Bringing a stone to the camino

[pieter pannevis]

The place is called "Cruz de Hierro"  ( iron cross) and is app. 7.8 km's
from Rabanal, after the abandoned village of Foncebadon.
The origin is a Roman altar dedicated to the God Mercury( the Roman's had
great highways there...)
Nowa days it's a wooden pole with a cross on top of it, surrounded by
thousands of stones brought from home by so many pilgrims
The thought is, that as you carry your burden ( whatever it is) from home to
this place and throw it there away at this highest point of the Camino
 1517 meters above sea level) you have yourself freed from this burden as
you took it to this highest point and you can go further now as a freed
man/woman !
The Cruz the Ferro has been recently hew down several times in a row and has
been reerected by the keeper of the alberque at Manjarin: Tomas.
Despite the nearness of a military communication center and Guardia Civil
patrols it happened.
The origin of this misbehavior is unknown.
At the backside of the Cruz is a small chapel.

I hope this partly answers your questions
Pieter from Holland