What luck we had yesterday to choose to stay in Baños de Panticosa. After a sunny day, there was such a strong thunderstorm last night that the entire hotel, and probably the whole Baños, lost power. Especially towards the mountains, there were sometimes dozens of flashes per minute. It wasn't reported, and we were glad we weren't up in the mountains with our tent, but right here, dry, with the flashlight in the hotel. It's still raining quite a bit this morning, but we'll first have breakfast and charge our phones and powerbank. Due to the power outage, we didn't get to do that last night.
Today's stage is special for us, it ends in Bujaruelo, a stunning place nestled among beautiful mountains. There's a campsite, refuge, restaurant, and a beautiful old stone bridge over the Ara River. In 1990, Mark was here for the first time with his family and was immediately stunned by the natural beauty of the place. Then still unknown and quiet, now it's been discovered by the masses, but it certainly hasn't lost any of its charm. It'll be Mark's 5th visit, and the 3rd time together. Both times we've been here, we've walked to the source of the Ara River. A long, challenging hike, and both times we've been amazed to see people with large backpacks coming from even further over the rocky slopes. Today, we are those people…
We still have nearly 22 kilometers to go before we arrive in Bujaruelo, including the climb we left for today. 940 meters of ascent in 6 kilometers, quite a decent climb. Progress isn't great this morning, but around noon, it stops raining, everything is charged up, and we're back outside between the large concrete buildings with a footbridge and neatly tiled square. It's somewhat surreal amidst the nature in the mountains. We find the right trail and start the climb. It's a winding path through pine forests, with lots of blueberry bushes hanging full, but we resist the temptation and keep up the pace. The legs have recovered well from yesterday, it seems to get faster each time. We ascend continuously until above the tree line where the path becomes more challenging. An avalanche of stones has made the trail hard to find. Piles of stones mark the route, but that only works if there's only one path indicated. At some point, we see piles everywhere, which becomes a bit confusing. Instead we opt to choose our own route, which works out well. On the other side of the stones, we find our way back onto the white/red path markers and can continue. Through the beautiful landscape of mountains and hills in the valleys, rocks and patches of grass, a few trees, but mostly barren and a reservoir: Ibones de Brazato. Built in 1952 to generate electricity, this lake also has stunning blue water surrounded by grey rocks. Just a bit further to today's highest point: Puerto Viejo at 2,566 meters. To get there, we pass by another 2 natural lakes and cross several hundred meters of stones and rocks, but once at the pass, we have a magnificent view. Back over the grey stones and lakes, and ahead, a new valley opens up into the valley of the Ara River. It's windy here, so we descend a bit to the next lakes to take a break and then continue towards the familiar path. We descend for 3 kilometers on narrow paths through meadows. White/red stripes mark the path on the left side of the river and also on the right. Convenient, as long as we keep descending. And eventually, we reach the Ara River, which we can remember from before. We had expected to end up a bit lower, so from here, there's still quite a bit to go. But it's not as steep as what we've experienced, certainly not like yesterday, and the meadows make for easy walking. The mountains are beautifully green until they become rocky, with scattered patches of snow. Ahead of us, entire slopes are yellow, a type of low broom in full bloom. We descend towards forests and reach a wide forest path used by farmers to bring cows to the high pastures. The river bends left here and carves its way through a deep gorge 'Barranco Ordiso'. The path is carved into the rock wall here, often overhanging the road like a shelter. The river flows far below us. Groups of youngsters walk uphill with sleeping mats and ask how far it is to the small stone house at the beginning of the road. It's not far for them, maybe 2 kilometers at most, but they seem to think differently. 2 kilometers!? They sigh, role their eyes and continue walking. We continue descending and soon see the Bujaruelo valley, a flat valley between these high mountains.
After the Ara river has carved its way through deep gorges with waterfalls and rapids, it flows calmly through the plain here. A green valley a few hundred meters wide with grass, interspersed with high boxwood bushes, sometimes almost park-like after the ruggedness of the higher mountains. The road becomes almost flat, and a bit further, around the corner where the valley narrows again, we see the old 13th-century stone bridge so characteristic of this place, and a bit further, the buildings of the refuge (an old hospital), the ruins of a church, and the campsite. This old place, used since the Middle Ages to bring animals to the higher parts, but mainly as a trade route to France situated high up on the mountain, has often been destroyed by the French and rebuilt just as many times, still looks exactly the same as 33 years ago, but a bit busier. Wow, what a place to reach on foot. It's already late, quarter to nine, and the sun has already set behind the mountains, so it's quickly getting colder. We find a beautiful spot for the tent on the edge of the campsite and enjoy. Enjoying the view, the spot, and perhaps a bit our achievement. Our family reminds us that we would have arrived here faster on foot from the Netherlands than from Portugal. Haha, indeed, that would have halved the kilometers, but no road was more beautiful than this one. Here, we realize what a journey it has been, what a road: our own 'Camino'. Here, we're going to rest for a few days. Tomorrow, we'll go shopping in the beautiful Torla, the village 10 kilometers away. But first: shower, cook, eat, and sleep! Especially sleeping, because it was another eventful stage today.
