The secret of the Cottonwood Forest

[nalod]

Between Toro and Zamora there seem to be a bit of confusion. The problem seem to appear after the Quarry. I had no problem but was on alert because of problems other people had. I decided to photograph the arrows in sequence for the purpose of informing those yet to do the route and maybe also for those who have done it.



Notice no arrow on the second last photograph, it is only when you turn left you see it as on last photograph.

Don't worry in the slightest if you have yet to do it, just remember that last building and you will be fine.

Dermot

"The Secrets of the Cotton Wool Forest" an intriguing story by many Authors coming out soon in digital format.

 

[LTfit]

Thanks Dermot for the mystery solving! I was in fact fine up until picture 4 when the arrows disappeared. I never really got lost, just found a new camino. As long as you see Zamora and keep walking you will finally get there.

 

[peregrina2000]

Thanks so much, Dermot. So, looking at picture #6, it looks like there is a fork up ahead, and based on the arrow on the back of the building (shown in #7), I'm assuming that means we should go left at that fork? And we must have gone right. But we were not as lucky as LT, because we got all turned around in that forest and as we were trudging towards the river on the theory that Zamora is on the river, we learned that if we had done that we would have added many kms to the route because of the way the river loops around at that stage. Fortunately, though, we had our camino angel appearance, in the form of a man in a tractor -- and this was a weekend, mind you!

Where does this route eventually take you out, Dermot, for the last slog on the road into Zamora?

This is getting to be as much fun as our discussion about how to leave the Puerto de Pajares on the Salvador.

Buen camino, Laurie

p.s. Kinky, I know you love challenges, so maybe you should ignore these directions and try to figure it out yourself.

 

[nalod]

Thanks Dermot for the mystery solving! I was in fact fine up until picture 4 when the arrows disappeared. I never really got lost, just found a new camino. As long as you see Zamora and keep walking you will finally get there.

If you can eat and a bed to sleep in you are never lost. I have found magic places by "following my feet".
Dermot

 

[nalod]

Laurie, It brought me out in some Village about 5km from Zamora. I saw no name on the Village, there is a gr marked from the village to Zamora but I knew this was taking me a long way around so I continued straight ahead on a very long narrow road with some fast traffic, this is the "right" route because there are the yellow arrows. You then arrive in Zamora at the same bridge as the Via de la PLATA BUT FROM THE DIRECTLY OPPOSITE DIRECTION. SORRY ABOUT cAP LOCK.
Dermot

 

[KinkyOne]

Thank you, Dermot for solving the mystery
@peregrina2000 I'm very much inclined to take a detour to Madridanos after Villalazan and continue on GR-14 to Villaralbo and further on all the way to Zamora to avoid walking on/by busy tarmac road Dermot mentioned.

But I'm sure that with my "talent" I will discover some more new options either before or after Zamora

 

[LTfit]

Laurie, It brought me out in some Village about 5km from Zamora. I saw no name on the Village, there is a gr marked from the village to Zamora but I knew this was taking me a long way around so I continued straight ahead on a very long narrow road with some fast traffic, this is the "right" route because there are the yellow arrows. You then arrive in Zamora at the same bridge as the Via de la PLATA BUT FROM THE DIRECTLY OPPOSITE DIRECTION. SORRY ABOUT cAP LOCK.
Dermot

@KinkyOne There is no need to follow straight on the busy road as Dermot mentioned. In the last village I followed the GR signs to the right passing a group of crosses. It takes you around a canal and campos into Zamora. It was very quiet. Only the last km or so you will following yellow arrows and then as Dermot mentioned cross the bridge into Zamora from the opposite direction as the Vía de la Plata. This will make sense!

Can't wait to hear what you end up doing.

 

[KinkyOne]

@KinkyOne There is no need to follow straight on the busy road as Dermot mentioned. In the last village I followed the GR signs to the right passing a group of crosses. It takes you around a canal and campos into Zamora. It was very quite. Only the last km or so you will following yellow arrows and then as Dermot mentioned cross the bridge into Zamora from the opposite direction as the Vía de la Plata. This will make sense!

Can't wait to hear what you end up doing.

Yes, the last village is Villaralbo and the GR-14 and Camino are the same from there as I understand. Either way - will be a lot of fun. And enough time to get lost as I plan to sleep in Villalazan and will have only 20kms to Zamora

 

[nalod]

I was getting tired and just wanted the shortest route. You are right the gr joins up with it a little out from Zamora.

 

[Bad Pilgrim]

Hi,

I got lost on this stage as well. I had studied the posts here on the forum and I was sure I wouldn't make the mistake, still I did. It's like a curse! But I didn't end up following the river, like Laurie did. I took the wrong turn between two towns, and ended up in a town called Moraleja cel Vino - outside the map! I made the wrong turn at a crossroad where I could see no arrows at all, and I had to make a guess. And it was the wrong one (turned left, should have gone right). Surprisingly no-one has mentioned this on the Levante Forum. This is strange. It was between Villalazán and Villaralbo. Hasn't anyone come upon this?

/BP

 

[KinkyOne]

Hi,

I got lost on this stage as well. I had studied the posts here on the forum and I was sure I wouldn't make the mistake, still I did. It's like a curse! But I didn't end up following the river, like Laurie did. I took the wrong turn between two towns, and ended up in a town called Moraleja cel Vino - outside the map! I made the wrong turn at a crossroad where I could see no arrows at all, and I had to make a guess. And it was the wrong one (turned left, should have gone right). Surprisingly no-one has mentioned this on the Levante Forum. This is strange. It was between Villalazán and Villaralbo. Hasn't anyone come upon this?

/BP

Nope

 

[LTfit]

Me neither but I hope to be back out on the Levante again. Who knows, maybe I'll find another detour !