Best & Worst combined

[Adrienne Patton]

I completely agree!  I had the same experience on my
trek to Cebreiro.  It was mid November when I reached
Villafranca del Bierzo.  I recommend staying at the
Ave Fenix refuge - hospitalero Jesus Jato is....a
character :).  There was a lot of worry in the refugio
that evening because of bad weather reports.  Everyone
there was going to take the route along the highway -
but that option scared me to death.  Road walking made
me tense in general - I avoided it as much as possible
when an alternative off-road trail was an option.  But
the idea of walking the highway in rainy, sleety gloom
was truly frightening.

I chose to walk the high-level route - I preferred to
brave the bad weather WITHOUT the traffic as an issue.
 I was the only one who did that, and even lost my
camino companion because of my choice.  But it was the
best decision - the walk was exquisite, and the
weather shone for me!  Very steep, but if you walk it
slowly and carefully, it is a joy.  Wayfinding is a
little tricky through the chestnut grove at the peak -
watch for flashes painted on the trees.

When I descended, I joined the road route for a couple
of kilometers, and it was the most terrifying 2 km of
my whole camino - I am so relieved I didn't walk that
the whole way.  I stayed at the refugio in Ruitelan, 2
km further than Vega de Valcarce.  I highly recommend
it.  The hospitalero is a warm and lovely man and
cooks a big dinner for the pilgrims.  My walk the next
day was a short and steep 10km to Cebreiro - a nice
half day to stroll and celebrate this last most
challenging leg of the walk. (And my last 4km were in
deep snow, so this was a good day for a shorter walk!)

I chose to carry my pack as I was uncertain whether I
would reach Cebreiro in 1 or 2 days.  Since I took it
slow, I didn't mind carrying it.  If it is important
to you to reach Cebreiro in 1 day, having Sr. Jato
drive your pack up is a good option.

I have thought a lot about best & worst of the camino,
and find it a very difficult question.  There are so
many factors - scenery, refugios, fellow walkers....I
had some very joyful times in some of the less scenic
sections because of my experiences and other factors
one can't plan for.  I think that is one of the
blessed things about the Camino - just start walking
and trust it to provide you with what you need.

*Adrienne



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