Mataelpino to La Granja

[Kiwi-family]

I'm planning on walking Tres Cantos to Mataelpino (33km-ish)....next stop is Cercedilla (way too short) or La Granja, which is about 36km. If I haven't got over jetlag, I'm happy to stop in Cercedilla and have a quiet day - but I'd really prefer to have a day up my sleeve to linger later on! And I have a bed booked in Segovia, which will need cancelling if I am not going to get there in time. If it weren't for the booking issue I would just walk and see what happens. But I need to change my booking BEFORE I set out for La Granja - so I have to commit one way or the other and I'm preferring to push on. So if I aim for La Granja, but find I'm not feeling great, googlemaps tells me I could save 3km or so by sticking to the M607/M601/CL601. I'm guessing noone has walked this. Right? Nevertheless, does anyone have an opinion on this option? I don't mind asphalt walking, so that does not concern me. The road skips Cercedilla altogether - would it be a great pity to miss this?

 

[peregrina2000]

IMO, that’s not the best idea. Because you will miss the pass of Fuenfría. The views are beautiful and car-free. And there’s the the walk up through the woods, and across the ridgeline on the old royal road. I don’t know how busy that highway is now that there is an autopista, but it was the old Madrid to Segovia route, and used to be clogged with trucks. Just my two cents.

 

[Kiwi-family]

Oh Laurie you strike a chord - I do so like "best options". I'll delete this one from my thinking! Either it will be a short day or a long one. Actually I feel a sense of anticipation in not knowing how I'll be feeling - will I take a short day to slow myself down or will I just want to keep walking or will I want to crack open my journal and watercolours or will I be giddy with excitement at being on my own for the first time in my 48 years?
It's time I stopped overthinking and just looked forward to the journey - I'll let it unfold.

 

[KinkyOne]

OK, go from Mataelpino and don't stop at Cercedilla (not good in my mindset) but do go to La Granja de San Ildefonso afterwards. You'll be rewarded.

 

[jsalt]

I'm planning on walking Tres Cantos to Mataelpino (33km-ish)....next stop is Cercedilla (way too short) or La Granja, which is about 36km.

Could you not walk:
Tres Cantos to Manzanares (stay with Ray y Rosa)
Manzanares to Cercedilla
Cercedilla to Segovia?
Jill

 

[Kiwi-family]

Jill that’s the sensible option! I decided to book at Mataelpino - partly to hopefully be on my own which certainly sounds antisocial but it’s the truth! Happy to keep that booking. I’ve not been doing the training I had hoped to (because of lots of people-contact) but I’ve done a few hilly 25km walks without any trouble so i’m relaxed about adding another 8 or 10, especially when I don’t need to go home and parent and have people over for dinner!!

 

[LTfit]

This past June I walked Tres Cantons - Mataelpino - La Granja (Albergue de Lis) - Segovia (visit with @gittiharre and city) then on to Los Huertos for the night.

I stopped in Cercedilla for coffee then made the climb up to Fuenfria. I found the accent a bit difficult - cursing the Romans for all those stones! - but am glad that I did it. Although the weather had been cool, that day was of course hot! It didn't help that I took an unintentional detour (there are several routes up to the pass) which was very steep. I enjoyed staying in Mataelpino (nice and clean albergue with a kitchen) and the walk there was nice. The following day was one of my favorites but it was a bit of a slog into La Granja.

I was not looking forward to the walk along the highway from La Granja into Segovia but I was in the center of Segovia within a flash! The road is entirely flat and you definately can't get lost. And if you leave early enough (I think I left by 6.30) you miss the traffic. I was even in time to join Gitti for breakfast!

Let me know if you need any other suggestions. How exciting to plan your first adventure on your own in 48 years

 

[Kiwi-family]

@LTfit when I see @gittiharre on Tuesday I’ll mention your breakfast!
Thanks for your words of encouragement. I’ll be staying in Segovia overnight - I do love old cities. In fact, if it turns out I want more time there I’ll only go as far as Zamaramalla the next day!
Thanks everyone for your contributions. My heart is settled now.

 

[KinkyOne]

@LTfit when I see @gittiharre on Tuesday I’ll mention your breakfast!
Thanks for your words of encouragement. I’ll be staying in Segovia overnight - I do love old cities. In fact, if it turns out I want more time there I’ll only go as far as Zamaramalla the next day!
Thanks everyone for your contributions. My heart is settled now.

I would suggest Duermevela (means "Sleep well", "Good sleep") hostel/albergue. Just few staircases down from the famous aqueduct. We got double bed this spring. Super friendly and you can't beat the price for this location.

 

[Kiwi-family]

@KinkyOne glad to hear it's a goodie - it's where I have a booking! I don't mind if places are rough, but it will be nice to look forward to this one.

