From past Central di Urdiceto to Camping El Forcallo

^22-07-15

I wake up to another cloudless blue sky with glowing morning sunlight on the mountainside.

Although I ‘have to be’ up early-ish again, I treat myself a little extra and take time for leasurely coffee&cake before packing down.

Then it’s further up along the gravel road, which continues to the upper reservoir lake.

I take the steep shortcutting footpath, and quickly arrive at Paso de los Caballos (2350m asl), where I finally can leave the gravel road.

Just a couple of meters past the ‘paso’ there is a little refugio; I have a quick look around and then quickly head on.

Then it’s softly downwards; this wasn’t too high a pass, so it’s all green grassland at first.

And then more and more pine trees – the path is basically doing a slalom between them 😉

After a while I get to the first river crossing. There is a good bridge, but I decide it’s time for the first bath of the day and some rest.

It’s nice and refreshing water, not too cold actually. And I snack on the lovely cheese I bought in Parzán, while drying up on the rocks next to the stream.

After a while I manage to get going again; so nice to just chill in the half-shade by the river!

But there is kilometers to cover also today (although not that many, since I put in a good head-start yesterday evening).

The path takes me through more lovely meadows and lightly forested areas, further and further down towards the valley of Rio Cinqueta.

Then it’s along the valley upstream for a short while, passing the children’s holiday camp of Virgen Blanca.

And before long I arrive at Camping El Forcallo, where I choose a nice spot under a cherry tree. (After having put up the tent, I worried for a moment it would all be covered in cherry splats and/or bird shit in the morning… but it ended up being fine.)

And I also get a cold beer in the campground’s cafeteria – mmh!

It’s still only early afternoon, so I check out the nearby river for some more bathing and chilling (and washing my socks and underwear 😉 )

And then it’s an early night for me, since I want to be up early again to beat the heat.

approx. 6h incl. long bathing break;

11,9km, 490m ascent, 895m descent

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