- Time of past OR future Camino
- May 2023: Via Francigena, Lucca to Rome
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I hiked up to Las Herrerias at the foot of the hill, then I started up the hill from there in the Morning.In another thread on "when did you feel most like quitting" a number of people have mentioned the long climb to O Cebreiro as one of their more discouraging days. Which is a shame, because it is a lovely walk ... if you do it at the start and not the end of your day.
My advice, for those walking the CF the first time: take a look at the elevation map on Gronze. There are some lovely towns along the river before the climb. Take a short day and spend the night in one. When I walked it seemed like 95% of the pilgrims tackled the climb at the end of a long day. The few of us who spent the night in Vega de Valcarce had first breakfast at the start of the climb, coffee and a snack part way up at La Faba, and arrived in O Cebreiro in time for a leisurely lunch.
In general, it's easier to climb a hill in the morning when you're still fresh. You'll need to ignore what everyone else seems to be doing, but you'll meet others who are also ignoring the main stages. I try not to give too much strong advice to new pilgrims beyond the basics (pack light, carry enough water, etc) ... but this is an exception!
I agree. I walked from Villafranca del Bierzo both times that I walked that part of the Francés, but since I'd been walking weeks already from SJPdP, it wasn't that hard. Of course everyone is different!It also depends where in your Camino you hit it, and what you have already done. Those starting in SJPdP already have about 650k under their belts, and may wonder what all the fuss is about walking up to O’Cebreiro.
Yeah, I've had that experience on a few Caminos, on the Inglés in particular. Once I was on top I thought to myself, "ok, so that was the steep hill".It really is very much about your personal perception of ‘what a hill is’; first time I got within 500m of O’C I recall looking at my copy of Brierley, calling up a map app on my ‘phone and trying to figure out when the hill started.
Thank you for this advice.In another thread on "when did you feel most like quitting" a number of people have mentioned the long climb to O Cebreiro as one of their more discouraging days. Which is a shame, because it is a lovely walk ... if you do it at the start and not the end of your day.
My advice, for those walking the CF the first time: take a look at the elevation map on Gronze. There are some lovely towns along the river before the climb. Take a short day and spend the night in one. When I walked it seemed like 95% of the pilgrims tackled the climb at the end of a long day. The few of us who spent the night in Vega de Valcarce had first breakfast at the start of the climb, coffee and a snack part way up at La Faba, and arrived in O Cebreiro in time for a leisurely lunch.
In general, it's easier to climb a hill in the morning when you're still fresh. You'll need to ignore what everyone else seems to be doing, but you'll meet others who are also ignoring the main stages. I try not to give too much strong advice to new pilgrims beyond the basics (pack light, carry enough water, etc) ... but this is an exception!
My husband and I are reasonably fit, more so 10 years ago when we walked our 1st Camino with our training done in the foothills of Colorado. That said we spent the prior night before O Cebriro in Valcarce at the truck stop hotel, since husband was feeling his shins and didn't want to take a chance! Next day made a lunch and did the climb up. Saw our friends at the tables outside the bar in the little Square enjoying a vino and just had to stop. We decided to check the lovely hotel there and got the last available room. One of the best on our journey! Had a wonderful pilgrims meal that night. We were glad to be spontaneous and let the flow guide us. Just a note, my husband and I broke up our nightly stays in albergues by staying in pensions or hotels every 3rd or fourth day depending on what presented itself. Buen Camino!In another thread on "when did you feel most like quitting" a number of people have mentioned the long climb to O Cebreiro as one of their more discouraging days. Which is a shame, because it is a lovely walk ... if you do it at the start and not the end of your day.
My advice, for those walking the CF the first time: take a look at the elevation map on Gronze. There are some lovely towns along the river before the climb. Take a short day and spend the night in one. When I walked it seemed like 95% of the pilgrims tackled the climb at the end of a long day. The few of us who spent the night in Vega de Valcarce had first breakfast at the start of the climb, coffee and a snack part way up at La Faba, and arrived in O Cebreiro in time for a leisurely lunch.
