Day 30: Rabanal to Molinaseca, part 1

Mileage: 16 miles
Altitude gain: 1,631 feet
Altitude loss: 3,343 feet !!
Weather: cool in the morning; hot in the afternoon
Total mileage: 360.5 miles

This one. I resolved not to complain on this journey but today beat me up worse than any other day so far, and I admit I both complained and cried today.

A rooster woke me at 5:45 this morning, and since I wasn’t sleeping well anyway (not all bunk beds are created equal!) I got up and hit the trail by 6:30 or so. It was a beautiful morning! The trail started with an ascent that took me up two mountains by the middle of the day. Lovely views over the León and Cantabrian mountain ranges were the rewards. I stopped for breakfast in a cafe in Foncebadón and then by the side of the trail for a bread/cheese/fruit lunch just after the top of the second mountain.

Things went downhill from there, both literally and figuratively.

I knew it would be a long and difficult descent, but reading about that sort of thing is different than living it. It was eight straight miles of steep rocky trails that I began to think would never end. I stopped for a snack in Acebo midway down and then white-knuckled the last five miles down the mountain.

I finally made it, though, and devoured a pilgrim’s menu dinner with Marcella from Brooklyn. The Friday night partying involves fireworks at random intervals, so I am looking forward to some sleep!

1. Door in Rabanal - one of the churches?
2. It is a very good thing I left so early, partly because it was so beautiful. Also, it took me forever to reach Molinaseca!
3. Morning forest
4. Rocky but beautiful ascent
5. The view back over the direction from which I came.
6. The famous Cruz de Ferro, at the top of the first mountain. It’s become a tradition for people to leave stones at the foot of this cross for various reasons.
7. and 8. first descent
9. Another vista from the top, to the south, I think.
10. Walking along the mountainsideRead more