Mapping out a new route

I love poring over the Spanish IGN (Instituto Geográfico Nacional de España) maps. All those little squiggles hold out such mysterious promise. 99% of the time, I’ve been able to combine the information on the IGN maps with a track already posted on Wikiloc that will take us to a desired area. In fact, that’s been true for 46 of the 48 routes we’ve done so far on this trip. There has either been a track that someone else has put up or pieces of several tracks that I can combine that has taken us where we want to go.

But a few weeks ago from Alozaina, and now from Casarabonela this morning, I’ve plotted out a new route on the IGN map that doesn’t exist on Wikiloc. It’s exciting to do this, but there are lots of little things to watch out for. From Alozaina, we ran into a locked gate that Ned was able to circumvent with a farm track that got us from point A to point B. More common, if you don’t zoom in far enough on the IGN maps, two dirt roads that LOOK like they connect, turn out to have a small break between them. You get there and find out it’s a sheer, uncrossable arroyo or whatever. However, this morning’s stab at a new track worked out perfectly. We were able to make a loop route rather than an out-and-back walk, seeing new things at every point along the way. I briefly read the map wrong at one junction and took us into a tangle of overgrown plants with a steep drop off to one side, but we quickly retraced our steps and got back on a wide dirt track with no problems. And now it’s posted on Wikiloc for anybody else who comes to Casarabonela to follow. Such a satisfying day.

www.wikiloc.com/hiking-trails/casarabonela-circ…Read more