A Journey Through the Heart of Picos de Europa
Picos de Europa, located in northern Spain, are a breathtaking part of the Cantabrian Mountains, divided into three main sections: Central (Urrieles), Eastern (Ándara), and Western (Cornión). With the sea nearby and peaks reaching up to 2,600 meters, these mountains offer stunning views with deep gorges and steep valleys, transitioning from lush beech forests to towering limestone summits.
For those seeking adventure, the Picos de Europa offer countless trails, but one stands out: the Ring of the Three Massifs. This epic journey involves hiking around the entire mountain system, visiting nine mountain refuges over nine days, covering 120 kilometers with a challenging 9,000 meters of elevation gain. I attempted this in just six days, opting for self-sufficiency and cooking with supplies from my backpack.
Spoiler alert: by the fourth day, I found myself without water and lost in the Western massif.
The first three days were a dream, enjoying the solitude of the mountains for hours, yet encountering fellow adventurers near the refuges, engaging in conversations about the only topic that mattered there: the mountains themselves.
I must admit, there were two tense moments during those initial days, but the serene walks through unpopulated mountain paths quickly overshadowed those challenges. But looking back, not mentioning them would diminish the significance of what was, until then, the greatest mountain adventure of my life.
Day Two's Challenge: The second stage featured the steepest climb—a 3-kilometer gorge with a 1,000-meter ascent (Canal de Jidiellu). That's a 30% incline with a 13-kilogram backpack. I savored the challenge, but little did I know what awaited me in the final 20 meters: a vertical stone wall with a rope for climbing. I considered turning back, but in a moment of madness, I decided to scale it. Heart pounding, adrenaline surging, I lay on the grass after conquering those 20 meters.
Night Three's Storm: An electric storm jolted me awake. Without much ado, I had to sprint through the night to seek shelter in the nearest refuge haha.
Just when I thought the hardest part was over, everything unraveled. I needed to reach a refuge called Vega de Ario via a little-traveled mountain channel named Culiembro. I embarked on this leg with only half a liter of water, trusting there would be a spring at the top... but there wasn't. With just two sips of water left, I believed I could walk a couple more hours to reach the refuge, but I lost my way and wandered around for far too long.
I found myself without water, disoriented, and my mind faltered.
I had assumed that if anything failed, it would be my body, while my mind remained steadfast. Thankfully, it wasn't the case.
If the body fails, what good is a functioning mind?
I broke down, deciding to retrace my steps... for hours. Eventually, I stumbled upon the main path and a life-saving spring. At that moment, I resolved to return to my car and conclude the adventure.
That day, I walked for 13 hours, finally reaching my car, collapsing in the trunk, and sleeping in my sweat-soaked clothes, but with the peace of being safe.
Looking back, I miss those days when my only job was to walk. I miss it so much that I'm doing it again this year haha.
Tap the photo to explore this trail on Wikiloc