Back to the GR1 Sendero Histórico - to Branosera

This was a walk I had done before with Juan but last time, because it was covered with the snow, the trail was hard to follow and I wanted to make sure I had got it right for the guide.  We also missed a bit of the route to go and look at an old oak tree, something I definitely didn't need to do twice.

It was a gorgeous morning and unlike yesterday I didn't have to leave without a coffee.

The walk starts with a trip through a brand new park just to the north of town - new pavements, benches and street lights.  Away from the shops and where anyone lives it's hard to imagine it ever getting used.  You see developments like this all over Spain, a product of the optimism fueled by the building boom. There is a large new footbridge which Juan and I crossed last time which drops you, heading on the wrong route, in the middle of an empty industrial estate.

Evergreen oak forest near Requejada Reservoir

Return to the GR1 Sendero Histórico - to Cervera de Pisuerga

The hostal at Camporredonda de Alba is fine, good food, nice bar, traditional rural Spanish accommodation and great value but don't expect a smile from the host. He is efficient though and when he realised that I wanted to get away early in the morning he found someone in the bar who could speak English and took my order for breakfast.  It's a typical practical Spanish arrangement, pay the night before you leave, grab your packed breakfast before you go to bed, leave your key in the door and bugger off.

The sunny side of the valley

Back on the GR1 Sendero Histórico - to Camporredonda de Alba

Good job Christine wasn't with me today.  She would have been somewhat annoyed.  I knew it was going to be a long day but no where near as long as it turned out to be.  I got both the length of the walk wrong and the amount of climb. The 4 passes I had to cross must have amounted to at least 2,000 metres of ascent.  As usual I got to where I wanted but it took 12 hours!

The first pass was immediately to the east of Salamon where I stayed last night. The sun was just coming up as I reached the top and to get a better view I climbed up the cliff next to the trail.  The views were amazing.  In the east I could see Peña Espigüette - the second highest mountain in the Cantabrian range (2451 metres) and, because of its near perfect shape, the most iconic.  One side of the pass the valley was full of mist while the other was clear and in bright sunshine.

Back on the GR1 Sendero Histórico - to Salamon

Over the last 3 years I've walked nearly 4000 kilometres in Spain.  My Spanish hasn't improved but I am starting to find my way around. The more familiar I get with the country the more I like it.

I'm a particular fan of the long distance route, the GR1. It goes all the way from the Asturias, in the north west of Spain, to the Mediterranean a journey of nearly a 1000 kilometres. I walked most of it in March and April of this year and despite the unusually poor weather I thought it was brilliant.  It's a well known walk in Spain but without an English language guide doesn't have an international reputation so I've been able to persuade a publisher that if I write one they'll produce it.

So of instead of walking the Ecrins circular, the trip I had planned to do in September, I'm back in Spain walking the GR1. I'm here for 2 weeks and I'm trying to do 2 things. Firstly I'm walking stretches which either I missed earlier in the year or which didn't go too well. Secondly I want to look at the options for getting to and from the trail.  On this trip I'm revisiting the western half of the route and all being well will back next April to do the rest.

The Indian Himalayan Grand Traverse - a Review

We haven't quite decided whether the Indian Himalayan Grand Traverse was our favourite ever trek but it's definitely up there with the very best.  It managed to combine novelty, adventure, great scenery and excellent company with good organisation

We've got Valerie Parkinson to thank for the idea of going on the trip.  Valerie is the Asia Base Manager for Exodus whom we met for the first time on the Annapurna Circuit last year. Valerie is a trekking legend.  She was the first British woman to summit Manaslu, has been working for almost 30 years in Nepal and Kashmir, and leads for Exodus on the development of new treks in the area.  After listening to the amazing account of her attempt on Everest we asked our usual question "what's your favourite trek" and without hesitation she came back with the "Indian Himalayan Grand Traverse".

So where is the trip and what makes it's so good?

The Indian Himalayan Grand Traverse crosses Ladakh, one of three provinces in the Indian state of Kashmir and Jammu.  Geographically it's in an interesting place.  Kashmir and Jammu is the bit of India that inserts itself into central Asia and, from geological point of view, Ladakh is really part of the Tibetian High Plateau.  It's very high and very dry with long cold winters and short hot summers.  It's also interesting from a geopolitical point of view. With the Indian Army facing up to the Pakistan and Chinese armies over contested borders, it's one of most militarised parts of the world.

Indian Himalayan Grand Traverse - Day 18 - 21 Back to Delhi

Although it took three days by road and train to get back to Delhi it was a trip I thoroughly enjoyed.  I've only done one other road trip in India (from Delhi to Agra to see the Taj Mahal) and that was good as well.  There is always so much to see and best of all "things happen".  To be honest I'd love to do a road trip from one end of India to the other if I could fine someone to go with, Christine unfortunately refuses to sit in a car for that long.

After a couple of hours walk along a gorge and a final small climb, we met up with 2 minibuses and said goodbye to the ponymen.  Christine gave a speech and tried to express how grateful we all were for everything they had done for us.  They were as charming as ever, all smiles and handshakes.  After saying goodbye to us they have just over a week to get themselves and their animals back over all the passes to where we started trekking, where they will support the next trekking group.

Donkey disguised as haystack

Indian Himalayan Grand Traverse - Day 16 - Over the Parang La

The weather did clear up in the night so after a 4-45 wake up call we were on our way by 6 up to the Parang La  (5,586 metres).  It was daylight but the sun was behind the mountains and it was very cold.  Despite only wearing trainers Christine was complaining about her cold hands rather than her feet.

Sagar was leading the group and for once no one shot on ahead of him.  Dilip was taking no chances and Shyam, Pirtha, Pandbhabur and Namgyal and had joined to help us on the ice during the ascent up the glacier.  Following us were the two Belarusians but once we got to the glacier they took a more direct and easier looking route up its side.  Dilip assured us we were on the best route and that theirs was dangerous as the glacier edge was an overhang that could break at any moment.

Stepping onto the Glacier and the ice