Up and Down

The hardest ascent on the Camino is pretty universally agreed to be getting over the Pyrenees on the first day. The second, in the opinions of most people I've talked to, is O Cebreiro. In the morning I woke up and headed out early, deciding not to eat breakfast at my albergue, so that I could instead eat just before the climb, both to break up the day and to ensure I was fueled up for the ascent. I was still almost 10km out from where the trail got serious, but it was a smooth walk along the highway, and I got there with minimal trouble.

During breakfast, a tour van pulled up to the cafe and about 20 people filed in to get stamps and use the bathroom. This was a sign of the changing nature of the Camino, as after O Cebreiro it becomes much more touristy, and this trend doubles down after Sarria. Once I'd eaten, I headed out and began my climb.

The ascent was tough, but not exceptionally so. I've always liked climbing hills, at least since my time in SF, and it was fun to get to simply focus on climbing and try to maintain a steady pace up the mountain. I believe I did a pretty good job of it as well, as my Fitbit claimed that I maintained a pace of 4.5km/hour throughout the core part of the ascent. As I neared the top I slowed down to take pictures, as the view behind me was gorgeous. Or, well, it was until the fog rolled in.

At the top was O Cebreiro itself, a cute town, but also one that would not have felt out of place near any American tourist attraction. I have pretty limited interest in any of the touristy places along the route, so I blew through and kept on walking.

After reaching O Cebreiro, the path continues at that elevation for about 20km, then descends quickly down to Triacastela. (Though not so steeply or for so long as the other day.) By the book, the ascent and decent are scheduled for different days, but I wanted to make it to Triacastela, so I pushed forward.

After a brief stop for lunch (another Spanish sandwich, which is to say half a baguette with a few slices of meat and/or cheese [usually "or"] — when I get back to the US I'm finding a place that makes a proper turkey club or BEC) I began the descent, and got to my albergue in Triacastela. It was less touristy than O Cebreiro, but you could still tell a definite difference in the feeling between here and the previous towns. I had a nice big dinner with plenty of protein, and got to try Galician soup for the first time, then headed to bed, hoping that tomorrow would either be my last or second-to-last long day.