Difficult to get up this morning, after such a long day of driving and a well-watered dinner. However, by eight o’clock, we park the car in a quiet corner of the village before setting off.

The trail, flat for the first few kilometers, allows us to gently stretch our legs. That’s all the better because shortly after the village of Cordiñanes, the climb begins and it is steep. Very quickly, we find ourselves faced with chains on the cliffside that allow us to progress more serenely on the white stone.

After a few switchbacks, the sun reveals itself around a rocky outcrop and floods us with its heat. That’s all it takes to make us break out in a sweat. A grassy ledge, which we reach after much effort, gives us the opportunity for a real break. One apple sauce and a biscuit later, and we’re off again!

The second part of the ascent lives up to the descriptions I had been given of this trek: it looks like Corsica. Very often, we find ourselves facing rock walls that we have to climb as best we can. While the sun crushes us, the discovery of a stream makes our happiness after this dusty morning.

A freeze-dried dinner later and we go to bed, very early, to recover from this tough day. Tomorrow promises to be extraordinary, with a longitudinal crossing of the Massif Central to reach the surroundings of Bulnes.