Wednesday 27 June 2007

Days 5 - 11 (Sender Descatalogado)





The above text is printed all over the GR11 notice boards in the Navarra region. It means that the route is discontinued. For a few years now all markings have been left to decay, and most refuges not maintained. This explains a few things, like markings being very random, which is not helped by maps which are an approximation at best.

Anyway I am actually 1 day ahead of schedule despite this in a lovely village at around 1300m called Sallent De Gallego in the school library. Sorry for lack of posts but internet is difficult to get round here.

I´ve passed through the Camino route and saw loads of sad looking pilgrims going to Santiago, and now on the pure GR11 which is much better marked in Navarra region. Only seen a dozen or so other people doing the route though.

The wildlife is interesting. Vampire Slugs try to get me each night in my tent and each morning the tent is cris-crossed by slug trails. A wild boar came into my campsite in the forest but ran away when I shone my torch at him. Snakes, lizards, weird yellow spiders, loads of horse fowling, bats etc give me some company. However made a friend for 2 days; Brent from California, who has now gone over to France, but before he went gave me half his travel book which is much better than mine. Very kind of him really, but I suspect it was guilt from breaking my water bottle :-) We climbed a monster mountain called Zurizza or something, a big slab of limestone that looks spectactular. Photos to be added when I get a more modern PC with USB...

Anyway I cant beleive so few people do this trek. The food is splendid, towns lovely, scenery incredible, wine cheap (or so people tell me). The other night I slept in an abandoned campsite complete with changing rooms, bar restaurant, wash blocks etc just decaying. Very sad, as the area is incredible.

Anyway tomorrow I have 1 verticle kilometer to climb which will take about 6 hours or so and then into the really big hills. Seen a lot of snow already but much more up there.

At least my pack is a lot lighter as I´ve finally eaten all the english food items, and playing an interesting game of ´whats in this packet?´now.

Regards to all

Wednesday 20 June 2007

The Rain in Spain fell mainly on my Brain




Days 1 -4 30, 30, 20, and 19 kilometres

Arrived at midnight in Irun, all planes, taxis and busses went to plan, filled up the fuel for stove at the gassolinera, got a very yellow room for €15 and a butty so felt ready for the trek. Loads of turbulance on the plane though. Taxi arrived promtly and dropped me off at the lighthouse at the start, I got my rucsack and paid the driver who then drove off with my maps, compass and case.

Forward 3 hours I tracked down the driver from the hostal and I´m off again, albeit a bit late and its raining heavily. Navigation tricky since Spanish Maps are only an approximation of what is on the ground. A black line is a forest path, a wide track or a mettalled road. Many roads do not appear on the maps, and the route markings (red and white dashes) are rare indeed and very old and faded. Some are on trees that have been cut down!

My gear weighs a ton so I dump the 550g water filter as there are loads of fresh water points. Got a room at a hostal and met a guy called George from Spain just finishing from the other way. He warned me that the markings only get worse and he got lost having done the walk before. So day 2 took 12 hours not 8, and I walked into the town stinking and dripping. I got a room, and the next morning posted my heavy warm top home.

Day three and navigation a nightmare again and it got really hot. I met some French on the HRP section who where romoving ticks they had picked up, so I changed into tight fitting undies ASAP. The area must have been active during the civil war as there are bunkers everywhere. I pitched the tent on top of one in the woods, having explored inside first. Mist came down quickly, fealt a bit homesick then remembered I had a Soreen Lincolnshire (Soft and Moist) plum pudding in the bag. This was splendid indeed and cheered me up no end.

Day four and I am covered in soot from the remnants of bush fires which sweapt the region last year, again a real lack of markers and poor maps seems to be adding to the time. But the camp site has a laundry area and showers so I do not smell so much any more. Regards to all and thanks to everyone for sponsorship, I am on schedule, so everyone who waited to sponsor me to see if I really am daft enough to do this cough up!

Adios, Barrie