That infamous descent into Zubiri

[Peregrinopaul]

I finally experienced it first hand. Yes, it’s a doozy! But I’m an old guy, and I made it without incident with my bike - not “on” my bike.
Today was dry, and may have been for a few days, so negotiating the chaotic surface was easily possible with care. As others have said, in rain it would be your worst nightmare. Take the road, busy as it is.
I have to say that it came up to my geological expectations. The outcrops are fascinating as the dip and strike changes. Near the bottom, the beds have become almost horizontal, forming a natural staircase. In other places, the bedding planes dip in synch with the slope - very nasty if slippery.
I took 72 photos. Hard pressed to choose one. But I loved this eroded channel, where the sides look like old walls. The blocks on the right look like left-overs from a stone mason.

 

[WalkinRon]

So glad to see you're finally back on The Camino!! Please update us on your progress.

Cheers!!!

 

[Peregrinopaul]

Yesterday, i took on the infamous ASCENT to Allto de Perdon. That was a real struggle for me, but at the critical moment fairly close to the top, a pilgrim that I had had dinner with in Espinal, miraculously showed up with a “Hi Paul,” and took my bike to the top. You know what they say…..

 

[Peregrinopaul]

That freed me to have a good look at the conglomerate.

 

[Rick of Rick and Peg]

Yesterday, i took on the infamous ASCENT to Allto de Perdon. That was a real struggle for me, but at the critical moment fairly close to the top, a pilgrim that I had had dinner with in Espinal, miraculously showed up with a “Hi Paul,” and took my bike to the top. You know what they say…..

I remember being passed by a bicigrino pedaling up the Alto de Mostelares past Castrojeriz. Then the pedalling got harder to do and the bike started to wobble. I pushed him for several meters until he regained his strength and again left me behind.

 

[Camino Chrissy]

We met a bicagrino gal in her 50's at the monastery we stayed at in Cornellana on the Primitivo in 2016. She was from Venezuela and it was her second time riding her bike on the same route. We saw her the next morning struggling to drag her bike up a steep rocky hill, so my son offered to pull it up for her.

P.S. I wonder how often that lone bikers need assistance up a few of the difficult spots on the various Camino routes if they are wanting to avoid a "road Camino".

 

[goldie from aus]

That freed me to have a good look at the conglomerate.
View attachment 148185

Sometimes picture is worth a hundred, and your "ones" are awesome. Thank you

 

[Peregrinopaul]

2 'likes' appeared today for my postings on this thread, which I'd forgotten I'd made. After all the terrible weather pilgrims have experienced recently, I'm surprised no-one mentioned it, because it must have been bloody awful in a downpour.
For anyone interested, here's a couple more pics from my oversized collection. You'll note that I was there in perfect weather.

This was a vertical view of the rock layers at one point. They are repeating couplets of limestone and marl - the latter a lithology which contains more than 50% clay minerals and hence erodes out easily.

This was taken on the "climb' up to the Erro road crossing. Steps, caused by the horizontal bedding planes.

 

[Bradypus]

This was taken on the "climb' up to the Erro road crossing. Steps, caused by the horizontal bedding planes.

An American peregrina broke both a tibia and a fibula on the stage from Roncesvalles to Zubiri yesterday. Though from the reports it sounds as if it was closer to Espinal. Must be very frustrating to have travelled so far and have your journey cut short so early. A reminder to watch where you place your feet on these difficult paths.

La Guardia Civil de Navarra auxilia a una norteamericana por rotura de tibia y peroné

Fue atendida por los agentes en el lugar y trasladada a un hospital de Pamplona

www.larazon.es

 

[diggidan]

I am pretty sure that I ruined my knee and foot on the path down to Zubiri didn’t use my sticks, my shoes does not have much support for my ankles. I took a few days off in Logroño and Burgos. Not fully recovered yet but I can walk and in Sarria right now. Looking forward to be in slight pain until Finisterre

 

[David with new Kit!]

Hah - Just wait until you do the descent into Molinaseca!

DOH - Just spotted the original date!

 

[trecile]

I am pretty sure that I ruined my knee and foot on the path down to Zubiri didn’t use my sticks,

Did you bring sticks and not use them??