The Mountains Camino Frances and the Fat cyclist

[Gbadgley]

I've been training on my Mountain bike for a long time, and well, while climbing hills is getting a little better, I'm afraid my youth has long gone. So, I understand there are a couple of approx. 16k stretches, one starting just before Rabanal. Can someone please tell me what the grade of this hill, and the other one is. I'm afraid I just might not be able to do it. A few kilometers is okay, but these are very long stretches for me. I'm sure if I had a month no problem, and I was 40 years younger. I have just under three weeks from Pamplona but I'm going to have to reappraise at Leon as to whether I can make it.

Here is a link to the Fat cyclist so we can all get on the same page when talking about grades.

http://www.fatcyclist.com/2012/08/01/a-handy-guide-to-climbing-grades/

Thanks, gary

 

[alexwalker]

Gary, go to:

www.godesalco.com/plan

and set up daily distances. When done, the website produces a plan with stops, daily profiles, elevation changes etc. for the whole of your camino. Print them out and laminate them, then bring them with you.

 

[djq]

Gary, I rode on the trail (mainly) from Roncesvalles to Santiago with my adult daughter (not a cyclist) last April. Due to logistical issues, we rode that distance in 14 days (with the first day being a half day to get to from Roncesvalles to Pamplona). If you are in reasonable shape, you should have no issue with nearly three weeks from Pamplona. The difficulty of each day's ride depends on a variety of things: how heavy your bike/gear are, whether you are on the trail or a road, how rough the trail is, what the weather is like, how much climbing there will be, and what the grade of the climb will be.

If you exclude pushing bikes up one very steep (but short) grade just before the Alto de Perdon, I found the toughest hill to be the "Mule Killer Hill" just past Castrojeriz--which was a dirt road with a climb of about 500 feet over about a mile--with portions of the grade being in the mid-teens and an average in the high single digits. I suspect a few people will ride all the way up that hill, but the rest of us will just push the bikes up varying amounts of the hill.

I "planned" our route and stops based in large part on data from the godesalco web site referenced above, shortening distances for days with hard climbs and lengthening them on the "flatter" days--and that worked out well. That said, you also need to realize that many of the "flat" days have rather a lot of climbing, sometimes as much as some of the "climbing" days.

I collected a lot of data along the way, including our perceptions on the difficulty of each day, GPS data (showing elevation changes, grade, speed, etc.), and took a ton of photos in which I endeavored to show the climbs, descents, and trail surfaces. I am happy to share. Private message me if you'd like more information.

Dan

 

[indyinmaine]

Gary, I rode on the trail (mainly) from Roncesvalles to Santiago with my adult daughter (not a cyclist) last April. Due to logistical issues, we rode that distance in 14 days (with the first day being a half day to get to from Roncesvalles to Pamplona). If you are in reasonable shape, you should have no issue with nearly three weeks from Pamplona. The difficulty of each day's ride depends on a variety of things: how heavy your bike/gear are, whether you are on the trail or a road, how rough the trail is, what the weather is like, how much climbing there will be, and what the grade of the climb will be.

If you exclude pushing bikes up one very steep (but short) grade just before the Alto de Perdon, I found the toughest hill to be the "Mule Killer Hill" just past Castrojeriz--which was a dirt road with a climb of about 500 feet over about a mile--with portions of the grade being in the mid-teens and an average in the high single digits. I suspect a few people will ride all the way up that hill, but the rest of us will just push the bikes up varying amounts of the hill.

I "planned" our route and stops based in large part on data from the godesalco web site referenced above, shortening distances for days with hard climbs and lengthening them on the "flatter" days--and that worked out well. That said, you also need to realize that many of the "flat" days have rather a lot of climbing, sometimes as much as some of the "climbing" days.

I collected a lot of data along the way, including our perceptions on the difficulty of each day, GPS data (showing elevation changes, grade, speed, etc.), and took a ton of photos in which I endeavored to show the climbs, descents, and trail surfaces. I am happy to share. Private message me if you'd like more information.

