July 18, Lascuarre to Puente de Montañana

Advisement:  A pictureless post

Puente de la Montañana is where the walk was supposed to go, but sadly, it did not.  There were two routes: the shorter one, which I opted for, was over 16 miles, (think 19+), so, since most the first few miles were on the road, I decided to have a taxi take me just past that part.  And he did.  However, not only were the instructions in the book particularly deficient and vague for this stage, the route was impossible and/or impassible. I could not find the way to go.  Signage was virtually absent, the thorns and thistles were cutting me to shreds—OK, that is a bit of hyperbole, but I was getting pretty scratched—honestly, it was impossible to figure out where a path was supposed to be.  After six hours, I had covered just a few miles.  Just when I thought it was going to get better because for twenty paces there was a REAL path, it turned out that that real path was for other people, "my path" ascended a huge, and I mean huge pile of loose dirt,—picture an ant hill the size of a stadium—and for about the fourth or fifth time, the book did admit that "the going i difficult here." It was noon by now.  I had been struggling since 6:15 a.m.  It was hot and shadeless, too.  So I looked at that huge pile of reddish brown dirt, and I looked at ViewRanger, saw that I could get to a road where cars can go, called the taxi driver who was supposed to pick me up in Puente de Montañana, and Q U I T!!  Then I trotted off to the new pick-up spot where two particularly ugly, barking dogs awaited.  What beauteous sights I missed, I will never know, though I had been excited about the bridge at Puente de Montañana, which, apparently, is quite spectacular.

Later, after investigating on-line, and speaking to the taxi driver, who has a compañero who knows the area, I learned that that etapa (stage) is notoriously difficult to get through.  The on-line info was from a guy who walked this route a few years ago and he admitted that the only way he managed was because someone helped him, and his description of the climb up that huge dirt hill you don't want to know.  The compañero said you need a guide.  I do feel validated.

Now I just have to worry about tomorrow's walk, which is supposed to be well signed, but a little bit scary, going down into a deep gorge and stuff.