In general, it's easier to climb a hill in the morning when you're still fresh. You'll need to ignore what everyone else seems to be doing, but you'll meet others who are also ignoring the main stages. I try not to give too much strong advice to new pilgrims beyond the basics (pack light, carry enough water, etc) ... but this is an exception!
I did it in 2018, exactly as you did. I found it pretty straightforward and very enjoyable. Alto de Poio, just before Fonfria, really caught me out, though. I wasn’t expecting it. It was short but really steep, from memory.In June 2017, the walk to O Cebreiro and beyond (to Fonfría) was one of the highlights of my camino.
I had stayed in Las Herrerías, so the climb was right at the start that day, just as @MichaelC is recommending.
It was a gorgeous morning and - for the first time in weeks - I had no blisters nor any other aches or pains. The uphill walk didn't pose any problems. I felt invincible and happy in a way I had never felt before and have never felt since.
I can share a few pictures I took that day:
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I hiked from Trabadelo to A Faba then next day to Alto do Poio. To A Faba was tough, on up to O Cebreiro was tough but Do Poio was to me the worst. I have climbed to O Cebreiro 3 times but my mind was always way ahead dreading Do Poio. A Faba was done around midday, O Cebreiro in the dark of early morn and Do Poio around midday the same dayIn another thread on "when did you feel most like quitting" a number of people have mentioned the long climb to O Cebreiro as one of their more discouraging days. Which is a shame, because it is a lovely walk ... if you do it at the start and not the end of your day.
My advice, for those walking the CF the first time: take a look at the elevation map on Gronze. There are some lovely towns along the river before the climb. Take a short day and spend the night in one. When I walked it seemed like 95% of the pilgrims tackled the climb at the end of a long day. The few of us who spent the night in Vega de Valcarce had first breakfast at the start of the climb, coffee and a snack part way up at La Faba, and arrived in O Cebreiro in time for a leisurely lunch.
In general, it's easier to climb a hill in the morning when you're still fresh. You'll need to ignore what everyone else seems to be doing, but you'll meet others who are also ignoring the main stages. I try not to give too much strong advice to new pilgrims beyond the basics (pack light, carry enough water, etc) ... but this is an exception!
I really enjoyed that variant. The one cafe we stopped at had a petition to make it the official route.If you want a bit of hill climbing prep the day before you can take the camino variant leaving Villafranca del Bierzo upward to Pradela and then down to Trabadelo.
I started from Vega de Valcarce early in the morning and hit the long uphill fresh. The path was a steady climb but not insurmountable. I don't recall any particular problem except I kept looking for the Galicia boundary marker which seemed to take forever, especially since I was behind a group of large cows being moved. But that steep uphill just before Alto do Poio was something else! I remember looking up and thinking, "What the hell?" From the base of the climb, it looked steep enough to warrant a ladder. It was a tough ending to a beautiful day. But that's the glory of the Camino. One can cruise along for long stretches, while occasional challenges keep it interesting. A good metaphor for life!up to O Cebreiro was tough but Do Poio was to me the worst.
Yes, after 650klms I hardly remember the climb to 0'C. Nothing like the climb from SJPP.It also depends where in your Camino you hit it, and what you have already done. Those starting in SJPdP already have about 650k under their belts, and may wonder what all the fuss is about walking up to O’Cebreiro.
This sounds like wisdom.Yes, and your advice should be generalized. As I walked more Caminos (and got older), it became VERY apparent that I had to look at both the distance for the day the TOTAL changes in elevation. My distance per day now varies from 10K to 30K depending on the total changes in elevation. I also consider breaking a very long stage into two stages and two taxi rides (Start to mid - taxi back and then the next day taxi to mid and finish it up). I find that I now have very few days were I have bad memories or feel too exhausted. Just come to reckoning with what you can do comfortably.
Completely agree ! It's difficult but at the start of the day when you are fresh it's a beautiful climb rather than a hard slog at the end of a long dayIn another thread on "when did you feel most like quitting" a number of people have mentioned the long climb to O Cebreiro as one of their more discouraging days. Which is a shame, because it is a lovely walk ... if you do it at the start and not the end of your day.
