Packing up the Pieces

Missing those summer vibes and company ☀️

That smile says it all ❤️

Sunset walks with my babe 🐾

Day 7: Riaño - Cistierna

I combined two stages in one and my body feels done for it. Thankful for the beautiful weather and quite different landscapes. I could feel the difference in the air and temperature as I made my way out of the higher mountains.

I was thankful for the coffee stand that was open early in Riaño so I could grab a cup of coffee for my early start.

Riaño looked how it did when I visited a few years ago, completely covered in clouds. There really isn’t much information on this route but I opted for the por camino route over the carretera. There was so much fog and with how fast people were zipping down the road yesterday, I took my chances in the forest.

It was a nice dirt path out and I was relieved to see it climbed uphill before the intense mountain climb to the peak. The woman at the TI center told me to stick to the road but this was so much better. However, I had to check in with my offline map more than I wanted to. You can tell they are modifying the path. It was really quiet and I missed those mountain peaks views, but the fog in the forest was eerie yet comforting.

It’s a short stint on the road after Horcades. The fog kind of started to lift and I could get my final views of the reservoir before walking through the tunnel. Stick to the left or you may miss the next tunnel down to avoid the huge road stint.

A lot of this walk is trust, like as in trusting there will be an arrow to point you in the right direction.

Most people stop in cremes but I continued onwards. Keep following the Elsa River. From here you follow an old Roman road which is increíble but really hard on the knees. Those old stones run deep.

There are benches along the way with little poems. I had to be conscious of my time so I couldn’t relax too much.

The old Roman road follows the hillside and you can actually see many of the old boundaries of the road. I stopped in Valdoré for a quick drink to refuel myself and to recharge my devices. The albergue was full here (15 miles / 6 hours).

The path still follows the river and the lower mountain views are nice. It’s been so quiet and I haven’t seen a pilgrim since Potes.

Some sections are forest and others right alongside the river.

To reach Cistierna you must cross the waterway and follow the old mining tracks which brought life to the village. This town is on the “Forgotten Way,” but in only the pilgrim in the albergue tonight.

🥾22.5 miles (36.5 Km)
⌚️ 9.5 hours