9.7mi/15.6km from Campiello to Pola de Allande
We woke up after a massively sweaty night under all manner of layers, sleeping bags, extra blankets, and face masks. But… we sweated out our fevers and felt OK! Way better than yesterday, maybe with some minor lingering effects so not quite 100%. So instead of having to sheepishly call a taxi for the very first time on one of our many long distance treks, we suited up. A light rain kept things damp and we were wearing our various layers to stay warm. Luckily, hiking with a pack – even downhill – generates a lot more body heat than cycling, so while it was cold, we were fine.
In addition to the rain, this mountainous region is quite humid. Each rainy morning brings what I would call a “death fog.” Visibility was low as we got moving, and for the first stretch on a road, we worried whether cars would see us well. Luckily David had a bright blue pack cover and rainpants. High noticeability factor!!
Through said death fog there wasn’t all that much to see as we focused on not slipping on the wet terrain below us. Every now and then we came across a pretty or interesting sight but photo opps on the way were limited. Still, it was a pretty hiking day and our destination, Pola de Allande, is a very pretty mountain town whose scenery we quite enjoyed.
One thing we *finally* had a realization about is these hundreds of little spiky fruits we’ve been seeing on almost every path we’ve walked on: chestnuts! I never knew THAT’s what chestnuts looked like fresh off the tree. Turns out Asturias is not only Spain’s apple capital, it’s also loaded with all kinds of nut trees including chestnut, walnut, and hazelnut – all of which we’ve seen underfoot in the past week. And I guess many might say a difficult trek like this is a pretty *nutty* idea sooo… there ya go.