Mike by John Barkham
GUIDED WALKING WEEKS
Max. 8 people.
£490pp
The price includes six days of guided walking and seven nights full-board accommodation with packed lunches of local produce - cheeses, sausages, fruit and goodies. You just bring stout boots, suitable clothing and/or a flask or water bottle. We have two different grades of walking weeks.
Itineraries are flexible to allow for weather conditions and group/personal expectations.
Level 1 Walking Week
Passing through flora-rich meadows, full of vibrant colour and buzzing insect life, on ancient, time-worn paths, these walks are fairly gentle. Most days have more descent (max. 1300m) than ascent (max. 500m). A reasonable level of fitness required to enjoy four to six hours of walking daily.
See below for an example walk.
Level 2 Walking Week
Exciting and challenging days, scaling the peaks of the Picos de Europa or traversing the ridges of the Cordillera Cantabrica. Days may involve easy scrambling with ascents and descents of up to 1300m. A reasonably high level of mountain fitness is recommended for these treks. Six to nine hours walking daily.
See below for an example walk.
The Madajuno ridge
High in the Picos
An example of a level 1 walk
Cobeña to Casa Gustavo
A ten minute drive takes us to the village of Cobeña in the neighbouring Bedoya valley. Within minutes of starting our walk, we are treated to great views down into the Desfiladero (gorge) de La Hermida and across to the impressive rock walls of Agero. Our route follows a track through ancient, mature holm oaks, between the white limestone and fields of Cobeña.
From the col at approximately 900m, our way ambles and undulates between the hay meadows and scrub of Peña Ventosa. This is an especially rich habitat full of flowers, butterflies and birdlife, so makes an excellent spot for lunch.
Resuming our walk, after a couple of kilometres of slowly rising traverse, our route gently descends into the Pyrenean oaks of Salarzón. After admiring the neoclassical architecture of the church, we carry on gently descending through meadows and vineyards. After the village of Trillayo, a short climb brings us to a hermitage, La Hermita de Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe. A further fifteen minutes of gradual descent through vines and pines, and along pretty country lanes brings us home to Casa Gustavo and a cup of tea or a beer!
Total ascent - 500m
Total descent - 700m
Length approx. 12 kms
The look-out at the top of Fuente De.
Photo Jeff Williams.
Lunar-like landscape of La Vueltona.
Peñas Olvidada and Vieja
Click on the following link and search
"Picos de Europa" for
Maps and guides from Mapsworldwide
MORE WALKING HOLIDAYS
Following the success of some innovative new walking holidays, organised and led by Geraldine Westrupp and Mike Stuart in 2006, Casa Gustavo will again be the base for more guided walking holidays in 2007. Visit Asturian Spirit for more details, dates and photos of these trips.
To view detailed itineraries, bookings and prices visit the specialist trekking companies High Places and
KE Adventure Travel
For an informal chat about these holidays, phone Geraldine on
(00 34) 985 661762,
or email Geraldine,
or phone Mike on (00 34) 942 732010,
or email Mike
Geraldine photographing Naranjo
from above the Urriello hut
Photo Martin Sammtleben
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Mike, your guide, is a fully-qualified Mountain Leader. With his extensive experience of walking in the Picos and his sense of humour, you are assured of enjoyable, rewarding days out on the hill reaching places you just may not get to on your own. We offer complete weeks or just days of guided walking at realistic and reasonable prices from May through to November.
A hay meadow in May
Looking down into the Cares gorge
Cobeña
Pink butterfly orchid
(Orchis papilionacea)
Holm oaks (Quercus ilex)
And if you fancy a bath...
An example of a level 2 walk
Peña Vieja
A twenty five minute drive takes us to the base of the cable car at Fuente De. A swift five minute ride brings us to its top station and home of the remarkably bold rebeco (the endemic chamois), Griffon vultures, Alpine choughs and Wallcreepers to name but a few. Walking into the lunar-like landscape of the central massif of the Picos de Europa, we head towards the Covarrobres col. Our track leads over a scree slope, under Peña Olvidada's (forgotten peak) and Peña Vieja's (old peak) impressive east faces. The route takes us past the now abandoned lead mines, closed in 1974, and up the Canal de Vidreos. Whilst scrambling on this route is not a necessity, it is possible to indulge, at will, for the nearly 600m of ascent. Arriving at the summit we feel priviledged to enjoy the 360 degree views of the Picos and, if we're lucky, the Cantabrian Sea in the distance. Time for lunch.
Our descent is via the Collado de Canalona down into La Vueltona, traversing another scree slope. We are now onto the main track leading back to the cable car.
Total ascent - 1000m
Total descent - 1000m
6 - 7 hours
Click here to email Lisa and Mike for dates and availability.
The south face of Naranjo de Bulnes
Geraldine working hard..
Photo John Barkham
Some happy faces in 2006
Photo Geraldine Westrupp
Photo Anne Coxon
June 25th - July 4th 2008
Martin Hunt, is organising a walking holiday in the Picos de Europa with us. Based in Cornwall, he leads holidays all over the world. Visit his website Adventureline (click on Spain) for more information or
email Martin
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