Alta Ruta Cantábrica - TPC guide, 25€.
Introduction
Alta Ruta Cantábrica is the most popular route that traverses the main mountain range in NW Spain, Cordillera Cantábrica, usually following the highest trails available and always connecting the most beautiful landscapes around the water divide. It surprises those who thru-hike it for its beauty, but above all, for the experience generated by its lonely and wildest sections, where it's common to find more wildlife than people.
Walking through the habitat of bears, wolves, grouse, broom hares, wildcats, vultures, grey partridges, deer, chamois... is an experience that leaves its imprint forever and makes you feel like one more of the family.
Portina de Faro pass from Puerto de Vegarada
Route description and difficulties
Start: Roncesvalles village - Border of France.
End: Pedrafita do Cebreiro village - Border of Galicia.
Distance: 878Km.
Possible links: Pyrenean High Route (HRP) and GR11 at the beginning, Camino de Santiago to Finisterre at the end.
Mission: to link the most beautiful spots in N-NW Spain.
The initial section across the Basque mountains (Navarra and Euskadi regions), is the easiest one and it's a good introduction to get in shape and adapt to the environment. The signposting is quite good, since marked trails such as GR11, GR12 or GR282 are usually followed, with variants to climb the most relevant peaks of the Basque Mountains: Adi, Saioa, Sollazbizkargaña, Aizkorri, Anboto, Gorbea and Tologorri.
Good signposting in the beech forest
Meadows, limestone and beech forest in Aizkorri
Between Puerto de Angulo and Puerto de Palombera road passes, the trails are generally easy to navigate, although fewer signposted trails are followed and in some sections it's necessary to pay attention to navigation and irregularities of the trail.
After Palombera, mountains become bigger, usually higher than 2000m. In winter and spring we will find snow there. Sometimes the trails will be faint and will require our full attention to find them, even with the route-guide and GPS. Thinking about how wildlife and livestock moves usually works. These usually link meadows and water points in the easiest way. This faint path network will be very useful if, even in summer, the weather turns rainy or windy and we prefer to avoid climbing to the summits.
Torres peak and a faint path network
In normal weather we can enjoy alpine and aesthetic peaks such as Peña Prieta, Coriscao, Torrecerredo, Peña Ten, Pico Torres, Peña Ubiña, Peña Orniz, Cornón, Cuiña... and from the distance, Curavacas, Espigüete, Mampodre... top beauty scenic views everyday.
Peña Prieta peak from Puertos de Riofrío meadows
One of the abundant natural viewpoints to Picos de Europa massifs
Pico Torres from Puerto de San Isidro pass
The Cordillera Cantábrica is not a dry place, but hiking through its highest areas makes finding water not always easy. Therefore, it's something that should be planned ahead, specially if you hike in late summer.
Peña Ubiña peaks and Vega de Candioches meadows, yellowish at the end of summer
Landscapes
In the east, limestone, green mountain meadows and beech forests are the common, specially until Puerto de Palombera. As you move west, beech forests give way to oak, birch, broom, heath and blueberry. In the westernmost part, the large meadows become small and limestone is replaced by granite, slate and sandstone. A separate remark must be done for Picos de Europa massifs, where limestone dominates everything.
Limestone outcrop in silicon area
Standard landscape of the westernmost mountains
During almost the entire route there is an obvious difference between the north slope, green and with deep valleys; and the south, with a more Mediterranean appearance and higher valley bottoms. It's also relevant the difference between the beginning of summer, with intense green colours and the slopes tinged with purple and yellow flowers; and the end of summer, with less intense greens and even yellows, and with fewer flowers.
Looking North
Valle de Lago valley, also N, at the end of summer
Pileñes peak and Picos de Europa in the back
In the human aspect, linked to mountain meadows, livestock and the remains of traditional livestock management are abundant, such as "arkuek", ancient stone shelters in Aralar massif; stone walls delimiting pastures and cabins, in Cantabria-Burgos regions; and "teitos" or "pallozas", huts with vegetal roof, in Asturias-León-Galicia regions.
Typical "Pasiego" landscape near Estacas de Trueba pass
In the final part of the Alta Ruta Cantábrica, we will see important remains of coal mines, the main economic engine of these regions until they closed in 2018. It's paradoxical that at the same time, these areas also have the most pristine spots of the entire Cordillera Cantábrica.
Dangerous wildlife
Bears and wolves are not too used to humans yet. When a bear loses its fear and enters a village repeatedly, deterrents are often used until it stops.
Among the species of snakes we can find, only vipers usually inoculate venom, but it's rarely lethal: on average 1 death per year in the entire country.
Ticks are not common on the Alta Ruta Cantábrica. We can only find them in some lower areas. There is only one tick dense short section and the guide offers an alternative if you hate them too much.
Mosquitoes, horseflies and some others are not a big problem, since they only appear occasionally in low areas.
Friendly chamois snooping at sunset
Mastiffs: they can look aggressive, but normally their only goal is to protect their flock of sheep or goats. If they perceive us as non-dangerous, there will be no problem. It's helpful not to go near the flock, call them affectionately, or offer them some food.
Another friend in the Alta Ruta Cantábrica
Author's experience
Personally, each time I've repeated the Alta Ruta Cantábrica, I've lived experiences I'll never forget, some that even make me get goosebumps every time I remember them, like that pack of wolves that I surprised while attacking a flock of sheep, that wolf that I almost crashed with at dusk, those fresh faeces and marks that made me feel close to a bear, that birth of a transhumant lamb, those deer that stared at me for a few seconds...
An instant after the tense moment
...not forgetting the conversations with the locals, truly authentic people: that beer with a retired miner, that barbecue I was invited to in a cabin, stories of bears and wolves...
A great gift for a hungry thru-hiker
...and of course, those landscapes and bivouacs in places as magical as Puertos de Riofrío meadows and their Peña Prieta peak, Puertos de la Fonfría meadows and its Peña Ten peak, Vega Huerta meadow and its Peña Santa peak, Vegarada meadows and its Portina de Faro pass, Gorbea summit and its extensive views...
Puertos de la Fonfría meadows and Peña Ten peak
...and now, with the experiences that you thru-hikers tell, I fall in love with these mountains more and more every day.
Thanks
