We based ourselves in Las Arenas de Cabrales, which is 6km by road to the start of the trail in Poncebos. From Poncebos in Asturias, you walk 12km through the gorge to Cain, Leon. During July and August, there are all kinds of transportation to do the trail every which way. Of the options available to us, we chose to hitchhike to (and back from) Poncebos over taxi. Of course, we had planned to walk back to Poncebos (not hitchhiking 100km) from Cain, Leon.
Knowing everything I know now, walking the trail round trip is definitely the way to do it. The gorge was SO beautiful; there are water canals and goats to watch along the way; the trail switch sides a couple time, so you get to walk on bridges over the gorge; there is a long tunnel cut in the side of the cliff.... How can one resist walking back?! In fact, it is preferable to walk slowly as to maximize the time in the gorge. It is probably easier to start in Cain, skipping the hilly 2km at the Poncebos end. However, starting in Poncebos, the trail is increasingly interesting since the bridges and tunnels are all on the Cain end.
The rest of time in Arenas, we went on a short hike to have some views to the peaks and a longer one along the supposedly Roman road to some high pastures with vistas across the valley.
Our first afternoon we take a short walk through working farmland: dairy cows, sheep, and goats; with some great views back to Las Arenas and up to the Picos themselves.
Video link here if you can't play the embedded video.
The second day we walk the The Ruta del Cares: 24 kms from Poncebos to Cain and back. Wow!
I'm standing on the trail at right.
The water channel that runs along the trail.
Halfway.
Walking just below the water channel.
Sharing the trail with goats.
The water channel becomes a pool a one point.
Always narrow, the gorge becomes even more narrow as we near Cain,and there is a series of bridges that take you from side to side. You can almost reach out and touch the other side.
And a very cool tunnel (with windows).
And we reach Cain.
Then head back to Poncebos.
Day Three: The Ruta de Caoru where we walk 1000 meters up and are above the clouds; hang out with horses and cows in high summer pastures; then come down....The start of the Ruta, just a few hundred meters from our hotel.
In the first gentle kilometers there are many old, rugged chestnut trees...
...and we see our companion from the previous day; the water channel.
Part of this ruta claims to be old Roman road.
We stop for lunch and see clouds slipping into the far valley. That's Las Arenas, where we started, below.
The uphill is relentless and the trail, PR-127, is well marked.
Almost 1000 meters (3300 feet) gained as we reach the high summer pastures. I was surprised to see cows and horses hanging out together; that is, groups of cows and groups of horses in the same pastures.
Horses at the watering hotel where minutes before there were cows. Oh, and no humans besides us in sight. Lots of cowbells though. ;-)
We take a break at the upper pastures before heading down. See Sun-Ling at far left.
Flowers.
And lastly, a shot from the bus window as we leave the Picos for the northern coast, just 15 kms away as the crow flies.
4 comments:
¡Qué hermosos los Picos de Europa! And oh, la, la -- some impressive hiking, 24kms and 1000m ascents. I've just looked up la Ruta del Cares and found what I'm sure will be no surprise to you, that it "is one of the most breathtaking trekking trails that can be done in Europe." Your photos are magnificent.
@Dayle, I knew it was "one of the most breathtaking trekking trails that can be done in Europe" before we went and agree after! Of course, we have only hiked in obscure places in Europe. On the bus from Santiago to Oviedo we could see Picos. In the Oviedo bus station, this couple asked whether we were hiking the Camino and knew how to get on it in Oviedo. They had finished from Sevilla 12 days earlier, so took the bus to Oviedo to Camino again. Even though we helped them by looking up the route on the phone, on the inside I wanted to scream at them -- go walk in Picos instead!
I wonder if your trek shared any part with Camino Premitivo?
@WQZ, Camino Premitivo starts from Oviedo, I think. Picos are to the east of Oviedo. There are more different Caminos than I can count. When you are on it, it is very obvious because of the yellow signs pointing the way. We didn't run into any of them while in Picos.
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