How wolves led me to the Camino

[davejsy]

Ok, not literally, but kind of they did.

The recent thread on the wolf at Cruz de Ferro reminded me of my tenuous link to the Camino involving wolves, and it would be great to hear of other people's less than common routes toward finding the Camino.

So my story towards the Camino started back in Easter 2013. My mom had been living in Southern Spain (near Alicante) for several years and I'd recently taken to driving down from Jersey as opposed to flying to visit her. I'd generally stop off in the Pyrenees to break up the journey (actually in Accous which is on the way to Somport). But back in 2013 I headed to a little mountain village called Boca de Huergano, just outside the Picos de Europa (and on the Vadiniense now it transpires) where I'd heard it was possible to go and see wolves with a guide, and being a nature lover and especially being captivated with the wildness of wolves I just had to go. The morning after my arrival I was bumping around in the back of a 4x4 heading up this ridiculously steep snow-filled track through the falling snow having no idea what to expect, driving was the guide Bernardo, and with us was Andoni Canela the famous Spanish wildlife photographer trying to get photos for his next book. Anyway, we reached the top of this mountain and crested the ridge and as we did so, two wolves ran across the ridge maybe 100 meters away across a snow-field. It was almost over in the blink of an eye, far too fast to even consider getting the camera out - but I was hooked. What was meant to be a 1 night stop turned into 4 much to the delight of my long-suffering fiance at the time who was left (albeit quite happily) with Cass our dog while I was out looking for wolves in this magically wild place we'd happened across. I never did see another wolf on that trip, but that didn't matter.

This place that immediately felt like home became a twice-yearly holiday destination and remains so until this day. Each time we'd explore more of North West Spain on our way down to the Picos and gradually fell in love with the whole area from coast to mountains. Of course, it was impossible not to start noticing all of these Camino signs and weird people walking with backpacks from the Norte to lesser-known Caminos we crossed on our travels. Curiosity would get the better of me and I'd start looking into what these strange people were doing traipsing across this beautiful part of Spain which was still at the time very undiscovered by the tourist hordes. Eventually, this would lead to including Santiago de Compostela on our travels, and then the film The Way and books and YouTube and eventually the Camino became fully entrenched in my mind as something one day I'd love to do.

And last year, after the death of Flora my dog whom I'd spent the last 8 years exploring this beautiful country, that "one" day arrived - I had to go. I walked the Camino with mine and Flora's mountains constantly to my right holding me tight like a dear friend as I walked that most beautiful path to Santiago de Compostela.

So there is my tenuous path towards the Camino thanks to those two wolves I saw over 11 years ago in those beautiful mountains.

Next week I'll be back in Boca de Huergano, the first time without Flora which will be strange, but like the Camino, I'm sure she'll be with me because they will always be our mountains (well, ours and the wolves and occasional bear).

There are some photos from that fateful trip here if anyone is interested.

Spain 2013 — W e s t

www.west.je

 

[MelMc]

That's a lovely wee story

 

[Sue127]

Ok, not literally, but kind of they did.

The recent thread on the wolf at Cruz de Ferro reminded me of my tenuous link to the Camino involving wolves, and it would be great to hear of other people's less than common routes toward finding the Camino.

So my story towards the Camino started back in Easter 2013. My mom had been living in Southern Spain (near Alicante) for several years and I'd recently taken to driving down from Jersey as opposed to flying to visit her. I'd generally stop off in the Pyrenees to break up the journey (actually in Accous which is on the way to Somport). But back in 2013 I headed to a little mountain village called Boca de Huergano, just outside the Picos de Europa (and on the Vadiniense now it transpires) where I'd heard it was possible to go and see wolves with a guide, and being a nature lover and especially being captivated with the wildness of wolves I just had to go. The morning after my arrival I was bumping around in the back of a 4x4 heading up this ridiculously steep snow-filled track through the falling snow having no idea what to expect, driving was the guide Bernardo, and with us was Andoni Canela the famous Spanish wildlife photographer trying to get photos for his next book. Anyway, we reached the top of this mountain and crested the ridge and as we did so, two wolves ran across the ridge maybe 100 meters away across a snow-field. It was almost over in the blink of an eye, far too fast to even consider getting the camera out - but I was hooked. What was meant to be a 1 night stop turned into 4 much to the delight of my long-suffering fiance at the time who was left (albeit quite happily) with Cass our dog while I was out looking for wolves in this magically wild place we'd happened across. I never did see another wolf on that trip, but that didn't matter.

