Another Dangerous Escapade....

Friday 14th May 2010

How to beat yesterdays fun in the Mountains....

cloudy but dry morning,

prospects of it getting ,

wait for it....sunny in the afternoon...

Yes, there was nothing else to do...

the washing !!, it had to be done,

I'd graduated from a Sainsbury's carrier bag,

to a holdall full...and getting bigger...

the chance was too good to miss...

So armed with the tube of detergent,

no softener ( I'm tough !)

and the pile of clothes, off I went to the sinks,

to wash and rinse all the clothes...

without even a cut on my delicate hands,

although the skin does seem to be rougher than usual...

and the Result....Voila !

and, yes, you've guessed it...

it started raining again...

and I put the clothes in/out/in/out...

finally giving in late in the day, as the heavens really opened..

it's a tough life this camping, hope it's sunny tomorrow,

I need to dry the washing...

Buenos Nochas...

Jotown leads the Way !!

Thursday 13th May 2010

Up bright and early, to a not very inviting sky...grey, overcast, and rain in the air - but I was determined to show those mountains who was boss !!

Wally was packed for the road, breakfast eaten -- 2 Weetabix ! that'll show 'em....and beef paste butties (with black pepper on ) for lunch..with cereal bars/dried apricots for Emergency Rations.

Got to Fuente De just before 10 a.m., where as I had climbed higher the sky had cleared, so there was some prospect of clear'ish weather.

I decided to go for it, got the walking poles,crampons,ice axe, and full'ish winter clothing, ready for whatever the Mountain wanted to throw at me.

I got the cable car from Fuente De, at 1078 mts, to the top at 1834 mts..this is the easy way to climb mountains... http://english.turismodecantabria.com/cantabria/rutas_ficha.asp?id_ruta=40

As I climbed out at the top from the cable car,and left the station, I realised I was in for some fun, there was quite a lot of snow all around the cable car station...what would it be like higher up I thought ?

I decided that I would try to do the Los Hdos Rojos ridge,around 2500mts, which was a few miles away, up the valley, but seemed well within my days range... http://www.ii.uib.no/~petter/mountains/2000mtn/cerredo.html

I walked from the cable car station, and realised that I was the only person on this trail, and the snow was lying quite deep on the path/track, still it seemed relatively easy to follow the route direction, and off I went..

As i climbed higher, and higher, the snow became deeper and deeper..

several times I ended up in snow to my waist, breaking trail, and pushing along, I was still able to follow old marks in the trail, so was able to keep on roughly the right direction, but several times I had to dig myself out, having gone deep into the snow, and not been able to move my foot..but it was still fun !

After a couple of hours, I saw below me, another party of climbers, taking advantage of my tracks in the snow..and catching me. I pushed on and carried on up the trail with the bulk of Mountains, Pena Olvidada, Pena Vieja, and Picos de santa Ana, all on my right flank, with towering and imposing cliffs overlooking me. Several times there aws rockfall from the cliffs, and I had to climb over several chutes of avalanche debris..

Eventually about one o'clock, I sat on a rock, had a sandwich and waited for the party below me to catch up ( and break trail for me ! ) It was a group of 5 Swedish people,who were most grateful for all my hard work ! They carried on ahead of me, and after a short time I started to follow them...easier and ever upwards...although after a short time I had caught up with them, and we all reached the top of a ridge, overlooking a valley below, and further cliffs which we would have to scale.

The snow was becoming ever more hazardous,even though we were around 2200 mts, it had still not frozen,and remained powdery and very deep in places..

We all chatted for a while, and decided to call it a day, as there was no way we could climb up to the Ridge, and back in time to get back to the Cable car for 6 p.m.They started down, and I sat for a while taking in the scene...

I then ambled back down the trail, tried a few little climbs either side of me, without much success, the powdery snow was everwhere, and not helpful... it then started snowing gently...at first, and then became heavier, and the cloud base dropped, so once again I seemed alone on the Mountain.

