Five More Days in the Mountains
I've taken much longer to write this blog than I should have.
It's not because I didn't try. I even went to a café to write a script!!
I just couldn't find the excuse to write it.
I've been incredibly lucky to travel “a lot”, whether for surfing or hiking in the mountains. And just as I've been lucky enough to go on those trips, I've also had a knack for attracting trouble. Getting lost and running out of water in the middle of the mountains (and promising the “Virgen de Covadonga” that if she got me out of that one, I'd buy a pendant — which I still wear every day), getting stung by a stingray in Nicaragua and having to be dragged out however people could manage, being bitten by dogs... the list goes on.
For me, all those trips ended up revolving around that one dramatic moment, and I think that's only natural. That's the story to hear, and honestly, it's the story I enjoy telling.
That's exactly why, when I finished five days in the mountains without a single incident, I almost felt a bit lost.
Of course, five days of (relative) self-sufficiency in the mountains come with their share of risky situations, but at no point did any of them become a real threat.
So here's a little recap of a five-day crossing through the Central Massif of Picos de Europa (written back in the city).
Stage 1
I left Poncebos early in the morning with the goal of reaching Jou de los Cabrones Hut. And, like the tough guy I clearly think I am, I decided to carry food for all five days from the start, which meant my backpack weighed almost 21 kg on day one.
After just over 2,000 metres of ascent, I finally reached the hut. Honestly, I never get tired of stopping there. It feels like stepping right into the heart of the mountains.
There's something about the mountains that I haven't found anywhere else: how easy it is to meet people. Maybe it's because there isn't much else to do...
So, after the climb and completely by chance, I found myself joining a group of guys from Málaga on an ascent of Torrecerredo.
It meant adding another four hours of hiking to the day, but Torrecerredo was one of the peaks I'd wanted to climb on this trip, and doing it with company was definitely the better option. I can't honestly say I enjoyed the climb—that would be a lie.
I'm terrified of heights, and the twenty-minute scramble wasn't exactly my idea of fun. To be honest, the summit wasn't much better. I'm one of those people who thinks mountains are more beautiful from below, when they still look unreachable.
Once you're at the top... what's the fun in that?
Still, goal achieved. Highest summit in the Cantabrian Mountains: done.
Then it was back to my one-man campsite for a hot dinner of Asturian fabada and rice (a reminder that my backpack had weighed 21 kg that morning).
Stage 2
Everything hurt.
Anyone who knows me knows I'm always complaining about something: my herniated disc, sciatica, and a long list of other aches and pains. But this time, I actually had a good excuse.
I decided to keep it short: Jou de los Cabrones – Pico de la Párdida – Urriellu. By midday, I was done.
And then... I simply did nothing (the wonderful kind of nothing). Read a little, wrote a little, just existed.
More than two hours sitting in the exact same spot, just looking around. Isn't that wonderful?
And wow... what a sunset.
Stage 3
I had to cross a scrambling section that I'd been dreading. There used to be a cable there to help hikers through it, but it was removed last year, and that definitely got into my head. And remember, I'm terrified of heights.
Even so, I found myself genuinely enjoying the climb between Jou de los Boches and Horcados Rojos. That thin line between adrenaline and controlled risk.
The rest of the day was about as straightforward as it gets. Just hiking under the sun.
I followed the Canal de San Luis towards Collado Jermoso. Judging by the time it took, I think it was around 20 kilometres, and I barely saw another person all day.
Just the mountains, me, and the daydreams I still haven't quite grown out of.
And, of course, finding a good spot to pitch my tent.
Stage 4
Spain were playing Portugal in the World Cup. They're pretty much the only football matches I ever watch, so that meant heading down to a village in the afternoon.
That morning I decided to climb La Palanca, a peak that's easily reached from the hut. This is probably a good time to mention that I'd forgotten to bring my phone charger for the whole trip, so my navigation system consisted of taking a photo of the map with my camera and hiking without a GPS track.
The climb was only about an hour and a half, and there wasn't much chance of getting lost.
I think I was the only person to climb that peak that day.
Back to the hut, one beer, and then down towards Cordiñanes.
That turned out to be the hardest part of the whole trip. Not because I was tired, not because the terrain was technical, but because of the heat.
Constant stops, forcing myself to stay focused so I wouldn't make any stupid mistakes.
But getting to El Tombo in Cordiñanes and watching the match with a ColaCao... that was worth it.
Stage 5
Time to finish. Time to hike the Cares.
Nothing complicated. Walk to Caín, then follow the Cares trail. I think it was another 18 kilometres or so.
A quick swim in a hidden spot, and then home.
Beautiful days.
As tough as I'd expected.
My body held up. So did the problems.
I got home, and life carried on. Work, editing photos, people.
The mountains will forget about me, but for those five days, they made me feel like I mattered.