22 km. Sunny and getting warmer. 950m of ascents and only 510m of descents. As we turn inland toward Santiago, the elevation of the route is higher. Along the coast, there were many climbs, but the route always returned to sea level. Going forward there will be a few days where the elevation will hover between 400 and 500m, then there will be a climb to 700m, and finally the Camino will travel back down to end in Santiago at about 250m. It will remain hilly throughout, but without the long steep climbs there have been up to now. At least that’s how the route profile looks. Fingers crossed!
Today’s stage was a relatively short distance, but very, very challenging. The first 9 km to Mondoñedo was straightforward with the usual hills. Shortly after leaving Lourenzá, I ran into a group of five Spanish pilgrims who recognized me from previous days and invited me to walk with them. Felipe, Alfredo, Manuel, Paco, and Paco. The time passed easily with someone to chat with. They did not speak English, so it was more Spanish immersion for me, which I need. We parted ways in Mondoñedo, their stop for the day. I found a menú del día*, then set out again.
(* I was trying not to mention that I started walking at 11 am. When I left, the guy at the hostel said, ‘You are walking to Abadín? Then he laughed at me. Ha. Anyway, the reason for the late start is not important, but the fact that I left late is relevant to the daily account.)
After Mondoñedo, there is a mountain to cross, and we are presented with a choice. The official names of the options are very confusing, so I’ll just call them the road route and the mountain route. The road route follows a paved road up and over the mountain and is about 17 km to Abadín. The mountain route is shorter, about 13 km, but is described by the Wise Pilgrim app as, ‘both more challenging and more scenic.’ It also does not pass any towns for the ~12 km stretch until you get to Gontán.
I tried googling to find others’ experiences and get some advice, but in the forums, almost everyone had taken the road route, mainly because it is more prominently marked on the way out of town. I did see one warning that the mountain route is steep and should be avoided if it rains, as it will be muddy. What to do? It was now 2:30 pm. Shorter seemed good. But just how challenging would it be? I would likely be solo as it was so late in the day. Would it be easy to follow? In the end, FOMO won out. I could not resist one last big challenge, especially one that promised to be beautiful.
So I headed out of Mondoñedo and after about 3 km, up, up, up I went. Here is the elevation profile for that stretch:
It was a slog, and I paused about every 30 meters, but I did it! It felt amazing. There was no one there to celebrate with me at the top, but I did come across some cows who seemed to be cheering me on, so I stopped to have a chat with them. Then I found a spot to have a rest and a snack and just soaked up the goodness. I was feeling so grateful for the opportunity to achieve this challenge and that my body was strong enough to haul me and the pack up.
Once at the top, I walked along the ridge with the windmills, horses, and cows, looking over the high valley. Eventually, I dropped down into Gontán, then Abadín, and arrived at the albergue. And guess who was there? The Austrians! It was a great day.
Photos from the day:
Again with the nettles! 😂
I think you walked the scenic route. 😎
T
You should walk whichever way the pathway calls.
(Although personally I’d rest a few days before making such a momentous decision…after all, any poet will tell you your choice when coming to a fork in the road could change the whole rest of your life! Wow! Perhaps you should just turn around and go back the way you came? Or you could buy a house and stay right where you are.)
I’ll be anxious to hear what you decide to do.
D