Trabadelo to O'Cebreiro: Mark and I knew this would be one of the most challenging days of the Camino but I put this in the top three most physically challenging things I have ever done... Giving birth, surviving my last two years at DSHS and hiking to the summit of O'CEBREIRO.
We started before sun up because we did not want to be stuck on the mountain with no light and we knew it would take a while to get up the hill. We were walking by 7:15 and 6 and a half hours later we arrived. We found a local truck stop about an hour into the hike and had a chocolate pastry (we have yet to find any place that serves eggs) and coffee for me and a coke for Mark. It would be a good breakfast stop for anyone walking this segment. We had no idea that would be our last bit of food (except for some emergency m&m's) until we arrived famished at the top of the mountain. One of the down sides of winter hiking is that so many places are closed. Our total for today 11 miles, half of it straight up hill.
We traveled through some sleepy towns and the first part of the walk today was very easy. We have been noticing that every town has a church and they all seem to be designed the same. Only difference is a two bell church or a three bell church. We have decided that is to be something to do with size of the town and congregation at the time the church was built. But who knows. Research for later.
There are streams and rivers everywhere. So much water coming down from snow melt and the constant drizzle. We went through this one area where the trees were covered on moss. So much moss that it looks like flowers or leaves. The towns have these old irrigation systems to divert the water.
Speaking of water, each town has at least one clean water source for the pilgrims to fill up water bottles so you don't have to carry large amounts of water.
Hiking today, we met several fellow pilgrims. Three German guys and a girl from Cananda. All were walking solo - which truly amazes me - I would never walk alone. Not for the safety aspect. This is totally safe, but for the companionship and especially the motivation. We walked about a quarter of a mile with a 30 something from Munich. He is walking all the way to the sea and staying in hostels the entire way. Mark said, not us we wanted single rooms with private bathrooms. The guy said that staying in the meager accommodations will make him appreciate all that he has when he returns home. It is so interesting to hear why different people take on this type of experience.
I had mentioned that the Way of St.James is well marked. Sometimes with arrows on the side of a building or by a marker like this one.
When we saw this marker for O'Cebreiro we thought "sweet, we only have three more miles to go!" Oh, but did the Camino had other plans for us! Very steep climbs, altitude, slick rocks, snow, then deep snow, slush and then walking into the clouds. We made it to what we thought was O'Cebreiro only to find out we had another mile in deep snow. It was emotionally draining because you think " I made it that wasn't so bad" and you realize that you have the most difficult part to go. We did stop and look down the mountain and see where we started at the very bottom! But that was before we got to the top. The top is in the clouds with absolutely no view.
This graphic is the typography of the climb.
I decided today that I was blessed to have Mark, his footprints to walk in, my buff, my waterproof boots and walking sticks.
There is a tradition to carry a rock from your town and leave it on the Camino. This is to symbolize leaving your burdens with St James. I brought his rock form our backyard. I really don't have a burden to leave. But I decided that I am leaving the burden of worry about our future- building a home and finding jobs.
Tomorrow will be downhill. I hope we don't have to navigate downhill trails with a bunch of snow because that could be more adventurous than today. At some point at near exhaustion, Mark and I had a good laugh when we he said "We are in Spain, alone on a snow covered mountain, hiking since 7 am....how's that adventure going for you?"
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