This place that immediately felt like home became a twice-yearly holiday destination and remains so until this day. Each time we'd explore more of North West Spain on our way down to the Picos and gradually fell in love with the whole area from coast to mountains. Of course, it was impossible not to start noticing all of these Camino signs and weird people walking with backpacks from the Norte to lesser-known Caminos we crossed on our travels. Curiosity would get the better of me and I'd start looking into what these strange people were doing traipsing across this beautiful part of Spain which was still at the time very undiscovered by the tourist hordes. Eventually, this would lead to including Santiago de Compostela on our travels, and then the film The Way and books and YouTube and eventually the Camino became fully entrenched in my mind as something one day I'd love to do.

And last year, after the death of Flora my dog whom I'd spent the last 8 years exploring this beautiful country, that "one" day arrived - I had to go. I walked the Camino with mine and Flora's mountains constantly to my right holding me tight like a dear friend as I walked that most beautiful path to Santiago de Compostela.

So there is my tenuous path towards the Camino thanks to those two wolves I saw over 11 years ago in those beautiful mountains.

Next week I'll be back in Boca de Huergano, the first time without Flora which will be strange, but like the Camino, I'm sure she'll be with me because they will always be our mountains (well, ours and the wolves and occasional bear).

There are some photos from that fateful trip here if anyone is interested.

Spain 2013 — W e s t

www.west.je

Fabulous photos, Thank you

 

[AlanSykes]

I thought I saw one in the pre-dawn twilight near Soria one year. A large, 4-times bigger than a fox, shadowy figure crossing my path in the gloaming. A very special moment. And another time, on the Lana, huge footprints in the sand, miles from any farm, which the lady in the tourist office in Pelegrina thought "puede ser un lobo".

 

[KFH]

Next week I'll be back in Boca de Huergano,

So I google map that place and first thing I see is 'Lobo Camp'

 

[davejsy]

So I google map that place and first thing I see is 'Lobo Camp'

Haha yes, very apt. You can sometimes hear the wolves howling from the village as it echo's around the valleys, and this time of year it the valleys will be filled with bellows of the stags as its rutting season (or the Berea as they say in Spanish). It is a hauntingly beautifully wild place and I hope it can stay that way, although much has already changed since my first visit there all those years ago.

 

[davejsy]

A few more photos from other trips there for anyone interested!

 

[VNwalking]

Golgen Jackals are now also in Spain. Has anyone seen them?

 

[davejsy]

Golgen Jackals are now also in Spain. Has anyone seen them?

I think there are only a few, so you would be lucky to see one. So far I think the only evidence has been from one run over in Basque country, and one caught on a camera trap near Burgos.

 

[KFH]

Next week I'll be back in Boca de Huergano,

I didn't realize where exactly that was-- so that is on the Vadiniense on the way down to Mansilla De Las Mulas/Leon? Man, what an incredible area.

 

[davejsy]

I didn't realize where exactly that was-- so that is on the Vadiniense on the way down to Mansilla De Las Mulas/Leon? Man, what an incredible area.

Yes, and it is beautiful wild country. From Boca de H you can also go via Prioro and link on the Olvidado which will then join the Vadiniense later on and would be a quieter route than the main road route after Boca de Huergano, so you have quite a few options. Or you can stay on the Olvidado and not join the CF until Villafranco del Bierzo.

 

[KFH]

From Boca de H you can also go via Prioro and link on the Olvidado

Is there a marked trail for that or along a road or?

