A very big day on the Primitivo entering perhaps the most challenging stage. We left at 7am with hopes for good weather. Weather forecast seemed okay with some morning rain and “partly cloudy” later. We started walking in fog and mist but this turned into rain after ~3km and was raining steadily at the “decision point” where we needed to choose between the high altitude, traditional Hospitales route or the longer valley route via Pola de Allande. Although it was raining we hoped for clear weather and continued on the Hospitales route. Rain stopped after an hour or so but the fog and mist continued. We climbed steadily on reasonably good surfaces until ~1100 meters (peaking out above 1200m) where we were above the treeline. Unfortunately, the fog never completely cleared. The good news was that the visibility was usually several hundred meters although at times it was less than 100 meters. The route reached was well marked and we usually could normally see at least two route markers ahead. Obviously, a whiteout would have been dangerous. We passed the ruins of three pilgrim “hospitals” (thus the name of hospitales) dating back as far as the 13th century. We stopped for a quick snack and continued when the weather worsened. After a total of ~15km we crossed a highway at a pass and descended steeply for a few kilometers on a difficult stony path. Fortunately the path improved, although the rains returned for awhile and we continued on to Berducedo, reaching it after 28km and 8 hours en route. The albergue was a pleasant refuge and after showers and a nice menu del dia we napped and then worked on our diaries, etc.
No comments:
Post a Comment