Dan

Ah yes, the Mule Killer! Forget about pushing a bike up it, walking was enough for me. I finally fell into a sloooowww but steady rhythm. I worked better than stopping!

 

[Anniesantiago]

If you exclude pushing bikes up one very steep (but short) grade just before the Alto de Perdon, I found the toughest hill to be the "Mule Killer Hill" just past Castrojeriz--which was a dirt road with a climb of about 500 feet over about a mile--with portions of the grade being in the mid-teens and an average in the high single digits. I suspect a few people will ride all the way up that hill, but the rest of us will just push the bikes up varying amounts of the hill.
Dan

Oh MAN, I know that hill well.
It is a booger!

 

[newfydog]

Three weeks is plenty of time for anyone. You'll do fine.
There is no steady measurable grade on any of the climbs. You might have to walk a few steep spots, but they are quite reasonable, and if you have low gears, pack light, pace yourself you'll find it is a great route.

 

[indyinmaine]

Three weeks is plenty of time for anyone. You'll do fine.
There is no steady measurable grade on any of the climbs. You might have to walk a few steep spots, but they are quite reasonable, and if you have low gears, pack light, pace yourself you'll find it is a great route.

".. a few steep spots, but they are quite reasonable . ." Ah, the point of view!

 

[k1ypp]

When I walked my first Camino, I recall six local mountain bike riders passing us and climbing the "Mule Killer." It is an 18% grade going west, and 14% going down the other side. All six of them climbed it, however, one of them finished ahead of the others by at least 300 meters, he was really moving. I'm a mountain bike racer and could really appreciate his effort.

I would think most mortals would just push their bikes up it. As for the whole route, three weeks should be more than plenty, we walked it, leisurely, in 43 days. We even spent three days in Azofra. We started at SJDP and ended at Santiago.

 

[gracie]

This "mule killer, " is there a detour to pass it or do we really have to climb it?

 

[mspath]

Gracie,

You can walk or bike on the verges of the parallel road NA- 1110 to avoid the deep ravine between Torres del Rio and Viana described on maps as Mataburros or the mule-killer.

Margaret Meredith

 

[William Marques]

You can easily avoid the hill after Castrojeriz by sticking to the flat road. We did not even realise we had missed it till after the event. I always thought that Mule-Killer Hill was the descent to Hornillos or Hontonas, I can't remember which, after all why would you take you animal up that big hill after Castrojeriz when the ground is flat all around it. Perhaps there are a lot of mule-killer hills in Spain.

There are some steep gradients between Rabanal and Cruz de Ferro but they are short and easily walked. The way up to O Cebreiro can be all done by road with easy grade or take the path for the short last section and push.

 

[sriyantra]

Gracie,

You can walk or bike on the verges of the parallel road NA- 1110 to avoid the deep ravine between Torres del Rio and Viana described on maps as Mataburros or the mule-killer.

Margaret Meredith

Thanks Margaret. I will make a note of this. It is still to be seen how my husband will go so I am keeping notes of alternatives for us. Are there any other alternatives e.g. after Castrojeriz? I understand there is a route after leaving Cruz de Ferro that takes you on the edge of the LE-142 to Acebo. I Google Earthed it and the road doesn't look busy. He is determined to start at SJPP and we will go to Orisson on Day 1 then back to SJPP for the night, and Day 2 to Roncesvalles. He figures if he makes it over those hills he can climb anything! Time will tell.

 

[William Marques]

The road from Astorga to Ponferrada via Rabanal and Acebo is very lightly used and ideal for cycling.

As stated above there is a perfectly flat alternative road route via the BU 400 and 403 to avoid the hill after Castrojeriz.

 

[Deleted member 3000]

As stated above there is a perfectly flat alternative road route via the BU 400 and 403 to avoid the hill after Castrojeriz.

The hill up is evenly graded and takes about twenty minutes, though it seems much longer! Stop every five minutes for two minutes, and it take a half-hour. The view is fantastic. The hill down is less amenable...

 

[Kiwi-family]

The view from the western edge of the plateau after the Castrojeriz hill is one of the most awe-filled moments of my camino......even if you have to push your bike all the way, I wouldn't miss it for the world!