My advice, for those walking the CF the first time: take a look at the elevation map on Gronze. There are some lovely towns along the river before the climb. Take a short day and spend the night in one. When I walked it seemed like 95% of the pilgrims tackled the climb at the end of a long day. The few of us who spent the night in Vega de Valcarce had first breakfast at the start of the climb, coffee and a snack part way up at La Faba, and arrived in O Cebreiro in time for a leisurely lunch.
In general, it's easier to climb a hill in the morning when you're still fresh. You'll need to ignore what everyone else seems to be doing, but you'll meet others who are also ignoring the main stages. I try not to give too much strong advice to new pilgrims beyond the basics (pack light, carry enough water, etc) ... but this is an exception!
I assume you know about this John but for others there is a rule of thumb that helps you adjust the amount of time it will take you to walk a certain distance with elevation changes. It is called Naismith's Rule. There are a number of tweaks to this and also variations. Brierley uses a variation in his guides where he gives an equivalent distance. For example, a stage may have a distance of 25 kms and an equivalent distance of 30 kms. Using this and assuming you walk 5 kph it would take you about 5 hours to walk the distance if it was flat (25/5) but it will be more likely to take you 6 hours (30/5). Stops at bars not included. Of course this gives you a time estimate but not an indication of muscle pain.As I walked more Caminos (and got older), it became VERY apparent that I had to look at both the distance for the day the TOTAL changes in elevation.
I couldn't agree more. I followed advice not to do big climbs when you are tired and already done a good days walking. It makes sense. Doesn't take away the challenge of the walk up to O Cebreiro but it wasn't too bad.In another thread on "when did you feel most like quitting" a number of people have mentioned the long climb to O Cebreiro as one of their more discouraging days. Which is a shame, because it is a lovely walk ... if you do it at the start and not the end of your day.
My advice, for those walking the CF the first time: take a look at the elevation map on Gronze. There are some lovely towns along the river before the climb. Take a short day and spend the night in one. When I walked it seemed like 95% of the pilgrims tackled the climb at the end of a long day. The few of us who spent the night in Vega de Valcarce had first breakfast at the start of the climb, coffee and a snack part way up at La Faba, and arrived in O Cebreiro in time for a leisurely lunch.
In general, it's easier to climb a hill in the morning when you're still fresh. You'll need to ignore what everyone else seems to be doing, but you'll meet others who are also ignoring the main stages. I try not to give too much strong advice to new pilgrims beyond the basics (pack light, carry enough water, etc) ... but this is an exception!
I have used a Scarf's equivalence, a variation of Naismith's Rule, for many years to give a much more realistic estimate than Brierley's. John Brierley's approach is heavily skewed to slower walkers. It uses an average walking speed of 3 km/hr for its calculations, resulting in an under-estimate of the adjustment required for those of us who can maintain a walking pace closer to 5 km/hr. It gets worse if you go faster than that.I assume you know about this John but for others there is a rule of thumb that helps you adjust the amount of time it will take you to walk a certain distance with elevation changes. It is called Naismith's Rule. There are a number of tweaks to this and also variations. Brierley uses a variation in his guides where he gives an equivalent distance. For example, a stage may have a distance of 25 kms and an equivalent distance of 30 kms. Using this and assuming you walk 5 kph it would take you about 5 hours to walk the distance if it was flat (25/5) but it will be more likely to take you 6 hours (30/5). Stops at bars not included. Of course this gives you a time estimate but not an indication of muscle pain.
I like this advice and would have taken it! In 2018 I tackled the hill too late on a hot, long walk day. I billeted at La Faba, and it felt like bliss. Sad that I had quit before the topIn another thread on "when did you feel most like quitting" a number of people have mentioned the long climb to O Cebreiro as one of their more discouraging days. Which is a shame, because it is a lovely walk ... if you do it at the start and not the end of your day.
