17 of us today
This included Paul’s four young visitors
Missed Jan when it came to feeding the donkey’s
It is almost four years since we last did this walk in May 2019
This was partly due to covid
But also because of concerns about the track
When we last did it there were signs of building which might close the track uphill to bar Refugio
So when we started the climb I was quite concerned whether it would be blocked
If so we would have to return downhill and take a long detour to Bernia
The build did indeed block the old track, but there was an alternative in place which required only a slight scramble
Some of the group were disappointed that we did not have a drink a t bar Refugio
The temperature dropped as we approached the cloud covered peak of Bernia
There were also lots of cars; apparently it is yet another Spanish holiday today
It was chilly as we started our picnic, but fortunately the sun appeared to warm us up
I had to take a second set of photographs as it looked so much better in the sun
Fortunately we left the “crowds” behind as we continued down into the valley
In fact we didn’t pass any other walkers for the rest of the walk
Despite the total ascent, there were long sections of gentle walking with lovely views
Colin tested the cracked wall before we sat down for our last water stop
Richard even found a chair, but the cracked wall looked far more comfortable
The gorge was overgrown
But I found the way through ok
The final detour was even more overgrown
And I had to find a new track in places
We were all very impressed when one of our young guests produced a doughnut, rather than an apple or banana
It was a weary, but happy, group who completed the walk
This week I managed to get all of Alan in the final photo at the bar
Temperature – 16-20c
Time taken – 6 hours
Distance – 14 km
Total Ascent – 320 metres
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