Salgo del pueblo de Hoz de Abiada y el monte se intuye por encima de la niebla matinal
As I turn off the road on the way up to Cantabria's ski station the high ground is still hiding behind the morning mist
I set off up the hill and soon leave the cloud that covers the whole valley behind
Bajé hace años de la Colladía a este mismo pueblo, y me acompaña la sensación de que las escobas me jugaron una mala pasada. ¡Esperemos que no pierda la pista esta vez!
I have a vague recollection of a hike I did years ago down to the same village and the disagreeable memory of getting partially lost in the expanses of broom. Let's hope I don't stray from the path this time!
Consigo salir del escobal y veo el Pico Cordel a la izquierda. Ahora caminar es un placer
I manage to find my way out of the broom-covered hillside and see Pico Cordel to the left. Walking is now much easier
Pero después de una nave toca otra vez adentrarme entre escobas y (menos mal) luego el brezo, que deja que uno vea dónde está
But after reaching a cattle shed I have to get back into the bush, though fortunately this soon becomes heather, enabling me to see where I'm going
En el hoyo debajo del Cordel hay una cruz, colocada en el 2023, que recuerda a dos hermanos de un pueblo cercano que fallecieron aquí en el siglo 19. Debido quizás al tiempo transcurrido hasta el levantamiento del recordatorio me dio una sensación tipo Outlander.
Below Pico Cordel I see a cross that was erected in 2023 in memory of two brothers from a nearby village who perished here in the 19th century. It led me to imagine the circumstances of their demise - it was December - and the time that has gone by between then and the recent installation of the plaque. A kind of Outlander moment.
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| Pico Cordel |
A little further on I can see Iján behind Cordel
y llegando al Cdo. de Rumaceo: Cueto Concilla, y más lejos El Cornón de Peña Sagra y los Picos de Europa - escenarios de muchas horas placenteras de mi vida durante los últimos 30 años
and on the way to Rumaceo col I look back occasionally to take in the many mountains which have combined to make up multiple hours of enjoyment over the last 30 years of my life
Vuelvo a subir, y disfruto de la vista de la cuenca de Proaño. Hoy no bajaré al fondo del valle ni subiré al Pico Liguardi, a mi derecha, sino bordearé la cuenca por senderos a la derecha de la foto, sin perder demasiada altitud
I head uphill again and am reminded of the vast beauty of the Proaño glacial trough. Today I don't intend to go down to the valley or carry on up to Pico Liguardi to my right either. Instead I'll be skirting the valley following paths round to the right, without losing too much elevation
Paro un momento y veo que me observa este rebeco. Me concede tiempo a sacarle la foto y sigue hacia arriba
I stop for a moment and see this ibex just ahead of me. He allows me time to take the photo then continues up the slope
Ahora toca subir un poco
Now I have to go up a bit
en dirección a un viejo conocido
towards another old acquaintance
el valle hacia el que bajaré próximamente
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| Cueto Ropero |
Desde aquí se ve el embalse del Ebro, aunque no es un día de buena visibilidad
From the top you can see the Ebro reservoir, though today visibility isn't particularly good
below is the valley I came up from and which I'll be heading back down to very shortly
el Pico Liguardi a mi derecha; se ve el Cuchillón detrás
Pico Liguardi is just to my right; the slopes that are used by skiers in winter are to the left
Justo antes de coger la pista que me llevará al pueblo veo estos amapolas, que siempre me gusta ver. También diré que por ¡7ª salida consecutiva! me acompañaba el canto del cuco en varios momentos.
La bajada es directa y muy rápida por las escobas y el brezo, pero se sigue bien
The way down is very direct through the broom and heather, but easy to follow on this occasion
Abajo llego a un robledal, cuya sombra se agradece ya que la temperatura empieza a subir
Near the foot of the incline I come into a young oak wood, and I'm grateful for the shade as the temperature is rising
Just before reaching the trail that will take me to the village I come upon these poppies, which I'm always glad to see. I should also say that for the 7th hike in a row I was treated to the call of the cuckoo at various moments!
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