Hold the Heights - Day 42
Thursday, June 12th, 2008 Posted in Hold the Heights, Spain | No Comments »CHAPTER THREE What if I live no more those kingly days? Their night sleeps with me still. I dream my feet upon the starry ways; My heart rests in the hill. I may not grudge the little left undone; I hold the heights, I keep the ...
Running dry - Day 43
Monday, June 16th, 2008 Posted in Hold the Heights, Spain | 2 Comments »Not a good night’s sleep: we hadn’t checked the ground under the tent very well and some rocks seemed to embed themselves in my back during the night. I’m only using a half-length foam pad to sleep on, to save ...
Hard Cheese - Day 44
Tuesday, July 15th, 2008 Posted in Hold the Heights, Spain | No Comments »[caption id="attachment_139" align="alignright" width="198" caption="Orbaceita streets"][/caption]Yesterday had completely taken it out of us and we really need to take a day off. We spend it doing virtually nothing except eating. The buffet breakfast in the Casa Rural seems a real ...
European Unity - Day 45
Wednesday, July 16th, 2008 Posted in Hold the Heights, Spain | No Comments »Another steep climb begins a long walk on forest roads. It seems much easier than a couple of days ago – which is a relief! When we emerge above the forest we again see the stark mountain outlines we’d glimpsed ...
Swot Team - Day 46
Friday, July 18th, 2008 Posted in Hold the Heights, Spain | 1 Comment »The GR11 has two options from Isaba, a steep rock scramble up a fearsome-looking peak known as Ezkaurre, first of the two-thousand metre mountains – or a shorter route through the forests to the north. We use the excuse of ...
A high and lonely place - Day 47
Tuesday, July 22nd, 2008 Posted in Hold the Heights, Spain | No Comments »We set off up the valley to the east, far below the great rock towers on our right, which remind me of the Towers of Paine in Patagonia. Woods and pastures give way to stunted trees and gorse, before we ...
Flee the scree - Day 48
Sunday, July 27th, 2008 Posted in Hold the Heights, Spain | 1 Comment »After packing up our gear we enjoy the leisurely walk up Aguas Tuertas, the easy ground underfoot meaning we can concentrate on watching the gliding circles of Griffon Vultures overhead. Then we start on the climb to the next high ...
Back on Track - Day 49
Tuesday, August 5th, 2008 Posted in Hold the Heights, Spain | No Comments »After finding yesterday’s route across the scree simply too hair-raising, we study our guidebook with care this morning for word on any hazards ahead. Yesterday’s horrors merited the comment ‘cross a steep scree slope (care is needed)’ whereas today’s route ...
Festival Night - Day 50
Thursday, October 2nd, 2008 Posted in Hold the Heights, Spain | 2 Comments »[caption id="attachment_194" align="alignright" width="280" caption="Sallent de Gallego"][/caption]Sallent has the most incredibly beautiful setting of forest, river and mountains and also many fine old buildings, but it’s becoming an increasingly important tourist centre and there are many cranes and construction ...