Guide for the Picos de Europa 80 Mile Loop Trek in Spain
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- Опубліковано 20 гру 2022
- Hey everybody, this is the companion video for my silent solo hike in the Picos de Europa that can be found here- • Hiking the Picos de Eu...
AllTrails link- www.alltrails.com/explore/tra...
Gear I use:
linktr.ee/CaryMercer
My Instagram: carywmercer
Any feedback would be helpful and appreciated. Anything like: what you found useful, what I could have included, what your hiking plans are etc. Thanks!
This is the kind of details I love from treks that I’m interested in, great content man!
Hi Luciano. Your feedback means a lot to me. Thank you. Hope you have fun and are safe out in the spectacular Picos.
Thanks for sharing your experience! Very helpful!
Thanks for the feedback. I’m glad you found it helpful. Thank you for watching. 😀👍
Thanks a lot for this guide, awesome feedback and very detailed. I grew up in a town not too far from those mountains, and this was a good treatment for the homesickness.
I've done a few day hikes around the area, including the Ruta del Cares, but never the full loop. I had no idea it was this challenging, hopefully I'll get to do it one day.
A few tips to make you want to come back and for the people in the comments thinking on doing the hike.
I believe the challenging ridge you mentioned close to the first refuge (Vega de Urriellu) is to give you a clear view of Torre Cerredo - the highest peak in the mountain range - and possibly an invitation to go for the summit. It's a small detour from the track and although technical you don't need climbing gear.
On the way down from that area I believe you went through the village of Bulnes. Even though it's a small place and inaccessible by car, it's relatively important in the region and the tourist industry, so a funicular was built running through the mountain to Poncebos (start of the Cares Trail) for the residents to be able to bring food and such. Just a small engineering fun fact.
Close to those lakes you get to after the Cares Trail, also known as the Covadonga Lakes, is the village of Covadonga. This a fairly important historical place in Spanish and Asturian history. It is said that at this location the Battle of Covadonga took place in 718, which is considered the event that kickstarted the Reconquista and the foundational event for the Kingdom of Asturias. This is a common place to go for tourists that visit the region, most of them head up to the lakes later for a small walk. Definitely the busiest part of the national park.
From the refuge you walk past after the lakes (Vegaredonda), you can take a side track to the Mirador de Ordiales. The founder of the national park - which is also the first person to ever climb the Uriellu/Naranjo de Bulnes - is buried at the end of the track in a sort of stone monument grave. The views from that place and its significance makes the detour worthwile.
Keep up the great content. It will explode at some point
Wow! I have pinned your comment to the top, so everyone can read it. Thank you so much for the additional details about this special area and for your words of encouragement. Truly appreciated. 😁
This is exactly what I've been looking for. So informative and straight forward. Much appreciated and keep it up!
I really appreciate that. Thank you. 😊
Cary ...... you took me back so many years when I travelled alone 30+ years ago in the same area, your vlog was very emotional for me as I still carry the joy of that hike deep inside me.
You were right to back track from Cain along the Cares to make the ascent, any future hikers should be looking to make the ascent via the Canal de Trea.
Best wishes from the UK .... Ian
Hi Ian. Thank you for sharing your emotional connection to the Picos de Europa. I really enjoy hearing from others and their experience on these trails. I appreciate your comment. I am currently visiting the UK for the first time. I just finished hiking the Skye Trail in Scotland, and I'm exploring some of the cities in England soon. Take care, and thanks for watching.
Thanks alot Cary! This will be my first hike with such high elevations. You made this Loop hike much more approachable for me, thnks to this elaborate video. I'm going to walk italone aswell and I'll take a bit more time, since I'm in no rush, I have 7 days of food and I want to enjoy the villages and landscape :)
That’s excellent to hear. I hope you have a safe, fantastic time. I enjoyed the food at huts along the trail and in the villages. Some of those elevation gains are tough. Try and go as light as possible. 🙂
Awesome video. Keep making this great content. Love the detail and thank you for sharing.
Hi Mark! Thanks for watching, and I appreciate your feedback.
Good sharing 👍🏻👍🏻
Great video! Thanks
Thanks. Appreciate it.
Hi Mate,
Great video, very helpful, we are planning the trail now for end of June this year. We will take 8 days instead of 5 though. Cheers!
Thank you. I hope you have a wonderful time. Say hello to the chamois for me.
Hey, I just wanted to see how you went with allowing 8 days? Did you manage to complete the trek?
Nice, informative video! Any comments on safety? Did you bring anything with you? What about Spanish, do you speak it or did you have trouble? Thanks!
Hi Robert, and thank you! This is a safe area to go hiking in the mountains. I didn't bring anything. I speak a little Spanish, but very little. I think it is fine traveling in Spain without knowing any Spanish. Many people know a little English, or google translate on your phone can help out.
Great video with in-depth information! I will be heading there in a month. Looks like you wore a pair of Catamounts, how was it? Do you recommend or else? And I wan wondering about how to obtain drone permit in Picos de Europa. I have Mini 3 Pro. Thanks!
Hi, and thank you. I appreciate that. I do not recommend those shoes. I like the brooks cascadias more. My understanding is that you would not need one, but i’m not entirely sure. I hope you enjoy your time out there. The picos was one of my favorite hikes from last year.
Thanks for the guide Cary! It's quite hard to find any detailed info on the Picos trails. I wondered about the steep sections you describe, are they just difficult due to steepness or are they also exposed, loose or slippy rock etc? Also, do you think a group of 4 heading out first week in October would need to book huts in advance?
Hi! The first really steep section that I encountered also was made difficult by the fact that there isn’t really much of a trail. The other one was more about temperature, exposure, and lack of water, on top of the steepness and amount of elevation change. Probably a good idea to book with a group of that size just to be sure. I really liked walking in the Picos. I hope you enjoy it. Take care.
We're doing the hike soon. Is there a link to the all trails info you used? Great content! 😄
Hi! Here it is. www.alltrails.com/explore/trail/spain/castile-and-leon/ruta-circular-picos-de-europa?u=i
Have fun and be safe.
Hi, Cary, thank you for your video, very helpful. Question, did you have to make a reservation for the huts or do you think it's not necessary?
Hi, thanks for watching. Great question. I should have talked about that in the video. I went first week of October and I did not make reservations for the two huts I stayed at. I would think from June-August it would be best to make reservations just in case.
Is wildlife (bears/wolves) a problem for hikers in the Picos?
Hi. To the best of my understanding, there are no bears/wolves to be concerned with in Western Europe.
There are bears and wolves in Picos. You'll be lucky (or unlucky depends how you put it) to encounter any bears, the population is very small and fairly endangered.
Wolves have a bigger presence, and are a big problem for farmers. They tend to attack sheep stock, but as an endangered species they cannot do anything against them.
That said, encounters with humans are rare. More so in the alpine sections where you are likely to camp, so nothing to be concerned about.
How long is the roped section, is it exposed, do you need a clip? Thanks!
Hi. It is short. Maybe 20 feet. No clip needed.