Potes to Las Arenas de Cabrales. 35 miles

Tuesday 3 June

This afternoon the weather cleared so we drove to Somanieux in the next valley across from Potes to do a 6 km walk indicated on a map we got at the site.   The tourist office map doesn’t give any details you just turn up at the start and follows the signs.   Thankfully there were signs which were easy to follow. Climbed uphill and reached a beautiful view point where you could see down two valleys. 

 

Rant – In order to assist navigation I use an app called ‘Viewranger’ on my Galaxy phone. It works well – in the UK. I download official maps from their website for whichever area we are visiting. Sadly, few paths are shown on the maps. Even when we are walking along signed path it looks as though we are walking through virgin woodland. I’m not too sure if this is because the Spanish version of ‘Ordnance Survey’ doesn’t really care about such details or it’s because the people who sell the electronic version of the maps got the work experience person to scan them. Whatever the reason, it is very frustrating when we find ourselves having an argument, miles away from civilisation, about the fact that we should be on a footpath 50 feet above us.

Wednesday 4 June

Moved from Potes today to Las Arenas de Cabrales.  This is only a distance of 35 miles but it involves driving back up the narrow gorge road to the top of that valley and then driving down the next valley and takes a long time.  As there were several walks we wanted to do in the area it made sense to move the van.   We met several coaches coming down the narrow gorge road heading to the Potes and the Monastery.  Luckily we met them in places where it was possible to pull in.  I don’t know what we would have done in some of the narrowest parts!!’ We arrived at ‘Camping Naranjo de Bulnes’ where the lady owner gave us a warm welcome. Which was just as well given the prices she was charging. Almost all the campsites we have stayed on thus far have accepted the ACSI discount card and charge 16 euros a night. This site cost us 28 euros a night and the facilities were not that great but it was in a good location location location. The owner was however very helpful  and recommended some walks for us, but advised we didn’t do them today as the weather was grey and damp.  She assured us that it would be better tomorrow.

We went across to the bar in the evening and had some more average food.  Sarah ham, egg and chips again, only this time the ham was fried!   To give you an idea of the weather, they had a fire lit in the bar. 

Wifi was available but difficult to get in the bar due to the very thick walls, you really needed to be outside on the social terrace to get a good signal. This also applied to the credit card machine. So when it came to pay I had to stand in the middle of the main road on a zebra crossing to key in my pin. Honestly. This really happened.

Thursday 5 June

Guess what. The campsite lady was right. We woke to a bright blue sky and a large orange thing emitting heat.   We drove a few miles up to a Poncebos (not really a village, more a car park with a couple of houses and bars and a funicular station.   We set off to walk along ‘La Garanta Del Cares’ (translates as the throat of the Cares River).   It is a spectacular gorge.  During the 1940’s  the Electric Company, Viesgo, built a canal through the gorge at quite a high level to direct water to their hydroelectric plant at Carmena. 

This was an incredible piece of civil engineering as the canal at times went through tunnels then over aqueducts. In order to maintain the canal they then constructed a footpath for access.  Lucky for walkers that they did.   The path is 12km in total from Poncebos to Cain and then 12 km back.  It was a wide path but you had to watch your footing on the stone.  It was quite vertigo inducing in parts as it very high up with a sheer drop.   The views were superb.   We walked about half way and then turned back as we knew we could walk all the way their and back and there is no other way back.  In places you can see the canal either above or below you before it disappears into the mountain via a tunnel.

Later in the day an English chap came to ask about our electric adaptor as he didn’t have one.  I directed him to the electrical store in town.  Later on he came to ask if we had a screwdriver as he had to build his own adaptor from the bits he got at the store.  I recognised his wife’s accent as being from Hull and it turned out she was from Gipsyville in Hull and he was from Scunthorpe and had worked in Chesterfield.   It turned in to a late evening of reminiscing about Hull and why different campsites have different types of plug. I almost went into a rant about gas bottles and was about to show him my collection of gas and electric adaptors but it was late.

Friday 6 June

While I finalised the latest blog Sarah took herself off on a walk to the supermarket as it seemed that BBQ weather had arrived.

In the afternoon we drove up the valley towards Cangas and then turned towards Covadonga. 

During the 25 mile drive the temperature went up from 19 to 29 deg c. Then the wind started to howl. Interestingly about 24 hours later they had terrible storms in Germany.

There is nothing at Covadonga apart from a very large church, which must be very popular as there were miles of car parking available.  We didn’t stop for the church but carried on up the mountain to the glacial lakes of Enol and Ercina.  It was a hairy road in place but amazing views – you could see mountains for miles. 

We did a short walk from Ercina following  a pass between two mountains.  The pass was a giant limestone pavement just like Malham.  

By the Lago Ercina there were once again many cows and calves wandering around.  A little further away there was a bull and he started calling.  All the cows and calves made their way towards him (albeit slowly).  Mind you I wouldn’t have argued with him.

Saturday 7 June

Another beautiful day.  We drove to Poncebos again, but this time to walk up to the village of Bulnes.  

This is a tiny village 1640ft up from Poncebos.   Until 2001 when a funicular railway was built the only access to the village was on foot.  The uphill climb was worth the effort for the views and the village, when you reach it is delightful with a pretty stream running through it.  The lower part of the village is called La Villa.  The other half, El Castillo, is a further 15 mins uphill.  After a reviving coffee we walked up.  Since the arrival of the funicular a lot of the houses have been restored, I presume because it is now a little easier to get materials up there.  We walked down as far as the funicular station and decided that our knees were not up to the descent to Poncebos so took the funicular down.   An expensive cop out at 17 euros each but we were knackered.   The funicular is in a tunnel in the mountain so there are no views unfortunately.  The car seemed to have a cargo area at one end. 

In the evening we went to the restaurant next to the site.  We were the only people in!! Had a local dish called Fabada which is a bean stew with chorizo, black pudding and pancetta.  Very tasty but a very sturdy dish, would be great on a cold winters evening.   Spanish cuisine seems to lack any finesse and certainly would not pass muster on Master Chef. Had bad wind overnight.

By the way do try the local Cabales cheese, it’s a bit like a very mild version of Stilton.

Rant – about navigation app – again. In addition to tracking how far we have walked my app also measures height game and loss. Now here’s the thing, the gain and the loss are never the same. On some walks we should be hovering 20 feet in the air on others we are underground. Maybe the satellites for this part of the world need re calibrating – or I need to get a better app.

Sunday 8 June

Took a walk from the site that was recommended by owner.   Had to turn back at one point and ask her for the directions again as we ended up trying to break into some sort of hydro-electric compound owned by EON to get to a path on the other side. At one point Sarah said do you think this is a good idea. I had to agree it probably wasn’t one of my best.

The walk takes you uphill to a view point for Naranja de Bulnes, the mountain that the campsite is named after.   It has a squared off top making it very distinctive.    After a short rest we walked down again.   We have got to the stage where we would quite like to walk through a level meadow where you don’t have to worry about where you are putting your feet all the time.  

Rambling thoughts… about the Picos. We read an article about this area a couple of years ago and decided we wanted to visit…and I’m glad we did. The Picos do not cover a huge area and they are not that high but they are very impressive. There is lots of good hiking without the need for rock climbing. The area also has a very different feel to the Pyrenees and indeed other parts of Spain we have visited. The buildings are rustic but robust….as is the cooking. Don’t expect cordon bleu. The houses that are painted were less Farrow and Ball and more Dulux Feature Wall. The locals are also very welcoming and always say hello. If you want to see a different side of Spain this is the place to come. The weather is not reliable so you must accept that there will be occasional wet days but there are also some glorious days too.