 

[LTfit]

@LTfit when I see @gittiharre on Tuesday I’ll mention your breakfast!
Thanks for your words of encouragement. I’ll be staying in Segovia overnight - I do love old cities. In fact, if it turns out I want more time there I’ll only go as far as Zamaramalla the next day!
Thanks everyone for your contributions. My heart is settled now.

Now that is a coincidence! Say hello from me, also to her walking buddy Jenny. We also had lunch (along the Camino on our way Los Huertos) and dinner together. I usually don't stop for lunch when walking but was glad that I did. It was the first and last time I had the pleasure of sharing a meal with a pilgrim until I reached Segovia.

 

[Pelegrin]

I wouldn´t walk that road It has traffic and sharp curves, fortunatelly the drivers expect cyclsts but It must not be a pleasant 32 kms walk in my opinion.

 

[Pelegrin]

IMO, that’s not the best idea. Because you will miss the pass of Fuenfría. The views are beautiful and car-free. And there’s the the walk up through the woods, and across the ridgeline on the old royal road. I don’t know how busy that highway is now that there is an autopista, but it was the old Madrid to Segovia route, and used to be clogged with trucks. Just my two cents.

It is not a royal road, It is republican! (carretera de la república).
It was started in the republican period but wasn´t continued after the civil war.

 

[peregrina2000]

It is not a royal road, It is republican! (carretera de la república).
It was started in the republican period but wasn´t continued after the civil war.

Every time I think I get my history straight, I get a reminder that I am pretty hopeless. Thanks for the correction, Pelegrin.
I did a little googling to straighten myself out, and realize that I was remembering the “calzada borbónica” in my reference to royal road. But is that calzada borbónica what many refer to as the Roman road?

 

[Pelegrin]

Every time I think I get my history straight, I get a reminder that I am pretty hopeless. Thanks for the correction, Pelegrin.
I did a little googling to straighten myself out, and realize that I was remembering the “calzada borbónica” in my reference to royal road. But is that calzada borbónica what many refer to as the Roman road?

Laurie you are right the calzada borbonica follows the Roman road till Fonfria. The carretera de la Republica is an unpaved road that gets to Fonfria on the right but the Camino doesn't follow it. I was wrong because I thought that it continued North to Valsain, but that stretch from Fonfria to Valsain is not considered as carretera de la Republica.
So you were right. I am sorry

 

[KinkyOne]

I think @Pelegrin and @peregrina2000 made a little bit of a mess here
@Kiwi-family (Rachael) was asking about walking over Guadarrama Ridge well before Cercedilla, turning to the right on the road from Navacerrada over the Puerto Navacerrada. Look at the map in OP.

I don't know if M607/M601/CL601 is royal or republican but for sure it isn't Borbonica

 

[peregrina2000]

Laurie you are right the calzada borbonica follows the Roman road till Fonfria. The carretera de la Republica is an unpaved road that gets to Fonfria on the right but the Camino doesn't follow it. I was wrong because I thought that it continued North to Valsain, but that stretch from Fonfria to Valsain is not considered as carretera de la Republica.
So you were right. I am sorry

You’ve piqued my curiosity, Pelegrin, no apologies necessary. I went to Wikipedia to read up on this “carretera de la República.” Very interesting. And what I learned was that it was a project of the Second Republic intending to more or less open up nature to the masses. There were five roads planned (and one was Cercedilla to Valsain in fact, so I think you were right, @Pelegrin ). Turns out only one of five planned routes was completed, because of the civil war. https://es.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carretera_de_la_República

 

[peregrina2000]

I think @Pelegrin and @peregrina2000 made a little bit of a mess here
@Kiwi-family (Rachael) was asking about walking over Guadarrama Ridge well before Cercedilla, turning to the right on the road from Navacerrada over the Puerto Navacerrada. Look at the map in OP.

I don't know if M607/M601/CL601 is royal or republican but for sure it isn't Borbonica

Well K1, sorry if I was confusing. What I said to Rachel was that it would be a shame to take that road option because she would miss the walk to Fonfria and the chance to walk on the Roman Road and on some royal road. Then Pelegrín mentioned the Carretera de la República. None of those roads are on the route/short cut she was considering, as you pointed out. But they all appear to be cross-crossing the “official” camino path.

 

[KinkyOne]

Well K1, sorry if I was confusing. What I said to Rachel was that it would be a shame to take that road option because she would miss the walk to Fonfria and the chance to walk on the Roman Road and on some royal road. Then Pelegrín mentioned the Carretera de la República. None of those roads are on the route/short cut she was considering, as you pointed out. But they all appear to be cross-crossing the “official” camino path.

That's true. I mentioned this option (Carretera de la Republica) in another thread this spring when there was a lot of snow up at Fuenfria Pass and on the northern side of Guadarrama. Me and my companion took the train from Cercedilla to Segovia but a day later we talked with other walkers and they say it was OK when frozen but with higher temps it was a menace walking in almost 1m deep snow.

 

[Kiwi-family]

Thankfully I love history so this i all very interesting - not to mention quite funny. Thanks for extending my education.