As I dropped lower, I looked at another trail I could have gone, down to Espinama, but again I ended up digging myself out of the snow on the trail, and turning back and heading back to the Cable car station, which i arrived at shortly after 4 p.m.

I'd not been cold all day....until I had to wait about 15minutes for the cable car, one leaving just as i arrived, nd by the time the next one was reday to depart I was shivering...still a Hot coffee at Fuente De started to thaw me out...along with a hot shower back at the camp site, and 'blogging ' in front of the heater inside Wally , ready for some beer, wine and pasta ( again!)

An enjoyable day...the hardest bit...is writing(typing) about it !!

Another Day...Another Birthday !!

Wednesday 12th May 2010 Who could forget this momentous day ?? when ??? reached the age of us fellow pensioners ?? only she won't be on a pension for a while... Not like us real pensioners...(without a Bus Pass !!)

It's been another day of heavy Rain in the Picos,

so I've spent it watching the little Red Squirrels scurrying about the campsite...lying in bed,chuckie eggs for breakfast, heater on 1/2 power ..and reading a book !!--

'Eye of the Storm' by Jack Higgins, almost finsished it now..and will have done before the evenings over.

Hope tomorrows weather is better, refreshed and ready to take on the Mountains again, so plan to be up early..and back up to Fuente De..

See there's finally a Government in the U.K. now, always told David he should be working for the Conservatives...now all the family are back in the 'Conservative ' fold...must have pleased them !!

A Gentle Stroll in the Hills !!

Tuesday 11th May 2010 Up bright and early, packed Wally tight for the Road, and off to Fuente De...about 15 miles and 20 miuntes drive away. I arrived about 9-30 a.m., before the cable car had started for the day, although there were lots of the workers milling around, changed and was ready to go !! What a day ahead, if only I'd known .... I decided that as I hadn't really been too high so far, and not knowing whether there was much snow higher up, I would do a relatively (I thought) route of around 4 hours... up and around the Vega de Liordes, from Puente De, circling the tops, and returning back into Fuente de.. http://www.picoseuropa.net/liordes/liordes.php So off I went, a reasonable start up wide tracks, and going ever higher, not seeing anyone on the trail...and a ple3asant day in prospect- I'd started at 1078 mts, so the going, at times was straight up...and me wishing I'd brought my walking poles, or as it later transpired ice axes and mountain boots... still I tell the tale too early...I was dressed for a cool summer day, although I had decided to wear my long pants,not shorts !! After a couple of hours, I had climbed up towards the 2,000 mts mark, and had found myself in deeper and deeper snow, which normally wouldn't have been a great problem, but, I didn't really have the right equipment, and the snow was becoming deeper, and deeper, and was very wet and slushy, and I had a few minor bumps and scrapes...clinging onto the Mountain to stop me sliding down rather quickly !!... I was trying to get up a couloir towards Pedabejo, at 2169 mts, but with the increasingly difficult terrain, the snow ( yes, it was snowing , in May!) and the final straw was when I saw that my route actually went up the area that had obviously avalanched a few times before, the debris lying all over my route, I decided to go back lower, and try around the other side...Although the mountain Chamois had managed to run across the Mountain in front of me.. I managed to retrace my steps by the simple method of sitting down and sliding at some speed back towards a mountain refuge hut...where I stopped a short time, wrung out my socks/boots...and started again. I found another route towards the Vega de Liordes, and at first things went well..and I quickly gained most of my lost ground, until it wended it's way back towards the route I had not been able to get up.. i hoped to be able to circumnavigate the worst of the snow, and if I could get to the top, I would be able to complete my route ( I thought ) Once again around 2000 mts I was unable to climb further up the mushy,soft snow, although the sun had broken out ( a bit), so I decided to call it a day and return back the way I'd come... It had alreday taken me four hours, and that was supposed to be the days route time... I then wandered back down through the snow, past the Refuge hut, again wringing out me socks, and wended my way back down to Fuente De, but not before I had chance to send a special message for ??.... Watch this !!

