Switching to el San Salvador from La Robla/Buiza

[setmeravelles]

Hi everyone, been lurking in this thread and others, newbie to the Camino forum but not Caminos.

Anyway, I have a question for my own planning to piggyback off others.

My plan is to do the Camino Vasco del Interior, which I had to cancel last fall (but then I had more days on the Invierno!), taking the Burgos (Bayona) varient, then catching a bus from Burgos to Aguilar de Campoo and doing the Olvidado to the San Salvador (which I did in 2018).

Would Vegacervera to Buiza to Poladura de Tercio be too much for one day for a Camino veteran? Are there any more direct trails from Vegacervera to Poladura? It'll be first week of October.

Originally I had planned to do Boñar-La Robla, but I've also been researching the variant that goes through Buiza since I read that it's beautiful.

I also thought about switching to the Camino Viejo in Miranda de Ebro, but I wasn't so sure on being able to find lodging or how well marked it is, and as indecisive as I am, I think I'm sticking with my original idea of Vasco-Olvidado-San Salvador.

Thanks in advance Buen camino!

 

[peregrina2000]

Would Vegacervera to Buiza to Poladura de Tercio be too much for one day for a Camino veteran?

I hope my good buddy whose forum name I can never remember sees this. It’s something like @antme or @attnme or something like that, hoping she logs on! She did exactly this stage this past summer and said it was tough but totally do-able. I remember she WhatsApped me the day before, and I had been a bit unsure about it. I remembered the stage from Vegacervera to Pola de Gordón as being pretty exhausting, and that was without the ascent from Buiza to Poladura. But I was wrong. In terms of distance, I think it’s only about 24 or 26 kms. And what will slow you down on the way into Buiza is the descent through the rock face before Ciñera, but that will not tire you out, just slow you down.

I’m going to WhatsApp her to see if she can get on and give her first hand advice!

 

[annmte]

That’s me!

Laurie’s memory is correct - a friend and I walked Vegacervera to Poladura de La Tercia through Buiza a few weeks ago. Ended up about 26 kms. We were very nervous about the 3 climbs and the short steep descent, but it was a really amazing day - it was challenging without being completely exhausting, with lots of really beautiful views along the way. I think it took us about 7.5 hours, but we stopped a couple times (once when a local invited us in for coffee, and another time in the cute little town of Ciñera), and took lots of photos. It rained off and on all day, and some people in front of us actually saw snow on the 3rd hill after Buiza! It had stopped by the time we got there. In our view, the second climb (just before Buiza) was the most difficult - it’s shorter but very steep.

Happy to provide more detail if wanted!

Ann

 

[setmeravelles]

I hope my good buddy whose forum name I can never remember sees this. It’s something like @antme or @attnme or something like that, hoping she logs on! She did exactly this stage this past summer and said it was tough but totally do-able. I remember she WhatsApped me the day before, and I had been a bit unsure about it. I remembered the stage from Vegacervera to Pola de Gordón as being pretty exhausting, and that was without the ascent from Buiza to Poladura. But I was wrong. In terms of distance, I think it’s only about 24 or 26 kms. And what will slow you down on the way into Buiza is the descent through the rock face before Ciñera, but that will not tire you out, just slow you down.

I’m going to WhatsApp her to see if she can get on and give her first hand advice!

Thank you so much for the info. I did Poladura to Campomanes in 2018, and I'm not making that mistake again, so just wanted to see Vegacervera-Buiza would be like

 

[setmeravelles]

That’s me!

Laurie’s memory is correct - a friend and I walked Vegacervera to Poladura de La Tercia through Buiza a few weeks ago. Ended up about 26 kms. We were very nervous about the 3 climbs and the short steep descent, but it was a really amazing day - it was challenging without being completely exhausting, with lots of really beautiful views along the way. I think it took us about 7.5 hours, but we stopped a couple times (once when a local invited us in for coffee, and another time in the cute little town of Ciñera), and took lots of photos. It rained off and on all day, and some people in front of us actually saw snow on the 3rd hill after Buiza! It had stopped by the time we got there. In our view, the second climb (just before Buiza) was the most difficult - it’s shorter but very steep.

Happy to provide more detail if wanted!

Ann

Thanks for sharing your experience! I can deal with challenging, I think (I did Poladura-Campomanes in 2018...that was completely exhausting!) 7.5 hours isn't too bad. I need my café con leche so if I see open bars, I'll probably stop

Since I'm going in the fall, I should ask...how bad was it in rain? I definitely would like any details you're willing to share so I know what I'm getting into

 

[annmte]

It was only light rain on and off for us, and at times pretty windy. Not bad at all and the views were still spectacular. After that short steep decline i mentioned, there’s a magic fairytale forest that is really special. I’m telling you, it’s a fabulous stretch - we loved it.