Camino Olvidado Guide from Bilbao - May 2018.

[omicko]

With the new yellow arrows and the GPS Tracks of Enderjace I did this route via VEGACERVERA-highly recommendable. 3 pages (6 sides ). 1 page in your pocket for easy reference. PRINT IN COLOUR.
Suerte, Mick.

Typo in post 2 has been corrected.

 

[AlanSykes]

Thank you for this, most timely as I hope to be doing the León part in November. I think there must be a typo when it says Boñar to Vegacervera is only 15.5km? - Ender's elevation guide to León has it at 27.3km, with about 700m of accumulated height gain.

 

[omicko]

Thank you for this, most timely as I hope to be doing the León part in November. I think there must be a typo when it says Boñar to Vegacervera is only 15.5km? - Ender's elevation guide to León has it at 27.3km, with about 700m of accumulated height gain.

Yes you are correct.Villfeide should be 14.7km. I will wait a while before I change it in case there is any other typos.

 

[peregrina2000]

So what were your stages, omicko? I walked this route several years ago, but hope to go back next year, at least for the part between Aguilar and Ponferrada. I remember a lot of asphalt that first day or so, and I won’t have time to start in Bilbao, so the second half will have to do. Can’t wait to walk the new mountain alternatives in the province of León that Ender has marked!

 

[Aglass]

That's great information Omicko. Thank you. Did you meet any other pilgrims on the route?
Andrew

 

[caminka]

excellent info, omicko, thank you! will be updating my guide in resources sometime in november, I think.

 

[pelerine]

Thank you for the info! Have got the Olvidado in my sights(?) for 2021 and am collecting any info coming my way. Will start calling for help when I am closer to the year I am planning to go....

 

[pelerine]

PS Have just looked at your info in more detail! Phantastic! The amount of work you put into this! Thank you so much for your effort!!!

 

[Sheffield James]

That's great information Omicko. Thank you. Did you meet any other pilgrims on the route?
Andrew

There’s a rumour Roger Daltrey was on the route at the same time. Is that so, omicko?

 

[omicko]

That's great information Omicko. Thank you. Did you meet any other pilgrims on the route?
Andrew

Hi Andrew, sorry for the delay. I met a Spanish Pilgrim in the last 4 days, he had spent 2 nights in Fasgar in the albergue due to a heavy cold. The last 2 days we walked together. He was in contact with Enderjace a few times by Texting as we walked.Cheers, Mick.

 

[omicko]

excellent info, omicko, thank you! will be updating my guide in resources sometime in november, I think.

Hi Caminka, by all means use the information. Cheers, Mick.

 

[omicko]

PS Have just looked at your info in more detail! Phantastic! The amount of work you put into this! Thank you so much for your effort!!!

Well Pelerine,for me, your comment about the amount of work was very apt. It took me longer to do this than to walk the Camino.Cheers Mick.

 

[omicko]

There’s a rumour Roger Daltrey was on the route at the same time. Is that so, omicko?

Hiya James, I was told many times that Rodger Daltrey was seen in the same places and at the same times as when I had been there.Cheers, Roger.

 

[Davie Blisters]

Great info @omicko
Now this is another Camino for the bucketlist with Bilbao a direct flight from the UK.
Cheers
Davie

 

[omicko]

So what were your stages, omicko? I walked this route several years ago, but hope to go back next year, at least for the part between Aguilar and Ponferrada. I remember a lot of asphalt that first day or so, and I won’t have time to start in Bilbao, so the second half will have to do. Can’t wait to walk the new mountain alternatives in the province of León that Ender has marked!

Hi Laurie, SORRY for the long delay in replying. I have rechecked all my distances and regarding the part of the Camino you will be doing these were my stages.
Olea to 1km before Quintanluengos about 45 kilometres. (Slept in a tent and had a terrible sleep)
20.1km Castrejon de la Pena.
22.2km Guardo
11.6km Puente Almuhey
21km Cisterna
27.6km Bonar
27.3km Vegacervera
16.2km Buiza
27.5km La Magdalena
28.3km Vegarienza
16.8km Fasgar
18.5km Iguena
23.7km Losada
25.4km Ponferrada
Without doubt this is a great Camino, especially this section, if you like mountains and I know you do.Suerte, Mick.

 

[peregrina2000]

Hi Laurie, SORRY for the long delay in replying. I have rechecked all my distances and regarding the part of the Camino you will be doing these were my stages.
Olea to 1km before Quintanluengos about 45 kilometres. (Slept in a tent and had a terrible sleep)
20.1km Castrejon de la Pena.
22.2km Guardo
11.6km Puente Almuhey
21km Cisterna
27.6km Bonar
27.3km Vegacervera
16.2km Buiza
27.5km La Magdalena
28.3km Vegarienza
16.8km Fasgar
18.5km Iguena
23.7km Losada
25.4km Ponferrada
Without doubt this is a great Camino, especially this section, if you like mountains and I know you do.Suerte, Mick.