Not many people will have had this sent to them from this location--

I arrived back in Fuente De around 3-30 p.m., 5 1/2 hours, for a 4 hour route, and not completed...always another day ( with the right gear !)- and not met a single person on the Mountain or trails.

and...I only ended up with a hole in my goretex jacket on the elbow...and a bleeding scar beneath...

So I celebrated when I got back to the campsite...with a hot shower ( Oh, for a bath..) and an ice cold bottle (or two) of Budweiser...just before the Rain thundered in...heater on, and watching the world go by.

Oh, nearly forgot...almost a disaster - no bottle opener - the 'multi tool' they got me from work on Retirement came in useful,it has one - Saved !!

Happy Days

Wonder what tomorrow will bring ??...

and will there be a Government back home in the U.K. ??

Best Laid Plans..

Monday 10th May 2010

Monday morning, up early with the morning sun, and down to Potes for the weekly market...obviously too early for the Market people, as they were only just setting their stalls up around 9-30 a.m.....Didn't they know - I had a busy day ahead of me.

Bought some local cheeses, and back to the campsite, where I finished packing, and paid me money...and vamoosed 105 Euro for the 7 days, not bad I don't suppose and the owner did throw in a free cup of coffee..

Having gone back down to Potes, to fill Wally's larder and fridge, I headed off to Fuente De, which I knew to be the back of beyond, so made sure I had everything I needed to keep me going for at least a week.

On arriving at Fuente De, http://iberianature.com/spaintravel/cable-car-in-the-picos-de-europa/I found the campsite relatively easily...but a big Red cross was over the sign....it was closed !!, I did have a walk around to see if there was any possibility of getting on, but everywhere was shut tight.. seems such a shame, as the location is great, with lots of climbs/walks all around. http://www.elredondopicosdeeuropa.com/ doesn't seem to open until the 1st July !! which seems a bit late for such a great spot..

I pottered around for a while,took some pics, then decided I would have to find the nearest camp site, and shuttle back and forth each day..

Off I went, and found the nearest camp site in....Turieno (Potes almost),

http://www.liebanaypicosdeeuropa.com/guia-i/campinglaisla.htm still I thought I'll have a different outlook, next to the River, with Wifi everywhere ( so I can sit in Wally and correspond !),

and that's all I've done...

apart from eating ..and drinking..Cheers !!

oh, and looking at how the country is surviving without me...

not very well from the looks of it !!

Browns out...who goes next ????

A Lazy Sunday...

Sunday 9th May 2010

As the title says...a lazy Sunday,

Mass in the Monastery of Santa Toriebo,

followed by a stroll ( dodging the showers)

into Potes,

and a pleasant lunch overlooking the River,

in nice sunshine...until rain stopped play,

and we all dashed indoors to finish...

3 courses, including what seemed to be half a leg of Lamb,

carafe of wine, bread...and all for 15 euro...

a nice stroll back to the campsite,

where the sun has finally decided to come out for longer than 10 minutes-- it's really burny and hot !!

I'll be moving on from Potes in the morning,

after the weekly market, and making my way to Fuente De,

where there should be some better climbing,

although it's 1000 mts higher than Potes,

so,likely to be worse weather !!

Still can't have everything.

Not sure if there'll be free Wifi there,

so may be a while....

Buenos Nochas...

A Real Cowboy Town !!

Saturday 8th May 2010

Today the cow's really hit the town...as the Market Square/car park was transformed into the judging area for the 'Cow Show' of the Mountains - or that's as near as I could figure out what was happening !!

The hill farmers and families had descended into Potes, to show all their various breeds of cattle and bulls!, some of whom were pretty big looking..

I had expected a bit of a 'shindig' as well, unfortunately not to be ,although I strolled round town for a while watching proceedings, as various rosettes were issued to the winners- who seemed fairly pleased !

The rain came in the afternoon again, just when I had done my washing !

So I spent the rest of the later part of the day inside Wally, reading my second book of the week..and finishing my wine form the day before (.98 euro for a litre, and quite good,may try some more..)