My advice, for those walking the CF the first time: take a look at the elevation map on Gronze. There are some lovely towns along the river before the climb. Take a short day and spend the night in one. When I walked it seemed like 95% of the pilgrims tackled the climb at the end of a long day. The few of us who spent the night in Vega de Valcarce had first breakfast at the start of the climb, coffee and a snack part way up at La Faba, and arrived in O Cebreiro in time for a leisurely lunch.
In general, it's easier to climb a hill in the morning when you're still fresh. You'll need to ignore what everyone else seems to be doing, but you'll meet others who are also ignoring the main stages. I try not to give too much strong advice to new pilgrims beyond the basics (pack light, carry enough water, etc) ... but this is an exception!
I agree, the way Brierley computes equivalent distance is bad. It shortens the estimated time to do a stage. Scarf gave us an easier way to figure the time to do a stage if we go at a speed other than Naismith's 5 kph (well, the approximate metric equivalent of his 3 mph). In reality we can expect that with us getting tired after walking longer distances and up hills we will get slower and thus take more time than computed with the Naismith/Scarf equivalent distances divided by our speed over the flat early on in the walk. Tranter's corrections help with estimated time to walk the much longer distances.I have used a Scarf's equivalence, a variation of Naismith's Rule, for many years to give a much more realistic estimate than Brierley's.
I am also planning to do the climb with fresh legs in the morning. However, my friend & I will stop the night in Las Herrerias rather than in Vega de Valance.In another thread on "when did you feel most like quitting" a number of people have mentioned the long climb to O Cebreiro as one of their more discouraging days. Which is a shame, because it is a lovely walk ... if you do it at the start and not the end of your day.
My advice, for those walking the CF the first time: take a look at the elevation map on Gronze. There are some lovely towns along the river before the climb. Take a short day and spend the night in one. When I walked it seemed like 95% of the pilgrims tackled the climb at the end of a long day. The few of us who spent the night in Vega de Valcarce had first breakfast at the start of the climb, coffee and a snack part way up at La Faba, and arrived in O Cebreiro in time for a leisurely lunch.
In general, it's easier to climb a hill in the morning when you're still fresh. You'll need to ignore what everyone else seems to be doing, but you'll meet others who are also ignoring the main stages. I try not to give too much strong advice to new pilgrims beyond the basics (pack light, carry enough water, etc) ... but this is an exception!
I was able to do it ten years ago but last time few times I took a ride up with the man bringing backpacks and although he took the mountain road it was scary.I did it at the end of the day and ran the last few hundred metres as we wanted a beer and the last one at the bar had to buy the drinks! However, that was 10 years ago.
Let us not forget a few years back a 34-year-old man had a massive heart attack going up, his younger brother had to be contacted a few towns back. It's a tough and dangerous trek.I hiked from Trabadelo to A Faba then next day to Alto do Poio. To A Faba was tough, on up to O Cebreiro was tough but Do Poio was to me the worst. I have climbed to O Cebreiro 3 times but my mind was always way ahead dreading Do Poio. A Faba was done around midday, O Cebreiro in the dark of early morn and Do Poio around midday the same day
@nathanael, I wonder why you would suggest it is dangerous. Tough, yes, I agree with you there. But having walked it twice, I didn't think it was dangerous. The track is well defined and both times when I walked it the surface was reasonable, quite unlike the descents into Zubiri, from the Alto de Perdon, after the Cruz de Ferro or coming into Molinaseca. I don't recall any danger of the track slipping down the hill, as appeared to be a risk climbing to the Alto Perdon when I walked. It is well away from any vehicle traffic, and the only risk from animal traffic might have been stepping into some horse dung.Let us not forget a few years back a 34-year-old man had a massive heart attack going up, his younger brother had to be contacted a few towns back. It's a tough and dangerous trek.
