Pasá el Picayo - Tresviso - Urdón

I first heard about this walk, from the little village of San Esteban in Asturias, just off the Hermida Gorge, to Tresviso, the most isolated village in Cantabria, a couple of years ago. My idea was to return via the popular descent to Urdón in the Gorge. The problem was then to connect up to San Esteban again. In the end I decided to leave my car in Urdón, walk the mile along the main road that follows the Gorge and then do the almost traffic-free two-mile walk up the road to San Esteban, where the route proper would begin. The first photo was taken just by the beginning of the road up to San Esteban, having thankfully left the main road behind - there are no pavements and a fair bit of traffic.  

 More photos taken on the way to San Esteban

   

 The village comes into sight, an hour after I set off, with the Ciercos Valley to the right, which I explored in 2009

   

 An unusual sight: a dead chestnut tree with a commemorative plaque in recognition of the sustenance its fruit gave over 400 years to the locals

   

 At last the "Pasá del Picayo" walk was underway, and San Esteban below  

 After an initial ascent up through woodland with mainly leafless trees I reached a point where I had to change direction

   

 The route skirts the Cocón Sierra and ascends giving views of the mountains above the Ciercos Valley...

   

 ...as it winds its way round the rocks

   

 This is the Cabeza Vigueras, which I last climbed in 2010 - see the first entry on this blog  

 

This was the steepest section of the walk

   

 Another mountain I climbed some time ago comes into view, to the right of Cabeza Vigueras  

 The Ciercos Valley again

   

 Eventually the route reaches a point where it overlooks the Gorge and gradually changes direction  

 This is the view up the Gorge towards Urdón  

 and from a bit farther on

   

 The Cueto del Ave (see June 2010) was audible almost before I could see it owing to the water crashing down from the hydroelectric plant

   

 Another view of the Gorge below, at the point where I left the main road earlier on  

You can see the Canal de las Aileras on the Cueto clearly here. Until I saw the scree I found it hard to believe this was the walk I did a year ago as it seemed so steep from across the way.  

 As the path continued round the side of the Sierra, the Picos de Europa came into sight  

 Another mountain I visited some time ago, on the left, just above the village of Bejes  

 The Cueto del Ave again 

 

 Imagine losing your balance and slipping down that scree and over the edge...  

 At last Tresviso came into sight, with the Picos behind, from Samelar to the Naranjo - minutes before they were covered in cloud, as I sat and had my lunch  

 A look back 

 

 And Tresviso just ahead.

   

 On the way down from Tresviso now, another angle of the Jontaniella, above Bejes, and the collado Pelea, which leads to Potes 

 

 The first part of the descent from Tresviso  

 The path zigzags spectacularly

 

Right opposite the hydroelectric plant now  

 The river Urdón

   

 a shot of the path

   

 the final part of the descent as it snakes its way down the mountain  

 looking up the scree in the Canal la Cerrosa

and from a bit further down

   

 Eventually you get to the point where the torrents of water crashing down the Cueto del Ave reach the Urdón

 

Looking back up the river everything's placid  

 but the other side there's a tremendous roar as the cascade joins the river  

 Looking up towards the initial release of water

   

 And finally the end of the walk, with a photo of the entrance to the Urdón valley  

 and the main road along the Gorge as it goes into Asturias, which I started walking along seven hours earlier