well worth the added push, IMHO.
Let us know what you decide!