Animal traffic was a concern on my first climb. A herd of cattle came down the trail towards me with horns like I have never experienced in Ireland. Not quite the longhorns of Texas but scared the divil out of me. I just stood there and prayed as they went by@nathanael, I wonder why you would suggest it is dangerous. Tough, yes, I agree with you there. But having walked it twice, I didn't think it was dangerous. The track is well defined and both times when I walked it the surface was reasonable, quite unlike the descents into Zubiri, from the Alto de Perdon, after the Cruz de Ferro or coming into Molinaseca. I don't recall any danger of the track slipping down the hill, as appeared to be a risk climbing to the Alto Perdon when I walked. It is well away from any vehicle traffic, and the only risk from animal traffic might have been stepping into some horse dung.
I know our individual perceptions of danger might be quite different, but people suffer heart attacks in all sorts of circumstances, and we would look at the condition of the individual rather than the environment for an explanation. Such deaths are tragedies, but I cannot see that this would lead me to assess the climb as dangerous. I doubt that you would suggest that every albergue where someone died in their sleep was dangerous, sad as someone passing away there might be.
Animal traffic was a concern on my first climb. A herd of cattle came down the trail towards me with horns like I have never experienced in Ireland. Not quite the longhorns of Texas but scared the divil out of me. I just stood there and prayed as they went by
Which I think is exactly the right response.Animal traffic was a concern on my first climb. A herd of cattle came down the trail towards me with horns like I have never experienced in Ireland. Not quite the longhorns of Texas but scared the divil out of me. I just stood there and prayed as they went by
Agreed! This was definitely the case for me. I really struggled with the Pyrenees and several other climbs in the first half of the Frances - but O Cebreiro wasn't so bad. I had planned thinking I should just take the horses up - not only did I not do it, I was glad I didn't do it.It also depends where in your Camino you hit it, and what you have already done. Those starting in SJPdP already have about 650k under their belts, and may wonder what all the fuss is about walking up to O’Cebreiro.
dangerous in the fact in how could you even get medical help in that rough terrain think about it. nevertheless each to his own.@nathanael, I wonder why you would suggest it is dangerous. Tough, yes, I agree with you there. But having walked it twice, I didn't think it was dangerous. The track is well defined and both times when I walked it the surface was reasonable, quite unlike the descents into Zubiri, from the Alto de Perdon, after the Cruz de Ferro or coming into Molinaseca. I don't recall any danger of the track slipping down the hill, as appeared to be a risk climbing to the Alto Perdon when I walked. It is well away from any vehicle traffic, and the only risk from animal traffic might have been stepping into some horse dung.
I know our individual perceptions of danger might be quite different, but people suffer heart attacks in all sorts of circumstances, and we would look at the condition of the individual rather than the environment for an explanation. Such deaths are tragedies, but I cannot see that this would lead me to assess the climb as dangerous. I doubt that you would suggest that every albergue where someone died in their sleep was dangerous, sad as someone passing away there might be.
I take it that this is a serious comment, and I will respond to it as such. The easy answer is that there is a well established sealed road network leading up the valley of the rio Pereje linking Villafranca to O Cebreiro. That road network is never far from the Camino path, and would provide relatively good access. I don't recall there being any issue using a normal mobile phone in that area, albeit I didn't check every step of the way to see if I had a signal.dangerous in the fact in how could you even get medical help in that rough terrain think about it. nevertheless each to his own.
I cannot help myself now. I think this is a wonderful idea, perhaps because I do something similar but with different factors. In the past, I used a very similar set of numbers to @henrythedog, but when I started leading groups on walks, I adjusted it downwards slightly to account for the slightly longer times it takes a group to do things. I'm not sure why he hasn't had to factor this in for his human companions.Naismith, Tranter et al came from generations who (IMHO) were hard as nails compared to what I see around me (and in the mirror) nowadays. I’m fairly well experienced in the hills and in long days walking and I simplify my estimation (for anything not involving actual hands-on climbing) to 4K per hour and 400m of ascent per hour; so in 15 minutes I’ll go forward 1k or up 100m. That -for me - includes short stops. I check this a few times per annum on a full day walk, and it’s roughly right (for me) and simple to work with.
