Day 45 – at Burbia

There’s another campervan just 100 metres or so away, a young family from A Coruña with two little girls who love to make a fuss of Roja, much to the disgust of their own dog. Their dog is a younger male, German Shepherd of a sort I’d guess. The dog came over early this morning to say hello, but Roja greeted him with a growl, ‘no castrado’ is the reason, as his owner and I agreed yesterday. It’s only a growl through, then they are happy to get on with sniffing each other.

Today I headed up the next valley along, the Azureira valley. I met another young family not long after setting off. They had two children, perhaps 4 and 3 years old, and where heading up in the direction I had gone yesterday, to Pozos waterfall.

They told me they had a recommendation, and showed me photos of a Laguna they where at this time last year – then, they had carried the children on their backs.

As much as it looked idyllic, it is some endeavour, to Cuiña peak at 1987 metres, then to the north east, a descent of about 150 metres, and then the return in reverse.

I was headed that way anyway, and continued to about 1300 metres altitude to a stage when the path became difficult, blocked by several fallen trees.

The peak would be a 7 hour day, with the Laguna added, an 8 hour day. I had set out at 11, and am moving quite slowly at times, though at least moving..

The snow is not long gone from this altitude, so at this stage of the season it is inevitable to be met with trees down, small landslides, and plenty of loose rock. It’s remote also, without cell phone coverage.

But, I want to return, with my persistent injury repaired.

The guy told me that there is a path, which he had not taken, that traverses across the eleven peaks above 1800 metres that make up the Sierra de Ancares. It looks serious fun.

There is another option. I’ll be driving round to the next valley to the east tomorrow, to spend the weekend there. It would be possible to get there also from the north side. Something I will research later..

After a leisurely lunch by one of several dodgy river crossings, I turned for home, making at a four and a half hour day.

At this time of year, 6 pm or thereabouts, is the time people take their evening perambulation, as the Spanish do. As the summer arrives it will no doubt get later. We joined them this evening, heading vaguely for the Milagros bar. After three days in a little village like this, it’s refreshing to see how many people say hello on passing, even the kids who were playing football behind the van last night with their dogs, and this evening were in the bar playing table football.