Carry that Weight – from Caro to Fredes (2nd blog today)

I slept well and breakfast was typical with the dried meats, tostadas and cheese. Just perfect, and I ate enough to carry me through the day. My mate Peter said today would be no easier than yesterday. Bring it on. I’m hard as anything I am, me. Well as long as it’s not too difficult. The distance was 15 miles today and I was aiming to camp around Fredes. I set off at 10am. The first climb was hard but the views speak for themselves.

The route slipped over another very long, high ridge and worked its way up and down along it, wherever a path could go to avoid cliff drops. Knackering but stunning.

And looking out to the east, when the opportunity arose, the Ebro delta was still visible through the haze. 

I can’t describe how much I’m loving this. It’s silent but for the birdsong and the occasional animal hearing me coming and scrambling across scree or crashing through trees. This route really clings to the mountainside and any slip would be painful, with vertigo inducing drops on occasions. Just take care and drink lots of water so as not to lose balance. I’m sweating lots. I must stink but I don’t really give a duck.

Eventually the track twisted over the ridge inland looking west. 

And the path itself had more of a woodland feel to it than exposed rocky mountainside.

It began to drop down a bit more than it hiked up, although it was still a bit of a rollercoaster. And it wove through an area where horses were free roaming and then cattle were about. I held my bottle walking past long horned cows, ostensibly ignoring them but cacking myself. Waiting for any sound of a movement to jump up a rock or climb a tree or scream. Or summat. There were a few pastures about now.

But dropping down meant climbing up again. As I reached the top of the next ridge I slumped down on a rock and drank a bottle of water which I’d earlier swallowed and then filled up at a rare spring. Limestone don’t lend itself to mountain streams. I heard the distinctive chirp of an ibex but had to put my iPad on maximum expand to catch the two of them in this photo, plus a baby behind a bush between the two.

The path took a drop and final climb, through undergrowth. 

As I cleared the woodland I caught the first sight of Fredes; it was 6pm and it had taken me 8 hours to get here. I kept my eyes open for camping spots, although it’s technically illegal in the Natural Parks. 

Walking into the tiny village I found a bar/restaurant which I’d seen on Booking.com offering apartments at €60 a night. There was a group of folk outside and I chatted to them in extremely limited Spanish. Inside I ordered a beer and asked the guy behind the bar if there was a single room available anywhere. He directed me to one of the women outside, Nuri, who rented out rooms. €20 and I was the only person in the house. It was great.

The bar closed at 6.30 but they made me a sandwich to eat in the house. I watched telly and went to bed. Tired but happy.

Then it got a bit odd.  I was blogging yesterday’s blog and came across a photo that I didn’t know I’d taken. It was an unfocused close range shot of vegetation. I was going to delete it but then a woman’s face appeared bottom left, immediately followed by a young man’s face top right. The woman looked like my mum but I didn’t recognise the young man. Neither of them looked happy. I shut it down and opened it again. For a second all was blurred but then they both jumped out again. This made me uncomfortable. I moved my legs off the bed and saw a scratch in the shape of an inverted cross. 

It was getting a bit silly now but I had to delete the photo. And then I deleted it from the ‘deleted items’ folder. I slept ok but my dreams were unusual. It doesn’t help sometimes to spend long days alone. The mind can take over. But mostly it’s ok. 

Night night.