Bad lad

Snow capped

Sunday’s walk was originally slated to start in León, but the last couple of weeks have been a bit cold and there’s been a bit of snow in the hills so the powers that be changed the route on Thursday. It had been raining in Asturias more or less constantly but on Sunday morning the skies cleared, the sun shone and the temperature went up. We started walking towards snow capped peaks through the new spring growth in the woods, I assume there was a feast of spring green but I could see about three distinct shades of green, bright, light and dark. I was chatting with Amaia and Ruben, it was their first time coming along with the group (Amaia is one of the people I give classes to, so naturally we have been talking about mountains and stuff) although they’re pretty experienced.

Nacho and Joaquim enjoy the steep snow

As ever in Asturias there’s a fair amount of up. Some folk go faster than others… I’m not one of the fastest, preferring to enjoy the scenery and not sweat like a very sweaty thing (in this I usually fail, but hey, points for trying no?). We reached a meadow where a couple of the others had stopped. Paco, one of the leaders, said that a few people had gone ahead to go up Peña Rueda. Nacho and Joaquim said they’d go too and I thought I’d go along seeing as Amia and Ruben were ahead as well. So we set off up the to the peak (thinking it was a valid alternative route). It was steep and snowy, but not icy so it wasn’t hard, apart from the steepness. It was about 600m of ascent in the snow and when we reached the top we had some fine views of the walls of hills that separate Asturias from the rest of Spain.

We had to hurry off the top, a couple of clouds were beginning to threaten. Julio (him of the salt and the navigational ‘adventures’) and Pepe marched off along a fine ridge. We stumbled along behind in the very soft snow, often up to our thighs. Excellent fun but tiring.

Julio, bad lad

We got below the snow and into a forest, still descending a 50 degree slope over wet leaves and slippy logs. I took a few tumbles but Julio had the best fall, rolling over three or four times before stopping thanks to a sturdy tree. It took a long time. Finally we reached the river at the bottom of the valley  but we had to go up again to bypass a gorge with sheer walls. I was beginning to regret doing the peak as we were now a little bit late.

Up and down, up and down in the woods until finally we reached an open field and saw a small path open up. Pepe had by this time disappeared ahead.

We got to the bar just as the others were starting to eat (the plan had been to have lunch at this bar, where they do a famously good rice pudding). It was 5:30, the descent had taken us four hours. We ate, drank and generally enjoyed the meal. Then I found out that what we had been doing hadn’t been an approved alternative at all and the president was a little put out with us (and rightly so given what I know now). I decided not to make my excuses and just apologised profusely (he said it was fine, and he was more annoyed at a couple of the others.) We felt terrible, Amaia and I discussed it outside, they felt embarrassed, but there was nothing they could have done about it, they didn’t know who was who. I had a raft of excuses but really I should have stayed with Paco (although I’m not sure how I could have known that at the time).

The easy way down

So, for future reference. Identify who the leaders are. Stick with the leaders. Always ask if there’s an official alternative. Never follow Julio.

Still, the peak was breathtakingly good, and the rice pudding was lovely.