Day 4 of the Camino Primitivo started with a significant decision: whether to take the Hospitales route (high route) or the Pola route (low route). Luckily, the weather cooperated, and I was able to take the exposed ridge-line walk on Hospitales Route, with its panoramic views. This section of the Camino reminded me a bit of my Colorado Trail thru-hike last August. The steep descent was not kind ot my knee, though. After the two routes merged again, the Camino was flooded with pilgrims, and I walked into town with several peregrinas I met over the past few days, including Alexandra (from Poland), Theo, Lily, and Naomi (three American ladies).
Getting a sunrise start to try to be the rainy weatherAfter 3.2 kilometers, I reached the point where the Camino split between the high route (Hospitales) and the low route (La Pola)Sign depicting the two routesBeginning the 7 km climb to the ridgeA sign asking pilgrims to close the gate because there are loose animals. Last night’s heavy rains meant the area smelled strongly of manure, too.Heading through a bizarre section of bare trees. The trees looked silver, but I didn’t know whether this was a burn scar or the result of some tree beetle damage. Nice views of the surrounding terrain as I gain altitudeOnce I finally reached the top of the climb, I crossed paths with a group of Japanese pilgrims (under the trees) and an American from Colorado, named Dan.The well-marked path atop the ridge feels like I’m walking onto the green of a fancy golf courseOnce I get past the trees, I’m treated to some panoramic viewsFollowing the trail on the ridge, I almost feel like I’m back in Colorado. Although the skies look blue, it’s very windy, and the temperatures are somewhere in the upper 40sI briefly stop to check out the ruins of Hospital de la MartaThis structure was an old hospital (resting place) used by pilgrims between the 13th and 15th centuries. It’s surreal to imagine pilgrims walking on this same spot 500+ years ago.The Hospitales route continued to follow the upper slopes of the hills and stretched out ahaed of me as far as my eyes could seeDuring my ridge walk, I passed Laguna de Marta, and a nearby sign informed me that although it’s now just a livestock watering hole, it was previously used for gold mining during the Roman period.I can see a white building atop one of the hills ahead of me, and I had to cross over a paved road that winds through the Sierra de Rañadoiro mountains As I continue walking west on the ridge toward whether the Hospitales and Polas routes merge, the weather starts to shift, and fat raindrops begin to fall urging me to move faster and get down to safetyI finally see the power station that marks Alto de Palo, where the two routes merge back togetherThere was a nice picnic area near Alto de Pola, and while everyone else was all bundled up, there was one guy who insisted on wearing shorts.The long rocky descent beginsDescending through the tall wildflowersThese cows are proof of how much mud there is out herePilgrim statue in Berucedo, where I ended my day at a little albergue
Highlights
I’m so glad I was able to take the higher elevation Hospitales Route. The views from the spine of the mountains were so worth the challenging 7-kilometer climb to get up there.
I met another retired military veteran today, a fellow named Dan who lives in Colorado and retired from the US Navy.
My albergue this evening had a laundry machine (€4) and dryer (€5), which was a great bonus since the evening was filled with heavy rain and I wouldn’t have been able to hang anything on a clothesline to dry overnight.
Challenges
Once I reached the top of the Hospitales route, it was very windy and cold. The temperature dropped into the 40s, and I tried to hike fast to stay warm (and because I worried that a thunderstorm might roll in while I was on the exposed terrain).
The steep descent from Alto de Palo was on loose rocks the size of oranges and grapefruits, and I had to slow down to make sure I didn’t turn an ankle as the rocks shifted below my feet.
