Sunrise above Foncebadón

Early start this morning. Was up a little after 5.15 and left the albergue at about 6.15. By the boots left in the boot shelf, only 4 more pilgrims remained in bed.

My plan was to head up the mountain in the darkness to Foncebadón, about 5.5km away, in order to see the sun rise above the village at about 8, and then to continue up to the Cruz de Ferro.

Amazingly, there was sufficient moonlight from the more or less full moon, in a largely cloudless sky. I only needed to have my head torch on for about 20 mins of the hour and half climb, when the path went went through some woods. It was freezing; perhaps it would have been to have put long trousers on this morning.

It was first light as I reached Foncebadón at just before 7.30, and had time for a quick coffee and apple cake for breakfast. Then it was time to ascend a little further above the village to find a perfect spot to watch the sunrise.

It was awesome and glorious as the reddish orange ball rose majestically above the horizon, and behind the thin band of clouds. As it did so, beams of light spread across the sky. Another special and holy moment.

I’ll add some more photos from my better camera later on, but here’s a handful to whet the appetite.Read more