No problem with any delays, I have a long time before my next camino, and the information is very helpful! Thanks so much.

 

[omicko]

" WHAT'S IN A NAME? THAT WHICH WE CALL A ...."

A while back I had this correspondence from the Hospitaleros Guadalupe and her husband Alan of the Refuge in La Magdalena.
Good morning Mick, I’m very glad you are putting your experience about Camino Olvidado/Viejo Camino de la Montaña a Santiago on paper.
But first of all I would like to explain why the two names.
Camino Olvidado is the name of the route run and managed, at least in the province of León, by the local councils who get all the funding from the government, spending it as they see fit, namely in advertising and the upkeeping of the different stages.
On the other hand, we in Camino de la Montaña, for short, are a 150 member ( latest figures) voluntary association whose two main aims are the welfare of the Pilgrim and the regeneration of our district. Our funds come from membership fees ( 10 Euros yearly), donations and the selling of second hand ítems and some art and crafts ( all donated) in the local markets. We also look after the Refuge in La Magdalena and the Pilgrim Hostel in Vegarienza.
Our association has alternatives to some of the difficult stages in our área, namely Los Calderones-Piedrasecha and in La Omañuela, which can get flooded from November to May. We are also finding paths to avoid the roads. We have been carrying out extensive historical research in order to base the decissions we take as far as the mapping is concerned.
I would be extremely grateful if you could include our name in your writings.
Please get in touch if I can be of any further help.
Best wishes, Guadalupe.

My suggestion is that if Pilgrims used the Refuge in La Magdalena it would help them with their costs for the upkeep and improvement of the Refuge in La Magdalena and the Pilgrim Hostel in Vegarienza. Remember they do not get paid for all their hard work. Cheers, Mick.

 

[omicko]

" WHAT'S IN A NAME? THAT WHICH WE CALL A ...."

Guadalupe and her husband Allan are the hospitaleros in the Refugio in the village La Magdalena and were extremely kind and helpful to me.Guadalupe has a separate job where she works 7 days a week. Alan has retired.The Refugio Is In what was the village school. There are three single beds. They were originally bunk beds got second-hand from the Albergue in Vegarienza.There were some parts missing so Allan had to alter them from double bunk beds to singles. There is a toilet. When I was there there was also a microwave.
I would be interested to know if any of you fellow Peregrinos, who like to do the Caminos less travelled, have any thoughts on my suggestion at the end of Post 17 about staying at the Refuge instead of the hotels.

" WHAT'S IN A NAME? THAT WHICH WE CALL A ....". Or Is It.

 

[Magwood]

Hi @omicko I and two other forum members will be walking the Olvidado from Cistierna in May (having hopped across from the Lana). We will definitely be using albergues and refuges where available.

Many thanks for your guide which is proving most useful in my planning.

 

[AlanSykes]

" WHAT'S IN A NAME? THAT WHICH WE CALL A ...."

Guadalupe and her husband Allan are the hospitaleros in the Refugio in the village La Magdalena and were extremely kind and helpful to me.Guadalupe has a separate job where she works 7 days a week. Alan has retired.The Refugio Is In what was the village school. There are three single beds. They were originally bunk beds got second-hand from the Albergue in Vegarienza.There were some parts missing so Allan had to alter them from double bunk beds to singles. There is a toilet. When I was there there was also a microwave.
I would be interested to know if any of you fellow Peregrinos, who like to do the Caminos less travelled, have any thoughts on my suggestion at the end of Post 17 about staying at the Refuge instead of the hotels.

The day from Buiza (or, in my case, La Pola de Gordón) to La Magdalena is quite a tough one, going up to 1671m, the highest point on the Olvidado, and through the rough ground of the (spectacularly beautiful) Los Calderones. So I really wanted (needed) a shower that evening, and stayed in the Crucero hostal on the main drag of La Magdalena. I would have preferred staying in the albergue and meeting Guadalupe, but the lack of a shower was a bit of a deal breaker.

 

[omicko]

Hi @omicko I and two other forum members will be walking the Olvidado from Cistierna in May (having hopped across from the Lana). We will definitely be using albergues and refuges where available.

Many thanks for your guide which is proving most useful in my planning.

Hola Maggie, I had already booked a flight to Alicante for the 21st of
March to do the Lana and then make my way across to the Camino Olvidado but at the moment it now looks like I won't be going.
The photos are of Perigatos eating outside the Albergue in Cistierna, waiting, like me, for the Hospitalero to open up. Suerte, Mick.