BIKING PORTIONS

[William Marques]

On Wed, 27 Aug robert j toy  wrote:


>1. Any recommendations on San Juan de Ortega - Burgos via Ages,
>Atapuerca, and Olmos de Atapuerca? We took the "downhill all the way"
>trail along N120 last year, because it was late in the day and we wanted
>to make Burgos.

We took the northern route through pretty country side on side roads till
close to Burgos. The route turns of at Tosantos and goes over a hill and
joins the Villafranca - Castil de Peones road, you turn west on the BU701
and as long as you don't miss the turning before Barrios de la Colina can
get to San Juan de Ortega.

>2. We missed Astorga-Ponferreda due to a storm and trained that leg
>instead. I understand it is one of the more beautiful and meaningful
>parts of the Camino. (We left our small stones among the small rocky
>ledges inside the beautiful church in O Cebreiro). Any observations
>regarding biking this leg?

A great leg. If you are starting in Astorga Rabanal makes a good morning
stop.  It is easy uphill till Foncebadon an in my memory got steeper after
there.  There are one or two very steep sections on the down hill and the
stones at El Acebo would be very dangerous after rain. The downhill is a
very long one so stop to cool your wheels. I prefer not to stay in
Ponferrada and there are good hostels in Molinaseca.

>3. Any recommendations regarding biking up to O Cebreiro via La Faba?
>Is it do-able without a lot of walking and pushing? We  did NVI last
>year through Pedrafita with no trouble other than the fact we never
>really knew where we were at any one time due to Sr. Lazaro's  masterful
>map-drawing.

I have taken the La Faba route twice by bike staying on the road to La
Faba. There are plenty of section where you will have to push the bike and
it will be hard work for a short way but the walkers do the whole route
that way. If you have a mountain bike there are sections you can ride if a
tourer you may have to walk from La Faba

>4. The walking trail crosses the highway (C535) about three miles beyond
>Sarria and becomes a small, rough road through a series of villages into
>Portomarin. We did the highway last year at the reccomendation of locals
>in a nearby restaurant. (it had recently stormed). Has anyone biked that
>trail into Portomarin and did you survive? Would you recommend it to
>someone else who wants both  to survive but still enjoy that "route of
>true ethnological originality", to quote aforementioned Sr. Lazaro?

We cycled the first part of the walking trail from Sarria until the
highway, most of that section was easily cyclable in dry weather. I cannot
confirm the second half as we took the road also.

William