 

[Chris Day]

I hadn’t seen the thread on the Cruz de Ferro wolf, but very interestingly I have just returned from a Camino - walking for the 10th time over O Cebreiro.
Staying overnight at La Escuela de La Laguna below the summit, I heard wolves in the early hours. A first for me, I wasn’t sure it was what I had heard….. but a Canadian - better qualified than me, a Brit, in such matters! - confirmed that what we had heard was indeed a wolf/wolves.
I always ascend that final part of O Cebreiro pre-sunrise and generally alone. I love seeing dawn rise on my way up…. on this occasion, my senses were somewhat “hightened”, I can tell you. Having said that, I know that whilst they might see me, it was highly unlikely that I would see them.
Not a wolf to be seen!

 

[dailycamino]

Ok, not literally, but kind of they did.

The recent thread on the wolf at Cruz de Ferro reminded me of my tenuous link to the Camino involving wolves, and it would be great to hear of other people's less than common routes toward finding the Camino.

So my story towards the Camino started back in Easter 2013. My mom had been living in Southern Spain (near Alicante) for several years and I'd recently taken to driving down from Jersey as opposed to flying to visit her. I'd generally stop off in the Pyrenees to break up the journey (actually in Accous which is on the way to Somport). But back in 2013 I headed to a little mountain village called Boca de Huergano, just outside the Picos de Europa (and on the Vadiniense now it transpires) where I'd heard it was possible to go and see wolves with a guide, and being a nature lover and especially being captivated with the wildness of wolves I just had to go. The morning after my arrival I was bumping around in the back of a 4x4 heading up this ridiculously steep snow-filled track through the falling snow having no idea what to expect, driving was the guide Bernardo, and with us was Andoni Canela the famous Spanish wildlife photographer trying to get photos for his next book. Anyway, we reached the top of this mountain and crested the ridge and as we did so, two wolves ran across the ridge maybe 100 meters away across a snow-field. It was almost over in the blink of an eye, far too fast to even consider getting the camera out - but I was hooked. What was meant to be a 1 night stop turned into 4 much to the delight of my long-suffering fiance at the time who was left (albeit quite happily) with Cass our dog while I was out looking for wolves in this magically wild place we'd happened across. I never did see another wolf on that trip, but that didn't matter.

This place that immediately felt like home became a twice-yearly holiday destination and remains so until this day. Each time we'd explore more of North West Spain on our way down to the Picos and gradually fell in love with the whole area from coast to mountains. Of course, it was impossible not to start noticing all of these Camino signs and weird people walking with backpacks from the Norte to lesser-known Caminos we crossed on our travels. Curiosity would get the better of me and I'd start looking into what these strange people were doing traipsing across this beautiful part of Spain which was still at the time very undiscovered by the tourist hordes. Eventually, this would lead to including Santiago de Compostela on our travels, and then the film The Way and books and YouTube and eventually the Camino became fully entrenched in my mind as something one day I'd love to do.

And last year, after the death of Flora my dog whom I'd spent the last 8 years exploring this beautiful country, that "one" day arrived - I had to go. I walked the Camino with mine and Flora's mountains constantly to my right holding me tight like a dear friend as I walked that most beautiful path to Santiago de Compostela.

So there is my tenuous path towards the Camino thanks to those two wolves I saw over 11 years ago in those beautiful mountains.

Next week I'll be back in Boca de Huergano, the first time without Flora which will be strange, but like the Camino, I'm sure she'll be with me because they will always be our mountains (well, ours and the wolves and occasional bear).

There are some photos from that fateful trip here if anyone is interested.

Spain 2013 — W e s t

www.west.je

Absolutely stunning photos! Thank you so much for sharing!

 

[davejsy]

Is there a marked trail for that or along a road or?

It's certainly marked from Boca as that's how I first saw it. From Boca the first part heads up through woods and I think it's mostly forest tracks to Prioro. It's very wild, this is a wolf kill about 20 yards from the path!