Jotown and Wally on the road 2011: Blood, Sweat and Cheers !

After a relaxing day on Thursday, walking the 4 kms into Potes,http://www.liebanaypicosdeeuropa.com/visita-i/lb1_3_5.htm having a look around the old town, and an exhibition about Beatus of Toribio monastery http://www.lumenartis.net/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=189&language=en and the interpretation he made of the Apocalypse , very interesting exhibition, and then walking back again to the campsite, for an early BBQ…and night..

I decided that today, I should do something a little more demanding…so again should I bike, or walk…it being a little overcast again, and rain maybe in the air I decided to walk.

With my breakfast of beans,almost on toast..I was ready, and set off on a route, which I would be making as I went along.. I had seen a cross on the top of the highest hill around Potes, and so decided that I could find my way up to it, as today’s challenge.

Things were easy at first, I had left the campsite, and wandered up along a rustic track,passing Turieno cemetery(now that was small, only about 30 graves) and on up the track, eventually meeting with the climbing road, up to the Monastery of Santa Toribio http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Santo_Toribio_de_Li%C3%A9bana although unfortunately the ‘door of pardon’ was not open !!http://www.holysoulscrusade.org/Santo-Toribio.htmlalthough I had arrived there, shortly before 12 noon, and as there was mass at that time I stayed, it was obviously a special service as the chapel was full, and lots of chanting and full throated singing took place…and well worth staying, particularly as , with everyone, I was able to venerate a relic of the true cross.

Then after mass, and feeling invincible (mistake) off I set up the hill behind the monastery to get to the top of the hill, which had on its summit a large cross. The path at first was quite well defined, but got narrower, and muddier as I got higher, no problem I thought, I’ve been on far worse, however as I got to about 800 mts up, the track petered out, leaving me in the middle of a steep hillside, with no trail to follow, so undeterred and determined I ploughed straight up the hillside, which became ever more overgrown with brambles,ferns,old decaying trees and nettles(guess who tripped and landed in some? Ouch!) it wasn’t getting any easier, and as I stumbled and trundled on wondered how I was going to get down, hopefully there would be a decent path on the other side ? As I continued tripping and climbing, determination set in, even though by then I’d been bloodied on both arms and legs (in me shorts..) and looked as though I’d been scrapping with someone !Although it looked worse than it was, the dripping sweat made the blood go further… although as I eventually staggered out onto the top of the hill (and found a decent path!),bloodied..I must have looked a sight, as two lads who had come up the other side from Potes itself were quite concerned as to what I’d been through !

I convinced them I was OK, although after some pictures on top at the giant cross, I had decided to go down the same way as they had come up, so joined with them for the faster descent down –and a bit of company, they were a Dutch and South American,who had met up whilst doing the Camino del Santiago, and diverted to the Picos for a ‘rest’ ! Good company as we made our way down, almost to Potes, where they continued to, and I diverted left and back on my route home.