In another thread on "when did you feel most like quitting" a number of people have mentioned the long climb to O Cebreiro as one of their more discouraging days. Which is a shame, because it is a lovely walk ... if you do it at the start and not the end of your day.
My advice, for those walking the CF the first time: take a look at the elevation map on Gronze. There are some lovely towns along the river before the climb. Take a short day and spend the night in one. When I walked it seemed like 95% of the pilgrims tackled the climb at the end of a long day. The few of us who spent the night in Vega de Valcarce had first breakfast at the start of the climb, coffee and a snack part way up at La Faba, and arrived in O Cebreiro in time for a leisurely lunch.
In general, it's easier to climb a hill in the morning when you're still fresh. You'll need to ignore what everyone else seems to be doing, but you'll meet others who are also ignoring the main stages. I try not to give too much strong advice to new pilgrims beyond the basics (pack light, carry enough water, etc) ... but this is an exception!
I agree. It was a great idea to start the day with the climb instead of at the end of the day. But it is your Camino do what you think is good for you. We stayed in Las Herrerías, a beautiful quiet village with a stream flowing through it. Some pilgrims took a horse up but not all the way up. You can find the information at your accommodation. I hope this helps. Buen Camino! |
Thanks for this topic and please don't think of this as the ramblings of a "Camino-snob." If you are a flatlander, these are hills. If you are from anyplace in the world with mountains, these are just a series of very brief, very easy, very manageable, mini-day hikes. Our first camino (in our mid-fifties) after leaving St Jean/Roncesvalles the next most difficult terrain was (1) up to LaFaba, and (2) down from Cruz de Fero. Other than those two portions (which in total were probably only 45 minutes each), the challenge—for us—was not the climbing, but the duration of the journey itself.In another thread on "when did you feel most like quitting" a number of people have mentioned the long climb to O Cebreiro as one of their more discouraging days. Which is a shame, because it is a lovely walk ... if you do it at the start and not the end of your day.
My advice, for those walking the CF the first time: take a look at the elevation map on Gronze. There are some lovely towns along the river before the climb. Take a short day and spend the night in one. When I walked it seemed like 95% of the pilgrims tackled the climb at the end of a long day. The few of us who spent the night in Vega de Valcarce had first breakfast at the start of the climb, coffee and a snack part way up at La Faba, and arrived in O Cebreiro in time for a leisurely lunch.
In general, it's easier to climb a hill in the morning when you're still fresh. You'll need to ignore what everyone else seems to be doing, but you'll meet others who are also ignoring the main stages. I try not to give too much strong advice to new pilgrims beyond the basics (pack light, carry enough water, etc) ... but this is an exception!
This was exactly our experience! We started our hike first thing in the morning after breakfast, stopped for a snack as you mention, and had a glorious walk to O Cebreiro. There we ate, celebrated and consider it our favorite day of the whole CF.In another thread on "when did you feel most like quitting" a number of people have mentioned the long climb to O Cebreiro as one of their more discouraging days. Which is a shame, because it is a lovely walk ... if you do it at the start and not the end of your day.
My advice, for those walking the CF the first time: take a look at the elevation map on Gronze. There are some lovely towns along the river before the climb. Take a short day and spend the night in one. When I walked it seemed like 95% of the pilgrims tackled the climb at the end of a long day. The few of us who spent the night in Vega de Valcarce had first breakfast at the start of the climb, coffee and a snack part way up at La Faba, and arrived in O Cebreiro in time for a leisurely lunch.
In general, it's easier to climb a hill in the morning when you're still fresh. You'll need to ignore what everyone else seems to be doing, but you'll meet others who are also ignoring the main stages. I try not to give too much strong advice to new pilgrims beyond the basics (pack light, carry enough water, etc) ... but this is an exception!
Those icey little beers at the perfect times couldnt be scheduled betterI trekked up to O'Cebriero twice in the snow; once back is 2017 and again this past April. My beard was iced over as I entered town. I immediately went into Meson O'Cebriero (I think) and had a cold beer and a HOT bowl of garlic soup. Hmm, I can taste it now. What a great day!
Funny, I agree. I have walked it many times, but one year the pilgrim I was with had shin splints so we rode the horses. I thought what a breeze. Well the thighs and butt didn't think so. I was the sorest I had been. I did enjoy getting to look out at the scenery and not having to watch my feet.The first time I walked up to O Cebreiro, last time we rode horses. It was definitely easier walking!
Riding was not the easy option.
Haha. You can definitely call that 'climbing prep'! My son and I took the scenic route that day, and we saw not another soul. Plus it was 90 degrees when we ended up above the tree line. We were jubilant when we reached Trabadelo, even if we had a few kms left before we reached our albergue. That climb was my least favorite (but most memorable!) on my awesome Camino ::sigh:: Walking on from La Portela de Valcarce to O Cebreiro the next day was lovely.If you want a bit of hill climbing prep the day before you can take the camino variant leaving Villafranca del Bierzo upward to Pradela and then down to Trabadelo.
I was so tempted to take the horse! No, not rustle, hire. As it was the walk was a challenge for a reason and a fellow peregrino stopped to ask if I was ok when I had to stop and looked genuinely concerned!! But a few stops and pacing and I made it. Still want to take the horse option though!The first time I walked up to O Cebreiro, last time we rode horses. It was definitely easier walking!
Riding was not the easy option.
Peg was too, for awhile. She was a minute ahead of me and when I arrived she handed me a half filled water bottle fresh from the fuente. "Here. It's great; have some." I said "No, thanks" and emptied the bottle onto the ground. I pointed out the fountain's sign and told her it said that the water quality was not guaranteed. Dread set in. She had already suffered intestinal troubles that had delayed our walk by four days. She worried and nearly cried for ten minutes as we sat outside the store. A woman from the village passed us and then back again with some bottled water so we asked if the water was okay. She said yes and that she always got her water there and "Why pay for water when you can get better for free." Needless to say Peg's mood changed for the better.We were jubilant when we reached Trabadelo
For those who want to increase the challenge up to O Cebreiro i would suggest two alternative routes: 1- the El Duro variant, that turns right after the bridge in Villafranca del Bierzo, and goes steeply to the right ridge and then goes down to Trabadelo where it reconnects with the main path;
2- the Dragonte's Route (which I did last year), going left before the bridge and then steeply to Dragonte village
I loved the horse option! As I swung my reconstructed right hip over I did have a moment of doubt but it turned out to be wonderful! Just think, the master of the horse, Victor goes up and down on foot… twice … a working dayI was so tempted to take the horse! No, not rustle, hire. As it was the walk was a challenge for a reason and a fellow peregrino stopped to ask if I was ok when I had to stop and looked genuinely concerned!! But a few stops and pacing and I made it. Still want to take the horse option though!
I so enjoyed el Duro variant! The views are stunning and walking in solitude is wonderful for contemplation. Once in Pradela, be sure to stop in Albergue Lamas for a bite and beverage. The owners are wonderful people. Given their "off the beaten path" location, I tried to support them with a few purchases as well - ie shells and trinkets. From Pradela, the walk down to Trabadelo is a short one.For those who want to increase the challenge up to O Cebreiro i would suggest two alternative routes: 1- the El Duro variant, that turns right after the bridge in Villafranca del Bierzo, and goes steeply to the right ridge and then goes down to Trabadelo where it reconnects with the main path
So true. When we walked this uphill in 2014, I remembered it being a beautiful day with blooming wild flowers and a pilgrim singing “the hills are alive with the sound of music”. To this day it brings back the beauty of the moment. Buen CaminoHola @MichaelC - I have to agree about how you approach this section of the Camino. Back in 2017 I walked it with an English couple, we started fromTrabadelo, had coffee & toast around Vega and a 10-15 min drink break at La Faba. We also arrived at O'Cebreiro in time for lunch and a few mins paying our respects to Don Elias. We pushed on to Linares in time to do our washing and prepare a meal. Buen Camino.
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